Origins & Early Life

General of the Army Valery Vasilyevich Gerasimov (born 8 September 1955) is a Russian military officer who has been the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces and first deputy minister of defense since 2012. His previous commands included three military districts and a combined arms army. Gerasimov was born in Kazan and was commissioned in the Soviet Army after graduating from the Kazan Higher Tank Command School in 1977. He later also attended the Malinovsky Military Armored Forces Academy and the Russian General Staff Academy.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Gerasimov is a combat veteran of the Second Chechen War, during which he was chief of staff and then commander of the 58th Combined Arms Army. He later commanded the Leningrad, Moscow, and Central Military Districts. He was appointed as Chief of the General Staff by President Vladimir Putin on 9 November 2012, replacing Nikolai Makarov. After the seizure of Crimea in 2014 and the Russian intervention in the Syrian civil war, Gerasimov became increasingly influential in the Russian security establishment. He is considered one of the most powerful men in Russia, and one of three people to hold access to Russia's nuclear weapons, alongside Putin...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Al Waleed bin Talal Al Saud — Contemporary (Born in 1955) (1955): Saudi billionaire, investor, and influential member of the House of Saud.
• Albert Einstein — Contemporary (Died in 1955) (1955): Pioneering theoretical physicist known for the theory of relativity and E=mc2.
• Alexander Fleming — Contemporary (Died in 1955) (1955): Pioneering microbiologist known for the discovery of penicillin, revolutionizing medicine.
• Aage Bohr — Shared historical date (09-08 · Died) (2009): Pioneering Danish nuclear physicist, Nobel laureate for atomic structure theory.
• Alfred Jarry — Shared historical date (09-08 · Born) (1873): Pioneering French symbolist writer, known for Ubu Roi and coining 'pataphysics'
• Andrew Strominger — Historical peer (Born in 1955) (1955): American theoretical physicist specializing in quantum gravity and string theory.
• Bill Gates — Historical peer (Born in 1955) (1955): Co-founder of Microsoft, pioneer of the microcomputer revolution and global philanthropist.
• Adam Yauch — Historical peer (Died in 2012) (2012): Founding member of Beastie Boys; influential rapper, filmmaker, and Tibetan activist.
• Alfred F. Young — Historical peer (Died in 2012) (2012): Pioneering American historian of the Revolution and working-class social history.
• A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada — Historical peer (Died in 1977) (1977): Pioneering global spread of Krishna consciousness teachings and the Hare Krishna mantra.
• 1955 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1955
• September 8 (09-08) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on September 8