Pavel Stepanovich Kutakhov (USSR) - great pilots of the world. Kutakhov Pavel Stepanovich Marshal of Aviation Kutakhov

Head of the Air Force Research Institute Colonel General of Aviation Leonid Agurin, Deputy Air Force Commander-in-Chief for Armaments Colonel General of Aviation Nikolai Shishkov and Air Force Commander-in-Chief Air Chief Marshal Pavel Kutakhov. Akhtubinsk, 1984.

On August 16, 1914 (August 3, old style), Pavel Stepanovich Kutakhov was born - twice Hero Soviet Union, Air Chief Marshal, Commander-in-Chief of the USSR Air Force from March 1969 to December 1984.

About the exploits of fighter pilot Kutakhov, accomplished by him during the years of the Soviet-Finnish and Great Wars Patriotic War many books and articles have been written. Less about the service after the war and very little about the 15-year period of his life when he headed the USSR Air Force.

Little people have little ideas. The great ones have great ones. His idea was to create the most advanced in the world, the most modern, balanced aviation for the defense of the Fatherland, so that the “Soviet falcons,” as he invariably called his subordinates, would fly the highest, the farthest, the fastest. He raised more than one generation of military pilots. Pavel Stepanovich signed his official telegrams: “I believe. Hope. Kutakhov." We are left with his faith and hope. The country's aviation lives by them today.

In 1967, the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Great October Revolution was widely and solemnly held in the Soviet Union. socialist revolution. A few months later, the USSR Armed Forces celebrated their anniversary. A ceremonial meeting of the senior leadership of the Armed Forces was held at the Kremlin Palace of Congresses, which was attended by General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev. The report was made by the Minister of Defense of the USSR, Marshal of the Soviet Union Andrei Antonovich Grechko.

This was the first large-scale event and public appearance of the new Minister of Defense. In 1967, Brezhnev appointed Grechko Minister of Defense of the USSR.

In the same year, Andrei Antonovich began, as they would say now, to assemble his team.

He knew Kutakhov from his joint service in the GDR. Grechko was the Commander-in-Chief of the Group Soviet troops in Germany. Kutakhov - commanded the air corps. It was then that Andrei Antonovich formed a good impression of Kutakhov as an experienced military leader and a competent specialist.

A participant in the Civil War, Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force, Chief Marshal of Aviation Konstantin Vershinin was already 67 years old. Vershinin often complained about his health. It was time to think about replacing it. Grechko chose Kutakhov. Thus, shortly before the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Armed Forces, Air Force Commander-in-Chief Air Chief Marshal Vershinin immediately had two first deputies: Air Marshal Sergei Rudenko and Air Force Colonel General Pavel Kutakhov. In August of the same year, Kutakhov’s classmate at the General Staff Academy, Aviation Colonel General Ivan Pstygo, became deputy commander-in-chief of the Air Force for combat training.

On February 22, 1968, newspapers published a decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR conferring the rank of air marshal on Kutakhov. It became obvious to everyone that he would replace Vershinin as Commander-in-Chief. In early March, the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee decided to relieve Vershinin from his post and appoint Kutakhov to it. The Ministry of Defense was waiting for Grechko to return from Pakistan so that he could sign the order appointing a new commander in chief. On March 10, Grechko signed an order releasing Vershinin from his duties as Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force and appointing Kutakhov to this position.

On Saturday, March 15, in the conference hall of the General Staff, Vershinin gathered the leadership of the Air Force. There were deputy commanders-in-chief, heads of departments and services, several hundred people in total. Vershinin introduced the new commander-in-chief, Kutakhov, to the members of the military council. In fact, the commander-in-chief, who is also the deputy minister of defense, should be represented by the minister of defense. But this time for some reason the ceremony took place in a close “family” circle. Having announced the order of the Minister of Defense on the appointment of Kutakhov, Vershinin did not skimp on kind words addressed to his successor, mentioning how he had been preparing him for the role of commander-in-chief for a year.

Probably, not everyone liked the change in commander-in-chief. Some felt clearly left out. Someone himself applied for this position. The “offended” perceived Vershinin’s speech as if he was setting tasks for Kutakhov and teaching him how to carry them out. Especially Vershinin’s words that you need to talk with subordinates in a calm tone, without pressure. Well, this is definitely a lesson for Kutakhov, some of the generals thought. They had already heard about the tough character of the new commander in chief. It was rumored that he still had a sin from the war: in a fit of anger, he grabbed his opponent by the chest and popularly, with the help of some mother and a heavy fist, explained how to serve his homeland.

However, other memories remain. The commander of the 73rd Air Army, and later the deputy chief of the Air Force General Staff, Colonel General Pyotr Belonozhko said: “He was an exceptionally approachable person. He often consulted with division commanders and army commanders. I flew to exercises many times. He always gave good advice and taught. You could come to him for any question, at any time. We, the commanders, respected him very much...” So many people, so many opinions.

