Alexander Vasilyevich Belyakov: biography. Biography Navigator, teacher at the Air Force Academy named after N.

09 December 1897 - 28 November 1982

navigator, teacher at the N. E. Zhukovsky Air Force Academy and head of the military department of MIPT, participant in the Great Patriotic War, Hero of the Soviet Union

Biography

Born in the Guslitsky village of Bezzubovo in the family of teacher Vasily Grigorievich Belyakov. Russian.

He spent his childhood and youth in his father’s homeland, Ryazan. Graduated from high school. In 1915-1916 he studied at the Petrograd Forestry Institute.

In the army since 1916. In 1917 he graduated from the Alexander Infantry School in Moscow. Participant civil war as part of the 25th rifle division (Eastern front). Subsequently, because of this, he received the nickname “Chapai” from V.P. Chkalov.

In 1921 he graduated from the Moscow Aerophotogrammetric School and worked there as a teacher. In 1930-1935 - teacher, head of the air navigation department of the N. E. Zhukovsky Air Force Academy. In 1936 he graduated from the Kachin Military Aviation Pilot School as an external student.

On July 20-22, 1936, on an ANT-25 aircraft as a navigator (commander - V.P. Chkalov, second pilot - G.F. Baidukov) made a non-stop flight from Moscow through the Northern Arctic Ocean, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky to Udd Island (now Chkalov Island) with a length of 9374 km.

On June 18-20, 1937, on an ANT-25 aircraft as a navigator as part of the same crew, he made the first non-stop flight in the world from Moscow to North Pole-Vancouver (USA) with a length of 8504 km.

In 1936-1939 - flag navigator of the Special Purpose Aviation (SPA), in 1939-1940 - flag navigator of the Red Army Air Force. From 1940 - deputy head of the Air Force Academy (Monino), then - head of the Ryazan high school Air Force navigators.

During the Great Patriotic War he continued to head the Ryazan Higher School of Air Force Navigators. In the spring of 1945 he took part in Berlin operation as chief navigator of the 16th Air Army. Deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR in 1937-1946.

In 1945-1960 - head of the navigation department of the Air Force Academy (Monino). Since 1960 - retired.

Since 1960 - professor at Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, in 1961-1969 he headed the military department of the institute. Author of many scientific works on air navigation.

Lived in Moscow. He was buried at the Novodevichy cemetery in Moscow.

Awards and Titles

For performing the non-stop flight Moscow - Udd Island and the courage and heroism shown during this, Alexander Vasilyevich Belyakov was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the Order of Lenin on July 24, 1936. After its establishment, the Gold Star medal No. 9 was awarded.
Awarded 2 Orders of Lenin, 3 Orders of the Red Banner, Order of the Patriotic War 1st degree, 2 Orders of the Red Banner of Labor, 3 Orders of the Red Star, medals.
Lieutenant General of Aviation (1943), Doctor geographical sciences (1938).

Memory

An island in the Sea of Okhotsk, streets in Moscow, Mogilev, Mariupol and other cities are named after him. Peak on the Bogossky ridge (Dagestan). In Ryazan, a street was named in honor of the pilot and a bust was erected on September 17, 2010. In October 2010, the bust was broken by vandals.

Petrova V.N.,
Director of the Municipal Educational Institution "Bezzubovskaya Basic School".

Alexander Vasilyevich Belyakov was born on December 8 (December 21), 1897 in the village of Bezzubovo, Ilyinsky volost, Bogorodsky district (now Orekhovo-Zuevsky district). The name of Alexander is attested by the church of Ilyinsky Pogost. In the village of Bezzubovo, the Belyakov family lived in a completely “primitive” way. Father, Vasily Grigorievich, after graduating from the teachers' seminary, began his work as a rural teacher here. There was no apartment. We rented a “private” apartment in the annex of a peasant’s house. The furniture was primitive: an overturned wooden box instead of a table, wide logs instead of chairs. The float is suspended from a spring, which is nailed to the ceiling with a solid nail....

