21. 12. 1896 - 3. 8. 1968

Konstantin Rokossovsky – a distinguished Soviet leader, commanded the troops of the Bryansk, Central, the 1^st and the 2^nd Belorussian fronts, Marshal of the Soviet Union.

He was born in Velikie Luki in the family of a railroad engineer, on 9 (21) December 1896. A Pole. Joined CPSU in 1919. He participated in the First World War of 1914-1918. He fought in the cavalry regiment, was a non-commissioned officer.

Joined the Red Army in 1918. During the Civil War he commanded cavalry squadron and regiment. In 1925 he completed cavalry courses and in 1929 – advanced course for high senior officers at Frunze Military Academy. Participated in battles at the CER.

In 1937-1940 he was in detention, being a victim of slander. He was exonerated in March 1940 and was restored to his civil rights.

During the Great Patriotic War Rokossovsky commanded the 9^th mechanized corps. From July 1941 he commanded the 4^th army and was transferred to the Western Front (Smolensk direction).

Yartsevo group of troops led by Rokossovsky stopped the powerful attack of Nazi troops. Then, during the German offensive on Moscow, he commanded the 16^th army.

He distinguished himself when commanded the troops of the Bryansk, Don, Central, the 1^st and the 2^nd Belorussian Fronts (since 1942).

On 29 June 1944 Army General Rokossovsky was promoted to the highest military rank of the Soviet Union Marshal.

By the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet on July 29, 1944, for exemplary performance of combat tasks, Marshal of the Soviet Union Konstantin Rokossovsky was awarded the honorary title of Hero of the Soviet Union, the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal (№ 5111).

The second Gold Star medal (№ 54), Marshal Konstantin Rokossovsky was awarded by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet on June 1, 1945 for his leadership in East Prussia, Eastern Pomerania and Berlin operations.

After the war, K. Rokossovsky commanded the Northern Group of Forces. From 1949 to 1956 he was Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers and Minister of National Defence of the Polish People’s Republic, a member of the Politburo of the Polish United Workers’ Party, member of the Sejm, Marshal of Poland. Since 1956 - Deputy Minister of Defence. Since 1957 - commander of the Transcaucasia Military District. From 1958 to 1962 was re-appointed Deputy Minister of Defence and was Chief Inspector of the Ministry of Defence. Since 1962 was in a group of general inspectors of the USSR Ministry of Defence. A deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the second, fifth, sixth and seventh convocations. At the 22^nd and 23^rd Communist Party Congresses was elected a member candidate of the Central Committee (CPSU). In 1961-1968 - Member of the CPSU Central Committee. In 1968 his book, “Soldier’s Duty” was printed. In the same year, on August 3, K. Rokossovsky died after a long and serious illness. The urn with the ashes of the outstanding Soviet military leader was burned in the Kremlin wall on Red Square.

He was awarded the Victory Order, 7 Orders of Lenin, 6 Orders of the Red Banner, the 1^st Class Order of Suvorov, the 1^st Class Order of Kutuzov. He had some foreign awards: the 1^st Class Virtuti Military Order and the 1^st Class Gruenwald Cross (Poland); the Order of Legion of Order and the Military Cross (France); Knight Commander Cross of the Most Honorable Order of the Bath (Great Britain); the Order of the Military Red Banner (Mongolia), and many other medals.

Rokossovsky’s bronze busts were installed in his Homeland (Velikie Luki). In Kursk, Gomel, Sukhinichi (Kaluga region), Lechnica (Poland). Streets in Moscow, Kursk, Volgograd, Kaliningrad, Nizhny Novgorod, Pskov, Rybinsk, Kiev, Bobruisk, Chernigov and other cities of the former Soviet Unionn are named after the Hero. An honorable citizen of Kursk (1967).