Vladimir Govorov
Vladimir Leonidovich Govorov (18 October 1924 – 13 August 2006) was a Soviet General of the Army and a prominent military leader. He was the son of Marshal Leonid Govorov and was born in Odessa, in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic.
As a teenager, he and a friend briefly planned to go to Spain to fight in the Spanish Civil War, but the plan did not succeed. He joined the Red Army in 1942 and trained at artillery schools. In October 1943 he began fighting on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War, serving with artillery units on the Leningrad and 2nd Baltic fronts. He took part in the Siege of Leningrad, operations in the Baltic states, and the Courland Pocket.
After World War II, Govorov continued his military career. He commanded an artillery battalion, studied at the Frunze Military Academy, and joined the Communist Party in 1949. In 1963 he graduated from the Military Academy of the General Staff and served with the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany as chief of staff and first deputy commander. From 1967 to 1969 he commanded the 2nd Guards Tank Army, then in 1971 led the Baltic Military District. He was the commander of the Moscow Military District from 1972 to 1980 and became a candidate member of the Communist Party in 1976. On 28 October 1977 he was promoted to General of the Army.
As Moscow Garrison commander, Govorov oversaw several military parades on Red Square. In December 1980 he became commander of the Far Eastern Military District, where he helped build military cooperation with Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Mongolia. In June 1984 he was appointed deputy Minister of Defense and Chief Inspector of the Ministry of Defense. He was named Hero of the Soviet Union on his 60th birthday for his wartime leadership and other contributions.
In June 1986 Govorov became Head of Civil Defense. He led efforts to eliminate the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster and other natural disasters, and began reorganizing Civil Defense toward peacetime needs, laying the groundwork for what would become the Russian Emergencies Ministry.
On 15 August 1991 he submitted his resignation and was relieved a couple of days later, leaving the armed forces in 1992. After the Soviet era, he worked with veterans and supported commemorations of World War II anniversaries. He led veteran parades in 1995 and 2000 on Red Square.
Vladimir Govorov died in Moscow on 13 August 2006 after a long illness and was buried at Novodevichy Cemetery. A memorial plaque bearing his name is placed at the Russian Emergencies Ministry building and at the former Moscow Military District HQ.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 09:00 (CET).