March 17, 1969 was the first working day of the new Air Force Commander-in-Chief, Air Marshal Kutakhov. Early in the morning he opened the door to his huge office in a building on Bolshaya Pirogovskaya. Just yesterday the mood was festively upbeat. And today a heavy load of new worries fell with such force that it seemed impossible to lift it alone. But the fact of the matter is that he was now the only one responsible for the entire Air Force to the Politburo and the apparatus of the Party Central Committee, to the Council of Ministers, to the Minister of Defense. And we must take into account the opinions of officials and fulfill the minister’s demands. And the main thing is not to become a weather vane of other people’s ideas.

And it immediately became clear that the first headache was space. The Politburo demanded to get ahead of the United States in the lunar program. There were many complaints against our designers. It depended on them when our astronaut would fly to the Moon. The Secretary of Defense was more concerned about the use of space for military purposes. And the Air Force Commander-in-Chief is already responsible for this. We worked on the creation of six (!) types of spacecraft: Soyuz, L-1, L-3, Almaz, the military complex Soyuz-VI (7K-S) and Spiral! But there were still problems with the N-1 and N-3 complexes! It was necessary to maintain a balance of interests.

LASER RAY

According to tradition, the new commander-in-chief had to meet with all the general designers at an extended meeting of the board of the Ministry of Aviation Industry (MAP) of the USSR. It was an acquaintance meeting, or a meeting-report of the general designers to the new commander-in-chief about all the new products and projects that their design bureaus were working on.

Minister of Aviation Industry Pyotr Dementyev carefully prepared the board. On the eve of the meeting, he invited future meeting participants to his place and conducted a kind of training with them.

Pavel Stepanovich knew about all this and also prepared for the board. For him, the meeting with general designers and scientists was important and of particular interest. He closely followed all the new products in the aircraft industry here and abroad. He was especially interested in foreign experience. On his desktop there were often military-technical reviews, certificates and reports from the intelligence department, various graphs, diagrams, plans, and other documents. He sat over them until late in the evening, as happened before while studying at the Academy of the General Staff.

New developments in the field of laser technology were reported in the open press and in intelligence reports. Of particular interest was the report that the Americans had created an aerial bomb that was aimed at a target using a laser beam.

At that time, materials about the invention of coherent radiation began to be widely published for the first time. Kutakhov was surprised: how can it be that the Americans already have a laser bomb, but we seem to be ignoring the topic of laser weapons. It can't be that the designers haven't come up with anything yet. But the deputy commanders-in-chief were unable to provide their new leader with comprehensive information on this issue.

Kutakhov dialed Dementyev’s number through the Kremlin:

– Pyotr Vasilyevich, will any of those scientists and designers who conduct research in the field of laser weapons be at the board meeting tomorrow? If possible, please invite them, I would really like to know what they are working on now.

The next day, in the morning, invited designers, scientists, and members of the board began to gather in the meeting room of the MAP board. The assistants hung huge diagrams, drawings, drawings, and graphs on special brackets along the walls. Each general designer wanted to visually show his new aircraft, helicopters and their modifications, which were just being developed or were already being tested.

The tall figure of the marshal who entered the hall involuntarily attracted the attention of those sitting. It was like a breeze passed through the still unfilled rows of seats: the new commander-in-chief had arrived.

The marshal stopped for a second, then headed along the walls covered with posters. He stopped at each one, looked at it for a long time, thought about something, then, slowly, moved on to the next one. So he stopped at a small poster, only half the size of a Whatman sheet, with the title: “Weapons with laser illumination.”

The schematic drawing showed a pilot sitting in the cockpit of an airplane. A man was using some kind of spotlight to illuminate the target the rocket was heading towards. In general, a rather primitive drawing - the draftsman probably did not have enough time for a more artistic masterpiece. But when the board meeting began, Kutakhov’s questions concerned mainly the topic of this drawing.

Explanations were given by the Chief Designer of Aviation Sights, David Khorol from the Geophysics Central Design Bureau, and the recently appointed General Director of GosNIIAS, Evgeniy Fedosov, the authors of a report on the prospects for using coherent radiation in aviation sights.

Kutakhov, not being an engineer, intuitively felt the promise of the proposed solutions. Against the backdrop of completely real systems that were already being tested, he saw an important essence in the bare idea and immediately grabbed onto it.

After the scientists and designers, Pavel Kutakhov spoke. He spoke mainly about the need to develop laser weapon guidance systems. At this board, he proclaimed the slogan: “Every missile, every bomb is on target!” As a result, the board recommended issuing a resolution of the Military-Industrial Commission under the USSR Council of Ministers on the creation of laser weapons. Of course, the resolution of the CPSU Central Committee and the USSR Council of Ministers would have been more significant, but its preparation and approval would have taken more time. And besides, the problem was solved within the framework of one ministry, so they considered it advisable not to create unnecessary paperwork. In addition, the first deputy chairman of the Military-Industrial Commission under the USSR Council of Ministers, Nikolai Stroev, who was in charge of aviation, was present at the board.

