Roman Kondratenko

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Roman Isidorovich Kondratenko (Russian: Роман Исидорович Кондратенко) (October 12, 1857 – December 15, 1904) was a Russian general famous for his devout defense of Port Arthur (now Lüshunkou) during the Russo-Japanese war.

[edit] Biography

Roman Kondratenko was born in Tiflis, the tenth child in the family. He was sent to a military school in Polotsk, and in 1877 to the Nikolaev Engineering Institute. He got a praporshchik and was assigned to the 1st Caucasian sapper battalion. Roman Kondratenko was admitted into the Military Engineering Academy in 1879, and in 1884 he became an attendee of the General Staff Academy. After the years of his distinguishing military service, Roman Kondratenko became a major-general in 1901.

[edit] The Siege of Port Arthur

In 1903 Roman Kondratenko was appointed a commander of the 7th East Siberian infantry brigade stationed in Port Arthur. He reorganized and fortified Port Arthur, which was turned into a considerable stronghold in several months. He was the soul of the defense of Port Arthur and was decorated with the highest orders of the Imperial Russia. General Kondratenko successfully repulsed four Japanese assaults. On December 15, 1904 he was mortally wounded at the fort while he was decorating the soldiers and officers. Eighteen days after his death, generals Stoessel and Foch surrendered Port Arthur to the Japanese.

In the memory of General Kondratenko's courage, the Japanese erected a granite obelisk on the spot of his death. The body of General Kondratenko was transported to Sankt Peterburg in 1905 and buried in Alexander Nevsky Lavra.