Georgy Filippovich Baydukov (russian: Гео́ргий Фили́ппович Байдуко́в; – 28 December 1994) 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, ...

test pilot,

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 ...

(1936), writer and hunter.

Early years

Baydukov was born at the Taryshta railway station in the

Tomsk Governorate Tomsk Governorate (russian: Томская губерния) was an administrative division (a '' guberniya'') of the Russian Empire, Russian Republic, Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic located in Siberia from 1804 to 1925 as part ...

of the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War ...

(now

Novosibirsk Oblast Novosibirsk Oblast (russian: Новосиби́рская о́бласть, ''Novosibirskaya oblast'') is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast) located in southwestern Siberia. Its administrative and economic center is the city of Novosibir ...

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...

)Байдуков Георгий Филиппович // Большая Российская Энциклопедия / редколл., гл. ред. Ю. С. Осипов. том 2. М., научное издательство "Большая Российская Энциклопедия", 2005. in family of a railway worker.Байдуков Георгий Филиппович // Советская военная энциклопедия / ред. А. А. Гречко. том 1. М., Воениздат, 1976. стр.367Байдуков Георгий Филиппович // Герои Советского Союза: краткий биографический справочник (в 2-х тт.) / редколл., гл. ред. И. Н. Шкадов. том 1. М., Воениздат, 1987. стр.106 He became an orphan at the age of 9 and was homeless for some time. Baydukov was taken to an orphanage and worked in railway construction for some time. In March 1926 he enlisted in the

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

as a volunteer. In 1926 he graduated from the Leningrad Air Force School. In 1928 he graduated from the Kacha school for military pilotsА. Горохов. Георгий Байдуков: "Хотел бы слетать через полюс" // газета "Правда", № 146 (25133) от 26 мая 1987. стр.6 and served as a fighter pilot from 1928 to 1931.

Test pilot

Georgy Baydukov was transferred to the Air Force's Testing institute and became an aircraft

test pilot A test pilot is an aircraft pilot with additional training to fly and evaluate experimental, newly produced and modified aircraft with specific maneuvers, known as flight test techniques.Stinton, Darrol. ''Flying Qualities and Flight Testin ...

in 1931. He tested a number of fighter planes from 1931 to 1934 and was instrumental in developing

instrument flight rules In aviation, instrument flight rules (IFR) is one of two sets of regulations governing all aspects of civil aviation aircraft operations; the other is visual flight rules (VFR). The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) ''Instrument F ...

for the Soviet Air Force.

Ultra-long distance flights

Georgy Baydukov became a student at the Air Force Academy in 1934. During that time, he became involved with a number of ultra-long-distance flights conducted by the Soviet Union. He tried to reach

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17t ...

flying from

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

via the

North Pole The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is the point in the Northern Hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface. It is called the True North Pole to distinguish from the Ma ...

in August 1935 as a member of Levanevsky's crew, flying the ANT-25. The flight was terminated because of technical problems.полковник В. Пинчук. Через полюс - в Америку // газета " Красная звезда" от 26 мая 1986. стр.4 �нтервью с Г. Ф. Байдуковым/ref> Baydukov continued to participate in the testing of the ANT-25 from 1935 to 1936. He was a member of the Communist Party from 1936.Байдуков Георг. Фил. (р. 1907) // Большой энциклопедический словарь (в 2-х тт.). / редколл., гл. ред. А. М. Прохоров. том 1. М., "Советская энциклопедия", 1991. стр.97

Valery Chkalov Valery Pavlovich Chkalov ( rus, Валерий Павлович Чкалов, p=vɐˈlʲerʲɪj ˈpavləvʲɪtɕ ˈtɕkaləf; – 15 December 1938) was a test pilot awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union (1936). Early life Chkalov was bo ...

, Georgy Baydukov and Alexander Belyakov flew an improved ANT-25 via the

to Udd Island, in the

Sea of Okhotsk The Sea of Okhotsk ( rus, Охо́тское мо́ре, Ohótskoye móre ; ja, オホーツク海, Ohōtsuku-kai) is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean. It is located between Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula on the east, the Kuril Islands ...

(distance 9,374 km, flight time 56 h 20 min) from July 20, 1936, to July 22, 1936. Georgy Baydukov was awarded the title of

for this deed on July 24, 1936. The same crew an ANT-25 from

Vancouver, Washington Vancouver is a city on the north bank of the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington, located in Clark County. Incorporated in 1857, Vancouver has a population of 190,915 as of the 2020 census, making it the fourth-largest city in Was ...

via the

from June 18, 1937, to June 20, 1937 (distance 8,504 km). Georgy Baydukov resumed his work as a test pilot in 1937. He tested

PE-2 The Petlyakov Pe-2 (russian: Петляков Пе-2) was a Soviet twin-engine dive bomber used during World War II. One of the outstanding tactical attack aircraft of the war,Ethell 1996, p. 152. it also proved successful as a heavy fighter, as ...

and SB bombers, and also participated in tests of the DB-A bomber.

During the Second World War

In 1939–1940, Baydukov participated in the

Soviet-Finnish War The Winter War,, sv, Vinterkriget, rus, Зи́мняя война́, r=Zimnyaya voyna. The names Soviet–Finnish War 1939–1940 (russian: link=no, Сове́тско-финская война́ 1939–1940) and Soviet–Finland War 1 ...

. He served in 85th Bomber Regiment. In August 1941, Baydukov was sent to meet with

US president The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...

