Vladimir Anatolyevich Shamanov is a combat general who for a long time held the post of commander of the Airborne Forces. Shamanov was awarded a large number of awards, and also served as the governor of the Ulyanovsk region.
Childhood and youth
Vladimir Anatolyevich Shamanov was born on February 15, 1957 in Barnaul. His father left the family too early and his mother was engaged in raising his son. Shamanov's mother was a famous athlete and became a multiple champion of the Altai Territory in sports such as athletics, cross-country skiing. It was she who laid in him the desire to achieve goals and formed an iron character in her son.
While still in school, the future general chose a profession. A boy whose father was a military commander studied with him. This determined the further fate of Shamanov. He entered the Tashkent Tank School knowing that he would later be transferred to another educational institution. In 1978 he graduated from the Ryazan Airborne School. In the same year, he began serving in the famous 76th Pskov division.
Career
The career of Vladimir Shamanov began to rapidly gain momentum already at the very beginning of the service. A few years after graduation, he became the commander of a self-propelled artillery platoon of an airborne regiment. Just a couple of years later, he became the battalion commander of the 104th regiment of the Pskov 76th Airborne Division. For this position he was approved by the commander of the Airborne Forces Dmitry Sukhorukov. As a result of such a dizzying rise through the ranks, he missed a number of mandatory positions, which is a rare exception.
The position of the battalion commander assumed admission to the academy, so Shamanov at the age of 29 continued his studies and again sat down at his desk. For this reason, he was not sent to Chechnya for his first military experience. As commander of the 328th regiment, Vladimir Anatolyevich Shamanov took part in military operations in Nagorno-Karabakh in the early 90s of the last century. Today, this operation raises many questions from human rights defenders, but even the highest military officials cannot be fully responsible for certain political decisions.
In 1995, Shamanov ended up in Chechnya with the rank of chief of staff of the 7th Airborne Division. During this military operation, he gained fame. Shamanov was seriously injured, but escaped from the hospital in order to be able to continue performing his duty. Shamanov became famous not only as a talented military leader, but also as a rather tough person. Some colleagues even called him cruel towards the enemy and towards the civilian population. General Troshin wrote in his books that rudeness was not Shamanov's main drawback. Everyone was amazed at how unrestrained and impatient he could be in a moment of danger. Because of this disposition of the chief, many times his subordinates found themselves in a perilous position. But perhaps it helped him become who he became, and achieve such heights.
Transfer to the reserve
In 2000, Vladimir Anatolyevich decided to end his military service. After being retired, he ran for the post of governor of the Ulyanovsk region and his candidacy was supported by voters. During the years of his work in this position, Shamanov managed to do a lot. By the beginning of 2000, the region was on the verge of an energy crisis, but debt restructuring was carried out and difficult times were left behind.
In 2004, Shamanov was appointed to the post of Assistant to the Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation. This was the reason that he independently withdrew his candidacy from the subsequent election of the governor. Later he worked as an advisor to the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation.
Return to service
In 2007, the President of Russia signed a decree on the return of Shamanov to military service. Too much has been done by Vladimir Anatolyevich in this area and, as the president pointed out, the country should not throw such generals.
In 2008, Vladimir Anatolyevich headed a military group in Abkhazia. Already in 2009, he was appointed commander of the Airborne Forces of the Russian Federation. Shamanov admitted that this was the pinnacle of his military career and a dream that became reality. Only in 2016 he was removed from this position and became a deputy of the State Duma.
Shamanov served in the highest military ranks:
- Major General of the Guard (since 1995);
- Lieutenant General of the Guard (since 2000);
- Colonel General (since 2012).
Vladimir Shamanov in 1999 was recognized as the Hero of the Russian Federation. He has also received a number of prestigious awards:
- Order of St. George IV degree (in 2008);
- Order of Alexander Nevsky;
- Order of Courage;
- Order of Military Merit.
Personal life
Vladimir Shamanov considers his family to be the most important achievement in life. They met his wife Lyudmila during his studies at the airborne school. He immediately realized that this girl is not only beautiful, but can also become a very good wife. Lyudmila is a lawyer by training. But she devoted her life to her family. She accompanied her husband even on the most difficult and dangerous business trips.
Vladimir Shamanov has two children. Daughter Svetlana in the circle of those closest to her is called "the captain's daughter", because at the time of her birth, her famous father served as a captain. Son Yuri is a graduate of the Suvorov School and the Military University. Vladimir Anatolyevich admitted that he was not a supporter of a harsh upbringing, but since his son chose this profession, he himself taught him to jump with a parachute and shoot dexterously.
