17. 10. 1903 - 26. 4. 1976

Andrey Grechko was First Deputy Minister of Defense, Chief of Land Forces of the Soviet Army; Minister of Defense of the USSR, Marshal of the Soviet Union.

He was born on October 17, 1903 Golodaevka village, (now Kuibyshevo village, Kuibyshev district of Rostov region) in a peasant family. Ukrainian. A member of the CPSU (B) / Communist Party since 1928.

Joined the Red Army in 1919. Participated in the Civil War, was a Red Army common soldier in the 11^th Cavalry Division of the 1^st Cavalry. In 1926, after graduating from the Cavalry School, he commanded a platoon, a squadron in the 1^st separate Cavalry Brigade of the Moscow Military District. In 1936 he graduated from the Military Academy named after M. Frunze, and in October 1938 was appointed Chief of Staff of the Belarusian Special Cavalry Division of the Special Military District; in September 1939 he participated in the liberation campaign in Western Belarus. In 1941 he graduated from the Military Academy of General Staff.

In the early days of World War II, A. Grechko, worked at the General Staff. In July 1941, at his own request he was sent to the South-Western Front and was appointed commander of the 34^th separate cavalry division. Division formed in early August 1941 near the city of Priluky, joined the fight against the Nazi invaders to the south of Kiev and until January 1942 as part of the 26^th, 38^th, and then the 6^th Army, fought in the Left Bank Ukraine. On January 18, 1942, Major-General A. Grechko was appointed commander of the 5^th Cavalry Corps, took part in Barvenkovo-Lozovsky offensive. On March 12, 1942 A. Grechko, headed a task force of troops, which as part of the Southern Front, led stubborn battle against superior enemy forces in the Donbas. On April 15, 1942 he commanded the 12^th Army, defending the Voroshilovgrad direction. Subsequently, the 12^th Army was actively involved in the ongoing battle for the Caucasus.

In September 1942, A. Grechko was appointed commander of 47^th Army, whose troops allowed the enemy neither to move in the Caucasus along the Black Sea via Novorossiysk, nor to use its port. On October 19, 1942 A. Grechko, was assumed commander of 18^th Army, which stopped the advancing enemy, and in November conducted a successful operation to eliminate the enemy, trying to overcome the main Caucasus ridge.

In January 1943, troops of the Transcaucasian Front launched a general offensive. As part of the Black Sea Group of Forces, the 56^th Army under the command of A.Grechko directed the main attack. During fierce fighting, the army broke through the heavily fortified defenses and reached the approaches to Krasnodar. In February - April 1943 as part of the North Caucasus Front, it participated in the Krasnodar offensive. In September 1943, the troops of the 56^th Army in conjunction with the 9^th and 18^th Armies in the Novorossiysk-Taman offensive released the Taman Peninsula. After completing the defeat of German forces on the Kuban on October 16, 1943 A. Grechko was appointed Deputy Commander of the Voronezh Front (renamed on October 20 in the 1^st Ukrainian Front), and participated in the liberation of the Ukrainian capital - Kiev.

On December 15, 1943, Colonel-General A. Grechko was appointed commander of the 1^st Guards Army, which he led to the end of the war. On December 24 in the main army troop he launched an offensive, liberated the city of Zhitomir, and during the Zhitomir and Berdichev-operation moved up to 180 km. Later the 1^st Guards Army was involved in the Chernovitsy-Proskurov offensive in 1944, in encirclement and defeat of the 1^st Tank Army near the town of Kamenetz-Podolsk. Successfully operated the troops of the 1^st Guards Army in the Lvov-Sandomierz offensive operation in 1944. On August 5, 1944 the 1^st Guards Army was transferred to the 4^th Ukrainian Front, and in September-November 1944, its troops taking part in the East Carpathian offensive operations in conjunction with the 38^th and 18^th armies crossed the Eastern Carpathians, completely liberated the Transcarpathian Ukraine from Nazi occupation and came to the territory of Czechoslovakia. In January 1945, during the Western Carpathian offensive the 1^st Guards Army bypassed the Vysoké Tatry in the north and across the southern parts of Poland broke through to the Moravská Ostrava industrial region of Czechoslovakia. In the Moravská Ostrava offensive the army troops overcame the powerful army of the enemy’s defensive positions and on April 30 in conjunction with the 38^th Army released a major industrial center - the city of Moravská Ostrava. The Army fought its way from the eastern borders of Czechoslovakia to Prague. In May 1945, it took part in the Prague Offensive Operation, completing the rout of German forces. In operations, led by A. Grechko, during the Great Patriotic War, manifested the boldness of his ideas, and perseverance in their implementation.