Franklin D. Roosevelt to secure the purchase of warplanes. He managed to arrange the sale of several P-39 Airacobra fighter planes to the Soviet Union. He returned to the front lines in January 1942. Baydukov served as deputy commander of the 31st Mixed Aviation Division from December 1941. In February, he became commander of the Division. In March 1942, he became commander of the Air Force of the 4th Shock Army. In May 1942, Baydukov was appointed commander of the 211th Mixed Aviation Division. In June 1942, he became commander of the 212th Assault Aviation Division. In May 1943, the Division became the 4th Guards Assault Aviation Division. In January 1944, Baydukov became commander of the 4th Assault Aviation Corps.

Post-War years

In December 1945, Baydukov became deputy commander of the 13th Air Army. In July 1946, he became deputy head of the State Red Banner Air Force Research and Testing Institute for flight testing. Baydukov participated in the

Tupolev Tu-70 The Tupolev Tu-70 (russian: Туполев Ту-70; NATO reporting name: Cart) was a Soviet passenger variant of the Tu-4 bomber (which was reverse-engineered from the American Boeing B-29 Superfortress) and designed immediately after the end of ...

tests in fall 1947. From December 1947 until December 1949, he was a head of the Main Department of the

Civil Air Fleet PJSC AeroflotRussian Airlines (russian: ПАО "Аэрофло́т — Росси́йские авиали́нии", ), commonly known as Aeroflot ( or ; russian: Аэрофлот, , ), is the flag carrier and the largest airline of Russia. The ...

(GVF). In September 1949, Baydukov entered the Higher Military Academy, graduating in December 1951. Baydukov was a colonel-general of aviation from May 1961. In the 1980s, he was a consultant of the Ministry of Defense. Georgy Baydukov served with the Soviet Air Force in various capacities until May 1988, when he retired with the rank of

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 ...

Honours and awards

USSR

(July 1936) * Two

Orders 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 ...

(July 1936, November 1950) *

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 ...

(December 1972) * Four

Orders 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 ...

Order of Kutuzov The Order of Kutuzov (russian: орден Кутузова ''orden Kutuzova'') is a military decoration of the Russian Federation named after famous Russian Field Marshal Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov (1745–1813). The Order was established ...

1st class (May 1945) * Two Orders of Suvorov 2nd class (1944, 1944) *

2nd class (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 *

2nd class *

Order of the Red Banner of Labour The Order of the Red Banner of Labour (russian: Орден Трудового Красного Знамени, translit=Orden Trudovogo Krasnogo Znameni) was an order of the Soviet Union established to honour great deeds and services to th ...

(May 1977) * Four Orders of the Red Star *

Order for Service to the Homeland 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 ...

1st, 2nd, and 3rd class * campaign and jubilee medals :*

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 ...

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 dec ...

:* Medal "Veteran of the Armed Forces of the USSR" *

USSR State Prize The USSR State Prize (russian: links=no, Государственная премия СССР, Gosudarstvennaya premiya SSSR) was the Soviet Union's state honor. It was established on 9 September 1966. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, t ...

(1970) *

honorary citizen Honorary citizenship is a status bestowed by a city or other government on a foreign or native individual whom it considers to be especially admirable or otherwise worthy of the distinction. The honour usually is symbolic and does not confer an ...

Nikolayevsk-on-Amur Nikolayevsk-on-Amur (russian: Никола́евск-на-Аму́ре, translit=Nikoláyevsk-na-Amúrye) is a town in Khabarovsk Krai, Russia located on the Amur River close to its liman in the Pacific Ocean. Population: Geography The town is ...

(since August 1981)

Russian Federation

Order of Friendship The Order of Friendship (russian: Орден Дружбы, ') is a state decoration of the Russian Federation established by Boris Yeltsin by presidential decree 442 of 2 March 1994 to reward Russian and foreign nationals whose work, deeds ...

(April 1994)

Foreign awards

Officer of the Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. The decoration is issued to members of the eight ...

(USA) *

Army Distinguished Service Medal The Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) is a military decoration of the United States Army that is presented to soldiers who have distinguished themselves by exceptionally meritorious service to the government in a duty of great responsibility. Th ...

(USA) * Distinguished Flying Cross (USA) * Medal for Odra, Nisso and the Baltic (Poland) * Medal for Warsaw (Poland) * Order of the Grunwald Cross 2nd class (

Polish People's Republic The Polish People's Republic ( pl, Polska Rzeczpospolita Ludowa, PRL) was a country in Central Europe that existed from 1947 to 1989 as the predecessor of the modern Republic of Poland. With a population of approximately 37.9 million ne ...

, 1946) *

Order of Polonia Restituta The Order of Polonia Restituta ( pl, Order Odrodzenia Polski, en, Order of Restored Poland) is a Polish state order established 4 February 1921. It is conferred on both military and civilians as well as on foreigners for outstanding achievemen ...

2nd and 3rd classes (Poland) * Order of Sukhbaatar (Mongolia) *

Order of the Red Banner (Mongolia) The Order of the Red Banner ( mn, «Цэргийн гавьяаны улаан туг» одон) is a military decoration of Mongolia, originally established as the "Order for Military Merit" of the People's Republic of Mongolia. The medal has be ...

* Czechoslovak War Cross (Czechoslovakia) *

Order of the White Lion The Order of the White Lion ( cs, Řád Bílého lva) is the highest order of the Czech Republic. It continues a Czechoslovak order of the same name created in 1922 as an award for foreigners (Czechoslovakia had no civilian decoration for its ...

1st class (Czechoslovakia) *

1st class For Victory

References

External links