Soon the resolution of the military-industrial complex landed on Stroev’s desk. It would seem that the mechanism has been launched and now all that remains is to wait for the result. But it seemed to Kutakhov, who had just assumed the post of commander in chief, that if he missed something in his work, then no one would do it without him. This was probably the case, especially considering the penchant of our officials for bureaucratic delays.

Stroev initially decided to “attach” a missile with a laser homing head to the Su-24 under construction. However, the chief designer of the Puma weapons control system installed on the Su-24, Zazorin, sharply objected to this. He already had the only front-line missile, the X-23, with radio command guidance at that time.

An experienced apparatus worker, Stroev made a Solomonic decision: until the designers and the military finally figure out what they need, to keep the military-industrial complex resolution in his apparatus. So it ended up with Major General Boris Vorozhtsov, who passed good school special committee of the Council of Sinisters... After the meeting, he shelved the resolution, as they say.

Kutakhov, perhaps, lacked the knowledge that a higher military engineering school provides, but he was a pilot from God. It was as a pilot that he understood that the accuracy of pointing a missile at a target, of course, plays a big role, but in a fleeting air battle, the use of missile weapons according to the “fire and forget” principle is no less important. During command guidance, a salvo cannot be fired, since the operator is “tied” to the missile until it reaches the target. And when aiming along a laser beam, only the moment the missile leaves the pylon is important, when its head grabs the target.

That is why the commander in chief was looking forward to the start of design work. After some time, he called Fedosov:

– How are things going with the creation of laser systems?

Fedosov replied that the implementation of the resolution was being delayed for some reason beyond his or Khorol’s control.

“His reaction,” recalls Evgeny Fedosov, “was instantaneous. He, with his characteristic drive and faith in a just cause, persuaded the chairman of the military-industrial complex Leonid Smirnov to bring this issue to a meeting of the Commission, where Khorol and I were again invited to speak, this time with an analysis of what had been accomplished according to the previously adopted decision.”

Kutakhov was supported by the Minister of Defense Industry Sergei Zverev. After this, the creation of laser illumination systems “Prozhektor”, laser-television systems “Kaira”, laser sighting system “Klen” and weapon systems with laser and television guidance heads began.

TIME CHOOSE HEROES

The coming to power of Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev, Alexei Nikolaevich Kosygin and Nikolai Viktorovich Podgorny created favorable political conditions for the revival of aviation. Brezhnev was well versed in military-industrial policy, since at one time he worked as the secretary of the Central Committee “for the defense industry.” Kosygin had a phenomenal memory. He knew almost all the factories that were in the USSR. His extensive experience as deputy chairman of the Evacuation Council in 1941–1942, Minister of Finance of the USSR in 1948, and first deputy of the State Economic Commission in 1959–1960 allowed him to become, perhaps, the most erudite and competent chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR in the entire history of the Soviet Union. Union.

Scientific and technological progress has created the conditions for a breakthrough in the development of all types of weapons and military equipment, including aviation and space.

Finally, the international situation stimulated the development of the country's Air Force. We pursued a policy of supporting the Arab Middle East. His enemy, Israel, was armed by the United States of America, which, taking into account the experience of the Vietnam War, developed front-line, or as it is called in the West, tactical aviation. The Middle Eastern conflicts of that time showed that it was tactical weapons systems that would be most in demand in the second half of the twentieth century.

The MiG-21 aircraft, which performed relatively well in Vietnam, turned out to be weak in the fight against Phantoms in the Arab-Israeli conflicts. The Defense Department of the Party Central Committee and the Military-Industrial Commission set the aviation industry the task of eliminating the backlog in the development of front-line aviation.

Kutakhov's appointment as commander-in-chief of the Air Force coincided with the beginning of a new era in the country's history. In military development, we moved to a balanced development of all types of Armed Forces and branches of the armed forces. By the will of fate, Air Marshal Kutakhov found himself at the center of the main events in aviation and space life.

Officially, the working day in the Air Force General Headquarters building on Bolshaya Pirogovskaya Street in Moscow began at nine o’clock. Pavel Kutakhov arrived about an hour earlier. From 8.00 he received by telephone reports from army commanders about the events of the past day. At 8.20 in the huge office of the commander-in-chief, the daily morning report of the marshals and generals began. Every day, basically, the same people met here: deputy commanders-in-chief, chief of the General Staff, head of the central command post of the Air Force, head of the operational department, Lieutenant General Alexander Evgenievich Pozdnyakov. The latter served at the Air Force General Staff side by side with Kutakhov almost the entire time that Pavel Stepanovich headed the Air Force. Without his participation, not a single document was born.

The morning report did not last long. After him, everyone went to their work places. Pavel Stepanovich went out to the reception area, said to the adjutant as he walked: “I’m going to industry,” got into the car and drove away. This means that he will not appear at the headquarters before lunch.

