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Ivan VoloshinSoviet military leader, army general
Date of Birth: 27.05.1923
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Content:
- Mykhailo Horbachov
- Great Patriotic War
- Postwar Service
- Higher Command
- Chief of Staff and Military Inspector
- Honors and Awards
Mykhailo Horbachov
Early Life and Military CareerMykhailo Horbachov was born in Ukraine and graduated from high school prior to the outbreak of World War II. In May 1941, he joined the Red Army and completed infantry school in 1942.
Great Patriotic War
Horbachov actively participated in the Great Patriotic War from September 1943 onwards. Serving in the 271st Rifle Division, he took part in numerous offensive operations, including the Donbass, Zhitomir-Berdichev, and Lvov-Sandomierz campaigns. Despite his young age of 21, Horbachov briefly assumed command of the 865th Rifle Regiment in the final stages of the war.
During his wartime service, Horbachov demonstrated exceptional bravery and was decorated with five combat orders. He sustained two injuries during combat.
Postwar Service
After the war, Horbachov remained in the army. In 1946, he graduated from the "Vystrel" Higher Rifle-Tactical Courses for Infantry Command Staff. He subsequently held various command positions and served in the staff of a military district. In 1955, he graduated from the M.V. Frunze Military Academy.
From 1955 to 1960, Horbachov held senior positions at the Moscow Higher Combined Arms Command School. He later commanded the 2nd Guards Taman Motor Rifle Division in the Moscow Military District.
Higher Command
Following his graduation from the Military Academy of the General Staff in 1967, Horbachov held various high-ranking command positions. He served as First Deputy Commander of an army, Chief of Staff, and Commander of the 6th Combined Arms Army in the Leningrad Military District.
In April 1974, he became Commander of the Odessa Military District, earning the rank of Colonel-General in 1975. From May 1982, he served in the apparatus of the Commander-in-Chief of the Unified Armed Forces of the Warsaw Pact member states.
Chief of Staff and Military Inspector
In August 1985, Horbachov became First Deputy Commander-in-Chief and later Commander-in-Chief of the Far Eastern Forces from July 1986. He retired as a Military Inspector-Advisor to the Group of General Inspectors of the USSR Ministry of Defense in January 1989.
Honors and Awards
Horbachov was a member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and a Deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. He was awarded numerous honors and decorations, including the Order of Lenin, two Orders of the Red Banner, and two Orders of the Patriotic War.
