Nikolay Timofeyevich Antoshkin (russian: Николай Тимофеевич Антошкин; 19 December 1942 – 17 January 2021) was a

Mokshan Mokshan (russian: Мокша́н) is an urban locality (a work settlement) and the administrative center of Mokshansky District of Penza Oblast, Russia. Population: 10,710 (1900). History It was established in 1566 as a fort to protect the c ...

Russian Air Force " Air March" , mascot = , anniversaries = 12 August , equipment = , equipment_label = , battles = , decorations = , bat ...

colonel general Colonel general is a three- or four-star military rank used in some armies. It is particularly associated with Germany, where historically general officer ranks were one grade lower than in the Commonwealth and the United States, and was a ra ...

Hero of the Soviet Union The title Hero of the Soviet Union (russian: Герой Советского Союза, translit=Geroy Sovietskogo Soyuza) was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded together with the Order of Lenin personally or collectively for ...

and politician. Born in 1942 in

Bashkortostan The Republic of Bashkortostan or Bashkortostan ( ba, Башҡортостан Республикаһы, Bashqortostan Respublikahy; russian: Республика Башкортостан, Respublika Bashkortostan),; russian: Респу́блик� ...

, Antoshkin was drafted into the

Soviet Army uk, Радянська армія , image = File:Communist star with golden border and red rims.svg , alt = , caption = Emblem of the Soviet Army , start_date ...

in August 1961. After graduating from military aviation school, he served with reconnaissance aviation units. He became commander of the Air Force of the

20th Guards Army The 20th Guards Combined Arms Army (originally designated as the 4th Tank Army, 4th Guards Tank Army in 1945, 4th Guards Mechanised Army in 1946, and the 20th Guards Army in 1960 within the Soviet Ground Forces) is a field army. In 1991, after th ...

in May 1980. After graduation from the Military Academy of the General Staff, Antoshkin became commander of the Air Force and deputy commander of the

Central Group of Forces The Central Group of Forces (Russian: Центральная группа войск) was a formation of the Soviet Armed Forces used to incorporate Soviet troops in Central Europe on two occasions: in Austria and Hungary from 1945 to 1955 and tr ...

. In March 1985, he became chief of staff of the Air Force of the

Kyiv Military District The Kiev Military District (; , abbreviated ) was a military district of the Imperial Russian Army and subsequently of the Red Army and Soviet Armed Forces. It was first formed in 1862, and was headquartered in Kiev (Kyiv) for most of its exi ...

. In this role, he supervised the initial

Chernobyl Chernobyl ( , ; russian: Чернобыль, ) or Chornobyl ( uk, Чорнобиль, ) is a partially abandoned city in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, situated in the Vyshhorod Raion of northern Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine. Chernobyl is about no ...

helicopter cleanup operations. For his actions, Antoshkin was awarded the title

. He later commanded the Air Forces of the

Central Asian Military District The Red Banner Central Asian Military District was a military district of the Soviet Armed Forces, which existed in 1926–1945 and 1969–1989, with its headquarters at Tashkent (1926–1945) and Almaty (1969–1989). By USSR Order No.304 of 4 ...

and

Moscow Military District The Order of Lenin Moscow Military District was a military district of the Soviet Armed Forces and the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. The district was awarded the Order of Lenin in 1968. In 2010 it was merged with the Leningrad Military Di ...

. Between 1993 and 1997 Antoshkin led Russian Air Force Frontal Aviation. In 1997 he became head of Air Force combat training and retired a year later. Antoshkin was elected a deputy of the

State Duma The State Duma (russian: Госуда́рственная ду́ма, r=Gosudárstvennaja dúma), commonly abbreviated in Russian as Gosduma ( rus, Госду́ма), is the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Russia, while the upper house ...

in 2014. He was affiliated with

United Russia United Russia ( rus, Единая Россия, Yedinaya Rossiya, (j)ɪˈdʲinəjə rɐˈsʲijə) is a Conservatism in Russia, Russian conservative List of political parties in Russia, political party. As the largest party in Russia, it hold ...

Early life

Antoshkin was born on 19 December 1942 in the village of Kuzminovka in the

Bashkir Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic The Bashkir Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic ( ba, Башҡорт Автономиялы Совет Социалистик Республикаhы; russian: Башкирская Автономная Советская Социалистиче� ...

