Afanasy Beloborodov

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Afanasy Pavlantyevich Beloborodov (Russian: Афанасий Павлантьевич Белобородов) (1903–1990) was a military commander of the Soviet Army during the Great Patriotic War, twice Hero of the Soviet Union and recipient of several other awards. Between 1963 and 1968, he commanded the Moscow Military District.

Beloborodov was born on 31 January 1903 in Akinino village, known today as the Irkutsk district of the Irkutsk region. His family were farmers.

Military career

Beloborodov became a partisan in the Far East in the 8th Irkutsk Regiment of the 1st Chita Infantry Division in 1920. After leaving the army for a while, he enlisted into the Red Army again in 1923. In 1926, he graduated from Nizhny Novgorod Infantry School and was appointed commander of a rifle platoon. He completed his military and political training in 1929, upon which he was made political commissar of the rifle company. When a commander died in action during an armed conflict in 1929, command of the company fell on Beloborodov. He successfully led the company in several battles. In 1936 he graduated from the Frunze Military Academy, following which he was appointed Assistant Chief, then Chief of Staff of the operational infantry division in the Far East. He became Operations Chief of Staff of the 31st Rifle Corps in March 1939. In June of that same year he was made Chief of Staff of the 43rd Rifle Corps. For the first six months of 1941 he was the head of department of military training of the Far Eastern Front.

In July 1941, Beloborodov was made commander of the 78th Rifle Division. In October of that year, he arrived at the Western Front. The division's actions in the Battle of Moscow were recognized in November 1941, and the division became the 9th Guards Rifle Division. Beloborodov was subsequently promoted to the rank of Major-General. The following spring and summer the 9th Guards Rifle Division, under the commanded of Beloborodov, carried out successful combat operations in the Southwestern Front at the Seversky Donets. Later that year, Beloborodov was put in charge of the 5th Guards Rifle Corps. They successfully destroyed the enemy’s defense in Velikiye Luki during the operation of the Kalinin Front. In August 1943, Beloborodov was made commander of the 2nd Guards Rifle Corps. Under his leadership the troops enjoyed success in combat near Smolensk.