A year later, Father A.V. Belyakov was transferred to the village of Bolshie Dvory near Pavlovsky Posad on the Klyazma River.

There were three children in the Belyakov family: Sasha, Misha and Tanya. In the Big Yards there was no land at the school, because there was nowhere even to grow potatoes, and the children had to be fed.

Soon, A. V. Belyakov’s father was offered a school in the village of Subbotino. The Belyakovs bought a cow, and the house became more satisfying. Father and mother worked a lot, especially in summer time. They cleared up the area next to the school, planted apple trees and raspberries, and found room for a vegetable garden.

Alexander Vasilyevich began studying at the age of seven with his father at a school that had a sign: “Subbotinsky Zemstvo Primary School.”

In 1907, Alexander Vasilyevich graduated from his father’s three-year primary school. The inspector came and there was an exam.

A certificate of graduation from the Subbotinsky School is awarded to student Alexander Belyakov! “Two A’s and one B,” the inspector said, handing over the certificate.

The teacher received a monthly salary of 30 rubles. But it was necessary to feed, clothe and put on shoes for the whole family. Alexander Vasilyevich’s father is looking for additional income. Now he is an insurance agent - he runs around villages, insuring property. He always owes someone. IN notebook Alexander Vasilyevich’s mother appears with a sad note: “We are living off the money... but we haven’t bought anything, so that it can be seen... There is nothing except debt. 140 rubles debt. It's just awful...

In 1905, father A.V. Belyakova met Maslennikov, a student at Moscow University. After graduating from university, Maslennikov was sent to the Ryazan gymnasium as a geography teacher.

Alexander Vasilyevich’s father writes a letter to Maslennikov, asking if he will take his Sasha into his family. The answer came soon: “Bring Sasha to Ryazan... for the exam for admission to the gymnasium. If he can stand it, then let him live with us.”

Alexander Vasilyevich studies diligently, because he understands that this is about what is important to him - continuing his education. And here he is, together with his father, driving along railway to Ryazan. Alexander passed the exam with “good” and “excellent” marks, although in the dictation he wrote the word “radish” with “e” and not with “yat”, and made a small mistake in division.

For the whole family, entering the gymnasium was a joyful event. When leaving, the father ordered his son to be modest, not to play around, and to obey the Maslennikovs in everything. For expenses, my father left 90 kopecks in silver and copper.

It was only one block to get to the gymnasium. Majestic at that time, a beautiful yellow two-story large building with white columns inspired respect. The high school students are wearing a gray tunic and trousers, a leather belt with a copper buckle on which are carved the letters “RPG” - Ryazan First Gymnasium. On cold days, a long gray overcoat.

In the class, Alexander Vasilyevich was seated on the last desk in the middle row. For all eight years he sat in the back row with Venya Kissin. I studied well, with straight A's and B's. Studied foreign languages: German and French. The geography classes taught by Maslennikov were very interesting.

The first year of classes at the gymnasium has passed. An entry appeared in Alexander Vasilyevich’s report card class teacher: “Transferred to 2nd grade with a commendable diploma.”

In July 1908, Alexander Vasilyevich’s father unexpectedly received a paper from the director of the gymnasium, which said: “Your son, a second-grade student Alexander Belyakov, has been enrolled as a state-paid student in a boarding school at the gymnasium.” There, the students were kept in everything ready: they lived in government premises, were fed, dressed and supplied with textbooks and notebooks.

Alexander Vasilyevich’s parents were in seventh heaven with joy. Still would! Sasha is not only a high school student, but now his education does not require any expenses from the family.

Life in the boarding house was on call, getting up at 7:15 am. The boarders washed themselves, and at 7:45 the teacher announced: “Stand for prayer.” At 7:50 am morning tea. At 8 o'clock morning rehearsal - in half an hour to repeat something and collect books. At 8:30 a.m., boarders went to the gymnasium in pairs in a column under the guidance of a teacher.

