Mitrofan Ivanovich Nedelin
Encyclopedia
Mitrofan Ivanovich Nedelin (rus. Митрофа́н Ива́нович Неде́лин) (November 9, 1902, Borisoglebsk
, Voronezh Oblast
— October 24, 1960, Baikonur Cosmodrome
) was a Soviet military commander who served as Chief Marshal
of Artillery, a position he held from May 8, 1959 until his untimely death. A member of Communist Party
from 1924, he was honored as a Hero of the Soviet Union
on Apr 28, 1945 for his service in the second world war.
In 1945 he became Assistant commanding officer and then commanding officer or the artillery of the Soviet Southern Group of Forces.
In 1946 he became chief of staff of the chief artillery directorate of the Red Army, and then chief of staff of artillery, and then Deputy Commander in Chief of Artillery. He became head of the chief artillery directorate of the Red Army in 1948, and Commander in Chief of Artillery from 1950 to 1952 and again from 1953 to 1955.
He was Deputy Minister of War in 1952-53, From 1955 he was Deputy Minister of Defence, and concurrently from 1959 Commander in Chief of the Strategic Missile Force.
Nedelin was killed in a test rocket explosion on October 24, 1960 at Baikonur Cosmodrome along with approximately 120 other victims in an incident that became known as the Nedelin catastrophe
. The tragedy was covered up by the Soviet authorities, with details only emerging in the 1990s. Until then, Nedelin's death was officially listed as having occurred in a plane crash.
Nedelin's tomb is in the Kremlin Wall Necropolis
at Red Square
in Moscow
.
Borisoglebsk
Borisoglebsk is a town in Voronezh Oblast, Russia, located on the left bank of the Vorona River near its confluence with the Khopyor.Population: 65,000 . It is host to Borisoglebsk air base.Borisoglebsk was founded in mid-17th century...
, Voronezh Oblast
Voronezh Oblast
Voronezh Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . It was established on June 13, 1934.-Main rivers:*Don*Voronezh*Bityug*Khopyor-Economy:...
— October 24, 1960, Baikonur Cosmodrome
Baikonur Cosmodrome
The Baikonur Cosmodrome , also called Tyuratam, is the world's first and largest operational space launch facility. It is located in the desert steppe of Kazakhstan, about east of the Aral Sea, north of the Syr Darya river, near Tyuratam railway station, at 90 meters above sea level...
) was a Soviet military commander who served as Chief Marshal
Chief Marshal
The ranks of Marshal of a branch and Chief Marshal of a branch were senior military ranks of the Soviet Armed Forces. Immediately above the rank "Marshal of a branch" is the rank "Chief Marshal of a branch". Both ranks are immediately above the rank "Colonel General" and equal to Soviet General...
of Artillery, a position he held from May 8, 1959 until his untimely death. A member of Communist Party
Communist Party of the Soviet Union
The Communist Party of the Soviet Union was the only legal, ruling political party in the Soviet Union and one of the largest communist organizations in the world...
from 1924, he was honored as a Hero of the Soviet Union
Hero of the Soviet Union
The title Hero of the Soviet Union was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded personally or collectively for heroic feats in service to the Soviet state and society.-Overview:...
on Apr 28, 1945 for his service in the second world war.
Military career
Nedelin joined the Red Army in 1920. In 1939 he was appointed to command 13th Artillery Regiment. Then in 1940 he was appointed to command the artillery of 160th Rifle Division. In 1941 he was appointed commander of first 4th Anti-Tank Brigade, then the artillery of 18th Army, and then the artillery of 37th Army where he stayed until 1943, then he moved to command the artillery of 56th Army. In 1943 he was appointed Deputy Commanding Officer of the artillery of the Northern Caucasian Front. From there he moved to command V Artillery Corps, and then the artillery of the South-western Front, and then the artillery of the 3rd Ukrainian Front where he stayed from 1943 to 1945, playing an especially important part in the liberation of Hungary.In 1945 he became Assistant commanding officer and then commanding officer or the artillery of the Soviet Southern Group of Forces.
In 1946 he became chief of staff of the chief artillery directorate of the Red Army, and then chief of staff of artillery, and then Deputy Commander in Chief of Artillery. He became head of the chief artillery directorate of the Red Army in 1948, and Commander in Chief of Artillery from 1950 to 1952 and again from 1953 to 1955.
He was Deputy Minister of War in 1952-53, From 1955 he was Deputy Minister of Defence, and concurrently from 1959 Commander in Chief of the Strategic Missile Force.
Space
Nedelin inadvertently played a key role in ushering in the space age by concluding that rockets were the ideal means to deliver a nuclear warhead to USA instead of bombers and ordered Sergei Korolev to develop the massive R-7 ICBM to carry a large warhead to the USA.This rocket and its derivatives while never an effective ICBM was powerful enough to launch Sputnik and Vostok manned space vehicles into orbit enabling the USSR to beat the US to space.Nedelin was killed in a test rocket explosion on October 24, 1960 at Baikonur Cosmodrome along with approximately 120 other victims in an incident that became known as the Nedelin catastrophe
Nedelin catastrophe
The Nedelin catastrophe or Nedelin disaster was a launch pad accident that occurred on 24 October 1960, at Baikonur Cosmodrome during the development of the Soviet R-16 ICBM...
. The tragedy was covered up by the Soviet authorities, with details only emerging in the 1990s. Until then, Nedelin's death was officially listed as having occurred in a plane crash.
Nedelin's tomb is in the Kremlin Wall Necropolis
Kremlin Wall Necropolis
Burials in the Kremlin Wall Necropolis in Moscow began in November 1917, when 240 pro-Bolshevik victims of the October Revolution were buried in mass graves on Red Square. It is centered on both sides of Lenin's Mausoleum, initially built in wood in 1924 and rebuilt in granite in 1929–1930...
at Red Square
Red Square
Red Square is a city square in Moscow, Russia. The square separates the Kremlin, the former royal citadel and currently the official residence of the President of Russia, from a historic merchant quarter known as Kitai-gorod...
in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
.
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