How to Pronounce Kliment Voroshilov (in Ukrainian)

Meaning and Context

Kliment Voroshilov, born in 1881 in the village of Verkhnye in the Russian Empire (now in Ukraine), was a pivotal and enduring figure in the early Soviet Union, serving as a close ally to Joseph Stalin. His career spanned both the highest military and political echelons; he was appointed one of the original five Marshals of the Soviet Union in 1935 and served as the People's Commissar for Defense, playing a significant role in the Red Army's development during the interwar period. Despite his later criticized military performance during the Winter War against Finland and the initial stages of the German invasion in World War II, Voroshilov remained a potent political symbol. He held the ceremonial position of Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet, the nominal head of state, from 1953 to 1960. His legacy is complex, intertwined with Stalinist repression, Soviet military history, and the political dynamics of the Cold War era, making him a subject of study for historians examining Soviet leadership, the Great Purge, and the Eastern Front of World War II.

Common Mistakes and Alternative Spellings

The primary spelling in English is Kliment Voroshilov, transliterated from the Russian Климент Ворошилов. When referencing the Ukrainian context, as per the provided term, the transliteration from Ukrainian (Клімент Ворошилов) yields Kliment Voroshylov, with a "y" replacing the second "i". This is a common point of variation. Frequent misspellings and typos include: "Voroshilov" (missing the first 'i'), "Voroshilov" (swapping 'o' and 'r'), "Klement" (using a 'K' and 'e' instead of 'Kl' and 'i'), and "Vorshilov" (omitting the 'o'). His first name is sometimes incorrectly written as "Klimenty," which is a different Russian variant. Researchers should be mindful of these alternate spellings when searching archival materials or historical texts.

Example Sentences

Historians often debate the military competence of Kliment Voroshilov, particularly his command during the costly Winter War.

The city of Lugansk was renamed Voroshilovgrad in his honor in 1935, a designation it held for much of the Soviet period.

As a staunch Stalinist, Voroshilov's signature was on many arrest orders during the Great Purge of the late 1930s.

Despite his later fall from operational command, the Soviet KV series of heavy tanks, crucial in the early stages of World War II, were named for Kliment Voroshilov.

Following Stalin's death in 1953, Voroshilov was elevated to the ceremonial position of head of state, a role he occupied for seven years.

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