Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Ground Forces#Soviet Ground Forces (1946–1992)

{{Short description|Chief commanding authority of the Russian Ground Forces}}

{{Infobox official post

| post = Commander-in-Chief

| body = the Russian Ground Forces

| native_name = {{small|Главнокомандующий Сухопутными войсками России}}

| flag = Flag of Russia's Commander-in-Chief of the Land Forces.svg

| flagsize =

| flagborder =

| flagcaption = Flag of the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Ground Forces

| insignia =

| insigniasize =

| insigniacaption =

| image = Морвичëв Андрей.jpg

| imagesize =

| alt =

| incumbent = 22px Colonel General Andrey Mordvichev

| incumbentsince = 15 May 2025

| type =

| status =

| department = Russian Ground Forces

| style =

| member_of = General Staff of the Armed Forces

| reports_to = Chief of the General Staff

| residence =

| seat =

| nominator =

| appointer = President of Russia

| appointer_qualified =

| termlength =

| termlength_qualified =

| constituting_instrument =

| precursor =

| formation = 9 August 1812 {{small|(historical)}}
10 June 1992 {{small|(current form)}}

| first =

| last =

| abolished =

| succession =

| abbreviation =

| unofficial_names =

| deputy = Chief of the Main Staff and First Deputy Commander-in-Chief

| salary =

| website = [http://eng.mil.ru/en/management/combatant_arms/more.htm?id=10336066@SD_Employee Official website]

}}

The Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Ground Forces (Russian: Главнокомандующий Сухопутными войсками России) is the chief commanding authority of the Russian Ground Forces. He is appointed by the President of Russia. The position dates to the period of the Russian Empire. The current Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Ground Forces is Colonel General Andrey Mordvichev, in office since 15 May 2025.{{Cite web |title=Генерал-полковник Мордвичев назначен главнокомандующим Сухопутными войсками ВС РФ |date=15 May 2025 |language=ru |work=Izvestia |url=https://iz.ru/1887012/2025-05-15/general-polkovnik-mordvichev-naznachen-glavnokomanduiushchim-sukhoputnymi-voiskami-vs-rf }}

From 1998 to 2001 the position was briefly called the Chief of the Main Directorate of the Ground Forces.

List of Commanders

† denotes people who died in office.