Alexander Vasilyevich studied in the city of Ryazan for 8 years.

The provincial city of Ryazan was a small town, only 40 thousand inhabitants, but there was a lot of greenery - gardens and vegetable gardens. In spring it smelled of lilacs, bird cherry and blossoming apples. In the spring, the Oka River overflowed heavily.

In 1915, Alexander Vasilyevich passed final exams for a matriculation certificate. In the assembly hall there were large frames hanging on the walls, with the names of medalists over the years on a blue and gold background. Of course, I wanted to be on this list, but gold medal received one of the graduates - fellow student Veniamin Kisin. Alexander Vasilyevich was awarded silver.

In 1915, before A.V. Belyakov was faced with the question: Which life path elect?

About aviation A.V. Belyakov didn’t even dream of it then. I wanted to be closer to the ground. Initially, he earned money by teaching lessons, and then entered the Petrograd Forestry Institute. And, probably, he would have become a forester if not for the war. In 1916, Belyakov was admitted ahead of schedule military service. He was sent to Moscow to Aleksandrovskoye military school. In February 1917, Belyakov, with the rank of ensign, was sent to Vladimir to the 215th Infantry Regiment.

After February revolution Belyakov was elected a member of the regimental committee. October Revolution Belyakov met on the Western Dvina. He was elected head of the sapper team and a member of the regimental committee. In the spring of 1918 A.V. Belyakov returned home and began working in the Bogorodsky district council, in the forestry department, which was headed by the former weaver of the Glukhov manufactory, the old Bolshevik Petukhov. A.V. Belyakov took part in the nationalization of the Morozov, Nekrasov, and Shibaev forests. But the peaceful life was short-lived. Three months on short term training courses, and then direction to the southern group of troops. A.V. Belyakov ended up in the legendary Chapaev division. I saw Chapaev many times in battle, at headquarters, among the fighters, and personally carried out his orders.

In 1920, a business trip sent Belyakov to Moscow to study at the aerial photography and photogrammetric school of the Red Army Air Force.

After graduating from this school in 1921, Belyakov, for his brilliant successes, was retained there as an instructor, then as a teacher, and subsequently as an assistant to the head of the educational department.

But still, forestry attracted me. In 1924, Belyakov nevertheless graduated from the Forestry Institute without interruption from service and submitted a report on demobilization.

But at this time, the rapid development of Soviet aviation began: our first aircraft engine with 400 horsepower appeared, the first Soviet aircraft was built, and we had to forget about forests.

Since 1930 A.V. Belyakov became a teacher of air navigation at the Zhukovsky Air Force Academy, and then the head of the department navigator service. Many years of A.V.’s life are connected with this academy. Belyakova.

In 1934, Belyakov met Georgy Filippovich Baidukov during the flight of groups of heavy aircraft to France.

And he saw another member of the future crew - Valery Pavlovich Chkalov - back in October 1925, when legends were already circulating about Chkalov. They met and became friends while working at the Air Force Research Institute, where Chkalov and Baidukov worked as test pilots.

In 1934, Belyakov had the opportunity to teach air aviation to a group of polar pilots, including Sigismund Levanevsky, a Chelyuskin pilot. He came up with the idea of flying from Moscow through the North Pole to America to the city of San Francisco. Levanevsky (commander and first pilot), Baidukov (second pilot) and Levchenko (aircraft navigator) decided to make this flight on the ANT-25. A.V. Belyakov was appointed instructor and second navigator of Levanevsky's crew.

