Leonid Artamonov

Leonid Konstantinovich Artamonov (; 25 February 1859 – 1 January 1932) was a Russian military engineer, adviser and general, geographer and traveler, explorer of Africa, writer, veteran of the First World War and the Russo-Japanese War.

Biography Leonid Artamonov, was born in the Ananyevsky Uyezd of Kherson Governorate on February 25, 1859. He studied in the Michailovsky Cadet School, then Artamonov after his graduation from the Military Engineering-Technical University in 1883, he also graduated from the General Staff Academy.

After Artamonov returned to Russia, he became a member of the Russian Geographical Society. He wrote a book Through Ethiopia to the White Nile about his experiences in Ethiopia. He described in detail the democratic experiments of Menelik II in the traditional patriarchal public dialog of the Ethiopian monarchy with its own people, similar to the later speeches of U.S. president Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

In 1899, for his feats and courage he was awarded the Order of the Star of Ethiopia.

He was the leader of group of military analysts and editor of their collected analyses on the Anglo-Boer War, 1899–1902.

He was the commander of the fortresses of Vladivostok (1906) and Kronstadt (1907).

From 1911 until 1914, he was the commander of the First Russian Army Corps. At the Battle of Tannenberg (1914), his corps was to protect the left wing of the 2nd Russian Army. He withdrew his forces without informing his commander Samsonov which contributed to the Russian defeat. For this error, he was relieved of command on August 28.

After 1917, he continued his scientific, engineering and military activity for the Soviet government. In 1927, he was the expert of the Moscow city government. The state gave him an honorable pension. He preferred to live in Saint Petersburg, there he died in 1932.thumb

Writings

Kantselson I. S. Preface // Artamonov L. K. Through Ethiopia to the White Nile. Moscow. 1979.

Awards

Order of the Star of Ethiopia, 2nd degree (1900) Order of Saint Vladimir Orders of St. Anna, all degrees (1881, 1882, 1905) Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky (1916) Order of the White Eagle (1913) Order of St. Stanislas Personal Golden Weapon for Bravery (1901) Order of the Lion and the Sun, 3rd degree