Dmitry Yazov facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Marshal of the Soviet Union
Dmitry Yazov
Дми́трий Я́зов |
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Yazov in 2013
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| Minister of Defence | |
| In office 30 May 1987 – 28 August 1991 |
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| Premier | Nikolai Ryzhkov Valentin Pavlov |
| Preceded by | Sergei Sokolov |
| Succeeded by | Yevgeny Shaposhnikov |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Dmitry Timofeyevich Yazov
8 November 1924 Yazovo, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union |
| Died | 25 February 2020 (aged 95) Moscow, Russia |
| Resting place | Federal Military Memorial Cemetery, Moscow Oblast |
| Political party | Communist Party of the Soviet Union (1944–1991) |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Soviet Union Russia |
| Branch/service | Soviet Army Russian Ground Forces |
| Years of service | 1941–1991 |
| Rank |  Marshal of the Soviet Union |
| Battles/wars | World War II Soviet–Afghan War |
Dmitry Timofeyevich Yazov (Russian: Дми́трий Тимофе́евич Я́зов; 8 November 1924 – 25 February 2020) was a very important military leader in the Soviet Union. He held the highest military rank, known as Marshal of the Soviet Union.
Yazov fought in World War II, which was called the Great Patriotic War in the Soviet Union. Later, he became the Minister of Defence in 1987. He held this job until 1991, when he was arrested for his part in a political event known as the 1991 August Coup. This happened just a few months before the Soviet Union broke apart.
Dmitry Yazov was the last person ever to be given the rank of Marshal of the Soviet Union. This happened on 28 April 1990. He was also the only Marshal born in Siberia. When he passed away in 2020, he was the last living Marshal of the Soviet Union.
Contents
Biography
Early Life and Joining the Army
Dmitry Yazov was born in a village called Yazovo in 1924. His parents were farmers. He was one of four children in his family.
In November 1941, when he was just 17 years old, Yazov joined the Red Army (the Soviet army) to fight in World War II. He had not yet finished high school. To join, he said he was a year older than he actually was. He went to a military training school and finished in June 1942.
Fighting in World War II
From August 1942, Yazov fought on the front lines. He was a leader of small groups of soldiers, first as a rifle platoon commander and then a rifle company commander. He took part in major battles, including the Siege of Leningrad. This was a very long and difficult battle where the city of Leningrad was surrounded by enemy forces. He also fought in other operations in the Baltic states. In 1944, he became a member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.
After the War: A Long Military Career
After World War II, Yazov continued his career in the military. He held many important positions.
In 1962, he was in Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis. This was a very tense time when the United States and the Soviet Union were close to war. Yazov worked with the Cuban Defence Minister, Raúl Castro.
Later, he commanded different army groups in various parts of the Soviet Union and other countries. For example, he led the 32nd Army Corps in the Crimea region and the Central Group of Forces in Czechoslovakia.
In 1986, he was commanding the Far East Military District. During this time, he made a good impression on the Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev. This led to his promotion to Minister of Defence on 30 May 1987. He took over after the previous Minister was removed due to an unusual incident where a small plane landed in Moscow without permission.
From 1987 to 1990, Yazov was also a candidate member of the Politburo, which was a very powerful political group in the Soviet Union.
The August Coup and Later Life
In August 1991, Dmitry Yazov was part of a group called the State Emergency Committee. This group tried to take control of the Soviet Union from Mikhail Gorbachev. This event is known as the August Coup of 1991. The coup failed, and Yazov was arrested.
After the coup, Yazov was released in 1993. In 1994, he was given an amnesty by the Russian government, meaning he would not be punished for his role in the coup. He stated he was not guilty. He was then dismissed from military service.
Yazov later worked as a military adviser at the General Staff Academy, sharing his knowledge and experience.
In March 2019, a court in Lithuania found Yazov guilty of war crimes related to military actions in Lithuania in January 1991. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison, but Russia said the trial was politically motivated and did not send him to Lithuania.
Death
Dmitry Yazov passed away in Moscow on 25 February 2020, at the age of 95. The Russian Defence Ministry said he died after a long illness. He was buried at the Federal Military Memorial Cemetery near Moscow.
Awards and Honors
Dmitry Yazov received many awards and honors throughout his long military career from the Soviet Union, Russia, and other countries.
Soviet Union
- Order of Lenin, twice
- Order of the October Revolution
- Order of the Red Banner
- Order of the Patriotic War, 1st class
- Order of the Red Star
- Order for Service to the Homeland in the Armed Forces of the USSR, 3rd class
- Medal "For Military Merit"
- Medal "For Impeccable Service", 1st and 2nd classes
- Medal "For Distinction in Guarding the State Border of the USSR"
- Medal "Veteran of the Armed Forces of the USSR"
- Medal "For Strengthening Military Cooperation"
- Medal "For Development of the Virgin Lands"
- Medal "For the Defence of Leningrad"
- Jubilee medals (medals given for special anniversaries)
Russian Federation
- Order of Merit for the Fatherland, 3rd and 4th class
- Order of Honour
- Order of Alexander Nevsky
- Jubilee medals
Foreign Awards
- Order of Red Banner (from Afghanistan)
- Order of "Friendship of Peoples" (from Afghanistan)
- Medal "For the strengthening of friendship in Arms" (from Bulgaria)
- Order of Che Guevara (from Cuba)
- Order of Red Banner (from Czechoslovakia)
- Scharnhorst Order (from East Germany)
- Medal "20 years of independence of the Republic of Kazakhstan"
- Medal "30 years of Victory over Japan" (from Mongolia)
- Medal "40 years of Khalkhin Gol Victory" (from Mongolia)
- Medal "50 Years of the Mongolian People's Revolution" (from Mongolia)
- Order of Civil Merit, 1st class (from Syria)
Religious Award
- Order of St. Grand Prince Dmitry Donskoy (from the Russian Orthodox Church)
Images for kids
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Minister of Defense Dmitry Yazov during a visit to the United States in 1989
See also
In Spanish: Dmitri Yázov para niños
