Maksim Purkayev


Maksim Alexeyevich Purkayev was a Soviet military leader, reaching service rank of Army General.

Biography

Purkayev was conscripted into the Imperial Russian Army in 1915, and reached the rank of praporshchik before joining the Red Army in 1918. He became a member of the Communist Party in 1919. During the Russian Civil War he served in the capacity of a company and battalion commander, and after completing the Vystrel officer training course in 1923, he served as a regimental commander, and later the 60th Army and 3rd Shock Army. In 1942–43 he served as commander of the Kalinin Front and from April 1943, the Far Eastern Front. From September 1945 to January 1947 Purkayev served as the commanding officer of the Far Eastern Military District during which time he was nominated to the Highest Soviet of USSR.
From June 1947 Purkayev was the Chief of Staff and 1st Deputy of Chief Commander of the Far Eastern Forces. From July 1952 to his death Purkayev served as the Head of Higher Education Directorate of the Ministry of Defence of USSR.

Honours and awards

Maksim Purkayev was decorated with two Orders of Lenin, four Orders of the Red Banner, Order of Suvorov, Order of Kutuzov, and numerous medals.