Nicolas Oupornikoff

Born into a noble family, son of an officer, from Cossack village of the Akishev region of the Don Army. He studied at the Don Cadet Corps and the Mikhailovsky Artillery School, from which he graduated in 1907, was promoted to officer and sent to the 6th Don Cossack Battery. He participated in the First World War. In 1914 - second captain, in 1916 - first captain, in December 1916 - colonel, commander of the 6th Don Cossack battery. After the October Revolution, he joined the Army of the Don (1918) and participated in the Russian Civil War. In January-February 1918 — head of the personal protection of the Don Ataman, commander of the squad of Cossack officers near the Ataman, in March 1918 — head of a partisan detachment, from August to October 1918 -leader of the detachment bearing his name formed from the former 2nd Foot Cossack Division. On January 1, 1919, Nikolai Upornikov was an artillery inspector of the North-West group of the Northern Front of the army, then commander of the 1st artillery division of the Don horse division, from 1920 until on the evacuation of Crimea, commander of the 1st Don horse artillery division. Major general from March 9, 1920. He was evacuated to the island of Lemnos in May 1921. He then stayed in Constantinople and in the Russian refugee camp on the Turkish peninsula of Kaloeraki. In 1924 he moved to France, where he was a member of the Horse Artillery Guard Union in Paris.

Decorations: Saint Anne 4th degree with the inscription "for bravery" (1915), Saint Anne 3rd degree with swords and ribbon (1915), Saint Vladimir 4th degree with swords and ribbon (1915), Saint Stanislaus 3rd degree with swords and ribbon (1916), Saint Stanislaus 2nd degree with swords (1916)