Snesarev Andrey Evgenievich

Born in 1865. Graduated from the Mathematics Department of Moscow University (1888), the Infantry School (1890) and the General Staff Academy (1899); spoke 14 languages. From 1888 he served in the military in Turkestan, where he studied and provided military-geographical descriptions of the Middle East. He traveled to India, Afghanistan, Tibet and Kashgar. From 1904 he served in the General Staff, and simultaneously taught military geography at military schools. From 1910 he was the chief of staff of the Cossack division. During World War I he commanded a regiment, brigade and division, and was promoted to lieutenant general (1917). He was a Knight of the St. George Cross. After the October Revolution of 1917, he went over to the side of the Soviet government. During the Civil War in May - July 1918 - military commander of the North Caucasus Military District, from September 1918 - chief of the Western Defense Region, created between the Northern and Southern Fronts, then commanded the Western Army, in 1919-1921 - chief of the General Staff Academy. In 1921-1930 he was the rector and professor of the Institute of Oriental Studies, and simultaneously a professor at the Air Force and Military-Political Academies (1924-1926). Hero of Labor (1928). Arrested on 27 (20).01.1930 in the case of the "Russian National Union" (later charged in the case of the "Spring" organization), twice sentenced to death (13.08.1930 and 13.01.1931), both times replaced by 10 years of imprisonment in a concentration camp. From October 1931 to November 1932 he was in Svirlag (2nd section, settlement Vazhiny), worked as a guard at the timber exchange. Then in the Solovetsky special purpose camp (SLON), transferred to the mainland to the camp point in the settlement Vegeraksha (town of Kem). Released early due to illness on September 27, 1934. Died on December 4, 1937 in Moscow, buried at the Vagankovskoye Cemetery.