=Red Army (1918–1946)=

;Commander-in-Chief

{{Officeholder table start

| showorder = y

| showimage = y

| image_title = Portrait

| officeholder_title = Commander-in-Chief

| showtermlenght = y

| showparty = n

| showdefencebranch = n

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 1

| image = II Vatsetis 02.png

| military_rank = Komandarm 2nd rank

| officeholder = Jukums Vācietis

| officeholder_sort = Vācietis, Jukums

| born_year = 1873

| died_year = 1938

| term_start = 6 September 1918

| term_end = 8 July 1919

| timeinoffice = {{ayd|1918|09|06|1919|07|08}}

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 2

| image = Sergey Sergeyevich Kamenev.jpg

| military_rank = Komandarm 1st rank

| officeholder = Sergei Kamenev

| officeholder_sort = Kamenev, Sergei

| born_year = 1881

| died_year = 1936

| term_start = 8 July 1919

| term_end = 28 April 1924

| timeinoffice = {{ayd|1919|07|08|1924|04|28}}

}}

;Chief of Staff

{{Officeholder table start

| showorder = y

| showimage = y

| image_title = Portrait

| officeholder_title = Chief of the Staff

| showtermlenght = y

| showparty = n

| showdefencebranch = n

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 1

| image = Michaił Frunze.jpg

| military_rank = Major General

| officeholder = Mikhail Frunze

| officeholder_sort = Frunze, Mikhail

| born_year = 1885

| died_year = 1925

| term_start = April 1924

| term_end = January 1925

| timeinoffice = {{age in years and months|1924|04|1|1925|01|1}}

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 2

| image = Sergey Sergeyevich Kamenev.jpg

| military_rank = Komandarm 1st rank

| officeholder = Sergei Kamenev

| officeholder_sort = Kamenev, Sergei

| born_year = 1881

| died_year = 1936

| term_start = January 1925

| term_end = November 1925

| timeinoffice = {{age in years and months|1925|01|1|1925|11|1}}

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 3

| image = Mikhail Tukhachevsky.jpg

| military_rank = Marshal of the Soviet Union

| officeholder = Mikhail Tukhachevsky

| officeholder_sort = Tukhachevsky, Mikhail

| born_year = 1893

| died_year = 1937

| term_start = November 1925

| term_end = May 1928

| timeinoffice = {{age in years and months|1925|11|1|1928|05|1}}

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 4

| image = Boris Shaposhnikov 01.jpg

| military_rank = Komandarm 1st rank

| officeholder = Boris Shaposhnikov

| officeholder_sort = Shaposhnikov, Boris

| born_year = 1882

| died_year = 1945

| term_start = May 1928

| term_end = April 1931

| timeinoffice = {{age in years and months|1928|05|1|1931|04|1}}

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 5

| image =

| military_rank = General

| officeholder = Vladimir Triandafillov

| officeholder_sort = Triandafillov, Vladimir

| officeholder_note = {{efn|name=plane|Died in a plane crash.}}

| born_year = 1894

| died_year = 1931

| term_start = May 1931

| term_end = 12 July 1931

| timeinoffice = {{age in years and months|1931|05|1|1931|07|12}}

| died = y

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 6

| image = Александр Егоров.jpg

| military_rank = Marshal of the Soviet Union

| officeholder = Alexander Ilyich Yegorov

| officeholder_sort = Yegorov, Alexander Ilyich

| born_year = 1883

| died_year = 1939

| term_start = July 1931

| term_end = September 1935

| timeinoffice = {{age in years and months|1931|07|1|1935|09|1}}

}}

;Chief of the General Staff

{{Officeholder table start

| showorder = y

| showimage = y

| image_title = Portrait

| officeholder_title = Chief of the General Staff

| showtermlenght = y

| showparty = n

| showdefencebranch = n

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 1

| image = Александр Егоров.jpg

| military_rank = Marshal of the Soviet Union

| officeholder = Alexander Ilyich Yegorov

| officeholder_sort = Yegorov, Alexander Ilyich

| born_year = 1883

| died_year = 1939

| term_start = September 1935

| term_end = 10 May 1937

| timeinoffice = {{age in years and months|1935|09|1|1937|05|10}}

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 2

| image = Boris Shaposhnikov 02.jpg

| military_rank = Marshal of the Soviet Union

| officeholder = Boris Shaposhnikov

| officeholder_sort = Shaposhnikov, Boris

| born_year = 1882

| died_year = 1945

| term_start = 10 May 1937

| term_end = August 1940

| timeinoffice = {{age in years and months|1937|05|10|1940|08|1}}

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 3

| image = Kirill Afanasievich Meretskov 1.jpg

| military_rank = Army General

| officeholder = Kirill Meretskov

| officeholder_sort = Shaposhnikov, Boris

| born_year = 1897

| died_year = 1968

| term_start = August 1940

| term_end = January 1941

| timeinoffice = {{age in years and months|1940|08|1|1941|01|1}}

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 4

| image = RIAN archive 2410 Marshal Zhukov speaking.jpg

| military_rank = Army General

| officeholder = Georgy Zhukov

| officeholder_sort = Zhukov, Georgy

| born_year = 1896

| died_year = 1974

| term_start = February 1941

| term_end = 29 July 1941

| timeinoffice = {{age in years and months|1941|02|1|1941|07|29}}

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = (2)