THERE IS ONLY A MOMENT…

These days, the Ministry of Aviation Industry held meeting after meeting, at which issues of creating and fine-tuning the Su-17, Su-24, MiG-23 and MiG-25 aircraft were discussed.

The latest Arab-Israeli conflict revealed our mistake in reducing work on the creation of front-line aircraft. Our MiG-21 and Su-7B aircraft did not provide adequate countermeasures to the Mirage IIIE and Phantom aircraft. By decision of the government, work was urgently carried out to modernize the MiG-21, Su-7B and work was accelerated to create the MiG-23 front-line fighter.

Kutakhov was torn between ministries, design bureaus, institutes, and factories. It was necessary to be in time everywhere, to figure everything out, down to every screw. His first steps in this field seemed extraordinary to some designers and caused mixed reviews. General Director of GosNIIAS Evgeniy Fedosov recalls that the commander-in-chief began each meeting with scientists, designers and aircraft manufacturers something like this:

- We, Soviet falcons, should be armed with the best weapons in the world, and here you are...

And then there was a political conversation on the topic that the homeland demands from its “falcons” to fly the fastest, highest, farthest, but there are people who sit in their chairs and hold back progress in aviation and so on. For this, Kutakhov was jokingly nicknamed “Komeskom” among the designers.

Unlike the MiG-21, the MiG-23 fighter was very difficult. There were many technical problems with the airframe and engine design. The wings “crackled”, the tests were frustrated.

Due to Kutakhov’s intransigence, the general designer of the MiG-23, Rostislav Belyakov, had complaints against him. But Kutakhov already had unquestionable authority; it was impossible not to listen to his opinion. And besides, everyone knew well the tough temper of the new commander-in-chief and the impossibility of putting pressure on him. It required a special “subtle” approach.

Before the next meeting of the MAP board, the general designer of the MiG-23, Rostislav Belyakov, and the general director of GosNIIAS, Evgeny Fedosov, gathered in Dementyev’s office. Dementyev asked Belyakov:

– When you perform, praise Kutakhov.

- Come on, Pyotr Vasilyevich, why should I praise Kutakhov? Is not it too early?

Dementyev paused, then looked at him:

- Do you feel sorry or something?..

The plane was built at an aircraft plant in Moscow, which is located opposite the Dynamo stadium. The company was headed by Pavel Voronin, an authoritative director in aviation circles, twice Hero of Socialist Labor. He was in a hurry to make the plane. The factory began assembling it without waiting for the tests to be completed. And this is no coincidence. Leaders at all levels, from the minister to the director of the plant, were under pressure from the Politburo and the defense department of the CPSU Central Committee. And the country’s top political leadership, in turn, was in a hurry to deliver a new plane to Egypt, which was preparing for another war with Israel, and thus support the authority of the Soviet Union in the eyes of the leaders of Arab countries.

Kutakhov himself repeatedly came to the plant, met with management, and sent the head of the Air Force Research Institute, Ivan Gaidaenko, to negotiations.

The plant director hit where it hurt most:

- Look at the groundwork I have already done. Several aircraft are already ready, and the same number are being assembled in the workshop. Let's conclude!

Kutakhov stubbornly stood his ground: the wing did not meet the maneuverability characteristics.

What is it like to replace a fender? The entire structure needs to be completely changed!

The “agitation for Soviet power” began:

– You are depriving workers of their wages. Do you understand this? Are you indifferent to the interests of the working class? Maybe the Soviet government is also bothering you?

But the commander-in-chief was not a timid man. Arguments of this kind had no effect on him. Kutakhov was a true patriot and a very emotional person, for whom nothing was higher than the interests of his homeland and the power of the Air Force. He knew no obstacles on the way to his goal. And the goal was to bring the MiG-23 to the level of the best aircraft in the world.

The wings were redone three times. The engine was changed five times. The creation and testing of the aircraft was greatly delayed by the electronics of the on-board navigation and aiming systems. In the end, the plane was completed. But Kutakhov was probably not entirely happy with the new plane. And yet the MiG-23 became the best fighter of the third generation. In the early 70s, he outperformed the Phantom in all respects. Thanks to Kutakhov’s persistence, scientists and designers “taught” their aircraft to fly in a range of speeds and at altitudes that were not available to many foreign analogues.

However, life does not stand still. The Americans took the lead again after a short time, creating the F-15 and F-16. And we had to lay down the MiG-29 and Su-27, which became a worthy response to American aircraft. Despite everything, the MiG-23 lived a long, albeit difficult life in the skies from the early 70s to the late 80s. It became the main aircraft of front-line aviation; fighter-bombers were built on its basis.

Pavel Stepanovich worked a lot with representatives of the military-industrial complex. As the main customer, he quarterly gathered at the Air Force Research Institute the heads of four leading defense industries and chief designers in order, together with testers, to review the state of development and testing of major aircraft models. He often invited deputy ministers for testing new equipment to this or that plant in order to quickly solve the next problem directly on the spot. And the Deputy Minister of Aviation Industry, under pressure from the Air Force Commander-in-Chief, generally spent most of his time not in his office in Moscow, but in Akhtubinsk, at the Air Force Research Institute.

