An excerpt characterizing Kozhedub, Ivan Nikitovich

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This letter had not yet been submitted to the emperor, when Barclay conveyed to Bolkonsky at dinner that the emperor personally wanted to see Prince Andrey in order to ask him about Turkey, and that Prince Andrey had to appear at Bennigsen's apartment at six o'clock in the evening.
On the same day, in the apartment of the sovereign, news was received about Napoleon's new movement, which could be dangerous for the army - news that later turned out to be unfair. And on the same morning, Colonel Michaud, circling the fortifications of Drissa with the sovereign, argued to the sovereign that this fortified camp, set up by Pful and still considered a chef d "? Uvr" of tactics, was supposed to destroy Napoleon - that this camp was absurdity and destruction Russian army.
Prince Andrew arrived at the apartment of General Bennigsen, who occupied a small manor house on the very bank of the river. Neither Bennigsen nor the sovereign was there, but Chernyshev, the sovereign's aide-de-camp, received Bolkonsky and announced to him that the sovereign had gone with General Bennigsen and the Marquis Paulucci another time this day to bypass the fortifications of the Drissa camp, the convenience of which was beginning to be strongly doubted.
Chernyshev was sitting with a book of a French novel at the window of the first room. This room was probably formerly a hall; there was still an organ in it, on which some carpets were piled, and in one corner stood the folding bed of Bennigsen's adjutant. This adjutant was here. He, evidently tormented by a feast or business, sat on a rolled-up bed and dozed. Two doors led from the hall: one directly into the former living room, the other to the right into the study. From the first door, voices were heard speaking in German and occasionally in French. There, in the former drawing-room, were gathered, at the request of the sovereign, not a council of war (the sovereign loved uncertainty), but some persons whom he wished to know about the upcoming difficulties. It was not a council of war, but like a council of the elect to clarify certain issues for the sovereign personally. To this half-council were invited: Swedish General Armfeld, Adjutant General Wolzogen, Winzingerode, whom Napoleon called a fugitive French subject, Michaud, Toll, not a military man at all - Count Stein and, finally, Pful himself, who, as Prince Andrew heard, was la cheville ouvriere [the basis] of the whole business. Prince Andrey had the opportunity to examine him well, since Pful arrived shortly after him and walked into the drawing-room, stopping for a minute to talk to Chernyshev.
Pful at first glance, in his Russian general's badly sewn uniform, which was sitting on it awkwardly, as if dressed, seemed to Prince Andrei as if familiar, although he had never seen him. It included Weyrother, Mack, and Schmidt, and many other German theoreticians of generals whom Prince Andrew managed to see in 1805; but he was more typical of all of them. Prince Andrew had never seen such a German theoretician, who united in himself everything that was in those Germans.
Pful was short, very thin, but broad-boned, of a rough, healthy build, with a wide pelvis and bony shoulder blades. His face was very wrinkled, with deeply inserted eyes. His hair in front of the temples, obviously, was hastily smoothed with a brush, from behind it naively protruded with tassels. He, restlessly and angrily looking around, entered the room, as if he was afraid of everything in the big room where he entered. Holding his sword with an awkward movement, he turned to Chernyshev, asking in German where the sovereign was. He evidently wanted to go through the rooms as soon as possible, finish the bows and greetings and sit down to work in front of the map, where he felt at home. He hastily nodded his head at the words of Chernyshev and smiled ironically, listening to his words that the sovereign was examining the fortifications that he, Pful himself, had laid according to his theory. He's something bassist and cool, as self-confident Germans say, grumbled to himself: Dummkopf ... or: zu Grunde die ganze Geschichte ... or: s "wird was gescheites d" raus werden ... [nonsense ... to hell with the whole thing ... (German) ] Prince Andrey did not hear and wanted to go through, but Chernyshev introduced Prince Andrey to Pful, noting that Prince Andrey had come from Turkey, where the war had ended so happily. Pful slightly glanced not so much at Prince Andrew as through him, and said laughing: "Da muss ein schoner taktischcr Krieg gewesen sein." ["That must have been the right tactical war." (German)] - And, laughing contemptuously, went into the room, from which voices were heard.
It can be seen that Pful, already always ready for ironic irritation, was now especially excited by the fact that they dared to inspect his camp and judge him without him. From this short meeting with Pful, Prince Andrew, thanks to his Austerlitz memories, compiled a clear characterization of this man. Pful was one of those hopelessly, unchanging, before the martyrdom of self-confident people that only Germans are, and precisely because only Germans are self-confident on the basis of an abstract idea - science, that is, an imaginary knowledge of perfect truth. A Frenchman is self-confident because he reveres himself personally, both in mind and in body, irresistibly charming for both men and women. The Englishman is self-confident on the grounds that he is a citizen of the most comfortable state in the world, and therefore, as an Englishman, he always knows what he needs to do, and knows that everything he does as an Englishman is undoubtedly good. An Italian is self-confident because he is agitated and easily forgets himself and others. The Russian is self-confident precisely because he does not know anything and does not want to know, because he does not believe that one could fully know anything. The German is the most self-confident of all, and the hardest of all, and the most disgusting of all, because he imagines that he knows the truth, a science that he himself invented, but which for him is absolute truth. Such, obviously, was Pful. He had science - the theory of the oblique movement, deduced by him from the history of the wars of Frederick the Great, and everything that he met in recent history wars of Frederick the Great, and everything that he met in modern military history seemed to him nonsense, barbarism, an ugly clash, in which so many mistakes were made on both sides that these wars could not be called wars: they did not fit the theory and did not could serve as a subject of science.
In 1806, Pful was one of the drafters of the plan for the war that ended with Jena and Auerstet; but in the outcome of this war he did not see the slightest proof of the incorrectness of his theory. On the contrary, the deviations from his theory, in his opinion, were the only reason for all the failure, and he said with his characteristic joyful irony: "Ich sagte ja, daji die ganze Geschichte zum Teufel gehen wird." [After all, I said that the whole thing would go to hell (German)] Pful was one of those theoreticians who love their theory so much that they forget the purpose of theory - its application to practice; in love with theory, he hated all practice and did not want to know it. He even rejoiced at the failure, because the failure that resulted from deviating from theory in practice proved to him only the validity of his theory.
He said a few words with Prince Andrey and Chernyshev about a real war with the expression of a man who knows ahead of time that everything will be bad and that he is not even dissatisfied with it. The unkempt tassels of hair sticking out at the back of the head and hastily slicked down temples especially eloquently confirmed this.
He went into another room, and from there the bass and grumbling sounds of his voice were immediately heard.

