Nikolai Sollogub

Nikolai Sollogub (Николай Владимирович Соллогуб; May 16, 1883 – August 7, 1937) was a Russian and later Soviet military officer. A Komandarm 2nd class, he served during the Russian Civil War and the Polish-Bolshevik War of 1920. Dismissed from service during the Great Purge, he died in 1937.

He was born May 16, 1883 in Minsk Governorate of the Russian Empire, to a russified branch of an old Polish-Lithuanian nobility, the Dowoyno-Sołłohub (his distant relative was a Polish general Stanisław Sołłohub-Dowoyno). Early in his life he joined the Imperial Russian Army and graduated from Pavlov's Military School (1903) and the Nicholas' General Staff Academy (in 1910). He served with distinction during the Great War as staff officer of the 1st Army, the 11th Army and the Western Front.

Following the Russian Revolution he joined the Red Army in June 1918. Initially a staff officer of the Northern Front, he later served a variety of roles and eventually in August 1919 became the commanding officer of the 16th Army facing Poland. During the Polish-Bolshevik War he successfully crossed the Berezina with his forces and pursued the Polish Army to the gates of Warsaw. However, he failed to capture the city and his army was defeated in the Battle of Warsaw and completely disintegrated following the Battle of Białystok. His staff was captured by the Poles, but Sollogub managed to evade capture and reached Russian lines.

Despite his army's defeat he was considered one of the most skilled Russian military commanders of the time and continued his military service after the Peace of Riga. Briefly arrested in 1922 and accused of conspiracy against Soviet Russia, he was nevertheless acquitted and restored to his former post in the Red Army. Initially a military governor of Crimea, later he commanded the 5th Corps, the Academy of Air Forces and became the deputy commander of Red Army's Air Forces. In 1925 he became the deputy commander of Frunze Military Academy. Arrested during the Great Purge by the NKVD, he died August 7, 1937.