Nikolai Nikitchenko

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Nikolai Stepanovich Nikitchenko
Chernigov Governorate, Russian Empire
Died1 April 1975(1975-04-01) (aged 73)
Moscow, Soviet Union
Allegiance
  • Russian SFSR
  • Soviet Union
Service/branchRed Army (later Soviet Army)
Years of service1918–1952
RankMajor general
Commands held226th Rifle Division (became 95th Guards Rifle Division)
Battles/wars
Awards

Nikolai Stepanovich Nikitchenko (Russian: Николай Степанович Никитченко; 17 December 1901 – 1 April 1975) was a Soviet Army major general.

Early life and Russian Civil War

A Russian, Nikolai Stepanovich Nikitchenko was born on 17 December 1901 in

Chernigov Governorate. During the Russian Civil War, Nikitchenko joined the Red Army in the settlement of Unecha on 27 October 1918 and was sent as a Red Army man to the commandant's platoon of the 1st Ukrainian Division. With the division, he fought on the Southern Front against the Volunteer Army. In February 1919 he was wounded and hospitalized until June. After recovering in June he was sent to the convalescent detachment of the 19th Reserve Rifle Regiment at Bryansk, where he served as an assistant platoon commander in the regimental reconnaissance detachment from February 1920. In December 1920 he transferred to the 22nd Rifle Regiment at Liski as assistant platoon commander in the reconnaissance detachment. With the 22nd, he fought in the suppression of the Kolesnikov revolt near Ostrogozhsk. In April 1921 he was sent to study at the 27th Oryol Infantry and Machine Gun Command Course. As a cadet, he fought in the suppression of the Tambov Rebellion between May and November of that year.[1]

Interwar period

After graduating from the course in September 1922, Nikitchenko was appointed to the 143rd Rifle Regiment of the

VTsIK Combined Military School in Moscow, where he served as a tactics instructor and chief of a cadet battalion. At the same time he completed two night courses at the Frunze Military Academy. In late 1934 Nikitchenko was transferred to the 250th Rifle Regiment of the 84th Rifle Division of the Moscow Military District, ending his studies at the academy due to the transfer to a different garrison.[1]

In August 1936 he was appointed chief of the 3rd section of the 6th department of the district staff. From November of that year he commanded a cadet battalion at the VTsIK Combined Military School, then from August 1937 was a tactics instructor at the Ivanovo Reserve Officers Improvement Course (KUKS). He commanded kursant battalions at the Kharkov Military School for Red Commanders and the

Odessa Infantry School, and from July 1940 was chief of the Kamyshlov Infantry School.[1]

World War II

After

Stalingrad Tractor Factory. For this action the division was converted into the 95th Guards Rifle Division on 4 May and Nikitchenko awarded the Order of the Red Banner on 14 February.[1] He was promoted to the rank of major general on 1 March.[2]

After the end of the Battle of Stalingrad, the division was withdrawn to the

Kremenchug. Crossing the Vorskla on 22 September, the division captured Poltava on the next day. For distinguishing itself in the capture of Poltava, the division received the name of the city as an honorific. Continuing the offensive, elements of the division captured Kremenchug on 29 September. In late September and early October during the Battle of the Dnieper the division fought in heavy offensive battles in the Pyatikhatka sector, covering the right flank of the breakthrough of the 5th Guards Tank Army, then attacked towards Aleksandriya, ensuring the junction of the 5th Guards and 57th Armies.[1]

In November Nikitchenko fell ill and was evacuated to Moscow for treatment, then in late January 1944 appointed chief of the 5th department of the Higher Educational Institutions Directorate of the Main Personnel Directorate and deputy chief of the directorate supervising Suvorov Military Schools.[1]

Postwar

Postwar, Nikitchenko in April 1946 was appointed chief of the 3rd department of the Higher Educational Institutions Directorate of the Ground Forces as a result of the abolition of the post of deputy chief of the Higher Educational Institutions Directorate. From April 1948 he served as chief of the 4th department of the directorate before transferring to serve in the same position in the 3rd department in July 1949. From January 1950 to August 1951, Nikitchenko was at the disposal of the Main Personnel Directorate due to illness, then was appointed chief of a course of the correspondence department of the Frunze Military Academy. Retiring in October 1952, Nikitchenko died in Moscow on 1 April 1975.[1]

Awards

Nikitchenko was a recipient of the following decorations:[1]

In May 2023 Poltava renamed a street in honor of Nikitchenko to Dzhokhar Dudayev Street as part of the Ukrainian derussification campaign.[3][4]

References

Citations

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Tsapayev & Goremykin 2015, pp. 980–981.
  2. ^ "Документ 220. О присвоении воинских званий высшему начальствующему составу Красной Армии" [Document 220: On the assignment of military ranks to senior commanders of the Red Army]. Documents of the Soviet era (in Russian). 1 March 1943. p. 1. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
  3. ^ "A memorial plaque to Dzhokhar Dudayev was opened in Poltava". Istorychna Pravda (in Ukrainian). 15 February 2024. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
  4. ^ Anastasia Dobryak (30 November 2022). "Streets of Kukoba and Heroes of Stalingrad. List for the second round of renaming in Poltava". Zmist (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 15 February 2024.

Bibliography

  • Tsapayev, D. A.; et al. (2015). Великая Отечественная: Комдивы. Военный биографический словарь [The Great Patriotic War: Division Commanders. Military Biographical Dictionary] (in Russian). Vol. 4. Moscow: Kuchkovo Pole.
    ISBN 978-5-9950-0602-2
    .
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nikolai_Nikitchenko&oldid=1208237846"