Varennikov, Valentin Ivanovich

Born Dec. 15, 1923, in the city of Krasnodar. Soviet military leader. General of the army (1978). Member of the CPSU since 1944.

Varennikov joined the Soviet Army in 1941. He graduated from the M. V. Frunze Military Academy in 1954 and the Military Academy of the General Staff in 1967; he completed the Advanced Academic Courses at the latter academy in 1975. During the Great Patriotic War of 1941–45, Varennikov commanded a mortar battery from October 1942 to August 1943, when he was made chief of artillery of a rifle regiment and, later, the regiment’s deputy commander for artillery. He saw action at Stalingrad, served on the Southwestern, Third Byelorussian, and First Byelorussian fronts, and fought in the liberation of Poland and the capture of Berlin. After the war he held command positions. In June 1971, Varennikov was appointed first deputy to the commander in chief of the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany. In July 1973 he became commander of the troops of the Carpathian Military District.

Varennikov was a deputy to the ninth convocation of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. He has been awarded four Orders of the Red Banner, two Orders of the Patriotic War Second Class, the Order of the Red Star, the Order For Service to the Motherland in the Armed Forces Third Class, and various medals. He has also received orders and medals of other socialist countries.