| image = Boris Shaposhnikov 02.jpg

| military_rank = Marshal of the Soviet Union

| officeholder = Boris Shaposhnikov

| officeholder_sort = Shaposhnikov, Boris

| born_year = 1882

| died_year = 1945

| term_start = 29 July 1941

| term_end = 11 May 1942

| timeinoffice = {{ayd|1941|07|29|1942|05|11}}

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 5

| image = Aleksandr Vasilevsky 4.jpg

| military_rank = Marshal of the Soviet Union

| officeholder = Aleksandr Vasilevsky

| officeholder_sort = Vasilevsky, Aleksandr

| born_year = 1895

| died_year = 1977

| term_start = 26 June 1942

| term_end = February 1945

| timeinoffice = {{age in years and months|1942|06|26|1945|02|1}}

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 6

| image = Aleksei Antonov 3.jpg

| military_rank = Army General

| officeholder = Aleksei Antonov

| officeholder_sort = Antonov, Aleksei

| born_year = 1896

| died_year = 1962

| term_start = February 1945

| term_end = 22 March 1946

| timeinoffice = {{age in years and months|1945|02|1|1946|03|22}}

}}

=Soviet Ground Forces (1946–1992)=

;Commander-in-Chief

{{Officeholder table start

| showorder = y

| showimage = y

| image_title = Portrait

| officeholder_title = Commander-in-Chief

| showtermlenght = y

| showparty = n

| showdefencebranch = n

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 1

| image = Zhukov-LIFE-1944-1945.jpg

| military_rank = Marshal of the Soviet Union

| officeholder = Georgy Zhukov

| officeholder_sort = Zhukov, Georgy

| born_year = 1896

| died_year = 1974

| term_start = March 1946

| term_end = 9 June 1946

| timeinoffice = {{age in years and months|1941|02|1|1941|07|29}}

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 2

| image = Ivan Stepanovich Konev 3.jpg

| military_rank = Marshal of the Soviet Union

| officeholder = Ivan Konev

| officeholder_sort = Konev, Ivan

| officeholder_note =

| born_year = 1897

| died_year = 1973

| term_start = 1946

| term_end = 1950

| timeinoffice = {{age in years|1946|1950}} years

}}

|-style="text-align:center;"

! colspan=7|Position of commander of ground forces did not exist from 1950–55

{{Officeholder table

| order = 2

| image = Ivan Stepanovich Konev 3.jpg

| military_rank = Marshal of the Soviet Union

| officeholder = Ivan Konev

| officeholder_sort = Konev, Ivan

| officeholder_note =

| born_year = 1897

| died_year = 1973

| term_start = 1955

| term_end = 1956

| timeinoffice = {{age in years|1955|1956}} years

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 3

| image = Rodion Malinovsky 1.jpg

| military_rank = Marshal of the Soviet Union

| officeholder = Rodion Malinovsky

| officeholder_sort = Malinovsky, Rodion

| officeholder_note =

| born_year = 1898

| died_year = 1967

| term_start = March 1956

| term_end = 26 October 1957

| timeinoffice = {{age in years|1956|03|1|1957|10|26}} year

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 4

| image = Andrei Grechko 3 cropped (a).jpg

| military_rank = Marshal of the Soviet Union

| officeholder = Andrei Grechko

| officeholder_sort = Grechko, Andrei

| officeholder_note =

| born_year = 1903

| died_year = 1976

| term_start = 1957

| term_end = 1960

| timeinoffice = {{age in years|1957|1960}} years

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 5

| image = Vasily Ivanovich Chuikov.jpg

| military_rank = Marshal of the Soviet Union

| officeholder = Vasily Chuikov

| officeholder_sort = Chuikov, Vasily

| officeholder_note =

| born_year = 1900

| died_year = 1982

| term_start = 1960

| term_end = 1964

| timeinoffice = {{age in years|1960|1964}} years

}}

|-style="text-align:center;"

