Yegor Solyankin
| Yegor Solyankin | |
|---|---|
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| Native name | Егор Николаевич Солянкин |
| Born | 21 April 1901 Moscow, Russian Empire |
| Died | 26 June 1941 (aged 40) near Raseiniai, Lithuanian SSR, Soviet Union |
| Service/branch | Red Army |
| Years of service | 1920–41 |
| Rank | Major general |
| Commands held | 2nd Tank Division |
| Battles/wars | |
Yegor Nikolaevich Solyankin (Russian: Егор Николаевич Солянкин; 1901–26 June 1941) was a Red Army major general. Solyankin led the 2nd Tank Division during the Battle of Raseiniai, a Soviet counterattack after the German invasion of the Soviet Union. He was killed in action during the defeat of his division.
Solyankin was born on 21 April 1901 in Moscow. He was orphaned at age four and was sent to be raised in a peasant family in a village in Gzhatsky Uyezd. Solyankin was a shepherd in the village. From the age of twelve he worked as a blacksmith in Moscow. In June 1920, he was drafted into the Red Army.
Solyankin, originally an infantryman, transferred to armor in 1932. In 1936, he served as commander of a tank battalion of the 1st Rifle Division at Kazan. From July 1938, he commanded the 2nd Tank Brigade in the Leningrad Military District. Solyankin became commander of the 18th Light Tank Brigade in 1939, when it was stationed in Estonia at Uuemõisa as a result of the Soviet–Estonian Mutual Assistance Treaty, and participated in the Soviet annexation of Estonia in June 1940. During the annexation, the brigade advanced into Tallinn. On 4 June 1940, he was promoted to Major General. He then served as deputy commander of the 1st Mechanized Corps. Solyankin became commander of the 2nd Tank Division, part of the 3rd Mechanized Corps, on 9 December. In the early summer of 1941 he arranged for the evacuation of the families of officers, although this was not officially permitted.
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