On October 19, 1964, Sergei Semyonovich Biryuzov - a Soviet marshal who, nearly two decades earlier, was among the most influential representatives of Moscow in Bulgaria - died near Belgrade. Born in 1904 in Skopin, Biryuzov held command positions at the front, was awarded the title of Marshal of the Soviet Union in 1955, and at the end of his career he held the post of Chief of the General Staff of the Soviet Armed Forces.
His connection with Bulgaria began in the fall of 1944. As Chief of Staff of the 3rd Ukrainian Front, Biryuzov participated in the planning and leadership of the actions related to the entry of Soviet troops into Bulgaria and the inclusion of the Bulgarian army in the war against Germany. In September, he was sent to Sofia for coordination with the Bulgarian military command. Historical sources identify him as a representative of the Soviet Supreme High Command to the Bulgarian Army.
Military advisor and representative of the Allies
From October 1944, Biryuzov took command of the 37th Army, which remained on Bulgarian territory. At the same time, he was the chief military advisor to the Bulgarian Army and deputy chairman of the Allied Control Commission. The commission was established after the armistice signed in Moscow on October 28, 1944 between Bulgaria and the USSR, Great Britain and the USA, to monitor the implementation of its terms.
Thus, Biryuzov found himself at the center not only of military, but also of post-war relations in the country. Through him, the Soviet command coordinated actions with the Bulgarian authorities and the army, while Bulgaria went from being an ally of Germany to a participant in the war on the side of the anti-Hitler coalition. He remained in these positions until 1946, after which he continued his rise in the Soviet army.
How the Marshal Baptizes „Alyosha“
His most unexpected trace in Bulgaria is connected with Plovdiv. During a visit to the monument to Bunardzhika under construction, Biryuzov noticed that the figure's weapon was pointed downwards. According to the notes of the stonemason Nikola Totev, he said: „A Soviet soldier, a real Alyosha, would not stand like that.“ From this line comes the name by which the monument remains known to generations of Plovdiv residents.
The Monument to the Soviet Army was opened in 1957, but the name „Alyosha“ gradually became its most recognizable name. In this story, Biryuzov is not the author of the project and is not its prototype – his role is more that of a person who gave a name to the monument already under construction.
The Last Flight
On October 19, 1964, Biryuzov traveled to Belgrade for the celebrations of the 20th anniversary of the liberation of the Yugoslav capital. The plane crashed on approach to the airport near Mount Avala. All people on board died, including Soviet military representatives. Thus, the marshal's life ended in a country whose liberation he had helped to plan, but his post-war biography remained permanently connected to Bulgaria – through the army, the control commission and one of the most recognizable monuments in Plovdiv.
Sources: btvnovinite.bg, bta.bg