Anatoly Petrakovsky

Anatoly Iosifovich Petrakovsky (; 28 December 1901 – 3 September 1969) was a Ukrainian Soviet Army major general and Hero of the Soviet Union. After joining the Red Army in 1922, Petrakovsky became an officer and rose through the ranks. On the eve of the Winter War, he was a battalion commander in the 13th Rifle Division. Petrakovsky was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union and the Order of Lenin for his leadership of the battalion. After Operation Barbarossa, he became commander of the 395th Rifle Division. He led the division during the Battle of Rostov and the Battle of Voronezh but was relieved of command due to a "systemic failure to comply with orders". In August 1943, Petrakovsky became commander of the 57th Rifle Corps but lost command of the corps and was sent to hospital to receive treatment for an illness. After graduating from the Military Academy of the General Staff, he was appointed deputy commander of 16th Army and participated in the Invasion of South Sakhalin. Postwar, Petrakovsky served in various staff positions and retired in 1956.

Early life Petrakovsky was born on 29 December 1901 in the village of Nyzhnya Safronivka in Kherson Governorate to a peasant family. He graduated from six grades.

Military service In September 1922, Petrakovsky was conscripted into the Red Army by the Voznesensk Military Commissariat and sent to serve in the 3rd Kutaisi Rifle Regiment of the 1st Caucasian Rifle Division of the Separate Caucasian Red Banner Army at Kutaisi as a Red Army man. In October 1923, he was sent to the Vladikavkaz Red Commanders Infantry Courses, from which he graduated in 1924. In April, he became a starshina in the 39th Rifle Regiment of the 13th Rifle Division at Derbent, the former 3rd Kutaisi Rifle Regiment. In September of that year, he was sent to study at the Vladikavkaz Infantry Officer School and upon graduation in September 1927 returned to his old position with the 39th, which had relocated to the stanitsa of Morozovskaya. Transferred to the 37th Rifle Regiment of the division in March 1929, Petrakovsky served successively as a platoon commander, assistant company commander for the political section, company commander, and regimental head of food and fodder supply. In 1932, he joined the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. In July 1940, Petrakovsky was sent to the Frunze Military Academy. Petrakovsky finished assembling the division by October. The division fought in the defence of Mariupol and the Battle of Rostov in the subsequent months. On 9 April 1942, he was awarded the Order of the Red Banner. Petrakovsky received the award again on 5 May. During the summer of 1942, the division fought in the Battle of Voronezh. On 21 July, Petrakovsky received a promotion to major general. He was soon relieved of command due to "failure to comply with orders of the commander of the 18th Army". After recovery in March, Petrakovsky was put in reserve. In May 1944, he was sent to study at the Military Academy of the General Staff. After graduating in June 1945, he became 16th Army deputy commander. Petrakovsky participated in the Invasion of South Sakhalin in August 1945.

Postwar At the end of 1945, Petrakovsky became the head of the department of Infantry Division commanders refresher courses at Frunze Military Academy. In April 1949, he became the head of the Military Directorate of the Soviet Military Administration in Germany. In March 1950, Petrakovsky became head of the Soviet Control Commission Military Directorate. In January 1951, he became the head of combat and physical training for the Odessa Military District. In May 1952, Petrakovsky became the head of the military department of the Sverdlovsk Law Institute. Petrakovsky retired from the army in November 1956. He died on 3 September 1969.

Awards and decorations