But this flight ended in failure due to a technical malfunction of the machine. After this, Levanevsky stated that the single-engine ANT-25 was not suitable for such a flight. Baidukov, Chkalov and Sergo Ordzhonikidze had a different opinion. In 1936, at one of the meetings in the Kremlin, People's Commissar of Heavy Industry Ordzhonikidze and both pilots expressed their opinion to Stalin, who proposed a less risky flight from Moscow to Petropavlovsk-on-Kamchatka for testing. Thus a new route option appeared. After his approval, Belyakov was appointed navigator of the Chkalov crew. The flight took place in July 1936. The plane flew without landing along the route Moscow - Kola Peninsula - about. Victoria - Franz Josef Land - Severnaya Zemlya - coast of the Taimyr Peninsula - mouth of the river. Lena - Yakutia - Petropavlovsk Kamchatsky - o. Udd in 56 hours 20 minutes, covering 9374 km. For this flight, by resolution of the USSR Central Executive Committee, the pilots were awarded the Order of Lenin, and they were given the title of Heroes of the Soviet Union. Certificates of conferment of a high rank were presented to them by the Chairman of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee of the USSR M.I. Kalinin. There were no gold Hero stars then. A few years later, when, at the suggestion of Zhdanov, the special sign distinctions for Heroes of the Soviet Union, A.V. Belyakov was awarded Gold Star No. 9.

In April 1937, Papanin's four were landed at the North Pole and it became possible to give weather forecasts in the center of the Arctic. The flight to America was becoming a reality. In the spring of 1937, Chkalov and Baidukov were summoned to the Kremlin. Permission to prepare for the flight was given. We decided to fly on a single-engine ANT-25 aircraft. At dawn on June 18, 1937 at 4 o'clock. 04 min. The red-winged "RD" (range record) took off from the Shchelkovo airfield near Moscow. The plane took a course along the route: Moscow - through the White Sea - Kola Peninsula - Franz Josef Land - North Pole - and further through the Arctic Ocean to North America. The flight from Moscow to Vancouver took 63 hours 16 minutes. Alexander Vasilyevich recalled: “... the most tense moment was when we reached Canada and encountered a huge front of clouds. Flying blind was risky, we took a detour through the Rocky Mountains and over Pacific Ocean. We walked at high altitudes. At this time the oxygen ran out... The flight was difficult. The lack of oxygen, clouds, icing of the plane, and various annoying problems interfered. But the victory became all the more joyful - a successful landing in Vancouver, where our pilots were warmly greeted by US representatives. Baidukov and Belyakov experienced the breath of those unforgettable years in the summer of 1975, when they flew to America on an IL-62 along the same route as 40 years ago. And the same ANT-25 on which this legendary flight was made is now in the museum of V.P. Chkalov in the city of Chkalov, Gorky region. The school model is made on a scale of 1:43.

A.V. Belyakov was the same restless dreamer as his friend and commander Chkalov. Belyakov was going to fly with Valery Pavlovich both around the “ball” and through the South Pole.

However, the Great Patriotic War began and all dreams of new flights collapsed. All thoughts were aimed at protecting the sacred Motherland.

A.V. Belyakov formed the Ryazan Air Force navigator school and, being its head until the beginning of 1945, trained and trained night crews for long-range aviation.

After the war, Belyakov returned to the Air Force Academy and headed the navigation department until the beginning of 1960, when he retired.

However, A.V. Belyakov had little time to rest. At the request of the workers of the CPSU Central Committee, Alexander Vasilyevich agreed to become vice-rector for scientific and educational work at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT) and by order of the Minister of Higher and Secondary Education he was appointed to this position on January 25, 1961. Then Alexander Vasilyevich organized military training for MIPT students and moved to the position of head military department. For many years Belyakov was associated with MIPT. In people he valued sincerity, directness, determination, and loved people who were ready to give all their strength for the good of the Motherland.

Belyakov spoke about many such wonderful people in his memoirs. And Chkalov said about him: “Navigator? One can say about him as an infinitely modest, silent person who knows no fear.”

Until 1960, few people in the village of Bezzubovo knew that the famous navigator of the Chkalov crew Belyakov A.V. their fellow countryman.

The teachers and children of the Bezzubovskaya school, having decided to create the history of their school and the village, began to collect material about the people in the village of Bezzubovo, about those who lived and studied here.

