Sergei Sokolov (marshal) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Marshal of the Soviet Union
Sergei Sokolov
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Сергей Соколов
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Sokolov in 1984
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| Minister of Defence of the Soviet Union | |
| In office 22 December 1984 – 29 May 1987 |
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| Premier | Nikolai Tikhonov Nikolai Ryzhkov |
| Preceded by | Dmitriy Ustinov |
| Succeeded by | Dmitry Yazov |
| Candidate member of the 27th Politburo | |
| In office 6 March 1986 – 26 June 1987 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 1 July 1911 Yevpatoria, Russian Empire |
| Died | 31 August 2012 (aged 101) Moscow, Russia |
| Resting place | Novodevichy Cemetery |
| Nationality | Soviet, Russian |
| Other political affiliations |
Communist Party of the Soviet Union (1937–1987) |
| Awards | Hero of the Soviet Union Order of Honour |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Soviet Union |
| Branch/service | Soviet Army |
| Years of service | 1932–1989 |
| Rank |  Marshal of the Soviet Union (1978–1987) |
| Battles/wars | Battle of Lake Khasan World War II Soviet–Afghan War |
Sergei Leonidovich Sokolov (Russian: Серге́й Леони́дович Соколо́в; 1 July 1911 – 31 August 2012) was an important Soviet military leader. He was known as a Hero of the Soviet Union, which is a very high honor. From 1984 to 1987, he served as the Minister of Defence for the Soviet Union. This meant he was in charge of all the country's armed forces.
Early Life and Military Career
Sergei Sokolov was born in 1911. His father was an officer in the Russian army. Sokolov joined the military and fought in several important conflicts.
Key Battles and Roles
He took part in the Battle of Lake Khasan during the Soviet-Japanese Border Wars. He also fought against Nazi Germany in World War II. These experiences helped him become a skilled commander.
From 1965 to 1967, Sokolov was the Commander of the Leningrad Military District. This was a major military area. After that, he became the First Deputy Defense Minister, serving from 1967 to 1984. This role meant he was the second-in-command of the entire Soviet military.
Becoming a Marshal
In 1978, Sergei Sokolov was promoted to Marshal of the Soviet Union. This is the highest military rank in the Soviet Union. He was then put in charge of the Soviet ground forces during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. He personally led the main ground forces into Afghanistan on December 27, 1979. His leadership during this war earned him great respect. On April 28, 1980, he was given the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for his bravery and leadership.
Minister of Defence and Later Life
In 1984, Sokolov became the Minister of Defense of the Soviet Union. He held this powerful position until 1987.
Dismissal from Office
He was dismissed by Mikhail Gorbachev because of an event known as the Mathias Rust affair. A young German pilot managed to fly a small plane all the way to Moscow without being stopped. This showed a major weakness in the Soviet air defense, and Sokolov, as Minister of Defense, was held responsible.
After this, from 1985 to 1987, he was also a candidate member of the Politburo. This was a very important political group in the Soviet Union.
Advisor and Honorary Citizen
From 1992, Sokolov worked as an advisor to the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation. In July 2001, he was made an honorary citizen of Crimea, Ukraine.
When he turned 100 years old, he said he believed that military service would become important again.
Death and Legacy
Sergei Sokolov passed away on August 31, 2012, at the age of 101. He was buried with full military honors in Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow. His wife, Maria Samojlovna Sokolova, had died just three days before him. They had been married for 70 years.
He had two sons, Valery Sergeyevich and Vladimir Sergeyevich, both of whom also became high-ranking military officers.
Honours and Awards
Sergei Sokolov received many awards for his long and distinguished military service.
Awards from Russia
- Order of Merit for the Fatherland (2nd, 3rd, and 4th classes)
- Order of Alexander Nevsky
- Order of Honour
- Order of Zhukov
Awards from the Soviet Union
- Hero of the Soviet Union
- Three Orders of Lenin
- Two Order of the Red Banner
- Order of Suvorov, 1st class
- Order of the Patriotic War, 1st class
- Two Order of the Red Star
- Order for Service to the Homeland in the Armed Forces of the USSR, 3rd class
- Medal For Courage
- Medal for Combat Service
- Many jubilee medals (medals given for special anniversaries)
International Awards
Sokolov also received many awards from other countries, including:
- Afghanistan: Order of the Red Banner
- Bulgaria: Order of Georgi Dimitrov
- Hungary: Order of the Flag of the Hungarian Republic
- Vietnam: Order of Ho Chi Minh
- East Germany: Order of Karl Marx
- Jordan: Order of Independence, 1st class
- Cuba: Order of Playa Girón
- Mongolia: Order of Sukhbaatar
- Poland: Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland
- Romania: Order of Tudor Vladimirescu
- Czechoslovakia: Order of Klement Gottwald
- Finland: Order of the White Rose of Finland, 1st class
Images for kids
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Sokolov in 2008
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See also
In Spanish: Serguéi Sokolov para niños