After the war, until 1953 A. Grechko commanded the Kiev Military District. Since 1953, he was chief of the Group of the Soviet Forces in Germany. In 1955, he was awarded the highest military rank of Marshal of the Soviet Union. In November 1957, Marshal A. Grechko was First Deputy Minister of Defense, Chief of Land Forces.

By the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet on February 1, 1958 for his courage and heroism in the fight against the Nazi invaders, Andrey Grechko was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal (№ 10 829).

Since 1960, Marshal A. Grechko was First Deputy Minister of Defense and Commander of Allied Powers of the Warsaw Treaty.

Since April 1967, A. Grechko was Minister of Defence. In that position, he carried out great work in further strengthening the defense capability of the Soviet Union.

By the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet on October 16, 1973 for services to his country in the construction and strengthening of the Soviet Armed Forces, Minister of Defense, Marshal Andrey Grechko was awarded the second Gold Star medal (№ 89).

A. Grechko - Delegate of party congresses, in 1952-1961 - a candidate member of the CPSU Central Committee, since 1961 – a member of the CPSU Central Committee, from April 1973 – a member of the Politburo. A member of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of the 2^nd, the 4^th, and the 9^th convocations. Much attention he paid to military science; was the chairman of major committees of multi-volume editions “History of the Second World War, 1939-1945” and “The Soviet Military Encyclopedia”.

Soviet Defense Minister, Marshal A. Grechko died on April 26, 1976. He was buried in Moscow, on Red Square near the Kremlin wall.

He was awarded six Orders of Lenin (№ 9618 dated 21/13/1942, № 40915 dated 02/21/1945, № 344450 dated 02/01/1958, № 348752 dated 10/15/1963, № 400019 dated 02/22/1968, № 432781 dated 10/16/1973), three Orders of the Red Banner (№ 23574 dated 11/05/1941, № 160648 dated 11/03/1944, № 5981 / 3 dated 11/15/1950), two Orders of Suvorov of the 1^st Class (№ 180 dated 05/29/1944, № 343 dated 05/23/1945), two Orders of Kutuzov of the 1^st class (№ 324 dated 10/09/1943, № 353 dated 09/12/1944 ), the 1^st Class Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky (№ 41 dated 01/10/1944), the 2^nd Class Order of Suvorov (№ 98 dated 02/28/1943); the medals: 100 Years to Lenin, 20 years to the Red Army, For the defense of the Caucasus, For the defense of Kiev, For the victory over Germany, The twentieth anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, The thirties Anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, For the development of Virgin Lands, 30 years of the Soviet Army and Navy, 40 years of the Soviet Armed Forces, 50 years of the Soviet Armed Forces, The 41^st foreign award. He was awarded Honorary weapons. In 1969 he was awarded the title of Hero of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic.

A bronze bust of twice Hero of the Soviet Union A. Grechko was installed in his homeland. In 1976-1990 the Naval Academy bared his name (since 1990 it was named after N. Kuznetsov). Avenue in Moscow, the streets in Kiev, Slavyansk of the Donetsk region, Rovenky of the Lugansk region are also named after him, on the headquarters building of the Kiev Military District was installed a memorial plaque.