Kutakhov knew all the directors of the enterprises. He often visited factories and took his subordinates there. He spared no effort, sometimes risking his position, fighting for the quality of aviation equipment, showing integrity, and defending the interests of the Air Force.

A strong commander in chief means a strong team. This is an axiom. Kutakhov tried to gather like-minded people in the Main Command. As they would say, it was a single team that corresponded to the personality of Kutakhov himself and the requirements he placed on the business and moral qualities and organizational abilities of generals and officers.

The memory of the outstanding military leader is alive in the airplanes and helicopters that were created thanks to Air Chief Marshal Kutakhov. He, in essence, recreated the USSR Air Force. With him, attack aircraft appeared. Strategic aircraft Tu-22M3, Tu-95MS and Tu-160. He was the initiator of the creation of laser weapons.

And how many other projects remain unrealized, such as the Spiral aerospace system, reconnaissance and strike complexes (RUK). He always took on the hardest edge. He worked, forgetting about everything, as only very enthusiastic people can work. One passion possessed him - to fly further, fly higher, fly faster! Not for myself - for the country and my people. In the storm of struggle, he forgot about everything. A great goal illuminated his path.

He was not afraid of difficulties. And he wasn’t afraid to seem funny when he dreamed about the future. He believed: people build the future today with their own hands. He simply did not have enough life to accomplish all his plans.

For some, everything comes easy. Others achieve everything through hard work. A barefoot childhood, a hungry youth, two wars, and through all this the man carried his loyalty, conscience and honor. And also - love for the homeland. He loved her completely sincerely. I loved him when he was starving, when he was in prison, when he worked hard at a factory, when he was at war.

This man had a complex character and a difficult fate. During his lifetime he never received a second Hero Star. Neither during the war nor after. Although he deserved it more than anyone else and was worthy. The Hero's second Gold Star was handed over to his relatives for eternal storage after the death of the hero himself. The awards themselves have a strange fate.

In the year of the fiftieth anniversary of the Victory, unknown persons stole both Golden Stars from the hero’s museum, created in his homeland in the Rostov region. The thieves were not found. And five years later, when the country celebrated the 55th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, thieves cut down two brass Stars of the Hero of the Soviet Union from the bust of twice Hero of the Soviet Union, Chief Marshal of Aviation Pavel Kutakhov, installed in the village of Malokirsanovka. The kidnappers were not found.

All his life Pavel Kutakhov was blessed with more high star. She helped not to go astray, not to get lost in the bustle of life. His star is love for the Motherland, the sky, aviation, and people.

Great pilots of the world Bodrikhin Nikolai Georgievich

Pavel Stepanovich Kutakhov (USSR)

Pavel Stepanovich Kutakhov

Born on August 16, 1914 in the village of Malokirsanovka, now Matveevo-Kurgan district, Rostov region. In 1930, he graduated from the 7th grade of school and entered the school of tram drivers. He worked as a mechanic at an aircraft plant in Taganrog. In 1935 he graduated from the workers' faculty at the Taganrog Industrial Institute.

Kutakhov has been in the army since August 1935. In 1938 he graduated from the Stalingrad Military Aviation Pilot School. He served in combat units of the Air Force in the Leningrad Military District.

Kutakhov took part in the Soviet-Finnish War of 1939–1940. as a flight commander of the 7th IAP. He flew more than a hundred combat missions on the I-16 fighter.

From June 1941 to May 1944 he fought as deputy commander and commander of the air squadron of the 145th IAP, in May 1944 - January 1945 - commander of the 20th Guards IAP. By February 1943, he had flown 262 combat missions, in 40 air battles he personally shot down 7 enemy aircraft and 24 in a group.

On March 27, 1943, Captain Pavel Kutakhov, in a tense battle with the aces of the 5th German fighter squadron, shot down an Me-109G-2 fighter piloted by non-commissioned officer Edmund Kozlowski. The next day, a German pilot in the Urd-Lake area was captured.

For the courage and heroism shown in battles, Guard Major P.S. Kutakhov was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

Kutakhov fought on the Leningrad and Karelian fronts, participated in the defense of Leningrad, Murmansk and the Arctic, in covering allied convoys, in the Petsamo-Kirkenes operation. He ended the war with the rank of guard lieutenant colonel, as commander of the 20th Guards IAP.

In total, during the war he made 367 combat missions on I-16, LaGG-3 and R-39 Airacobra fighters, in 79 air battles he personally shot down 14 and in a group 28 enemy aircraft. Among those personally shot down, P.S. Kutakhov aircraft - 1 reconnaissance "Fisler-Storch" and 13 Me-109, among group victories - 5 Me-110, 3 Xe-111, 4 Yu-88, 2 Do-215.

