Vasily Vasilyevich Reshetnikov (russian: Василий Васильевич Решетников; 23 December 1919 – 20 March 2023) was a

Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

pilot who served during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. Reshetnikov flew 307 missions, mainly as a pilot of a long-range bomber, and in the summer of 1943, received the title of

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 ...

. After World War II, he was named commander of an Aviation Division, Air Corps. Reshetnikov was subsequently promoted to Colonel General and took command of the

Long-Range Aviation Long-Range Aviation ( rus, Авиация Дальнего Действия, r=Aviatsiya dal'nego deystviya, abbr. to AДД, or ADD, and literally ''Aviation of Distant Action'') is a branch of the Russian Aerospace Forces responsible for delive ...

branch from 1969 to 1980 and was made Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force of the Soviet Union from 1980 to 1986.

Early life

Reshetnikov was born on 23 December 1919 in the city of

Katerynoslav Dnipro, previously called Dnipropetrovsk from 1926 until May 2016, is Ukraine's fourth-largest city, with about one million inhabitants. It is located in the eastern part of Ukraine, southeast of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on the Dnieper Rive ...

, to a family of hereditary artists and icon painters. His uncle was artist

Fyodor Pavlovich Reshetnikov Fyodor Pavlovich Reshetnikov (russian: Фёдор Павлович Решетников) ( – December 13, 1988) was a prominent Soviet painter. A preeminent practitioner of "socialist realism", Reshetnikov was recognized by the government fo ...

. In 1936, at the call from the

Komsomol The All-Union Leninist Young Communist League (russian: link=no, Всесоюзный ленинский коммунистический союз молодёжи (ВЛКСМ), ), usually known as Komsomol (; russian: Комсомол, links=n ...

, he joined the

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, after ...

. He graduated from the Voroshilovgrad Military Aviation School named after the Proletariat of Donbass in 1938. After graduation, he began serving in long-range aviation of the

Soviet Air Forces The Soviet Air Forces ( rus, Военно-воздушные силы, r=Voyenno-vozdushnyye sily, VVS; literally "Military Air Forces") were one of the air forces of the Soviet Union. The other was the Soviet Air Defence Forces. The Air Forces ...

World War II

Following the outbreak of

Operation Barbarossa Operation Barbarossa (german: link=no, Unternehmen Barbarossa; ) was the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany and many of its Axis allies, starting on Sunday, 22 June 1941, during the Second World War. The operation, code-named after ...

in June 1941, he served in the 751st Separate Night Long-Range Bomber Regiment, which was tasked with striking at targets in the enemy's deep rear, while flying an

Ilyushin Il-4 The Ilyushin Il-4 (DB-3F) (russian: Ильюшин Ил-4 (ДБ-3Ф)) was a Soviet twin-engined long-range bomber and torpedo bomber, widely used by the Soviet Air Force and Soviet Naval Aviation during World War II. Design and development In 19 ...

bomber. He became a member of the

Communist Party of the Soviet Union "Hymn of the Bolshevik Party" , headquarters = 4 Staraya Square, Moscow , general_secretary = Vladimir Lenin (first) Mikhail Gorbachev (last) , founded = , banned = , founder = Vladimir Lenin , newspaper ...

in 1942. At the end of May 1942, he took part in the bombing of a German command post in Angerburg. He also participated in the long-range bombing of

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

on the night of 10 September 1942. He served as the squadron commander of the 19th Guards Long-Range Aviation Regiment, 8th Guards Long-Range Bomber Aviation Division and the 2nd Guards Long-Range Aviation Bomber Corps. On 27 July 1943, Reshetnikov was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union by the decree of the

Presidium of the Supreme Soviet The Presidium of the Supreme Soviet (russian: Президиум Верховного Совета, Prezidium Verkhovnogo Soveta) was a body of state power in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).Balbasovo Airfield near

Orsha Orsha ( be, О́рша, Во́рша, Orša, Vorša; russian: О́рша ; lt, Orša, pl, Orsza) is a city in Belarus in the Vitebsk Region, on the fork of the Dnieper and Arshytsa rivers. History Orsha was first mentioned in 1067 as Rsha ...

. When he was shot down the second time, it took more than a week for him to get out of the enemy's rear. In 1943, he took part in the liberation of his hometown from the German invaders. Reshetnikov completed his 307th and last combat mission on 16 April 1945. He ended the war as deputy regiment commander.

