Teodor Kulakov

Teodor Sergeevich Kulakov
Maj. Gen. T.S. Kulakov
Born	(1900-03-18)March 18, 1900 Rozhdestvenka, Belgorod Oblast, Russian Empire
Died	November 16, 1943(1943-11-16) (aged 43) Kerch, Crimea
Buried	Krasnodar
Allegiance	Soviet Union (1918–1943)
Years of service	1918–1943
Rank	Major General
Commands held	339th Rifle Division
Battles/wars	Russian Civil War World War II
Awards	Order of the Red Banner Order of Kutuzov Order of Suvorov

Teodor Sergeevich Kulakov (Russian: Теодор Сергеевич Кулаков; March 18 [O.S. March 6] 1900, Rozhdestvenka, Belgorod Oblast – November 16, 1943, Kerch) was a colonel of the Red Army during the Second World War. He was officially promoted to the rank of major general the day after he was killed in action. He was also posthumously awarded the gold star of the Hero of the Soviet Union in May, 1944.

Kulakov was born on March 18, 1900, to a peasant family in the village of Rozhdestvenka in the former Belgorod Oblast. A Russian by nationality, he finished elementary school and then worked in one of the printing houses in Kharkov. At the age of 18 he joined the Red Army and actively participated in the Russian Civil War. He showed obvious signs of command capabilities, and remained in the cadre Red Army after the war. In 1926 he attended the Combined Military School in Tashkent, and later the 3rd Course at the Frunze Academy.

At the start of the Great Patriotic War, Kulakov was serving as the chief of staff of a rifle division. During 1941 he went on to see action in the Yelnya Offensive in September–October, and then in the defense of Moscow. By August 14, 1942, he had been promoted to the rank of colonel, and on that date was appointed to the command of the 339th Rifle Division, a position he would hold until his death. At the time he was appointed the division was retreating from Rostov-on-Don into the passes of the Caucasus Mountains. As of September 4 his division was in Front reserves of Transcaucasus Front. When the German 17th Army began a new offensive towards the Black Sea port of Tuapse on September 23, the 339th was in 56th Army, where it remained for the rest of Kulakov's career. Tuapse was successfully defended, and the German offensive ground to a halt in early November.