After the war he continued to serve in the Arctic. In 1949 he graduated from the Lipetsk Higher Officer Flight Tactical Courses. Since 1949, Colonel P.S. Kutakhov commanded a division in a group of Soviet forces in Germany and a corps in the Baltic Military District. Graduated in 1957 Military Academy General Staff. In 1957–1959 was deputy commander for combat training, 1959–1961. - 1st Deputy Commander of the 30th Air Army of the Baltic Military District. In 1961–1967 commanded the 48th Air Army of the Odessa Military District. In 1967–1969 - 1st Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force.

Since March 1969, Kutakhov has been Commander-in-Chief of the USSR Air Force. During his leadership, the country's air force achieved its highest development and growth.

General Kutakhov flew supersonic fighters until 1967. He got into emergency situations several times, but his exceptional flight endurance and composure allowed him to complete the flight without an accident. In 1967 he was awarded the rank of Air Marshal, and in 1972 - Air Chief Marshal.

Kutakhov died of heart failure on December 3, 1984. He was buried at the Novodevichy cemetery in Moscow.

Bronze busts of P.S. Kutakhov were installed in the village of Malokirsanovka and in the city of Lyubertsy, Moscow region. In Moscow, memorial plaques were installed on the house where the Hero lived, and in Taganrog on the building of the school where he studied. A street in the village of Malokirsanovka, as well as a gymnasium in Lyubertsy, are named after him.

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No. 3 Order of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR No. 1962 with the announcement of the resolution of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR dated August 18, 1923 on the composition of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR No. 196, Moscow September 6, 1923. At the same time, the resolution of the Council is announced People's Commissars USSR dated August 28, 1923 “on the composition of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR.” Deputy

Pavel Stepanovich Kutakhov

Kutakhov took part in the Soviet-Finnish War of 1939–1940. as a flight commander of the 7th IAP. He flew more than a hundred combat missions on the I-16 fighter.

For the courage and heroism shown in battles, Guard Major P.S. Kutakhov was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

After the war he continued to serve in the Arctic. In 1949 he graduated from the Lipetsk Higher Officer Flight Tactical Courses. Since 1949, Colonel P.S. Kutakhov commanded a division in a group of Soviet forces in Germany and a corps in the Baltic Military District. In 1957 he graduated from the Military Academy of the General Staff. In 1957–1959 was deputy commander for combat training, 1959–1961. - 1st Deputy Commander of the 30th Air Army of the Baltic Military District. In 1961–1967 commanded the 48th Air Army of the Odessa Military District. In 1967–1969 - 1st Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force.

Since March 1969, Kutakhov has been Commander-in-Chief of the USSR Air Force. During his leadership, the country's air force achieved its highest development and growth.

Kutakhov died of heart failure on December 3, 1984. He was buried at the Novodevichy cemetery in Moscow.

Born on August 16, 1914 in the family of a poor peasant in the village of Malo-Kirsanovka, Rostov region. The family was large: four sons and a daughter. And the workers have one father. The mother barely had time to manage the housework. And then the revolution broke out, Civil War. At the beginning of 1919, my father died of typhus. Life has become very difficult. From an early age, Pavel experienced the hard work of peasant labor. He learned to do everything: mowing, plowing, sowing, but you never know how much work there is to do in the village at any time. Since childhood, Pavel was drawn to knowledge. In her native village at that time there was only Primary School. And then most of the guys my age became workers. Pavel was lucky. His desire to study was supported by his older brothers Gerasim and Ivan. And Pavel went to study in the village of Fedorovka, which is 18 kilometers from Malo-Kirsanovka.

And in 1933, Pavel left the outskirts of his native village and set off along a familiar road into a new, unknown life. So he ended up in Taganrog. At first I really wanted to finish high school. I settled on a quiet Aptekarskaya street. I went to school for a little while near the New Market. now this high school 9, on the wall of the school building hangs a memorial plaque stating that Twice Hero of the Soviet Union, Chief Aviation Marshal P.S., studied here. Kutakhov. Moreover, through the efforts of the head teacher of the school for educational work, Shilchenko, the Kutakhov Museum was created.

But I didn’t have to study at school for long, I had to somehow feed and support myself, and then a factory school for tram drivers opened. And Paul went there. I studied well. Soon he became his first student. In 1934, after graduating from college, he was sent to work at the aircraft plant 31 named after Dimitrov.

The young mechanic Pavel Kutakhov ended up at the site of the foreman Pyotr Pavlovich Korobeinikov, a knowledgeable and experienced man. He quickly noticed the hardworking, modest boy. By this time, Pavel’s older brother Gerasim was already working at the plant, and then Ivan became a Dimitrov worker.

