School Founders

These are the founders of our school and the institutions that came up to their existence.

## Hero of the Soviet Union, Major General Yuriy Drozdetsky

### Occupation

Founder and Principal of Moscow Guards Artillery School

## Physical description

### Height

167cm

Major General Yuriy Drozdetsky (1925-1991), Hero of the Soviet Union, is considered to be the founder and father of the Moscow Guards Artillery School.

Born in Moscow, he was the youngest of 5 siblings, 4 boys and 1 girl. His 3 brothers had all gone to fight in the Great Patriotic War, with only 1 still alive by the time that the Battle of Moscow rolled around. Furious, Drozdetsky dropped his schooling to attempt to enlist. He was promptly denied, the recruiter pitying his family with the death of 2 and the unknown status of another.

He decided to get a job at an arms factory across town, and started working there in July of that same year. Drozdetsky proposed that the factory workers would shoot down planes themselves in order to have to deal with less air raids. This was denied, so Drozdetsky brought orphans and children living in the area together and taught them and his friends how to use the artillery to shoot down planes.

Drozdetsky enlisted in 1943, finished NCO training by mid-1944 and was awarded Hero of the Soviet Union shortly after leading a Guards Artillery unit in Berlin. He was made an honorary officer and in 1950, became an officer for the Red Army. He quickly sped through the ranks as he continued to lead the Artillery School.

Drozdetsky continued as principal until he turned 35. From then on, he continued to lead as a board member.

It is rumoured that the Guardsman is actually a representative of Drozdetsky, but has not been confirmed as of yet.

## Artyom Novikov

Major General Artyom Novikov (1918-2015), Hero of the Soviet Union, Twice Awarded, was known as the founder of the Moscow Guards Tankery Team, and is considered the forefather of Russian Tankery.

## 2x Hero of the Soviet Union, Major General Artyom Novikov

### Occupation

Founder of the Moscow Guards Tank-Artillery team, 1955-1960

## Physical description

### Eye color

Blue

An immigrant to the USSR when he was little, Novikov found his way to the RSFSR in 1924, after the death of his mother over the border in Estonia. He was brought by his father, who at the time, was pursuing an officer's education at an infantry school in Kazan. He was the second oldest of 3 siblings, his twin brother, himself, and his younger sister. Novikov served as a reserve officer in Finland, then once more during Operation Barbarossa as a tanker.

Over the years, he came out as a formidable commander, earning a grand total of 125 confirmed kills by tank. His tactics are well documented and still used today by tankery students to this day.

Despite his impressive wartime background, he is known in the academy for being the founder of modern Russian tankery, first bringing back the idea of Panzerfahren from East Germany in 1950. In an effort to stop the rising amount of deaths from tank duelling, Novikov introduced new technologies such as modified shells, different types of protective coatings, and the Panzerfahren standard flag system. He also established the Moscow Guards Artillery School tankery team, the very first high school level tankery team in all of Russia.

Novikov originally introduced Panzerfahren to Russia for the safer training of soldiers and officers when operating tanks. He was originally quite disappointed when he was told that his developments in tankery would be used for sport, and refused to endorse it for a while. In 1955, he finally gave in and decided to coach the team on a 5 year contract. Afterwards, he sat as a board member for the school.

A tanker version of the Guardsman also exists.