Soviet military historian who first broke the official silence on Winter War casualties, revealing 53,522 dead
In issue 22 of Ogoniok (1989), his article 'Neznamenitaya voina' (The Un-famous War) became the first public challenge to Molotov's 1940 figure of 48,475 dead, revealing the true toll of 53,522.
A military historian who fought in the Great Patriotic War and served in the Soviet Military Administration in Germany, Semiryaga devoted his career to the war history of the USSR. In 1989, in the magazine Ogoniok, he became the first to publicly break the official Soviet line on Winter War losses, revealing 53,522 dead; he went on to publish the secret protocol to the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact and Katyn massacre documents for the first time, opening long-sealed archives. His final major work, published posthumously, tackled the last Soviet taboo: collaborationism under Nazi occupation.
Career Timeline
- 1939Conscripted into the Red Army
- 1941–1945Fought in the Great Patriotic War (Don, Stalingrad, 3rd Ukrainian, 1st Belorussian Fronts)
- 1945–1950Served in the Soviet Military Administration in Germany
- 1953Candidate of Historical Sciences (the Lusatians)
- 1962Doctor of Historical Sciences
- 1967Researcher, Institute of Military History; responsible editor of vol. 9 of History of the Second World War; USSR State Prize
- 1989First public disclosure of real Winter War casualties in Ogoniok
- 1992Published Secrets of Stalin's Diplomacy