Nikolay Ivanovich Kiryukhin (Russian: Никола́й Ива́нович Кирю́хин; 2 August 1896 – 13 December 1953) was a Soviet Army lieutenant general and a Hero of the Soviet Union. A prewar Bolshevik, Kiryukhin was drafted into the Imperial Russian Army during World War I. He served as a commissar in the 24th Rifle Division during the Russian Civil War and moved to command positions before fighting in the Polish–Soviet War. Kiryukhin held a series of command and staff positions during the interwar period, rising to division and corps command in the late 1930s. After Operation Barbarossa began, he took command of the new 324th Rifle Division and led it in the Battle of Moscow. Kiryukhin commanded the 20th Army during Operation Mars and was relieved of command for failing to achieve objectives. From ea