. Between 1950 and 1951 he lived in the village of Kholmogorovka. In 1951, he moved to

Kumertau Kumertau (russian: Кумерта́у; ba, Күмертау) is a town in the Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia, located from Ufa and from Sterlitamak. Population: Administrative and municipal status Within the framework of administrative d ...

. Antoshkin graduated from tenth grade in 1960. He worked as a worker in the repair and construction workshop and physical education instructor at the Kumertau Power Plant between 1960 and 1961.

Military service

Antoshkin was drafted into the

Soviet Army uk, Радянська армія , image = File:Communist star with golden border and red rims.svg , alt = , caption = Emblem of the Soviet Army , start_date ...

in August 1961. He was sent to the

Orenburg Higher Military Aviation School Orenburg (russian: Оренбу́рг, ), formerly known as Chkalov (1938–1957), is the administrative center of Orenburg Oblast, Russia. It lies on the Ural River, southeast of Moscow. Orenburg is also very close to the border with Kazakhsta ...

, graduating in 1965. Antoshkin was promoted to

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

on 29 October 1965. He became a pilot, squadron chief of staff and flight leader in a separate reconnaissance aviation regiment in the

Belorussian Military District , image = Soviet Union Belorussian Military District.svg , image_size = 300px , caption = The territory of the Byelorussian Military District in 1991. , dates = 28 November 1918 – 6 May 1992 , country = (1918–1920) (1920–1991) (1922� ...

. He was promoted to

senior lieutenant Senior lieutenant is a military grade between a lieutenant and a captain, often used by countries from the former Eastern Bloc. It is comparable to first lieutenant. Finland ( sv, premiärlöjtnant) is a Finnish military rank above ( sv, löjt ...

on 6 December 1967. Between 1969 and 1970 he was a flight commander in a separate reconnaissance aviation regiment in the

Far Eastern Military District The Far Eastern Military District (russian: Дальневосточный военный округ; Dalʹnevostochnyĭ voennyĭ okrug) was a military district of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. In 2010 it was merged with the Pacific ...

. He received the rank of

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

on 30 December 1969. Antoshkin graduated from the

Gagarin Air Force Academy Gagarin Air Force Academy () is a Russian military aviation academy located in Monino, Moscow Oblast. The academy prepares high-ranking military personnel for the Russian Air Force. Among the academy alumni are around 700 Heroes of the Soviet ...

in 1973. On 29 June he was promoted to

major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

. He became a squadron commander and deputy commander of a training reconnaissance aviation regiment in the

Odessa Military District The Odesa Military District (russian: Одесский военный округ, ОВО; , abbreviated ) was a military administrative division of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In 1998 most of its territory was transformed into the Southern Operat ...

. Between September 1975 and June 1979 Antoshkin led the 87th Separate Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment in the

Turkestan Military District The Turkestan Military District (russian: Туркестанский военный округ (ТуркВО), ''Turkestansky voyenyi okrug (TurkVO)'') was a military district of both the Imperial Russian Army and the Soviet Armed Forces, with it ...

. He was promoted to

lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

on 19 September 1975. On 22 February 1977, Antoshkin was awarded the

Order for Service to the Homeland in the Armed Forces of the USSR Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of d ...

3rd class. During March 1979 the regiment conducted reconnaissance missions over Afghan territory. In June 1979 he was transferred to command the 11th Separate Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment in the

Group of Soviet Forces in Germany The Western Group of Forces (WGF),. previously known as the Group of Soviet Occupation Forces in Germany (GSOFG). and the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany (GSFG),. were the troops of the Soviet Army in East Germany. The Group of Soviet Occupati ...

. On 27 December, Antoshkin was promoted to

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

. He became commander of the Air Force of the

in May 1980. After graduating from the Military Academy of the General Staff in 1983, Antoshkin was appointed commander of the Air Force of the Central Group of Forces and deputy commander of the group. In March 1985, Antoshkin became chief of staff of the Air Force of the Kyiv Military District. On 29 April, he was promoted to

major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

. Immediately after the

Chernobyl disaster The Chernobyl disaster was a nuclear accident that occurred on 26 April 1986 at the No. 4 reactor in the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, near the city of Pripyat in the north of the Ukrainian SSR in the Soviet Union. It is one of only two nuc ...