Post war

After the war, he was sent to study, and in 1946 he graduated from the accelerated course of the Air Force Academy in Monino. In the summer of 1946, he returned to the 183rd Guard Bomber Regiment in

Uzyn Uzyn () is a city in Bila Tserkva Raion of Kyiv Oblast (province) of northern Ukraine. It hosts the administration of Uzyn urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. The city and covers an area of . Population: . The largest industrial organi ...

, and was appointed its commander after replacing regiment commander A. Shaposhnikov, who in the early years of the war helped him master the skill of night flying. He commanded the regiment for 8 years. From January 1951 to December 1954, he served as commander of the 185th Guard Bomber Regiment in

Poltava Poltava (, ; uk, Полтава ) is a city located on the Vorskla River in central Ukraine. It is the capital city of the Poltava Oblast (province) and of the surrounding Poltava Raion (district) of the oblast. Poltava is administratively ...

. In 1954, at his own request and with the support of the Commander of Long-Range Aviation,

Chief Marshal of Aviation Chief marshal of the branch (russian: Главный маршал рода войск, Glavny marshal roda voysk) was a senior military rank of the Soviet Armed Forces. It was immediately above the rank of Marshal of the branch. Both ranks were ...

Alexander Novikov Alexander Alexandrovich Novikov (russian: link=no, Алекса́ндр Алекса́ндрович Но́виков; – 3 December 1976) was the chief marshal of aviation for the Soviet Air Force during the Soviet Union's involvement in th ...

, he became a student of the Higher Military Academy named after K. E. Voroshilov. He graduated from the academy in 1956, and was appointed to the position of division commander. In the spring of 1959, he set a new unofficial world record for the flight range of 17,150 kilometers within closed curve, surpassing the American record by 2,700 kilometers. He spent 20 hours at the helm. He became the deputy commander, and from December 1957 to December 1960, he was the commander of the 106th Heavy Air Bomber Division in Uzyn, which consisted of

Tu-95 The Tupolev Tu-95 (russian: Туполев Ту-95; NATO reporting name: "Bear") is a large, four-engine turboprop-powered strategic bomber and missile platform. First flown in 1952, the Tu-95 entered service with the Long-Range Aviation of the ...

strategic bombers. From 1960 to 1961, he served as deputy commander, and from June 1961 to September 1968, he served as commander of the 2nd Independent Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment in

Vinnytsia Vinnytsia ( ; uk, Вінниця, ; yi, װיניצע) is a city in west-central Ukraine, located on the banks of the Southern Bug. It is the administrative center of Vinnytsia Oblast and the largest city in the historic region of Podillia. A ...

. From the years 1966 to 1971, he was a member of the

Communist Party of Ukraine The Communist Party of Ukraine, Abbreviation: KPU, from Ukrainian and Russian "" is a banned political party in Ukraine. It was founded in 1993 as the successor to the Soviet-era Communist Party of Ukraine which was banned in 1991 (accord ...

Audit Committee, and from 1963 to 1971 a deputy to the Supreme Council of the

Ukrainian SSR The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic ( uk, Украї́нська Радя́нська Соціалісти́чна Респу́бліка, ; russian: Украи́нская Сове́тская Социалисти́ческая Респ ...

for the 6th and 7th terms. From September 1968 to January 1969, he was the deputy commander, and from January 1969 to November 1980, he was the commander of the USSR Long Range Aviation branch. From 1980 to 1986, he served as deputy commander-in-chief of the Soviet Air Force. He retired from active duty in 1986.

Later life

After his retirement, Reshetnikov lived in Monino. For more than 30 years, he actively participated in the Council of Veterans of Long-Range Aviation. For 10 years, he served as the chairman of this council and then as its honorary chairman. In 2003, at the age of 83, he flew a North American B-25 Mitchell bomber at the Monino Air Show. The aircraft was flown from

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

, by an Austrian pilot. Reshetnikov turned 100 in December 2019. As of July 2021, he was the last of the living Heroes of the Soviet Union who flew the Il-4. He died on 20 March 2023, at the age of 103. He was buried with

military honours A military funeral is a memorial or burial rite given by a country's military for a soldier, sailor, marine or airman who died in battle, a veteran, or other prominent military figures or heads of state. A military funeral may feature guards ...

at the Federal Military Memorial Cemetery's Pantheon of Defenders of the Fatherland on 23 March 2023.