The school's local historians brought up a lot of interesting material. At one of the gatherings of school students in September 1960, the oldest resident of the village of Bezzubovo, Dmitry Karpov, who was then 85 years old, was present. A message was received from him that 65 years ago, back in tsarist times, Vasily Grigorievich Belyakov, who had a son, taught in the village.

The school's local historians became interested: was this not the same Belyakov, whose son, together with Chkalov and Baidukov, made a non-stop flight on an ANT-25 plane across the North Pole to North America?

And the search began to establish the place of residence of Vasily Grigorievich Belyakov. He brought local historians to the Noginsk district of the Moscow region. A letter was sent to the Noginsk Local History Museum.

On September 24, 1960, a response came from Noginsk, in which the director of the museum, A. Smirnov, reported the place of residence of V.G. Belyakov and that his son, A.V. Belyakov is a hero of the Soviet Union for his non-stop flight from Moscow to Far East in very difficult meteorological conditions.

They made their second flight a year later across the North Pole to North America.

December 25, 1960 from V.G. Belyakov received a letter. In it he reported that his son A.V. Belyakov was indeed born in the village of Bezzubovo in 1897, and his brief biographical information was reported.

Vasily Grigorievich informed his son in a letter about the desire of the schoolchildren to learn more and learn more about his life.

In January 1961, local historians wrote a letter to the village of Pochinki, where Vasily Grigorievich lived, asking him to send a photograph of his son and his address.

On February 15, 1961, a response came from the village of Pochinki, giving the address of Alexander Vasilyevich. By to this address a letter was sent, the answer to which was received on March 24, 1961. Thus began a correspondence with A.V. Belyakov.

The school students had long dreamed of meeting Belyakov. And then they receive a telegram from Moscow: “I’m waiting for your representatives... Hero of the Soviet Union A.V. Belyakov.”

This meeting took place in January 1968, when the whole country was preparing for the 50th anniversary of the Soviet Army, at Alexander Vasilyevich’s apartment in Moscow. At this meeting, he spoke about his life, about his service in the V.I. division. Chapaev, about life after the Civil War, about significant flights with Chkalov and Baidukov, about the years of the Great Patriotic War and about work in Moscow at the Institute of Physics and Technology.

The guys told Alexander Vasilyevich about things at school. In conclusion, Alexander Vasilyevich, his wife Olga Pavlovna and daughter Irina took photographs for memory, and Alexander Vasilyevich presented the book “Our Chkalov” and presented tickets to the Chkalov club.

The schoolchildren invited A.V. Belyakov. and members of his family to visit the village of Bezzubovo. In the spring of the same year, in one of the letters to the school director, Alexander Vasilyevich writes: “I could come on September 1 for the opening school year».

And September 1, 1968 Belyakov A.V. for the first time in many decades I visited my native village of Bezzubovo and was a guest of my fellow countrymen.

At this meeting Belyakov A.V. spoke about his half-century of service in the Soviet Army, how he became a pilot, how he flew together with Chkalov and Baidukov. Here he had a conversation with the village residents. Alexander Vasilyevich inspected the school, classrooms, workshops, and school grounds.

The meeting of A.V. Belyakov was touching. with the oldest resident of the village of Bezzubovo, Karpova, the former nanny of the hero pilot.

Leaving his native village Belyakov A.V. gave the guys an autographed book “The Legendary Chapaevskaya” and wished their fellow countrymen wonderful success. And in the album of the Bezzubov eight-year school, he wrote: “I will remember for a long time the trip to my native place - Bezzubovo.”

Then in 1971 Belyakov A.V. sent a letter in which he congratulated teachers and students on the end of the school year and 20 tickets to visit the Kremlin Armory with an invitation to his dacha in the village of Staraya Kupavna, Noginsk region.

After 6 years, the long-awaited meeting took place. In June 1977, a large group of schoolchildren visited A.V. Belyakov. The meeting took place in Kupavna near Moscow and was dedicated to the fortieth anniversary of the ultra-long flight across the North Pole to America.

