Petin, Nikolai

Petin, Nikolai Nikolaevich 

Born May 2 (14), 1876, in Vologda; died Oct. 7, 1937. Soviet military figure, corps commander (1935).

Petin graduated from the Nicholas Engineering School in 1897 and from the Academy of the General Staff in 1907. He fought in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05 and in World War I (1914-18) and in 1917 served as quartermaster general of the Southwestern Front with the rank of colonel. Petin went over to the side of Soviet power after the Great October Socialist Revolution and joined the Red Army in February 1918. In the Civil War of 1918-20, he served as chief of staff of the Sixth Army from November 1918, of the Western Front from May 1919, of the Southern Front from November 1919, and of the Southwestern Front from January 1920.

After the war, Petin was commander of the troops of the Kiev, Siberian, and Western Siberian military districts. In 1924-25, Petin was head of the Main Directorate of the Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army and then commander of the troops of the Siberian Military District. From 1928 to 1930 he carried out especially important assignments for the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR. He became inspector of the engineer troops in 1930. He was awarded the Order of Lenin and the Order of the Red Banner.