Before Prince Andrey had time to see Pful with his eyes, Count Bennigsen hurriedly entered the room and, nodding his head to Bolkonsky, without stopping, walked into the office, giving some orders to his adjutant. The Emperor followed him, and Bennigsen hurried forward to prepare something and have time to meet the Emperor. Chernyshev and Prince Andrey went out onto the porch. The Emperor dismounted from his horse with a tired look. The Marquis Paulucci said something to the Emperor. The Emperor, bowing his head to the left, listened with an air of displeasure to Paulucci, who spoke with particular fervor. The Emperor moved forward, apparently wanting to end the conversation, but the flushed, agitated Italian, forgetting propriety, followed him, continuing to speak:
- Quant a celui qui a conseille ce camp, le camp de Drissa, [As for the one who advised the Driss camp,] - Paulucci said, while the sovereign, entering the steps and noticing Prince Andrew, peered into an unfamiliar face ...
- Quant a celui. Sire, - continued Paulucci desperately, as if he could not resist, - qui a conseille le camp de Drissa, je ne vois pas d "autre alternative que la maison jaune ou le gibet. [As for, sir, before that man , who advised the camp at Drysey, then, in my opinion, there are only two places for him: a yellow house or a gallows.] - Without listening to the end and as if not hearing the words of the Italian, the emperor, recognizing Bolkonsky, kindly turned to him:
- I am very glad to see you, go to where they are gathered and wait for me. - The sovereign went into the office. Prince Pyotr Mikhailovich Volkonsky, Baron Stein, followed him, and the doors closed behind them. Prince Andrew, taking advantage of the Tsar's permission, went with Paulucci, whom he knew back in Turkey, into the drawing-room, where the council was meeting.
Prince Peter Mikhailovich Volkonsky served as the chief of staff of the sovereign. Volkonsky left the office and, bringing the cards into the drawing room and spreading them out on the table, he handed over the questions to which he wished to hear the opinion of the assembled gentlemen. The fact was that on the night news was received (which later turned out to be false) about the movement of the French around the Drissa camp.
The first one began to speak, General Armfeld, unexpectedly, in order to avoid the presented difficulty, proposing a completely new, by nothing (except the desire to show that he could also have an opinion), inexplicable position aside from the Petersburg and Moscow roads, on which, in his opinion, the army had, having united, await the enemy. It was evident that this plan had long been drawn up by Armfeld and that he now laid it out not so much with the aim of answering the proposed questions to which this plan did not answer, but with the aim of taking advantage of the opportunity to express it. It was one of the millions of assumptions that could be made, as well as others, without knowing what character the war would take. Some challenged his opinion, some defended him. The young Colonel Toll, hotter than others, disputed the opinion of the Swedish general, and during the dispute he took out a written notebook from his side pocket, which he asked permission to read. In a lengthy note, Toll proposed another - completely contrary to both Armfeld's and Pfuel's plans - a campaign plan. Paulucci, opposing Tol, proposed a plan for moving forward and attacking, which alone, he said, could lead us out of the unknown and the trap, as he called the Drissa camp, in which we were. Pful during these disputes and his translator Wolzogen (his bridge in the court relation) were silent. Pful only snorted and turned away, showing that he would never humiliate himself to protest against the rubbish he now hears. But when Prince Volkonsky, who was in charge of the debate, summoned him to express his opinion, he only said:
- What should I ask? General Armfeld proposed an excellent position with an open rear. Or the attack of von diesem italienischen Herrn, sehr schon! [this Italian gentleman, very good! (German)] Or retreat. Auch gut. [Also good (German)] Why ask me? - he said. “After all, you yourself know everything better than me. - But when Volkonsky, frowning, said that he was asking his opinion on behalf of the sovereign, Pful stood up and, suddenly animated, began to say:
- They ruined everything, confused everything, everyone wanted to know better than me, and now they came to me: how to fix it? There is nothing to correct. We must do everything exactly on the grounds I have outlined, ”he said, knocking his bony fingers on the table. - What's the difficulty? Nonsense, Kinder spiel. [children's toys (German)] - He went to the map and began to speak quickly, poking a dry finger on the map and proving that no chance can change the expediency of the Drissa camp, that everything is foreseen and that if the enemy really goes around, then the enemy must inevitably be destroyed.
Paulucci, who did not know German, began to ask him in French. Wolzogen came to the aid of his principal, who spoke poor French, and began to translate his words, barely keeping up with Pful, who quickly argued that everything, everything, not only what happened, but everything that could happen, everything was foreseen in his plan, and that if there were now difficulties, then the only fault was that not everything was fulfilled exactly. He incessantly laughed ironically, argued, and finally, contemptuously abandoned proving, as a mathematician abandons believing different ways once proven fidelity to the task. Wolzogen replaced him, continuing to expound his thoughts in French and occasionally saying to Pfuel: "Nicht wahr, Exellenz?" [Isn't it, your excellency? (German)] Pful, as in battle a heated man strikes his own people, angrily shouted at Wolzogen:
