Viktor Kirillovich Baranov | |
|---|---|
 Baranov in 1945 | |
| Born | 11 June 1901 Sheremetyevka, Syzransky Uyezd, Simbirsk Governorate, Russian Empire |
| Died | 26 July 1970 (aged 69) Dnepropetrovsk, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union |
| Allegiance |
|
| Service/ | Red Army (later Soviet Army) |
| Years of service | 1918–1953 |
| Rank | Lieutenant general |
| Commands | |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards |
|
Viktor Kirillovich Baranov (Russian: Виктор Кириллович Баранов; 11 June 1901 – 26 July 1970) was a Soviet Army lieutenant general and a Hero of the Soviet Union.
Baranov joined the Red Army during the Russian Civil War and served as a cavalryman. He spent the 1920s and early 1930s fighting in the suppression of the Basmachi movement, rising to squadron command. At the outbreak of Operation Barbarossa he commanded the 5th Cavalry Division, which was converted into the 1st Guards Cavalry Division in recognition of its actions. Baranov commanded the division during the raid into the German rear area of the 1st Guards Cavalry Corps and succeeded to command of the corps after the end of the raid. He led the corps for the rest of the war, and commanded a cavalry-mechanized group during the Lvov–Sandomierz Offensive. Made a Hero of the Soviet Union for his leadership of the corps in the final stages of the war, Baranov held corps command postwar and retired in the early 1950s.