Aleksandr Petrovich Chumakov

In this name that follows Eastern Slavic naming customs, the patronymic is Petrovich and the family name is Chumakov.

Aleksandr Petrovich Chumakov (Belarusian: Аляксандр Пятровіч Чумакоў; Russian: Александр Петрович Чумаков; born on 26 November 1941) is a retired Belarusian Army colonel general and former Minister of Defence of Belarus.

Colonel-General Aleksandr Petrovich Chumakov
Minister of Defence of Belarus
In office 1 November 1996 – 28 March 2001
President	Alexander Lukashenko
Preceded by	Leonid Maltsev
Succeeded by	Leonid Maltsev
Personal details
Born	(1941-11-26) 26 November 1941 (age 82) Ilyinka, Dubovsky District, Rostov Oblast, Soviet Union
Alma mater	Odessa Higher Combined Arms Command School
Awards	Order for Service to the Homeland 1st class Order of the Red Star Order for Service to the Homeland in the Armed Forces of the USSR 2nd and 3rd class
Military service
Allegiance	Soviet Union  Russia  Belarus
Branch/service	Soviet Army Russian Ground Forces Armed Forces of Belarus
Years of service	1958–2001
Rank	Colonel General
Commands	120th Guards Motor Rifle Division (later 5th Guards Separate Army Corps) 20th Guards Army General Staff of the Armed Forces of Belarus Ministry of Defence of Belarus

Chumakov commanded the 120th Guards Motor Rifle Division from 1980. In June 1986, he became commander of the 20th Guards Army.^[1] In August 1988, he became chief of staff of the Belorussian Military District. After serving as a Soviet adviser in North Korea, Chumakov was a member of the Russian military contingent in Transnistria. Between December 1995 and October 1996, he was chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Belarus.^[2]

He was the Minister of Defence of Belarus^[3] from 1 November 1996 to 28 March 2001. Chumakov's term took place between Leonid Maltsev's two non-consecutive terms as Minister of Defence.

Early life

Chumakov was born on 26 November 1941 during World War II to Pyotr Grigoryevich Chumakov and Marya Grigoryevna Chumakova in the village of Ilyinka, Dubovsky District [ru] in Rostov Oblast. His father, a Gosbank inspector, served with the Red Army and survived the war, reaching the rank of Senior Lieutenant. Chumakov spent the war in Ilyinka, living with his mother and grandparents. After German troops occupied the village, the family was evicted from their home and had to live in a shed. He entered the ten-year Dubovsky Secondary School No. 1 in 1948, graduating in 1958.^[4] Chumakov then went to Odessa, where his uncle was the local military commissar, hoping to enter a nautical school, but was rejected because he was too young. His uncle recommended that he instead attend the Odessa Higher Combined Arms Command School, and arranged a birth certificate increasing Chumakov's age by one year. He was thus accepted to the four-year school.^[2]

Military service

Graduating from the school in 1962, Chumakov became a motor rifle platoon commander in the 333rd Motor Rifle Regiment of the 118th Motor Rifle Division in September, stationed in Cahul. In 1963 he married local woman Aksenia Rufa, and in 1965 his daughter Irina was born. Chumakov successively served as a training platoon commander, deputy training company commander, and motor rifle company commander in the Odessa Military District. In August 1967 he entered the Frunze Military Academy, graduating in June 1970. From then until July 1978 Chumakov served in the Transcaucasian Military District as a motor rifle battalion commander, chief of staff and deputy commander of a motor rifle regiment, commander of a motor rifle regiment, and chief of staff and deputy commander of a motor rifle division. His son Viktor was born in 1971.^[2]

Chumakov entered the Military Academy of the General Staff in July 1978, graduating in 1980. In August of that year he took command of the Belorussian Military District's 120th Guards Motor Rifle Division at Uruchche, leading the division during the Zapad-81 exercises. Chumakov continued to command the division when it was expanded into the 5th Guards Separate Army Corps in June 1982.^[5] In June 1986, he was transferred to command the 20th Guards Army of the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany. On 16 February 1988, he was promoted to lieutenant general.^[6] Chumakov returned to Belarus in August of that year to become the Belorussian Military District's chief of staff and first deputy commander. In June 1991 he was sent as an advisor to North Korea, and served with the Russian military contingent in Transnistria until July 1995. In December of that year, Chumakov became Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Belarus and First Deputy Minister of Defence.^[2]