- Nun ja, was soll denn da noch expliziert werden? [Well, yes, what else is there to interpret? (German)] - Paulucci and Michaud attacked Wolzogen in French in two voices. Armfeld spoke to Pfuel in German. Tol explained in Russian to Prince Volkonsky. Prince Andrew listened and watched in silence.
Of all these persons, the embittered, decisive and stupidly self-confident Pful was the most excited to take part in Prince Andrei. He was one of all those present here, obviously, did not want anything for himself, did not harbor enmity to anyone, and only wanted one thing - to put into action a plan drawn up according to the theory he had developed over the years. He was funny, he was unpleasant for his irony, but at the same time he inspired an involuntary respect for his boundless devotion to the idea. In addition, in all the speeches of all the speakers, with the exception of Pful, one common feature, which was not at the council of war in 1805 - it was now, although hidden, but panic fear of the genius of Napoleon, a fear that was expressed in every objection. They assumed everything possible for Napoleon, waited for him from all sides and by his terrible name destroyed the assumptions of each other. One Pful, it seemed, and he, Napoleon, was considered the same barbarian, like all opponents of his theory. But, in addition to a sense of respect, Pful inspired Prince Andrew with a sense of pity. From the tone with which the courtiers treated him, from what Pauluchi allowed himself to say to the emperor, but most importantly, from a somewhat desperate expression of Pful himself, it was clear that others knew and he himself felt that his fall was near. And, despite his self-confidence and German grumpy irony, he was pathetic with his slicked hair at the temples and tassels sticking out at the back of his head. Apparently, although he was hiding it under the guise of irritation and contempt, he was in despair because the only chance now to test on vast experience and prove to the whole world the correctness of his theory eluded him.
The debate went on for a long time, and the longer it went on, the more disputes flared up, reaching shouts and personalities, and the less it was possible to draw any general conclusion from all that was said. Prince Andrew, listening to this multilingual dialect and these assumptions, plans and refutations and shouts, was only surprised at what they all said. Those who came to him for a long time and often during his military activities , the thought that there is and cannot be any military science and therefore there cannot be any so-called military genius, now received for him the perfect evidence of the truth. “What theory and science could be in a matter in which the conditions and circumstances are unknown and cannot be determined, in which the strength of the war leaders can be even less determined? No one could and cannot know what the position of our and the enemy army will be in a day later, and no one can know what the strength of this or that detachment is. Sometimes, when there is no coward in front, who will shout: “We are cut off! - and will run, but there is a cheerful, brave man in front, who will shout: “Hurray! - a detachment of five thousand is worth thirty thousand, as at Shepgraben, and sometimes fifty thousand flee before eight, as at Austerlitz. What kind of science can be in such a matter in which, as in any practical matter, nothing can be determined and everything depends on countless conditions, the meaning of which is determined in one minute, about which no one knows when it will come. Armfeld says that our army is cut off, and Paulucci says that we have put the French army between two fires; Michaud says that the inadequacy of the Drissa camp is that the river is behind, and Pful says that this is his strength. Toll proposes one plan, Armfeld proposes another; and all are good and all are bad, and the benefits of any position can be evident only at the moment when the event takes place. And why does everyone say: a military genius? Is a genius the person who in time will have time to order to give a lift to the biscuits and go to the right, to the left? Just because the military people are clothed with splendor and power and the masses of scoundrels flatter the authorities, giving it unusual qualities of a genius, they are called geniuses. On the contrary, the best generals I have known are stupid or absent-minded people. The best Bagration, - Napoleon himself admitted it. And Bonaparte himself! I remember his smug and narrow-minded face on the Austerlitz field. Not only genius and some special qualities are not needed by a good commander, but, on the contrary, he needs the absence of the best higher, human qualities - love, poetry, tenderness, philosophical inquiring doubt. He must be limited, firmly convinced that what he is doing is very important (otherwise he will not have the patience), and then only he will be a brave commander. God forbid, if he is a man, loves someone, regrets, thinks about what is fair and what is not. It is clear that from time immemorial the theory of geniuses was forged for them, because they are power. The merit in the success of military affairs does not depend on them, but on the person who shouts in the ranks: disappeared, or shouts: hurray! And only in these ranks can you serve with the confidence that you are useful! "
So Prince Andrew thought, listening to the talk, and woke up only when Paulucci called him and everyone was already leaving.
On the next day, at the inspection, the sovereign asked Prince Andrei where he wanted to serve, and Prince Andrei lost himself forever in the court world, not asking to remain with the sovereign's person, but asking permission to serve in the army.