December 21, 1977 A.V. Belyakov turned 80 years old. The day before, school director Leonov Lev Grigorievich spoke to him on the phone from teachers and students of the school. He conveyed congratulations and good wishes from fellow countrymen.

And in 1980, on the eve of the October celebrations, a large group of schoolchildren again visited the countryman hero at his apartment in Moscow. The rest of the time, communication with Alexander Vasilyevich did not stop. In 1981, a book by A.V. Belyakov "On a flight through the years." Alexander Vasilyevich sent this book with a gift autograph in August of the same year.

The result of the work of local historians and school teachers is the creation and opening of the museum of the hero-countryman A.V. Belyakova.

On October 10, 1981, the Museum of Hero of the Soviet Union A.V. was inaugurated at our school. Belyakova. In November 1981, the film “Chkalov’s First Flight” appeared on the CT screen, dedicated to the 45th anniversary of the flight from Moscow to the Far East.

In December 1982, after a long illness, A.V. Belyakov died.

In May 1984, a group of students and school teachers visited and laid flowers at Belyakov’s grave at the Novodevichy cemetery.

(Based on materials from the Bezzubov School Museum)

Belyakov Alexander Vasilievich - Soviet pilot. Born on December 21, 1897 in the village of Bezzubovo, now the Noginsk district of the Moscow region, in the family of a teacher. Russian. Member of the CPSU since 1936. He spent his childhood and youth in Ryazan. Graduated from high school. In 1915-1916 he studied at the Petrograd Forestry Institute.

In the army since 1916. In 1917 he graduated from the Alexander Infantry School in Moscow. Participant in the Civil War as part of the 25th Infantry Division (Eastern Front). In 1921 he graduated from the Moscow Aerophotogrammetric School and worked there as a teacher. In 1930-1935 - teacher, head of the air navigation department of the N.E. Zhukovsky Air Force Academy. In 1936 he graduated from the Kachin VASHL as an external student.

On July 20-22, 1936, on an ANT-25 aircraft as a navigator (commander - V.P. Chkalov, co-pilot - G.F. Baidukov) made a non-stop flight from Moscow across the Arctic Ocean, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky to the island of Udd (now - Chkalov Island) with a length of 9374 km.

The title of Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded to Alexander Vasilyevich Belyakov on July 24, 1936 for completing this flight and displaying courage and heroism.

In 1937, on an ANT-25 aircraft as a navigator, as part of the same crew, he made the world's first non-stop flight Moscow-North Pole-Vancouver (USA) with a length of 8504 km.

In 1936-1939 - flag navigator of the Special Purpose Aviation (SPA), in 1939-1940 - flag navigator of the Red Army Air Force. From 1940 - deputy head of the Air Force (now - Air Force named after Yu.A. Gagarin), then - head of the Ryazan Higher School of Air Force Navigators.

During the Great Patriotic War, Major General Belyakov A.V. Head of the Ryazan Higher School of Air Force Navigators. In 1945, Lieutenant General of Aviation Belyakov A.V. took part in the Berlin operation as chief navigator of the 16th Air Force.

In 1945-1960 - head of the navigation department of the Air Force Academy. Since 1960 - Lieutenant General of Aviation Belyakov A.V. retired.

Since 1960 - professor at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, head of the military department. Author of many scientific works on air navigation. Deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of the 1st convocation.

Doctor of Geographical Sciences. Awarded 2 Orders of Lenin, 3 Orders of the Red Banner, Order of the Patriotic War 1st degree, 2 Orders of the Red Banner of Labor, 3 Orders of the Red Star, medals. An island in the Sea of Okhotsk, streets in Moscow, Mogilev, Mariupol and other cities are named after him.

“Hello, dear great-grandfather Alexander. This is written to you by your great-granddaughter Katya. I haven’t seen you alive, I only know you from my mother’s stories, photographs, and your books. Mom told me very interesting things about you. About how you flew airplanes, were athletic, tough, didn’t smoke and were a role model, how you participated in the Great Patriotic War. And also that you were a wonderful grandfather, very kind, attentive and talked for a long time with your mother about everything in the world.

