TROFIMENKO SERGEY GEORGIYEVICH

TROFIMENKO SERGEY GEORGIYEVICH

lieutenant general, participant in Soviet-Finnish and World War, Hero of the Soviet Union (13.09.1944)

He was born on September 10 (22), 1899, in the village of Revny (now Navlinsky District, Bryansk Oblast) to a working-class family. In the early 20th century, the family moved to the village of Lgovsky, near Bryansk. After the death of his father, at the age of 10, he began working as a delivery specialist, steam locomotive cleaner and plumber at the Bryansk-II locomotive depot. He graduated from high school and 2-year railway school in Bryansk.
He took an active part in the revolutionary movement in Bryansk in 1917 and was one of the organizers of the Komsomol branch in the depot. He enlisted in the Red Army in 1919.
He served in the 41st Rifle Division of the 14th Army during the Civil War. On the Southern, Southwest, and Western Fronts, A.I.Denikin, S.V.Petlyura, fought against the troops of Yu. Pilsudski.
From September 1923 he was the commander of the machine-gun command, and from February 1924 – the military commissar of the 132nd Donetsk Rifle Regiment of the 44th Rifle Division of the Ukrainian Military District. In 1926 he graduated from the Vistrel courses. From September 1926 – Commander of the 7th Caucasus (133rd, 135th) Regiment of the 45th Rifle Division of the Ukrainian Military District. In 1932 he graduated from the Military Academy named after M.V.Frunze. From May 1932 – Chief of Staff of the 61st Rifle Regiment of the Volga Military District, from December 1935 – Chief of Staff of the 1st (operational) unit of Privolzhsk, from June 1937 – in the Kiev military districts. In 1937 he graduated from the General Staff Academy. From July 1938 – Chief of Staff of the Zhytomyr Army Group, from September 1939 – Chief of Staff of the 5th Army of the Kiev Special Military District.
During the Soviet-Finnish War, in September 1939, as Deputy Chief of Staff of the 7th Army, he took part in the liberation struggle in western Ukraine. Chief of Staff of the North Caucasus in August 1940, Commander of the Central Asian Military District from January 1941. With the outbreak of World War II, he continued to command the district and at one time the 53rd Army, which was formed in the district from August to October 1941 – guarded the borders of the USSR in Central Asia and participated in the Iranian operation.
He took part in the defensive battles in Karelia, Operation Demian, the Battle of Kursk and Operation Belgorod-Kharkov, the liberation of Ukraine, Operation Yassi-Chisinau, Debrecen, Budapest, Balaton, Vienna and Gratsko-Amstetten. In the Yassi-Chisinau offensive operation, the 27th Army made a major strike on the 2nd Ukrainian front line in the Yassi direction, breaking through the enemy’s deep echelon defense and ensuring the success of the 6th Tank Army’s attack.
Then, developing a rapid attack on Romanian territory, covering a distance of 300 km in 9 days, “Southern Ukraine” divided the rear of the German-Romanian army and captured the cities of Ajud, Fokshani, Buzeu, Ploiesti.
By the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of September 13, 1944, Lieutenant General Sergei Georgievich Trofimenko was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union “For his skillful leadership of the troops in Operation Yassi-Chisinau, as well as for his courage and heroism.”
He died on October 16, 1953 in Moscow. He was buried in Novodevichy Cemetery.