2. 11. 1901 - 20. 7. 1987

Dmitry Lelyushenko - commanded the 39^th separate tank brigade in the Soviet-Finnish war of 1940; commanded the 4^th Guards Tank Army in the Great Patriotic War.

He was born on November 2, 1901 in Novokuznetsky (now Zernogradsky district of the Rostov region) in a peasant family. Ukrainian. A member of the CPSU (B) since 1924.

Having learned poverty in early childhood, young Dmitry Lelyushenko did not suffer the problem of choosing who to join during the Civil War, and so when in spring of 1918 red horseman B. Dumenko returned from the German front and arranged in Vesely a partisans’ regiment to fight the White Cossacks, Lelyushenko became a partisan. Dumenko’s squad fought for over a year, and a future leader grew and matured during the battles.

In 1919, D. Lelyushenko joined the Red Army - part of the 1^st Cavalry. He participated in the Voronezh-Kastornoye, Donbass and Yegorlykskaya operations. After the Civil War, D. Lelyushenko remained in military service. When the first mechanized units appeared, he began to learn a new technique, and since then his military career was associated with the tank troops.

In 1933, D. Lelyushenko graduated from the Military Academy named after M. Frunze, and then successively commanded a tank battalion and a tank regiment. Soviet-Finnish war, Colonel Lelyushenko met as commander of the 39^th separate tank brigade. During the battles with the White Finns Lelyushenko’s tankers actively helped small infantry units that stormed the “Mannerheim Line” and the numerous defenses.

By the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet on April 7, 1940, Colonel Dmitry Lelyushenko was awarded the honorary title of Hero of the Soviet Union, the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal (№ 264).

НHe commanded the mechanized corps when the Great Patriotic War started. In August 1941, he was appointed head of the establishment and staffing of Tank-Automotive Forces - Deputy Head of the main armored board.

But in October 1941, Supreme Commander J. Stalin ordered Lelyushenko to take immediately the 1^st Guards Rifle Corps, which actually had to be formed in the shortest possible time. The newly formed Corps was tasked to stop Guderian’s tank group which broke through the Bryansk Front and attacked Orel ... Nine days the soldiers of the 1st Guards Rifle Corps fought valiantly at Orel ... In the midst of the battle for Mtsensk where the 4^th Tank Brigade of Colonel M. Katukov particularly distinguished, Corps Commander Lelyushenko was appointed commander of the 5th Army which had to take up the defense in Mozhaisk ... However, he commanded the 5^th Army not so long - in one of the battles he was badly wounded, and sent to hospital in Gorky (now Nizhny Novgorod).

After recovering in mid-November 1941, Major-General Lelyushenko was appointed commander of the 30^th Army of the Western Front. During the Battle for Moscow, on December 9, 1941 Lelyushenko’s army being on the right wing of the Western Front and breaking the fierce resistance of German troops, cut railroad “Moscow – Klin” and then, exploiting success, along with parts of the 1^st Shock Army of General V. Kuznetsov blocked a large enemy group at Klin. Increasing the tempo of the offensive, on December 15, 1941 the 30^th Army entered the city, having destroyed the enemy...

In the course of the counteroffensive at Stalingrad, Lieutenant-General D. Lelyushenko ably led parts of the 1^st Guards Army, and was awarded the 1^st Class Order of Suvorov.

In the battle for the Dnieper troops of the 3^rd Guards Army of the 4^th Ukrainian Front (until October 20 – the South) under the command of D. Lelyushenko distinguished themselves in the operation to seize a bridgehead at Nikopol ...

In March 1944, D. Lelyushenko took command of the 4^th Panzer Army, which under his command, as part of the 1^st Ukrainian Front participated in the Lvov-Sandomierz, Eastern Carpathians and the Vistula-Oder operations.

During the termination actions, the 4^th Guards Tank Army of D. Lelyushenko participated in the Silesian and Berlin operations culminated in the defeat of Nazi Germany.

By the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet on April 6, 1945, Lieutenant General Dmitry Lelyushenko was awarded a second Gold Star medal.

On May 5, 1945 an armed revolt began Prague. The Nazis intended to drown it in blood. Czech National Council called on the radio to the anti-Hitler coalition countries for help ... The shock group of the 1st Ukrainian Front as part of the 3^rd and 4^th Guards Tank Armies rushed to the aid of Slavs. Lelyushenko’s tankers, carrying out incredibly difficult 80-mile march along the right bank of the Elbe, joined on May, 9 the troops of the 2^nd Ukrainian Front in Prague, having closed the encirclement. They saved the city and its residents. On May 30, 1970 grateful Czechoslovakia honored D. Lelyushenko the title of Hero of Czechoslovakia.

“Dmitry Lelyushenko is better known in our Armed Forces as a multi-service commander,” Gen. S. Shtemenko wrote in his memoirs “The General Staff during the war”. “In March 1944, apparently for his energy, optimism and mobility he was put in charge of the 4^th Panzer Army and honorably commanded it until the end of the war. The General “Forward!” - named Lelyushenko all those who knew him.”

After the Great Patriotic War General D. Lelyushenko took senior command positions in the Armed Forces. Since 1956, he was commander of the Trans-Baikal, and since 1958 – the Ural military districts. In 1959, he was awarded the rank of General of the Army. In 1960-64 – chairman of Voluntary Association for Assistance to Army, Aviation and Fleet Central Committee, in 1964 - Military Inspector-Adviser, Ministry of Defence of the USSR.

Army Gen. D. Lelyushenko contributed significantly to the development of a number of important problems of military science and military art. In his “Memoirs of the commander” (“Moscow - Stalingrad - Berlin – Prague”) published in 1970 by Science publishing house, he with specific examples of combat operations highlighted such issues as break-through tank enemy defense lines, entering into the breach tank and mechanized corps and armies, the massive strikes, the rapid action in the depth of enemy defenses, forcing water barriers on the run, the sudden offensive at night. For such significant theoretical developments, D. Lelyushenko was awarded the title of candidate of military sciences

Was Elected deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the 1^st, the 5^th and the 6^th convocations.

He died on July 20, 1987 in Moscow, where he was buried at Novodevichy Cemetery.

He was awarded four Orders of Lenin, the Order of the October Revolution, four Orders of the Red Banner, two Orders of Suvorov and two 1^st Class Orders of Kutuzov, the 1^st Class Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky, the 1^st Class Order of the Patriotic War, medals, and five foreign orders.

A bust of twice Hero of the Soviet Union, D. Lelyushenko was set in Rostov-on-Don. In 1977, by the decision of Sverdlovsk Council of People's Deputies, General of the Army D. Lelyushenko was awarded the title of Honorary Citizen of Sverdlovsk.

“For active participation in the liberation of Slavyansk from the Nazi invaders, on September 6, 1943 the troops of the 3^rd Guards Army, commanded by Army Gen. D. Lelyuschenko,” on April 19, 1967 twice Hero of the Soviet Union, Inspector General of the USSR Armed Forces, Army General D. Lelyuschenko was awarded the title of Honorary Citizen of Slavyansk of Donetsk region, the Ukraine.