Dates of ranks

Junior lieutenant Junior lieutenant is a junior officer rank in several countries, equivalent to Sub-lieutenant. Germany In the National People's Army, the rank of () was introduced in 1956. Eastern Europe In many Eastern European countries, the rank of junior l ...

: 12 December 1938 *

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 ...

: 13 April 1942 *

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 ...

: 6 August 1942 *

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 ...

: 10 March 1943 *

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 ...

: 28 February 1944 *

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 ...

: 6 April 1945 *

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 ...

: 3 October 1953 *

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 ...

: 25 May 1959 *

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 ...

: 13 April 1964 *

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 ...

: 29 April 1970

Awards and honors

;USSR *

(27 July 1943) *

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 ...

, thrice (31 December 1942, 27 July 1943, 22 February 1955) *

Order of the October Revolution The Order of the October Revolution (russian: Орден Октябрьской Революции, ''Orden Oktyabr'skoy Revolyutsii'') was instituted on October 31, 1967, in time for the 50th anniversary of the October Revolution. It was conferr ...

(8 January 1980) *

Order of the Red Banner The Order of the Red Banner (russian: Орден Красного Знамени, Orden Krasnogo Znameni) was the first Soviet military decoration. The Order was established on 16 September 1918, during the Russian Civil War by decree of th ...

, thrice (28 April 1944, 10 December 1956, 22 February 1968) * Order of Alexander Nevsky (6 April 1945) *

Order of the Patriotic War The Order of the Patriotic War (russian: Орден Отечественной войны, Orden Otechestvennoy voiny) is a Soviet military decoration that was awarded to all soldiers in the Soviet armed forces, security troops, and to partisan ...

, 1st class (11 March 1985) *

Order of the Red Star The Order of the Red Star (russian: Орден Красной Звезды, Orden Krasnoy Zvezdy) was a military decoration of the Soviet Union. It was established by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of 6 April 193 ...

, twice (29 March 1942, 19 November 1951) * Order "For Service to the Homeland in the Armed Forces of the USSR", 3rd class (30 April 1975) *

Medal "For Battle Merit" The Medal "For Battle Merit" (russian: Медаль «За боевые заслуги») was a Soviet military medal awarded for " combat action resulting in a military success", "courageous defense of the state borders", or "successful military ...

Medal "For the Defence of Moscow" The Medal "For the Defence of Moscow" (russian: Медаль «За оборону Москвы») was a World War II campaign medal of the Soviet Union awarded to military and civilians who had participated in the Battle of Moscow. History T ...

(1 May 1944) * Medal "For the Defence of Leningrad" (22 December 1942) *

Medal "For the Defence of Stalingrad" The Medal "For the Defence of Stalingrad" (russian: Медаль «За оборону Сталинграда») was a World War II campaign medal of the Soviet Union. Medal history The Medal "For the Defence of Stalingrad" was established on ...

(22 December 1942) *

Medal "For the Capture of Budapest" The Medal "For the Capture of Budapest" (russian: Медаль «За взятие Будапешта») was a World War II campaign medal of the Soviet Union established on 9 June 1945 by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR ...

(9 June 1945) *

Medal "For the Capture of Königsberg" The Medal "For the Capture of Königsberg" (russian: Медаль «За взятие Кёнигсберга») was a World War II campaign medal of the Soviet Union established on June 9, 1945 by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of t ...

(9 June 1945) *

Medal "For the Capture of Berlin" The Medal "For the Capture of Berlin" (russian: Медаль «За взятие Берлина») was a World War II campaign medal of the Soviet Union established on June 9, 1945 by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR to s ...

(9 June 1945) *

Medal "For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" The Medal "For the Victory Over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" (russian: Медаль «За победу над Германией в Великой Отечественной войне 1941—1945 гг.») was a military de ...

(9 May 1945) * Jubilee Medal "Twenty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" (1965) * Jubilee Medal "Thirty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" (1975) *

Jubilee Medal "Forty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" The Jubilee Medal "Forty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" (russian: Юбилейная медаль «Сорок лет Победы в Великой Отечественной войне 1941—1945 гг.») was a s ...

