Pyotr Mikhailovich
Vostrukhin

1921-1943


Pyotr Mikhailovich Vostrukhin was a soviet ace pilot, senior pilot of the 271st Fighter Aviation Regiment (274th Fighter Aviation Division, 3rd Air Army, Kalinin Front), Lieutenant, Hero of the Soviet Union. He was born on July 15, 1921 in Vykhino, Moscow province (now it is the territory of Moscow) in a peasant family. After graduating from school, FZU worked as a turner at the Moscow Hammer and Sickle factory. Having received the specialty of an electrical appliance, since 1937 he worked in the electrical shop of the plant, at the same time studying in the aero club. In 1940, P.M. Vostrukhin was drafted by the Ukhtomsky RVC of the Moscow Region for special recruitment into the Red Army Air Force. In the same year he graduated from the Borisoglebsk Military Aviation School of Pilots and was sent for further service to the city of Novosibirsk as an instructor pilot. On the fronts of the Great Patriotic War since October 1942, Junior Lieutenant Vostrukhin made 83 sorties during his six months at the front, participated in 28 air battles, personally shot down 12 and 3 enemy aircraft in a group. The title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the award of the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal to Pyotr Mikhailovich Vostrukhin was awarded on May 1, 1943. On July 19, 1943, in the Mokhov district of the Orel region, flight commander Lieutenant P. M. Vostrukhin was shot down, made an emergency landing on neutral territory and died while trying to get to the location of Soviet troops. He was buried in Mokhov, Oryol region. During his participation in the fighting, P.M. Vostrukhin made 107 sorties on a Yak-7B fighter, personally shot down 16 enemy aircraft in 39 air battles and as part of a group of 3.

Alexey Alekseevich
Postnov

1915-2013


Alexey Alekseevich Postnov was a participant of the Polish campaign of the Red Army, the Soviet-Finnish and Great Patriotic Wars. Hero of the Soviet Union (1943), Major General of Aviation. He was born on March 15, 1915 in the village of Epifan (now an urban-type settlement of the Kimovsky district of the Tula region). He graduated from grades 7, the school of the Federal Law of the Sickle and Hammer plant and the aero club in Moscow. He worked as a foreman of electricians at the factory. Participant in the construction of the DneproGES, the Zaporizhstal Metallurgical Plant. After graduating from the aero club, he became a pilot instructor on a voluntary basis, taught flying to 12 people. Since January 8, 1938 in the ranks of the Red Army, drafted by Stalin’s RVC (Moscow). In the same year he graduated from the Borisoglebsk Military Aviation School of Pilots. Served in the 4th IAP (Air Force of the Belarusian Special Military District). He was a participant of the campaign of Soviet troops in Western Ukraine and Western Belarus in September 1939. Also he participated in the Soviet-Finnish War from January 7 to March 13, 1940 as part of the 4th IAP (8th Army Air Force, North-Western Front). He made 96 sorties on the I-15bis, had no aerial victories. He was awarded the medal “For Bravery”. Since June 22, 1941, Lieutenant A.A. Postnov has been in the active army: as part of the 4th IAP (20th SAD), flew the I-16. Since September 1941, he fought already in the 88th IAP (on April 14, 1944, he was transformed into the 159th Guards IAP). He flew the I-16, LaGG-3 and La-5. By July 1943 Squadron Commander of the 88th Fighter Aviation Regiment (229th Fighter Aviation Division, 4th Air Army, North Caucasus Front) Senior Lieutenant A. A. Postnov made 503 sorties, shot down 3 enemy aircraft personally and as part of a group of 4 in 158 air battles. By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated August 24, 1943, he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the award of the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star Medal (№ 1153). By May 9, 1945, the deputy commander of the 159th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment (229th Fighter Aviation Division, 4th Air Army, 2nd Belorussian Front) of the Guards, Major A.A. Postnov, carried out about 700 sorties, personally shot down 9 enemy aircraft in 172 air battles and as part of a group of 4. He was a participant of the Victory Parade on Red Square in Moscow on June 24, 1945. After the end of the war, he continued to serve in various positions in the Air Force. In 1957 he graduated from the Military Academy of the General Staff, after which he commanded the aviation corps in Ryazan, then in Rzhev.Since November 4, 1959, Aviation Major General A.A. Postnov has been in reserve, and since 1970 – retired.

Ivan Fedorovich
Sorokin

1919-1983


Ivan Fedorovich Sorokin was a test pilot of the Novosibirsk Aviation Plant of the Ministry of Aviation Industry of the USSR. He was born on April 22, 1919 in the village of Cherepyan (now Lebedyansky district of the Lipetsk region) was a Soviet test pilot, Hero of the Soviet Union (1966). He graduated from the 7th grade of the school. In 1938 he graduated from the FSU school and the Proletarian Aero Club in Moscow at the same time. He worked as a steelworker’s assistant at the Moscow Hammer and Sickle factory. In December 1938 he was drafted into the Red Army, in 1939 he graduated from the Borisoglebsk Military Aviation School of Pilots. He served as an instructor pilot at the Stalingrad Military Aviation School of Pilots (1939-1943), at the Burma Military Aviation School of Pilots (May-December 1943) and in the 20th Mixed Aviation Training Regiment (1943-1944). Also he served as commander of an air communications squadron in Mongolia. From 1945 to 1950 he served as an instructor pilot at the Stalingrad Military Aviation School of Pilots (located in Novosibirsk). In 1948 he graduated from the Higher Officer Aviation Instructor School of the Air Force in Grozny. In 1950-1956, he was a test pilot of the military acceptance of the Novosibirsk Aviation Plant, where he tested serial MiG-15, MiG-17 and MiG-19. In 1956-1958 he worked as a test pilot for the military acceptance of the Irkutsk Aircraft Factory, where he tested serial Il-28 and An-12. In May 1958 he joined the reserve with the rank of lieutenant colonel. He worked as a test pilot at the Novosibirsk Aircraft Factory. In March 1966, he took off the first serial supersonic fighter Su-15. He also tested serial MiG-19, Su-9, Su-11, Yak-28P, Su-15 aircraft. «For the courage and heroism shown during the testing of new aviation equipment», test pilot Sorokin Ivan Fedorovich was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union by Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on July 22, 1966. After retiring from flight work, he continued to work at the Novosibirsk Aircraft Factory as a flight director.

Address: Moscow, Lefortovsky Val str., 26