Matvey Shaposhnikov

Matvey Kuzmich Shaposhnikov (Матвей Кузьмич Шапошников; 29 November 1906, settlement Alexeyevka, Voronezh Province - June 28, 1994, Rostov-on-Don) was a Soviet military commander, Lieutenant General, Hero of the Soviet Union.

During the performance of Novocherkassk massacre in 1962, being in the position of first deputy commander of the North Caucasian Military District, he refused to give the order to attack the demonstrators with tanks.

Later, trying to publicize information about the Novocherkassk tragedy, the sending of letters to her writers and Soviet Komsomol committee of a number of higher education institutions. Altogether, they sent 6 letters.

''Personally, I am far from being able to conceal resentment or anger in the media unlimited arbitrariness. I only regret not having been able to really fight this evil. In the fight against despotism and tyranny I did not have the ability to conduct a deadly battle. In the struggle with widespread and entrenched in the army under the evil, which is the tyranny autocrats, meanness and hypocrisy, I did not have enough effective weapons, except the illusory belief that the truth, like this, in itself, will win, and justice will prevail.'' (From the diary of General Shaposhnikov, May 1967).

In 1966, Lieutenant-General Shaposhnikov transferred to the reserve. In January 1967 he was expelled from the Communist Party. August 26, 1967 of the KGB in the Rostov region opened a criminal case on charges of  Shaposhnikov Anti-Sovietism (article 70 of the Criminal Code of the RSFSR), which became the basis for his confiscated during the search of the drafts of letters and draft letters of appeal on the Novocherkassk massacre. A few months later, 23 December 1967, a criminal case was dismissed because of the merits of front-line general and his active repentance.

Rehabilitated in 1988, reinstated in the Communist Party 6 December 1988.

He lived in Rostov-on-Don.

Died June 28, 1994. He was buried in the North Cemetery in Rostov-on-Don.