In October 1996, Chumakov became acting Minister of Defense. The position was made permanent in January 1997. On 18 March, he was promoted to Colonel General.^[7] Along with then-Prime Minister Vladimir Yermoshin and the Speaker of the Chamber of Representatives, Chumakov made up a group of ethnic Russians in key Belarusian government positions.^[8] In February 2000, he discussed a plan for cooperation between Armenia and Belarus with his Armenian counterpart, Vagharshak Harutiunyan during the latter's visit to Belarus focused around Armenian use of Belarusian military plants for upgrading Armenian military equipment.^[9] On 28 March 2001^[10] he was replaced by Leonid Maltsev.^[11] Chumakov retired due to his age in December of that year.^[2] Chumakov was elected a deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic for its tenth convocation. Between 1982 and 1984, he was a deputy of the Minsk City Soviet. During his military career, he was awarded the Order for Service to the Homeland 1st class, the Order of the Red Star, and the Order for Service to the Homeland in the Armed Forces of the USSR 2nd and 3rd class.^[2]

References

Citations

1. Holm, Michael. "20th Guards Combined Arms Army". www.ww2.dk. Retrieved 2016-01-21.
2. Krapivin, Sergey (26 November 2011). "Мой комдив Александр Чумаков" [My divisional commander Alexander Chumakov]. Vo slavu Rodiny (in Russian). Archived from the original on 26 January 2016. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
3. Senior Government Officials Partnership for Peace Member Countries NATO
4. "Выпускниками Дубовской средней школы № 1 были: министр обороны Беларуси, актер из фильма "Бригада" и Герой Советского Союза" [Graduates of Dubovsky Secondary School No. 1 include a Minister of Defence of Belarus, actor from film Brigada, and a Hero of the Soviet Union] (in Russian). Dubovsky District Administration. 28 September 2015. Retrieved 30 September 2017.
5. "Дело его жизни" [His Life's Work]. Vo slavu rodiny (in Russian). 26 November 2016. Archived from the original on 30 September 2017. Retrieved 30 September 2017.
6. Feskov et al 2013, p. 406.
7. Shepelyuk, Oleg (25 November 2014). "Министры обороны периода Лукашенко" [Lukashenko's Ministers of Defence]. Salidarnasts (in Russian). Retrieved 4 October 2017.
8. Price, Joe (12 March 2001). "Belgrade All Over Again?". Central Europe Review. Vol. 3, no. 10. ISSN 1212-8732. Archived from the original on April 9, 2001. Retrieved 30 September 2017.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
9. "Armenia signs Military Agreements with Belarus". The Monitor. Vol. 6, no. 31. The Jamestown Foundation. 14 February 2000. Retrieved 30 September 2017.
10. "Указ Президента Республики Беларусь от 28 марта 2001 г. №172" [Decree No. 172 of the President of the Republic of Belarus on 28 March 2001]. Novosti Belarusi (in Russian). Retrieved 30 September 2017.
11. "МИНИСТРОМ ОБОРОНЫ РЕСПУБЛИКИ БЕЛАРУСЬ НАЗНАЧЕН ЛЕОНИД МАЛЬЦЕВ" [Leonid Maltsev appointed Minister of Defence of Belarus]. Agentstvo finansovykh novostey (in Russian). 28 March 2001. Retrieved 30 September 2017.

Bibliography

• Feskov, V.I.; Golikov, V.I.; Kalashnikov, K.A.; Slugin, S.A. (2013). Вооруженные силы СССР после Второй Мировой войны: от Красной Армии к Советской [The Armed Forces of the USSR after World War II: From the Red Army to the Soviet: Part 1 Land Forces] (in Russian). Tomsk: Scientific and Technical Literature Publishing. ISBN 9785895035306.