Vitaly Popkov
Encyclopedia
Vitaly Ivanovich Popkov (May 1, 1922, Moscow
, Soviet Russia
– February 6, 2010, Moscow
, Russia
) was a Soviet fighter pilot
in the Second World War, an ace credited with 41 victories and a two-time Hero of the Soviet Union
.
Popkov joined the Soviet Army in 1940 and graduated from The Chuguevskaya military-aviation school of pilots in 1941. During service over the Crimea, Leningrad and at the battle of Kursk Popkov flew over 400 combat missions and entered 117 air combats, from which he personally claimed 41 enemy aircraft shot down (1 by ramming) and 1 victory shared.
He eventually became commander of 5 GIAP Guards Fighter Regiment, 207th Fighter Aviation Division, 3rd Mixed Aviation Corps (17th Air Army) on the South-Western Front, mainly flying the Lavochkin LaGG-3 La-5, La-5FN, and La-7.
He was also squadron commander (comesqa) of 5 GIAP, 11th Fighter Aviation Division, 2nd Guards Assault Aviation Corps (2nd Air Army) on the 1st Ukrainian Front. Post war he graduated from the Red Banner Air Force Academy in 1951, and then served with the General Staff Academy to 1964, beig promoted to Lt. General of Aviation in 1968. He flew 25 types of aircraft and helicopters during service with the Ministry of Defense, USSR.
He then taught at the Military Engineering Academy until 1980.
His biography became the basis of the 1973 film Only Old Men Are Going to Battle
directed by Leonid Bykov as the prototypes of Comesqa Titarenko a.k.a. Maestro (portrayed by L. Bykov himself) and Kuznechik (portrayed by Sergei Ivanov
). A bronze bust of Popkov was erected in 1953 in Moscow on Samotechnaya Square.
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, Soviet Russia
Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic
The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic , commonly referred to as Soviet Russia, Bolshevik Russia, or simply Russia, was the largest, most populous and economically developed republic in the former Soviet Union....
– February 6, 2010, Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
) was a Soviet fighter pilot
Fighter pilot
A fighter pilot is a military aviator trained in air-to-air combat while piloting a fighter aircraft . Fighter pilots undergo specialized training in aerial warfare and dogfighting...
in the Second World War, an ace credited with 41 victories and a two-time Hero of the Soviet Union
Hero of the Soviet Union
The title Hero of the Soviet Union was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded personally or collectively for heroic feats in service to the Soviet state and society.-Overview:...
.
Popkov joined the Soviet Army in 1940 and graduated from The Chuguevskaya military-aviation school of pilots in 1941. During service over the Crimea, Leningrad and at the battle of Kursk Popkov flew over 400 combat missions and entered 117 air combats, from which he personally claimed 41 enemy aircraft shot down (1 by ramming) and 1 victory shared.
He eventually became commander of 5 GIAP Guards Fighter Regiment, 207th Fighter Aviation Division, 3rd Mixed Aviation Corps (17th Air Army) on the South-Western Front, mainly flying the Lavochkin LaGG-3 La-5, La-5FN, and La-7.
He was also squadron commander (comesqa) of 5 GIAP, 11th Fighter Aviation Division, 2nd Guards Assault Aviation Corps (2nd Air Army) on the 1st Ukrainian Front. Post war he graduated from the Red Banner Air Force Academy in 1951, and then served with the General Staff Academy to 1964, beig promoted to Lt. General of Aviation in 1968. He flew 25 types of aircraft and helicopters during service with the Ministry of Defense, USSR.
He then taught at the Military Engineering Academy until 1980.
His biography became the basis of the 1973 film Only Old Men Are Going to Battle
Only Old Men Are Going to Battle
Only Old Men Are Going to Battle is a 1973 Soviet film about World War II fighter pilots, written and directed by Leonid Bykov, who also played the lead role as the squadron commander...
directed by Leonid Bykov as the prototypes of Comesqa Titarenko a.k.a. Maestro (portrayed by L. Bykov himself) and Kuznechik (portrayed by Sergei Ivanov
Sergei Ivanov (disambiguation)
Sergei Ivanov , First Deputy Prime Minister of Russia.Sergey Ivanov may also refer to:*Sergey Ivanov , American footballer...
). A bronze bust of Popkov was erected in 1953 in Moscow on Samotechnaya Square.
Awards
- Three Orders of Lenin (August 26, 1942, August 9, 1943, September 28, 1956)
- Two (July 30, 1943, April 6, 1955)
- Order of Alexander [Nevskiy] (August 17, 1944)
- Two Orders of the Patriotic War of 1st degree (May 23, 1943, June 4, 1985)
- Order of the Patriotic War of 2nd degree (May 29, 1945)
- Order of friendship of peoples
- Two Orders of the Red Star (December 30, 1956, December 27, 1982)
- Order “for the service to the native land in the armed forces of the USSR” 3rd degree (February 17, 1976)
- Order of honor (2007)
- Numerous medals.
- Deserved military pilot of the USSR (1967).
- Honorable citizen of Moscow (September 13, 2000), Magadan, Sochi, Kiev, Odessa, Dnepropetrovsk, Gagry, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Bratislava, Parndorfa and Krasnika.
Russian language
- Heroes of the Soviet Union: Brief biographical dictionary I. N. Shkadov. - M.: Voenizdat, 1988. - T. of 2/[Lyubov] - [Yashchuk]/. - 863 s. - 100 000 copy - ISBN 5-203-00536-2
- Twice Heroes of the Soviet Union. - M.: Voenizdat, 1973
- People of the immortal exploit. Book 2. M., 1975