Boris Gromov
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Image:Evstafiev-general-gromov.jpg Boris Vsevolodovich Gromov (Russian: Бори́с Все́володович Гро́мов), (born November 7, 1943 in Saratov, Russia), prominent military and political figure, Colonel-General.
He graduated from a Suvorov military cadet school, the Leningrad Military Commanders School and later from the Frunze Military Academy in Moscow, as well as the General Staff Academy.
During the Soviet war in Afghanistan, Gromov did three tours of duty (1980-1982, 1985-1986, 1987-1989), and was best known for the two years as the last Commander of the 40th Soviet Army in Afghanistan. He was also the last Soviet soldier to leave Afghanistan, crossing on foot the Friendship Bridge spanning the Amu-Daria river on February 15, 1989, the day the Soviet pullout from Afghanistan was completed. He received the highest military award – the golden star of the Hero of the Soviet Union.
After the Afghan war, he was chosen as the candidate for vice president from the communist party. He served as First Deputy Defence Minister of the Russian Federation. In 1994 Gromov retired from the Russian Military Forces, and was soon appointed deputy Interior Minister. He was elected in 1995 to the State Duma, lower house of Russian parliament. In January 2000 he was elected governor of the Moscow region and re-elected in December 2003.
General Boris Gromov could have gone on to enjoy a brilliant political career if not for his objection to President Boris Yeltsin's attack on parliament during the Russian constitutional crisis of 1993 and the war in the breakaway Republic of Chechnya.
