Viktor Leonidovich Pokrovsky (1889, Nizhny Novgorod Governorate — November 8, 1922, Kyustendil, Bulgaria) was a Russian military figure, lieutenant general, participant in the First World War and the Russian Civil War, and one of the commanders of the White movement in southern Russia. A native of the Nizhny Novgorod Governorate.[1]
Education and the Start of Service
Pokrovsky graduated from the Odessa Cadet Corps in 1906 and from the Pavlovsk Military School in 1909, ranking first in his class. In 1912–1913 he studied in the aviation class of the St. Petersburg Polytechnic Institute, and then graduated from the Sevastopol Aviation School (1914). He served in the 10th Little Russian Grenadier Regiment of Field Marshal General Count Rumyantsev-Zadunaisky.[1]
The First World War
During the First World War, Pokrovsky fought as a captain in the 1st Grenadier Regiment, and then as a military pilot he commanded a squadron and, from 1916, headed the 12th Aviation Detachment in Riga. He went down in history as the first Russian pilot to capture an enemy aircraft together with its pilot. He was awarded the Sword of St. George and the Order of St. George, 4th class.[1]
The Civil War
He joined the White movement at the beginning of 1918. On the instructions of the Kuban Rada, he formed a volunteer detachment of about 300 Cossack soldiers, which in January–March 1918 defeated Red forces at Enem near the stanitsa of Georgie-Afipskaya. On March 14, 1918, the Kuban Rada appointed him commander of the Kuban Army; on January 24, 1918, he was promoted to colonel, and on March 1, 1918, to major general (both ranks were conferred by decision of the Rada). On March 27, 1918, the Kuban Army (about 3,000 fighters) became part of General Kornilov's Volunteer Army.[1]
General Denikin characterized Pokrovsky as follows: "Pokrovsky was young, of low rank and little military experience, and unknown to anyone. But he displayed boundless energy, was bold, cruel, power-hungry, and did not pay much heed to moral prejudices."[1]
In April–June 1918 he was commander of the forces of the Kuban Territory, in June–August 1918 commander of the 1st Kuban Brigade, then commander of the 1st Kuban Cavalry Division (August 1918 — January 1919), and from January 3, 1919, commander of the 1st Kuban Corps. In September 1918, units under Pokrovsky's command carried out mass executions in Maykop: according to available data, about 2,000 people were executed — mostly captured Red Army soldiers, as well as civilians accused of Bolshevism.[1]
On April 4, 1919, by order of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of South Russia, he was promoted to lieutenant general. From July 1919 he commanded a group of forces of the Caucasian Army near Tsaritsyn and captured Kamyshin on the Volga. In October–November 1919 he was chief of the rear of the Caucasian Army; on the orders of General Wrangel, he oversaw the dispersal of the Kuban Cossack Rada, which was accused of separatism. From November 26, 1919, to January 21, 1920, he was commander of the Caucasian Army, succeeding General Wrangel in that post.[1]
Emigration and Death
After the defeat of the White movement, Pokrovsky ended up in emigration. He died on November 8, 1922, in Kyustendil (Bulgaria).[1]
Sources
- cadethistory.ru — Pokrovsky Viktor Leonidovich