17.8.1898 - 31.1.1972

Matvey Zakharov was Chief of Staff of the Kalinin, Reserve, Steppe, the 2^nd Ukrainian and Transbaikalian Fronts, Army General; Inspector General - Advisor to the Group of Inspectors General of the Ministry of Defense, Marshal of the Soviet Union.

He was born on August 17, 1898 in Voylovo village (today Staritsky district of Tver region) in a peasant family. Russian. A member of the CPSU (B) / CPSU since 1917.

Joined the Red Army in 1918. In April 1917, he joined the Red Guard, participated in the storming of the Winter Palace, in the battles at Pulkovo in suppressing insurrection of Kerensky-Krasnov. In 1918, he graduated from Petrograd Artillery courses; in 1919 — Moscow High School of Staff Management, in 1924 — Kharkov repeated courses of commanders. During the Civil War he commanded an artillery battery and battalion. Participated in the defense of Tsaritsyn, and battles at Stavropol, the Don and North Caucasus.

In 1933, he graduated from the Military Academy named after M. Frunze, in 1937 - the General Staff Academy. He commanded a rifle regiment (1935), was chief of staff of the Leningrad Military District (1937), Assistant Chief of General Staff of the Red Army (1938-1940), Chief of Staff of the 12^th army releasing Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina.

By the Resolution of the Council of People’s Commissars of the USSR on June 4, 1940 Matvey Zakharov was awarded the rank of Major-General.

From July 1940 he was Chief of Staff of the Odessa Military District. Two days before the attack by Nazi Germany against the Soviet Union he established the headquarters of the Army Field officers of the Odessa Military District. This step of Major-General Zakharov allowed bringing the troops on full alert and in the early days of the war successfully reflecting the onslaught of the fascist forces and causing them significant damage. Based on intelligence, Zakharov predicted that an invasion would be preceded by a blow to the airfields. So he insisted on the urgent relocation of aircraft. And on June 22, 1941 the Nazi bombs fell on the empty space.

During the Great Patriotic War, Matvey Zakharov was Chief of Staff of the 9^th Army, Chief of Staff of the North-West direction (July 1941), Chief of headquarters of the Kalinin (January 1942), Steppe and Reserve (April - October 1943), the 2^nd Ukrainian (October 1943 - June 1945) and Trans-Baikal Fronts (during the war with Japan).

He successfully developed more than 20 front-line offensive operations, among them Belgorod-Kharkov, Korsun-Shevchenko, Iasi-Kishinev, Budapest, etc.

One of the most experienced staff officers, General Zakharov had excellent management skills. The soundness and thoroughness of Zakharov’s work is shown by the case when the Nazi staff prisoners accepted the map of German defense drawn up under his leadership for a copy of their own. This was after a successful Iasi-Kishinev operation.

The title of Hero of the Soviet Union, the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal (№ 8675) was conferred to Army Gen. Zakharov by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet on September 8, 1945 for exemplary operations against the Nazis and the Japanese militarists.

After the war, in 1945-1949 and 1963-1964 M. Zakharov was Chief of General Staff Military Academy. From January 1949 to June 1952 — Head of the Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) of the General Staff of the Soviet Army, from June 1952 to May 1953 — Chief Inspector of the Soviet Army, from May 1953 to November 1957 — Commander of the Leningrad Military District, from November 1957 to April 1960 — Chief of Group of the Soviet Forces in Germany (GSVG).

On May 8, 1959 Army General Zakharov was promoted to the highest military rank of Marshal of the Soviet Union.

From April 1960 to March 1963 and from November 1964 to September 1971 Marshal Zakharov was Chief of General Staff of the USSR Armed Forces — First Deputy Minister of Defence. Professor (1948). Since 1971 — in the Group of Inspectors General. Since 1961 — a Member of the CPSU Central Committee. A deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of the 4^th — 8^th convocations.

The second Gold Star medal (№ 88) Marshal Zakharov was awarded by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet on September 22, 1971 for his courage and bravery shown in battles, and achievements in building and strengthening of the Soviet Armed Forces.

He died on January 31, 1972 and was buried on Red Square near the Kremlin wall.

He was awarded five Orders of Lenin, the Order of the October Revolution, four Orders of the Red Banner, two 1^st Class Orders of Suvorov, two 1^st Class Orders of Kutuzov, the 1^st Class Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky, and the Order of the Red Star, medals and honorary weapons, as well as foreign orders. He was awarded the title of Hero of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic.

A bronze bust of twice Hero of the Soviet Union M. Zakharov was installed in the city of Staritsa, Tver region. Ryazan Higher Military Command School of Communications is named after Marshal of the Soviet Union, Matvey Zakharov.