Before the opening of the campaign, Rostov received a letter from his parents, in which, briefly informing him about Natasha's illness and about the break with Prince Andrei (this breakup was explained to him by Natasha's refusal), they again asked him to resign and come home. Nikolai, having received this letter, did not try to ask for leave or resignation, but wrote to his parents that he was very sorry about Natasha's illness and breakup with her fiancé and that he would do everything possible to fulfill their desire. He wrote to Sonya separately.
“The adored friend of my soul,” he wrote. “Nothing but honor could keep me from returning to the village. But now, before the opening of the campaign, I would consider myself dishonorable not only to all my comrades, but also to myself, if I preferred my happiness to my duty and love for my fatherland. But this is the last parting. Believe that immediately after the war, if I am alive and love you all, I will drop everything and come to you to hold you forever to my fiery chest. "
Indeed, only the opening of the campaign delayed Rostov and prevented him from coming - as he had promised - and marrying Sonya. Otradno autumn with hunting and winter with Christmastide and love Sonya opened to him the prospect of quiet noble joys and tranquility, which he did not know before and which now beckoned him to him. “Glorious wife, children, a good flock of hounds, dashing ten or twelve packs of greyhounds, farm, neighbors, election service! He thought. But now there was a campaign, and it was necessary to stay in the regiment. And since this was necessary, Nikolai Rostov, by his nature, was also pleased with the life he led in the regiment, and managed to make this life pleasant for himself.
Arriving from vacation, joyfully greeted by his comrades, Nikolai sent for repairs and from Little Russia brought excellent horses that delighted him and deserved praise from his superiors. In his absence, he was promoted to captain, and when the regiment was put on martial law with an increased complement, he again received his former squadron.
The campaign began, the regiment was moved to Poland, a double salary was given, new officers, new people, horses arrived; and, most importantly, that excitedly cheerful mood, which accompanies the beginning of the war, spread; and Rostov, realizing his advantageous position in the regiment, devoted himself entirely to the pleasures and interests of military service, although he knew that sooner or later he would have to leave them.

