On Occasion of 70th birthday of Lieutenant General Leonid Alexeevich Shivdyakov
Temporary exhibitions in the Museum of Town and District History tell visitors about glorious pages of history of the native region, respected and famous residents. The Kirillov district can be proud of its fellow-townsmen. There are a lot of military men among them, for example, Lieutenant General Leonid Alexeevich Shivdyakov, native of the Charozero rural council.
Leonid Shivdyakov was born in the village of Opryatkovo of the Charozero rural council in the Kirillov district on May 21, 1944. His parents participated in the Great Patriotic War. Having returned to the peaceful life, his father Alexey Mefodievich worked as a chairman of the Charozero District Consumer’s Association and his mother Vera Yakovlevna was a teacher at the seven-year school in Kuznetsovo. Leonid also attended this school and left it in 1958.
He still remembers his first school teachers with gratitude. Leaving the school in Kuznetsovo, Leonid studied in the river vocational school in Veliky Ustiug. In 1962, he started to work as the second officer of the motor ship at the Vologda technical section of the Northern Basin Authority. He sailed on the “Baklan” ship and the service craft “Baydak”. Leonid Shivdyakov met his future wife Elvira in the same year. Their son Alexey named after his grandfather was born on October 3, 1963.
Later Leonid decided to devote his life to military service. In 1963, he entered the Leningrad Artillery Command School. In 1966, the young lieutenant got his first appointment and went to Germany where he served in the group of the Soviet troops during five years. In 1971, he entered the Military Artillery Academy named after M.I. Kalinin. Upon graduating from it, Leonid Shivdyakov received an appointment to the Baltic Military District where he served as a chief of the regimental staff, a regiment’s commanding officer, and a chief of the artillery division staff. In 1984, he was sent to study at the General Staff Academy of the Armed Forces named after K.Y. Voroshilov as one of the best artillerymen. Leonid Shivdyakov served in the Far Eastern Military District since 1986.
He occupied all command positions in the Armed Forces: from the troop commander to the commander of rocket forces and artillery in the Far Eastern Military District that he headed within 15 years – from 1986 to 2001. In 2001, he was appointed the head of the State Technical Commission attached to the President of the Russian Federation, then – the Administrative board of the Federal Service for Technical and Export Control in the Far Eastern Military District. This organization reports to the President of the Russian Federation. In 2005, Leonid Shivdyakov was named the winner in the nomination “Chief of the Year” in the sphere of information security of Russia. Three years later, he became the laureate of the professional award of the Infoforum in the sphere of information security “Silver Dagger”.
Lieutenant General Leonid Alexeevich Shivdyakov conducted tests of the new samples of missile munitions and artillery weapons. He wrote scientific works and training aids in combat employment of missile arms and artillery, troop readiness, training and reforming of troops in the district, defence of the seacoast and counter-landing assaults. Many people highly appreciated the skills of Far Eastern missile specialists and artillerymen. The Russian President, Ministers of Defence, military commanders of foreign countries were among those who watched weapons training exercises. Our fellow-townsman was awarded the Order of the Red Star (1991), the Order of Military Merits (1998), the Decoration “For Impeccable Service” (2004), the Order of the Badge of Honour (2008) and many medals for high personal rates, impeccable service and merits in strengthening the defence capability of the country. The family of Leonid Alexeevich Shivdyakov was always with him during these years: his wife Elvira (they are together for more than 50 years), and his son Alexey. He followed in his father’s footsteps and graduated from the same educational institutions. Now he serves in the Russian Federation Armed Forces. The general doesn’t forget his small Motherland – the Kirillov district. He visited the Kirillo-Belozersky Museum-Reserve several times.
In 2011, he presented a whole complex of interesting materials to the museum, including his monograph “The Basics of Data Protection in State Administrative Bodies” published in Khabarovsk in 2008 with the author’s inscription. There are many photos, several personal things (a uniform coat, general’s shoulder straps, a compass, and a table clock), numerous diplomas and documents reflecting the life journey of the commander. The documentary prepared for the 65th birthday of the general holds a special place. Handing over the materials, Leonid Shivdyakov expressed the wish to support good traditions and undertakings in the museums, because as he noted: “Our country doesn’t end at the Far East, it begins there!” All handed materials are used in research, exposition, educational activity and patriotic education of the younger generation.
A.N. Kalikina, research officer of the museum