! colspan=7|Position of commander of ground forces did not exist from 1964–67

{{Officeholder table

| order = 6

| image =

| military_rank = Army General

| officeholder = Ivan Pavlovsky

| officeholder_sort = Pavlovsky, Ivan

| officeholder_note =

| born_year = 1909

| died_year = 1999

| term_start = November 1967

| term_end = 1979

| timeinoffice = {{age in years|1967|1979}} years

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 7

| image = Marshal Vasily Ivanovich Petrov.jpg

| military_rank = Marshal of the Soviet Union

| officeholder = Vasiliy Petrov

| officeholder_sort = Petrov, Vasiliy

| officeholder_note =

| born_year = 1917

| died_year = 2014

| term_start = 1980

| term_end = January 1985

| timeinoffice = {{age in years|1980|1985}} years

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 8

| image = Yevgeni Ivanovski (mil.ru).jpg

| military_rank = Army General

| officeholder = Yevgeni Ivanovski

| officeholder_sort = Ivanovski, Yevgeni

| officeholder_note =

| born_year = 1918

| died_year = 1991

| term_start = 5 February 1985

| term_end = January 1989

| timeinoffice = {{age in years|1985|02|05|1989|01|1}} years

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 9

| image = Valentin Varennikov 11 April 2002.jpg

| military_rank = Army General

| officeholder = Valentin Varennikov

| officeholder_sort = Varennikov, Valentin

| officeholder_note =

| born_year = 1923

| died_year = 2009

| term_start = 5 January 1989

| term_end = 22 August 1991

| timeinoffice = {{age in years|1989|01|05|1991|08|22}} years

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = –

| image = Mikhail Kolesnikov 1.jpg

| military_rank = Colonel General

| officeholder = Mikhail Kolesnikov

| officeholder_sort = Kolesnikov, Mikhail

| officeholder_note =

| born_year = 1939

| died_year = 2007

| term_start = 22 August 1991

| term_end = 31 August 1991

| acting = y

| timeinoffice = {{age in years|1991|08|22|1991|08|31}} years

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 10

| image = Vladimir Magomedovich Semyonov.jpg

| military_rank = Colonel General

| officeholder = Vladimir Semyonov

| officeholder_sort = Semyonov, Vladimir

| officeholder_note =

| born_year = 1940

| died_year =

| term_start = 31 August 1991

| term_end = August 1992

| timeinoffice = {{age in years|1991|08|31|1992|08|1}} years

}}

=Russian Ground Forces (1992–present)=

;Commander-in-Chief

{{Officeholder table start

| showorder = y

| showimage = y

| image_title = Portrait

| officeholder_title = Commander-in-Chief

| showtermlenght = y

| showparty = n

| showdefencebranch = n

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 1

| image = Vladimir Magomedovich Semyonov.jpg

| military_rank = Army General

| officeholder = Vladimir Semyonov

| officeholder_sort = Semyonov, Vladimir

| officeholder_note =

| born_year = 1940

| died_year =

| term_start = August 1992

| term_end = April 1997

| timeinoffice = {{age in years and months|1992|08|1|1997|04|1}}

}}

;Chief of the Main Directorate

{{Officeholder table start

| showorder = y

| showimage = y

| image_title = Portrait

| officeholder_title = Chief of the Main Directorate

| showtermlenght = y

| showparty = n

| showdefencebranch = n

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = –

| image =

| military_rank = Colonel General

| officeholder = Yuri Bukreyev

| officeholder_sort = Bukreyev, Yuri

| officeholder_note =

| born_year = 1941

| died_year =

| term_start = January 1998

| term_end = 9 May 1998

| acting = y

| timeinoffice = {{age in years and months|1998|01|1|1998|05|09}}

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 1

| image =

| military_rank = Colonel general

| officeholder = Yuri Bukreyev

| officeholder_sort = Bukreyev, Yuri

| officeholder_note =

| born_year = 1941

| died_year =

| term_start = 9 May 1998

| term_end = March 2001

| timeinoffice = {{age in years and months|1998|05|09|2001|03|1}}

}}

;Commander-in-Chief

{{Officeholder table start

| showorder = y

| showimage = y

| image_title = Portrait

| officeholder_title = Commander-in-Chief

| showtermlenght = y

| showparty = n

| showdefencebranch = n

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 1

| image = Nikolay Kormiltsev, November 2004.jpg

| military_rank = Army General

| officeholder = Nikolai Kormiltsev

| officeholder_sort = Kormiltsev, Nikolai

| officeholder_note =

| born_year = 1946

| died_year =

| term_start = 28 March 2001

| term_end = October 2004

| timeinoffice = {{age in years and months|2001|03|28|2004|10|1}}