Three times Hero of the Soviet Union I.N. Kozhedub

Ivan Nikitovich Kozhedub was born on June 8, 1920 in the village. Obrazheevka of the Glukhovsky district of the Chernigov province of the Ukrainian SSR (now the Shostkinsky district of the Sumy region, Ukraine). Father, Nikita Larionovich, was a factory worker, mother, Stephanida Ivanovna, ran a household. Ivan was the youngest, the fifth child in the family, small in stature, but strong constitution and health. From his father, who independently learned to read and write and loved to read, Ivan took over the thirst for acquiring new knowledge and at an early age also learned to read on his own. Therefore, before his peers, at the age of six, he was admitted to school. From his mother, an embroiderer, Ivan inherited the ability to draw. During his studies, he designed wall newspapers, drew slogans and posters. Later, Ivan Nikitovich recalled: “Drawing has developed in me an eye, visual memory, observation. And these qualities came in handy when I became a pilot. "

At school, Kozhedub took up gymnastics. At the age of thirteen, imitating a circus strongman who had come to the village, he learned to lift and squeeze a two-pound weight with one hand. Later, participating in numerous air battles, Ivan was more than once convinced of the great importance of physical endurance for a pilot. He wrote: “Sharp drops from a high altitude to a low, minute overload, from which sometimes it darkens in the eyes, - all this is easily tolerated by a physically hardened person. Sometimes in battle, performing a cascade of figures, you lose consciousness for a moment. You will come to your senses, immediately join the combat situation and again act at any height, at any speed, in any position. I developed this skill through sports training. Even in a front-line situation, I tried to find time to do exercises. "

From childhood, Ivan Kozhedub had a desire to link his fate with military service. He listened attentively to the stories of Sergei Andrusenko, a neighbor Civil War, was proud of his brother Yakov, who served at the border. Ivan's special admiration was caused by a military school cadet who arrived in the village on leave. “I,” he wrote, “were so impressed by the squares on his buttonholes, shiny boots, a dashing, confident posture that I began to imitate his manner of speaking and walking.” In 1934, finishing his studies at a seven-year school, Kozhedub tried to become a student in a brass band in military unit in Shostka, but was not accepted as a young man. Then, on the advice of his father, who believed that "the craft is not a rocker, the shoulders will not stretch", Ivan entered the evening school at the factory school. In his memoirs, Kozhedub noted: “In the slush, in the blizzard, in the frost, we walked seven kilometers every day to Shostka and seven kilometers back. It was not easy to study, especially I had to study the Russian language a lot: in our village school classes were in Ukrainian ”. Concurrently with his studies, Ivan was appointed to the first position in his working career - a librarian with a salary of 100 rubles. I worked during the day and studied in the evening. “Working in the library gave me a lot,” Kozhedub believed. - I fell in love with the world of books, newspapers, magazines. They became my true friends, armed me with knowledge. "

