Arkadiy Apollonov One of the heads of state security agencies Country: Russia

1. Early Life and Education
2. Rise Through the Ranks
3. Key Roles in Internal Affairs
4. Demise and Retirement

Early Life and Education

Arkadiy Nikolayevich Apollonov was born on 1907 in Balashiv, Saratov Governorate. His journey in the military began when he joined the border troops of the OGPU СССР in 1932. Apollonov's education was enriched by attending the Frunze Military Academy in 1939.

Rise Through the Ranks

During the purges within the OGPU and NKVD, Apollonov swiftly advanced in his career. He became the deputy head of the Main Directorate of Border Troops in 1939. On July 31, 1941, he assumed the role of head of the Main Directorate of Internal Troops of the NKVD USSR. His responsibilities expanded further when he became the deputy minister of internal affairs for troops (March 11, 1942), commanding border troops, internal troops, operational troops, supply units, military construction, and the Political Directorate of the NKVD.

Key Roles in Internal Affairs

Apollonov played a significant role in the deportation of Chechens and Ingush to Kazakhstan in 1944. In 1948, he was appointed as the chairman of the Committee on Physical Culture and Sports, overseeing the activities of the sports society "Dynamo." However, he returned to the internal affairs system in 1950 as the deputy minister of state security for troops.

Demise and Retirement

Following the arrest of Minister of State Security V.S. Abakumov, Apollonov was removed from his position in 1951 and transferred to the Ministry of Defense. After the death of Joseph Stalin and the arrest of Lavrentiy Beria, Apollonov was dismissed from service due to "illness" on December 7, 1953. He lived the remainder of his life as a personal pensioner.