(1985) * Jubilee Medal "In Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the Birth of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin" (1969) *

Jubilee Medal "30 Years of the Soviet Army and Navy" The Jubilee Medal "30 Years of the Soviet Army and Navy" (russian: Юбилейная медаль «30 лет Советской Армии и Флота») was a state military commemorative medal of the Soviet Union established on February 22 ...

(1948) *

Jubilee Medal "40 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR" The Jubilee Medal "40 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR" (russian: Юбилейная медаль «40 лет Вооружённых Сил СССР») was a state military commemorative medal of the Soviet Union established on December 18, ...

(1958) * Jubilee Medal "50 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR" (1968) *

Jubilee Medal "60 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR" The Jubilee Medal "60 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR" (russian: Юбилейная медаль «60 лет Вооружённых Сил СССР») was a state military commemorative medal of the Soviet Union established and bestowed to m ...

(1978) * Jubilee Medal "70 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR" (1988) *

Medal "Veteran of the Armed Forces of the USSR" The Medal "Veteran of the Armed Forces of the USSR" (russian: Медаль «Ветеран Вооружённых Сил СССР») was a long service award of the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union established on May 20, 1976 by decree of the P ...

(1976) * Medal "For Strengthening of Brotherhood in Arms" *

Medal "In Commemoration of the 250th Anniversary of Leningrad" The Medal "In Commemoration of the 250th Anniversary of Leningrad" (russian: Медаль «В память 250-летия Ленинграда») was a state commemorative medal of the Soviet Union established by decree of the Presidium of the ...

(1957) ;Russia *

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 ...

, IV class (22 December 1999) * Order of Honour (12 April 2010) *

Medal of Zhukov The Medal of Zhukov (russian: медаль Жукова) is a state award of the Russian Federation initially awarded to veterans of the Great Patriotic War but now awarded to serving members of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. It is ...

Jubilee Medal "50 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" The Jubilee Medal "50 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" (russian: Юбилейная медаль «50 лет Победы в Великой Отечественной войне 1941–1945 гг.») is a state commemorativ ...

(1993) *

Jubilee Medal "60 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" The Jubilee Medal "60 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" (Russian: Юбилейная медаль «60 лет Победы в Великой Отечественной войне 1941–1945 гг.») is a state commemorativ ...

(2004) * Jubilee Medal "65 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" (2009) *

Jubilee Medal "70 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" The Jubilee Medal "70 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" (russian: Юбилейная медаль «70 лет Победы в Великой Отечественной войне 1941–1945 гг.») is a state commemorativ ...

(2013) * Jubilee Medal "75 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" (2019) * Jubilee Medal "300 Years of the Russian Navy" (1996) * Medal "In Commemoration of the 850th Anniversary of Moscow" (1997) * Prize of the Government of the Russian Federation for significant contribution to the development of the Air Force (17 December 2012) ;Foreign *

Order of 9 September 1944 The Order of 9 September 1944 was an Order of Merit of the Kingdom of Bulgaria from 1945 to 1946, and of the People's Republic of Bulgaria from 1946 to 1990. It commemorated the Bulgarian coup d'état of 1944 Bulgarian may refer to: * Something ...

, 1st class (

Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...

) * Order of Military Merit (

Mongolia Mongolia; Mongolian script: , , ; lit. "Mongol Nation" or "State of Mongolia" () is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south. It covers an area of , with a population of just 3.3 million, ...

) * Officer's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta (

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...

)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Reshetnikov, Vasily 1919 births 2023 deaths Military personnel from Dnipro Communist Party of the Soviet Union members Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union alumni Heroes of the Soviet Union Recipients of the Medal of Zhukov Recipients of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 4th class Recipients of the Order "For Service to the Homeland in the Armed Forces of the USSR", 3rd class Recipients of the Order of Alexander Nevsky Recipients of the Order of Honour (Russia) Recipients of the Order of Lenin Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner Recipients of the Order of the Red Star Officers of the Order of Polonia Restituta Recipients of the Patriotic Order of Merit in gold Men centenarians Russian centenarians Russian memoirists Soviet Air Force generals Soviet aviators Soviet colonel generals Soviet World War II pilots Shot-down aviators Burials at the Federal Military Memorial Cemetery