In 1936 Ivan entered the Shostka Chemical-Technological College and moved to Shostka in a student hostel. During his studies, Kozhedub became interested in drawing, which was easy for him. He was accustomed to accurate measurement of details, accuracy, acquired skills, which later, when it was necessary to study the plane, were very useful to him. One day he saw two third-year students, dressed in new military uniforms and polished boots. This aroused surprise and interest in Kozhedub. It turned out that they are studying at the flying club. Ivan followed their example. In his book "Fidelity to the Fatherland" Kozhedub recalled this time: “It really turned out to be not easy to combine studies at the technical school and at the flying club. Classes were held from nine to three in the technical school, and from five in the flying club. But I did not miss a single lecture at the technical school, not a single lesson at the flying club. He was still making out the wall newspaper in the technical school. Weekends, late evening, early morning remained for homework. " In the flying club, Ivan mastered the Po-2 plane, made several parachute jumps.

In the winter of 1940, a fourth-year college student, Kozhedub, had to leave for pre-diploma practice. But a call came from the flight school. he passed a strict medical examination and in February was enrolled as a cadet at the Chuguev Military Aviation School. In March 1941, the status of this educational institution was downgraded: the school was renamed into the Chuguev Military Aviation School of Pilots, its graduates were awarded the military rank of "sergeant", and not "lieutenant", as before. Some of the cadets wrote a report on expulsion. Kozhedub decided to study further. The cadets mastered the UT-2, UTI-4 aircraft and the I-16 combat fighter aircraft. The leadership characterized him as a strong-willed, energetic, decisive and proactive cadet, demanding of himself and his subordinates, who persistently puts his decisions into practice. In addition, it was noted that he flies competently, confidently and can transfer his knowledge to others. After graduation, Kozhedub was left at the aviation school as an instructor pilot. Therefore, when the war began, the report of Sergeant Kozhedub about the direction to the front was not satisfied. The head of the aviation school told the instructors who were rushing into battle: “The front needs well-trained pilots. Therefore, your task is to prepare cadets even faster and better. "

In the fall of 1941 the aviation school was evacuated to Kazakhstan. The training squadron, which included Ivan, was stationed in the village. Mankent near Chimkent. In February 1942, on the Day of the Red Army, Kozhedub was promoted to the rank of senior sergeant. In the fall, Kozhedub achieved a referral to the active army. In November, he was summoned to Moscow at the flight technical personnel assembly point and enrolled in the 240th Fighter Aviation Regiment. Kozhedub recalled: “We had to study in the shortest possible time and then master the new aircraft perfectly. We plunged into classes with our heads. We tried to do everything so that we knew the plane as best as possible - the single-seat La-5 fighter designed by the Hero of Socialist Labor Semyon Alekseevich Lavochkin. "

I.N. Kozhedub and S.A. Lavochkin (center) visiting an aircraft plant. August 1945

In March 1943, the 240th Fighter Aviation Regiment as part of the 4th Fighter Aviation Corps of the 2nd Air Army, Lieutenant General S.A. Krasovsky arrived at the Voronezh front. Ivan was eager to fight the enemy. His relatives remained in the occupation, two older brothers - Yakov and Alexander had been at the front for a long time. But in one of the very first sorties, Kozhedub almost died. During takeoff, he lost sight of his leading junior lieutenant Ivan Mikhailovich Gabunia. I saw that enemy bombers were flying to the airfield. Thinking that there is an opportunity to distinguish himself and in the very first battle to shoot down the enemy, Kozhedub himself was under attack from a German fighter. And after that, his La-5 was hit by three shells of their anti-aircraft guns, protecting the airfield. Miraculously, Ivan saved his plane and himself.