Recently they showed a film on TV about the first flights over the North Pole. It was unexpected for me to learn what inconveniences and troubles the pilots experienced on the plane. I'd like to meet you. When I think about you, it seems to me that I hear the echo of a distant war..."

I would write such a letter to my great-grandfather Alexander Vasilyevich Belyakov. He lived a long life, almost 85 years. In our family we talk about him. After all, as long as we remember our loved ones, they continue to live in our hearts.

The beginning of the Great Patriotic War found my grandmother and great-grandmother in Moscow. Later they left for a distant evacuation. Difficult conditions, malnutrition, frequent sore throats with complications - all this, like an echo of war, then caught up with my grandmother and many years later became the reason for her premature death. But great-grandfather A. Belyakov was appointed head of the 1st Higher Ryazan Aviation School of Navigators back in the fall of 1940. He wrote this in his letter:

“It was clear to me: we need to hurry up with training personnel, prepare for a fight with the enemy.”

The organization of the school had to start from scratch: build barracks, a canteen for pilots, residential buildings, and expand airfields. It was necessary to accommodate more than 5,000 people: pilots, navigators, mechanics, teachers. It seemed that heroic measures were needed to solve all problems.

But as you can see, there was enough heroism in the character of the great-grandfather. In 1936-1937, as part of the crew of V.P. Chkalov, he participated in non-stop flights from Moscow to the Far East and from Moscow through the North Pole to America. 63 hours in the cramped cockpit of a single-engine plane, when the pilots lost consciousness from lack of oxygen, and the temperature in the plane was close to zero. For his participation in these flights, my great-grandfather received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union and was awarded a gold star.

So the work began to boil, by winter the construction was completely completed, and already on January 1, 1941, classes and flights began at the Ryazan school. “The head of a flying school must fly no worse than his students,” my great-grandfather believed and regularly flew various types airplanes. He especially loved the Il-4 aircraft (aircraft designer S.V. Ilyushin). It was on these planes that on August 7, 1941, naval pilots carried out a bomb attack on Berlin. Two of them later also worked at the Ryazan school. After this raid, Berlin newspapers wrote that Berlin was bombed by British aircraft. But the British denied this. Our planes flew over Berlin in August 1941.

Even before the start of the war, many were confident that in the event of an attack, our aviation would deal a crushing blow to the German troops, and the outcome of the war would be decided in short time. Unfortunately, the real state of affairs at the beginning of the war turned out to be completely different. Our army was retreating with heavy defensive battles. Pilots and technicians kept arriving at the Ryazan school. Intense work was going on to prepare fighter regiments and long-range bomber regiments. All crews were trained to fly at night and in difficult weather conditions. German aviation more than once bombed the airfield at the Ryazan school, there were wounded and killed. Throughout the long war years, work continued both night and day. In 1944, they finally granted his great-grandfather’s request to transfer him to the active army. Despite the fact that the outcome of the war was already determined, the Germans continued to resist like fanatics. In the last winter of the war, there were thirty-degree frosts in Germany, and panic reigned in Berlin. Thousands of refugees were heading here, and German troops fiercely resisted, trying to prevent our troops from entering the capital. While retreating, they blew up the runways, which of course complicated the work of our aviation. Then, for the first time, the excellent German motorways began to be used for takeoff and landing of aircraft. Great-grandfather took part in the Vistula-Oder and then in the Berlin operation as part of the 2nd Air Army and 16th Air Army, for which he was awarded the order Patriotic War I degree. This family heirloom is kept by us.

Until the end of his life, my great-grandfather could not forget the heroic war years. The Parade of Winners in Moscow, in which he took part, was unforgettable. And the Ryazan pilot school still exists today. It's called Center combat use and retraining of Long-Range Aviation flight personnel. Several years ago a monument to my great-grandfather was erected there. And this is also an echo of war...