The country grew and transformed before our eyes. People also grew. Everyone was thirsty for knowledge. Soon Pavel Kutakhov entered the evening workers' school. He worked during the day and went to study in the evenings. Even then I dreamed of the sky, of airplanes, of being a pilot. In August 1935, following a Komsomol call, Pavel went to Stalingrad military school pilots. Good preparation, excellent health and ardent desire, as well as a proletarian origin, helped Pavel Kutakhov to withstand the tough selection and become a pilot. And soon he was one of the three lucky ones who put on a cadet uniform. And the remaining thirty guys returned to Taganrog. A new one began for Pavel, amazing life. First airfield, first flight with an instructor and... finally, the first solo flight on a U-2 plane.

In 1938, Lieutenant P. Kutakhov arrived in a combat regiment near Leningrad. He soon becomes commander of a fighter flight. He managed to make several sorties during the liberation of Western Belarus, but truly received his baptism of fire in the winter of 1939. During the war with Finland, Pavel Stepanovich Kutakhov made 131 combat missions. It was a difficult and harsh time in the formation of a young military pilot. In one of the battles, he was shot down and escaped by parachute, and then made his way through the deep snow to his own. The severe frost could have played its fatal “joke”, but military luck helped, he came across our scouts, who helped the pilot return to his airfield.

The Great Patriotic War found the young lieutenant P. Kutakhov in the position of flight commander in the Vyborg region. Here he opened his winning account: he shot down the first fascist vulture. He started near Leningrad, then ended up in the Arctic, on Karelian Front. He was deputy squadron commander and later became squadron commander. Defended Murmansk, Kandalaksha, Kirovskaya railway, fought over the hills and tundra, over the cold Barents Sea.

We had to accompany caravans of transports that brought us weapons, materials, and equipment. On July 9, 1941, Pavel Kutakhov won his first victory in the northern skies, together with the experienced pilot Golovnya, and shot down a German plane. The young pilot turned into one of the most famous aces of the Soviet Arctic. The newspaper “Boevaya Vakhta” wrote in May 1943: “During 22 months of combat work on our front, Hero of the Soviet Union Pavel Kutakhov not only hardened and passed hard way improving your skills. During this time, he rallied around himself a wonderful galaxy of brave ace pilots, became the educator of new air fighters, Among them the name of Hero of the Soviet Union Efim Krivosheev shines with eternal glory." The Nazis threw their most experienced and skilled pilots to the North at the beginning of the war. And two years later months, their best cadres were killed. This was done by our glorious falcons, and among them an honorable place rightfully belongs to P. S. Kutakhov. In total, during the war years, P. S. Kutakhov made 497 combat missions, conducted 79 air battles, in which he personally shot down 28 and with his comrades another 14 fascist planes.He was awarded many awards.

Best of the day

By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Council. USSR on May 1, 1943 he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. In 1944, Major Kutakhov already commanded a guards regiment. P.S. Kutakhov was not only an excellent air fighter, but also a caring educator and a skilled commander. The fame of him and his comrades spread throughout the entire front. Ten Heroes of the Soviet Union grew up in his regiment.

In 1944, Guard Major Kutakhov, by decree of the English King George, was awarded the Order of the British Empire, 4th class, for his high flying skill and exploits while protecting allied convoys.

After the war, Lieutenant Colonel Kutakhov commanded a regiment in the Arctic for several more years, and then he was sent to study in Lipetsk. Here he graduated with honors from the Higher Officer Flight Tactical Courses in 1949 and was assigned to a group of Soviet troops in Germany. He held the position of commander of an aviation division, flew a lot and devotedly himself, and taught young people.

This was the time of transition to jet technology. It is no coincidence that Pavel Stepanovich was among the first to receive the rank of first-class military pilot.

Then he arrived at a new duty station in the Baltic states. Here he mastered supersonic fighters. In 1957, Pavel Stepanovich successfully graduated from the Military Academy of the General Staff and was again in a responsible job. In 1966, on his birthday, Pavel Stepanovich learned that he, the aviation commander of the Odessa Military District, lieutenant general of aviation, was awarded the title “Honored Pilot of the USSR” among the very first in the country. The Decree stated “For special merits in the development of aviation technology, high performance in the education and training of flight personnel and many years of accident-free flight work...”.

In 1967, Colonel General of Aviation P.S. Kutakhov was appointed First Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the country's Air Force, and since March 1969, Air Marshal Kutakhov became the head of the country's military aviation. Since 1972, Pavel Stepanovich Kutakhov has been Chief Marshal of Aviation. Enormous and responsible work occupied all his time, his entire life. But along with this, Pavel Stepanovich finds time to meet with his voters. He was a deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of four convocations. Since 1961, he was elected as a delegate to all party congresses. And since 1971, a member of the Central Committee of the CPSU.

As a military pilot, Air Chief Marshal Kutakhov flew modern combat fighters into the skies until he was 60 years old. Few pilots could boast of such health and confidently pass medical examinations. But he had every day scheduled by the hour. He had to solve a huge number of complex problems in an important government post. Now students of his students are already flying in the peaceful skies of the Motherland.

Deputy Minister of Defense of the USSR, Chief Marshal of Aviation Pavel Stepanovich Kutakhov celebrated his seventieth birthday in hard work.