In June 1943, junior lieutenant Kozhedub became a senior pilot, then a flight commander, in August he was promoted to lieutenant and was appointed squadron commander. In the same year I. Kozhedub was admitted to the party. The first serious test for him was the Battle of Kursk. The enemy threw selected air units into the Belgorod-Kursk direction. To cover the ground forces, the pilots made several sorties a day. On July 6, Ivan shot down the first enemy aircraft, a Ju-87 bomber. Two days later, for the first time, he led the flight of the four fighters. In the air, they were attacked by German aces returning from the "free hunt". Ivan Nikitovich recalled: “... While the enemy was turning, I caught the leader in the sight at an altitude of 4000 meters. I wait until the distance is reduced to the distance of opening fire, I do not turn off. I open the fire first. I hit the host with a long line. He rolled over from a sheer dive, hit the ground and exploded. " On that day, Kozhedub took off two more times and shot down another enemy plane. In July and September 1943, the future Soviet ace was awarded the Order of the Red Banner for military distinction. Subsequently, he wrote: "In the first days of the battles on the Kursk Bulge, I realized that air combat is really a test of the moral, combat and physical qualities of a soldier, it is the greatest tension of nerves."

In the combat characteristics of I.N. Kozhedub in 1943 indicated that he “successfully completed 173 combat missions, of which: covering his troops on the front line - 64, escorting attack aircraft and bombers - 88, reconnaissance of enemy troops - 13, patrolling - 3, intercepting enemy aircraft - 5. Fought 52 air battles, in which he personally shot down 25 enemy aircraft (12 Yu-87, 11 Me-109, 1 FV-190, 1 Xe-111). In air battles he proved himself to be a courageous and decisive pilot and commander, skillfully leading the flight personnel of the squadron entrusted to him, in battle. " In February 1944, I. Kozhedub was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for personally shot down enemy aircraft and for his heroism in battle.

Pilots of the 240th IAP at the Urazovo airfield

Kozhedub's squadron took part in the liberation of Kharkov, in the battles on the Dnieper and in the liberation of the Right-Bank Ukraine. With his six planes, Ivan Nikitovich fought in the skies of Moldova, covered the crossings across the Southern Bug and bridgeheads on the right bank of the Dniester. By this time, 32 personal aerial victories were listed in his flight book. In the second half of April 1944, the Germans wanted to cut off our troops, located between the Prut and Seret rivers, with a blow to the north of Yassy. Large air battles ensued, from which the Soviet pilots emerged victorious. Among the shot down there were also German aces on planes painted with skulls, bones and other attributes of psychological impact. This paraphernalia was often the cause of ridicule. The Soviet pilots chuckled that the enemy had prepared skulls and bones for themselves in advance.

Fighting in the Yass region continued in May 1944. At this time, Kozhedub received a new La-5FN aircraft, built with the personal savings of 60-year-old beekeeper Vasily Viktorovich Konev from the Bolshevik collective farm in the Stalingrad region. The car bore the name of a fellow villager and namesake Konev - the commander of the 21st Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment of the Hero of the Soviet Union, Guards Lieutenant Colonel G.N. Konev, who died in an unequal air battle in December 1942. On this plane, during seven days of intense air battles in the skies of Romania, Kozhedub shot down eight enemy planes.

In July 1944, Ivan Nikitovich was summoned to Moscow and appointed to the post of deputy commander of the 176th Fighter Aviation Regiment, which fought as part of the 1st Belorussian Front. Before leaving for the regiment, he underwent retraining for the new La-7 aircraft. Here, at a training airfield near Moscow, on the Day of the Air Fleet of the USSR (August 18), Captain Kozhedub received the news that he was awarded the second Golden Star.

Ivan Nikitovich began his combat path in the 176th Fighter Aviation Regiment on the banks of the Vistula. Here he actively used "free hunting" flights, that is, he conducted an active search for the enemy far in his rear, tens of kilometers from the front line. Together with other experienced pilots of the regiment, he "hunted" for enemy aircraft, vehicles, echelons, and destroyed enemy manpower and equipment. In early September 1944, the 176th regiment was awarded the rank of Guards. This was, albeit small, but the contribution of Kozhedub. When presenting a part of the guards banner, Ivan Nikitovich was entrusted to become his first standard-bearer.

