of the Yakut revolt that year. After graduating from the Higher Border School of the OGPU in 1931, Rakutin was appointed assistant chief of the training department of the 1st Novo-Peterhof School of Border and Internal Guards of the OGPU. From November 1936 he served as chief of the training department of the 2nd Kharkov School of Border and Internal Guards of the NKVD, and in 1937 graduated from the night school faculty of the Frunze Military Academy. Appointed chief of the 13th Berezino Border Detachment in Belarus in 1937, Rakutin advanced to become chief of staff of the Leningrad Border District in 1939. Appointed chief of staff of the Directorate of NKVD Border Troops of the Leningrad District in September of that year, he served as assistant commander of the forces of the 15th Army for rear protection during the Winter War. Promoted to kombrig in February 1940, Rakutin became a major general when the Red Army introduced general officer ranks on 4 June 1940. He was appointed chief of the Baltic Border District in July of that year. World War II After the beginning of Operation Barbarossa in June 1941, Rakutin was appointed commander of the 31st Army of the Reserve of the Supreme High Command in late June, forming in the Moscow Military District. This proved brief as he transferred to command the 24th Army of the Reserve Front in July, leading it in the Battle of Smolensk. The 24th Army conducted near-constant assaults on German defenses at Yelnya from 8 August, but the attacks had to be halted due to heavy losses on 20 August. The Yelnya Offensive resumed on 30 August and on 8 September 1941 the army captured Yelnya. For their actions, five divisions of the army became the first Guards units as the victory was trumpeted in Soviet propaganda. However, the opposing German forces were allowed to retreat, albeit suffering losses that could not be easily replaced. In early October the 24th Army was surrounded in the Vyazma Pocket, created by the Operation Typhoon. During the attempted breakout of the army from the encirclement, Rakutin was killed in action near the village of Semlyovo, Smolensk Oblast on 7 October. One of the last to see him alive was Red Army man A. Suslov of the army headquarters guard battalion, who recalled that Rakutin ordered the burning of the army documents after the failure