Kuzma Derevyanko

Kuzma Nikolayevich Derevyanko (Ukrainian: Кузьма Миколайович Дерев'янко, Russian: Кузьма́ Никола́евич Деревя́нко; Kuzma Mykolaiovych Derevyanko; 14 (O.S. 1) November 1904 - 30 December 1954) was a Ukrainian Lieutenant General in the Soviet Army.

In a short event which officially ended the Pacific War, Lieutenant-General Derevyanko representing the Soviet Union signs the instrument of surrender aboard USS Missouri.

Life

He was born on November 14, 1904, in the village of Kosenivka, Umansky Uyezd, Kiev Governorate, Russian Empire (now Ukraine). Derevyanko (at the time Chief of Staff of the 35th Army) was the representative of the Soviet Union at the ceremonial signing of the written agreement that established the armistice ending the Pacific War and with it World War II.[1] The Soviet delegation joined other Allied representatives on the battleship USS Missouri which was anchored in Tokyo Bay.[2] Together, the waiting Allies silently acknowledged the representatives of the Japanese Emperor and the representative of the Imperial Japanese Army, who were the last to arrive. The proceedings began when General MacArthur stepped before a single microphone. The 23-minute surrender ceremony was broadcast worldwide.[3] Derevyanko signed the Japanese Instrument of Surrender at precisely 9:17 a.m. in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945.[4] He served as Soviet representative at McArthur's headquarters during the US occupation of Japan.

He died on December 30, 1954, and was buried at the Novodevichy Cemetery. In 2007, he was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine.

Award

He was awarded:

Notes
  1. Australian War Memorial: AWM Photo ID 040968. Archived 2012-09-30 at the Wayback Machine
  2. Mooney, James L. (1976). "USS Missouri" in Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Vol. IV, pp. 393-395 Washington, D.C.: United States Navy.
  3. Battleship Missouri Memorial: "Educator Resources," p. 5. Archived 2008-08-20 at the Wayback Machine
  4. Broom, Jack. "Memories on Board Battleship," Seattle Times. May 21, 1998.

References


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