, Antoshkin carried out a helicopter flyby of the plant on 26 April 1986. Antoshkin organized and led the helicopter group tasked with dropping sand onto the crater of the reactor until 5 May, by which time the fire had been contained. For his leadership, he was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union and the

Order of Lenin The Order of Lenin (russian: Орден Ленина, Orden Lenina, ), named after the leader of the Russian October Revolution, was established by the Central Executive Committee on April 6, 1930. The order was the highest civilian decoration b ...

on 24 December 1986. In August 1988 he was transferred to become commander of the Air Force of the Central Asian Military District at

Almaty Almaty (; kk, Алматы; ), formerly known as Alma-Ata ( kk, Алма-Ата), is the List of most populous cities in Kazakhstan, largest city in Kazakhstan, with a population of about 2 million. It was the capital of Kazakhstan from 1929 to ...

. In November 1989 he became commander of the Air Force of the

. He was promoted to

lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

on 25 April 1990. On 28 November 1991 he was awarded the

2nd class. From November 1993 to March 1997 Antoshkin led Russian Air Force Frontal aviation. He was promoted to colonel general on 10 June 1994. On 28 August 1995 he received the

Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" The Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" (russian: Орден «За заслуги перед Отечеством», ''Orden "Za zaslugi pered Otechestvom"'') is a state decoration of the Russian Federation. It was instituted on 2 March 1994 by P ...

4th class. In 1996 he was made an honorary citizen of Kumertau. Between November 1997 and September 1998 he was deputy commander of the Air Force for combat training and head of Air Force combat training. Antoshkin became an honorary citizen of Mordovia around this time. He retired in September 1998.

Later life

Antoshkin lived in Moscow. In 2002, he became chairman of the board of the Club of Heroes of the Soviet Union, Heroes of the Russian Federation and Full Cavaliers of the Order of Glory's Moscow chapter. He was awarded the Russian Federation Government Award in 2012 for "significant contributions to the development of the Russian Air Force". On 19 October 2013, he was awarded the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" 3rd class. In 2014, he was elected a deputy of the State Duma for regional group N77, which includes the

Troitsky Administrative Okrug Troitsky Administrative Okrug (russian: Троицкий административный округ) is one of the twelve administrative okrugs of Moscow. The okrug was founded on July 1, 2012. Territorial organisation At the time of form ...

and

Novomoskovsky Administrative Okrug Novomoskovsky Administrative Okrug (russian: Новомосковский административный округ), is one of the twelve administrative okrugs of Moscow. The okrug was created on July 1, 2012. The administrative center ...

. He was a member of the State Duma Committee on Natural Resources, Environment and Ecology.

Personal life

Antoshkin married Tatiana Sergeyevna. His son Sergey was born in 1967 and his daughter Elena was born in 1975.

Death

Antoshkin died in January 2021, after being treated for

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...

during the

COVID-19 pandemic in Russia The COVID-19 pandemic in Russia is part of the ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 () caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (). The virus was confirmed to have spread to Russia on 31 January 2020, when two Ch ...

. An official notice from the State Duma reads: "After a serious illness, our comrade, State Duma deputy, Hero of the Soviet Union Nikolay Timofeyevich Antoshkin passed away".

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Antoshkin, Nikolay 1942 births 2021 deaths People from Bashkortostan Mordvin people Soviet Air Force generals Soviet lieutenant generals Russian Air Force generals Heroes of the Soviet Union Recipients of the Order of Lenin Recipients of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 3rd class Recipients of the Order "For Service to the Homeland in the Armed Forces of the USSR", 2nd class Recipients of the Medal of Zhukov Recipients of the Order of Holy Prince Daniel of Moscow Chernobyl liquidators Russian colonel generals United Russia politicians 21st-century Russian politicians Recipients of the Order of Saint Righteous Grand Duke Dmitry Donskoy, 2nd class Recipients of the Order of Saint Righteous Grand Duke Dmitry Donskoy, 3rd class Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in Russia Sixth convocation members of the State Duma (Russian Federation) Seventh convocation members of the State Duma (Russian Federation)