Kuzma Derevyanko
Kuzma Nikolayevich Derevyanko (Ukrainian: Кузьма Миколайович Дерев'янко, Russian: Кузьма́ Никола́евич Деревя́нко; Kuzma Mykolaiovych Derevyanko; 14 (O.S. 1) November 1904 - 30 December 1954) was a Ukrainian Lieutenant General in the Soviet Army.
Life
He was born on November 14, 1904, in the village of Kosenivka, Kyiv Governorate, Russian Empire (now Ukraine). Derevyanko (at the time Chief of Staff of the 35th Army) was the representative of the Soviet Union at the ceremonial signing of the written agreement that established the armistice ending the Pacific War and with it World War II.[1] The Soviet delegation joined other Allied representatives on the battleship USS Missouri which was anchored in Tokyo Bay.[2] Together, the waiting Allies silently acknowledged the representatives of the Japanese Emperor and the representative of the Imperial Japanese Army, who were the last to arrive. The proceedings began when General MacArthur stepped before a single microphone. The 23-minute surrender ceremony was broadcast worldwide.[3] Derevyanko signed the Japanese Instrument of Surrender at precisely 9:17 a.m. in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945.[4] He served as Soviet representative at McArthur's headquarters during the US occupation of Japan.
He died on December 30, 1954, and was buried at the Novodevichy Cemetery. In 2007, he was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine.
Award
He was awarded:
- Hero of Ukraine
- Two Orders of Lenin
- Two Orders of the Red Banner
- Order of Suvorov 1st class
- Order of Kutuzov 1st class
- Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky
- Order of the Red Star
- Medal "For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945"
- Medal "For the Victory over Japan"
- Medal "For the Capture of Budapest"
- Medal "For the Capture of Vienna"
- Jubilee Medal "XX Years of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army"
- Jubilee Medal "30 Years of the Soviet Army and Navy"
Notes
- ^ Australian War Memorial: AWM Photo ID 040968. Archived 2012-09-30 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Mooney, James L. (1976). "USS Missouri" in Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Vol. IV, pp. 393-395 Washington, D.C.: United States Navy.
- ^ Battleship Missouri Memorial: "Educator Resources," p. 5. Archived 2008-08-20 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Broom, Jack. "Memories on Board Battleship," Seattle Times. May 21, 1998.
References
- Mooney, James L. (1976). Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Washington, D.C.: United States Navy.
- 1904 births
- 1954 deaths
- People from Uman Raion
- People from Kiev Governorate
- Burials at Novodevichy Cemetery
- Soviet lieutenant generals
- GRU officers
- Soviet military personnel of World War II
- Ukrainian people of World War II
- Recipients of the Order of Gold Star (Ukraine)
- Recipients of the Order of Lenin
- Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner
- Recipients of the Order of Kutuzov, 1st class
- Recipients of the Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky (Soviet Union), 1st class
- Recipients of the Order of Suvorov, 2nd class
- Recipients of the Order of Kutuzov, 2nd class
- Frunze Military Academy alumni