Ivan Fomitch Pavlov

Who is Ivan Fomitch Pavlov?

Ivan Fomitch Pavlov was a Russian aviator of the Great Patriotic War. He commanded both a zveno in the 6th Guards Assault Aviation Regiment, 3rd Air Army, Kalinin Front, and a squadron of the same regiment as part of the 1st Baltic Front, rising to the rank of Major. He was twice named a Hero of the Soviet Union.

He was born into a Russian peasant family in the village of Boris-Romanovna in what is now Kostanay District in Kazakhstan. In 1931-2 he lived in Terensai Stantsii, now in the Adamovskii District of Orenburg Oblast', moving in 1932 to the city of Magnitogorsk in Chelyabinsk Oblast'. He completed a basic education and in 1940 finished 3 years of training in the Magnitogorsk Industrial Technical Academy and Magnitogorsk Aeroclub.

He joined the Red Army in December 1940 and in 1942 graduated from the Chkalov Military Pilots' School in Orenburg.

He took part in the Great Patriotic War as a pilot, flight and squadron commander on the Kalinin and Baltic Fronts. For his courage and heroism in the completion of over 127 sorties he was awarded the gold star of the Hero of the Soviet Union award and the Order of Lenin in February 1944. When the news of the award reached his home area a collection was organised and funds were raised for the completion of four shturmovik aircraft, one of which was presented to Pavlov himself. The aircraft bore the inscription: