Sergei Sokolov (Marshal)

Infobox Military Person
name=Sergei Leonidovich Sokolov


caption=
born=birth date and age|1911|7|1
died=
placeofbirth=Eupatoria, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
placeofdeath=
placeofburial=
placeofburial_label=
nickname=
allegiance=USSR (1932 — 1991)
Russia (1991-)
branch=
serviceyears= 1932 — 1
rank=Marshal of the Soviet Union
unit=
commands=
battles=Battle of Lake Khasan
Great Patriotic War
Afghan War
awards=Hero of the Soviet Union
Order of Merit for the Fatherland
Order of Zhukov
Order of Honor
Order of Lenin (3)
Order of the Red Banner (2)
Order of Suvorov, 1st Class
Order of the Patriotic War, 1st Class (2)
Order of the Red Star (2)
Order for Service to the Homeland in the Armed Forces, 3rd Class
relations=
laterwork=

Sergei Leonidovich Sokolov ( _ru. Серге́й Леони́дович Соколо́в) (born OldStyleDate|1 July|1911|18 June in Eupatoria) was Commander of the Leningrad Military District from 1965 to 1984, 1st Deputy Defense Minister from 1967 to 1984. Minister of Defence of Soviet Union from December 22, 1984 to May 30, 1987 (he was dismissed by Mikhail Gorbachev as a result of the Mathias Rust affair).

Sergei Sokolov was also in charge of Soviet ground forces during the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan. He personally led the main Soviet incursion of ground forces on the 27th of December, 1979. His actions and command strategies during the war made him one of the Soviet Union's most respected Marshals.

He was appointed Marshal of the Soviet Union in 1978. On April 28 1980 he was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union and in July 2001 he became an Honorary Citizen of Crimea. Since 1992 Sokolov has been an advisor to the Defence Minister of Russia. Sokolov is currently the oldest living Soviet Marshal.

External links

*ru icon [http://www.warheroes.ru/hero/hero.asp?Hero_id=1917 Biography]