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 2

| image = Col Gen Maslov.jpg

| military_rank = Army General

| officeholder = Aleksei Maslov

| officeholder_sort = Maslov, Alexey

| officeholder_note =

| born_year = 1953

| died_year = 2022

| term_start = 5 November 2004

| term_end = 31 July 2008

| timeinoffice = {{age in years and months|2004|11|05|2008|07|31}}

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 3

| image = Vladimir Boldyrev (cropped).jpg

| military_rank = Army General

| officeholder = Vladimir Boldyrev

| officeholder_sort = Bondyrev, Vladimir

| officeholder_note =

| born_year = 1953

| died_year =

| term_start = 31 July 2008

| term_end = January 2010

| timeinoffice = {{age in years and months|2008|07|31|2010|01|1}}

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 4

| image = Alexander Postnikov.jpg

| military_rank = Colonel General

| officeholder = Aleksandr Postnikov-Streltsov

| officeholder_sort = Postnikov, Alexander

| officeholder_note =

| born_year = 1953

| died_year =

| term_start = 11 January 2010

| term_end = 26 April 2012

| timeinoffice = {{age in years and months|2010|01|11|2012|04|26}}

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 5

| image = Vladimir Chirkin.jpg

| military_rank = Colonel General

| officeholder = Vladimir Chirkin

| officeholder_sort = Chirkin, Vladimir

| officeholder_note =

| born_year = 1955

| died_year =

| term_start = 26 April 2012

| term_end = 2 December 2013

| timeinoffice = {{age in years and months|2012|04|26|2013|12|02}}

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = –

| image = Sergey Istrakov (2017).jpg

| military_rank = Colonel General

| officeholder = {{ill|Sergey Istrakov|ru|Истраков, Сергей Юрьевич}}

| officeholder_sort = Istrakov, Sergey

| officeholder_note =

| born_year = 1959

| died_year =

| term_start = December 2013

| term_end = March 2014

| acting = y

| timeinoffice = {{age in years and months|2013|12|02|2014|03|1}}

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 6

| image = Oleg Salûkov.jpg

| military_rank = Army General

| officeholder = Oleg Salyukov

| officeholder_sort = Salyukov, Oleg

| officeholder_note =

| born_year = 1955

| died_year =

| term_start = 2 March 2014

| term_end = 15 May 2025

| timeinoffice = {{age in years and months|2014|03|02|2025|05|15}}

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 7

| image = Морвичëв Андрей.jpg

| military_rank = Colonel General

| officeholder = Andrey Mordvichev

| officeholder_sort = Mordvichev, Andrey

| officeholder_note =

| born_year = 1976

| died_year =

| term_start = 15 May 2025

| term_end =

| timeinoffice = {{age in years and months|2025|05|15}}

}}

Deputies and chiefs of staff

=First deputy commanders=

;Chief of the Main Staff and First Deputy Commander-in-Chief

Aleksandr Grinkevich (1981–1990)
Mikhail Kolesnikov (1990–1991)[http://www.pravo.mgimo.ru/?q=node/4702 Колесников Михаил Петрович] (in Russian). MGIMO Center of Military-Political Studies.
Boris Gromov (1991–1992)
Yuri Bukreyev (1992–1994)
Eduard Vorobyov (1994–1995)
Anatoly Golovnyov (1995–1998)

;Deputy Chief of the Main Directorate

Nikolai Rogozhkin (1998)
Gennady Kotenko (1998–2001)[http://www.pravo.mgimo.ru/?q=node/5040 Котенко Геннадий] (in Russian). MGIMO Center of Military-Political Studies.

;Chief of the Main Staff and First Deputy Commander-in-Chief

Aleksandr Morozov (2001–2008)[http://old.redstar.ru/2001/12/28_12/1_01.html Поручено Сухопутным войскам...] (in Russian). 28 December 2001. Krasnaya Zvezda.
Nikolai Bogdanovsky (2008–2009)[https://www.rbc.ru/society/11/01/2008/5703caa99a79470eaf768a8e Назначен новый начальник главного штаба Сухопутных войск] (in Russian). 11 January 2008. RBK.
Sergey Skokov (2009–2011)
unknown
Sergey Istrakov (2013–2015)
Aleksey Dyumin (2015)
Vladimir Popov (2016–2018)
Vasily Tonkoshkurov (2018–2022)
Alexei Kim (2022–2023)
Aleksandr Lapin (2023–2024)
Rustam Muradov (2024–present)

=Deputy commanders=

;Deputy Commander of the Ground Forces

unknown
Vladimir Moltenskoy (2002–2003)[https://lenta.ru/news/2002/09/25/moltenskoy/ Молтенской сдает командование ОГВ и переходит в штаб Квашнина] (in Russian). 25 September 2002. Lenta.ru.[https://rosniva.ru/society/2020/08/05/puti-dorogi-generala-moltenskogo/ Пути-дороги генерала Молтенского] (in Russian). 5 August 2020. Rosniva.ru.
Vladimir Bulgakov (2003–2006)
Valery Yevnevich (2006–2009)
Aleksandr Studenikin (2009–2010)
unknown
Alexander Lentsov (2013–2020)
Aleksandr Matovnikov (2020–present)