By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Council in 1984, he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for the second time. But it so happened that the famous marshal never managed to receive his second gold star of Hero. In August, he became twice a Hero, and on December 3 of that year, the country and all military aviators of the Soviet Union learned the sad news of P.S. Kutakhov died. He died at a combat post and suddenly felt unwell while in Star City. He was taken to Moscow, where he died. Extensive stroke.

Pavel Stepanovich devoted his entire life to serving the Fatherland. And the Motherland highly appreciated his services.

State awards P.S. Kutakhova

Four-time holder of the Order of Lenin;

Knight of the Order of the October Revolution;

Knight of the Order of Kutuzov, 1st degree;

Five-time Knight of the Order of the Red Banner;

Knight of the Order of Alexander Nevsky;

Knight of the Order of the Patriotic War, 1st degree;

Two-time Knight of the Order of the Red Star;

Knight of the Order "For Service to the Motherland in the Armed Forces" III degree;

Recipient of many orders and medals of foreign countries.

Soviet military leader, Chief Marshal of Aviation (1972), twice Hero of the Soviet Union (05/01/1943, 08/12/1984), Honored Military Pilot of the USSR (1966).

Born on August 16, 1914 in the family of a poor peasant in the village of Malo-Kirsanovka, Rostov region. The family was large: four sons and a daughter. And the workers have one father. The mother barely had time to manage the housework. And then the revolution and civil war broke out. At the beginning of 1919, my father died of typhus. Life has become very difficult. From an early age, Pavel experienced the hard work of peasant labor. He learned to do everything: mowing, plowing, sowing, but you never know how much work there is to do in the village at any time. Since childhood, Pavel was drawn to knowledge. In my native village at that time there was only an elementary school. And then most of the guys my age became workers. Pavel was lucky. His desire to study was supported by his older brothers Gerasim and Ivan. And Pavel went to study in the village of Fedorovka, which is 18 kilometers from Malo-Kirsanovka.

And in 1933, Pavel left the outskirts of his native village and set off along a familiar road into a new, unknown life. So he ended up in Taganrog. At first I really wanted to finish high school. I settled on a quiet Aptekarskaya street. I went to school for a little while near the New Market. Now this is secondary school 9, on the wall of the school building hangs a memorial plaque stating that Twice Hero of the Soviet Union, Chief Marshal of Aviation P.S., studied here. Kutakhov. Moreover, through the efforts of the head teacher of the school for educational work, Shilchenko, the Kutakhov Museum was created.

The country grew and transformed before our eyes. People also grew. Everyone was thirsty for knowledge. Soon Pavel Kutakhov entered the evening workers' school. He worked during the day and went to study in the evenings. Even then I dreamed of the sky, of airplanes, of being a pilot. In August 1935, following a Komsomol call-up, Pavel went to the Stalingrad Military Pilot School. Good preparation, excellent health and ardent desire, as well as a proletarian origin, helped Pavel Kutakhov to withstand the tough selection and become a pilot. And soon he was one of the three lucky ones who put on a cadet uniform. And the remaining thirty guys returned to Taganrog. A new, amazing life began for Pavel. First airfield, first flight with an instructor and... finally, the first solo flight on a U-2 plane.

Panovich Kutakhov flew 131 combat missions. It was a difficult and harsh time in the formation of a young military pilot. In one of the battles, he was shot down and escaped by parachute, and then made his way through the deep snow to his own. The severe frost could have played its fatal “joke”, but military luck helped, he came across our scouts, who helped the pilot return to his airfield.

The Great Patriotic War found the young lieutenant P. Kutakhov in the position of flight commander in the Vyborg region. Here he opened his winning account: he shot down the first fascist vulture. He started near Leningrad, then ended up in the Arctic, on the Karelian Front. He was deputy squadron commander and later became squadron commander. He defended Murmansk, Kandalaksha, the Kirov railway, fought over the hills and tundra, over the cold Barents Sea.

We had to accompany caravans of transports that brought us weapons, materials, and equipment. On July 9, 1941, Pavel Kutakhov won his first victory in the northern skies, together with the experienced pilot Golovnya, and shot down a German plane. The young pilot turned into one of the most famous aces of the Soviet Arctic. The newspaper “Boevaya Vakhta” wrote in May 1943: “During 22 months of combat work on our front, Hero of the Soviet Union Pavel Kutakhov not only hardened himself and went through a difficult path of improving his skills. During this time, he rallied around himself a wonderful galaxy of brave ace pilots, became the educator of new air fighters, Among them the name of Hero of the Soviet Union Efim Krivosheev shines with eternal glory." The Nazis sent their most experienced and skilled pilots to the North at the beginning of the war. And two months later, their best cadres were killed. Our glorious falcons did this, and among them a place of honor rightfully belongs to P.S. Kutakhov. In total, during the war years P.S. Kutakhov made 497 combat missions, conducted 79 air battles, in which he personally shot down 28 and with his comrades another 14 fascist aircraft. He has received many awards.