In the second half of September, a difficult air situation developed on the 3rd Baltic Front. The Germans transferred experienced "hunters" to one of the sectors of the front. Kozhedub was instructed to lead a group of 10 pilots in order to clear the air of enemy aircraft and ensure freedom of action for our aviation. For several days the group used the free "hunt" method to destroy enemy aircraft, thus creating an advantage in the air. As a result of the air battles, eight enemy planes were shot down, of which Kozhedub personally - three. The fascist "hunters" have lost the desire to fly into our territory. They began to shy away from the fight, and all over they felt strongly demoralized.

From mid-January 1945 Kozhedub participated in the Vistula-Oder operation as part of the regiment. At the beginning of the offensive, due to difficult weather conditions, aviation almost did not fly. These days, Ivan Nikitovich was delighted with the actions of the ground troops: “A mighty avalanche is moving soviet tanks, infantry, artillery beats powerfully ... How often in last days we flew over this area, and none of us noticed the concentration of such a huge number of troops! Our technique is only now, as they say, revealed itself, appearing as if out of the ground. ... We, pilots, admire the skill of our tankers, artillerymen and infantrymen. What a crushing blow they inflicted in two days of offensive battles even without aviation support! "

Day by day, the number of combat missions of Major Kozhedub's Guards and the enemy aircraft he defeated was growing. In the combat characteristic of January 20, it was noted: “During the entire period of hostilities, I made 256 sorties, personally shot down 48 enemy aircraft in the conducted air battles. In air battles, he is a brave, decisive, courageous commander. As a pilot, he flies perfectly, the piloting technique is excellent. Well prepared for en route flights and in adverse weather conditions. ... He works a lot on studying the combat experience of the Patriotic War and competently transfers it to subordinates. As a deputy regiment commander, he proved himself to be a competent commander, able to properly and timely organize the flight and technical personnel of the regiment to fulfill the assigned command tasks. "

Debriefing. 1945 g.

In February 1945, an uphill battle broke out in the skies over the Oder. On February 12, a group of six aircraft under the command of Kozhedub, not far from the front line, entered into battle against 30 Focke-Wulf fighter-bombers. In this battle, our pilots shot down eight enemy aircraft (Kozhedub - three), losing one pilot. On February 24, while on a free hunt, paired with Guard Major D.S. Titorenko, Ivan Nikitovich was one of the first in Soviet aviation to shoot down the German Messerschmitt Me-262 jet fighter. The regiment's pilots knew about these machines since the fall of 1944, when one of them was recorded by a film-and-camera gun of the regiment commander, Hero of the Soviet Union, Guards Colonel P.F. Chupikova.

Kozhedub went down in history as a skillful air fighter who tried to be the first to attack the enemy and seize the initiative. He developed a number of new techniques and methods of air combat. In total, during the war, Kozhedub made 330 sorties, participated in 120 air battles.

When, at one of the post-war meetings, young pilots asked Ivan Nikitovich which of the Nazi planes shot down in the war was more often remembered, he replied: “The last two are 61st and 62nd. These two enemy vehicles fell on the streets of burning Berlin on April 17, 1945. Then two Soviet pilots engaged forty enemy aircraft. And we won! The thought that the lair of the fascist beast was under the wings, that the Soviet troops were victoriously advancing very close to it, gave strength and confidence. I put all my knowledge and skill into this fight. "

August 18, 1945 for the accomplished deeds of I.N. Kozhedub was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for the third time. On October 1, he began his studies at the Air Force Academy.

At the Air Force Academy among listeners. 1945 g.

Here in the spring of 1948 Kozhedub first sat at the helm of a jet plane. In June 1949, after graduating from the academy, Ivan Nikitovich was appointed deputy commander of the 31st Fighter Aviation Division in the Transcaucasian Military District, but a month later he was transferred to the post of assistant to the former regiment commander P.F. Chupikov, who now commanded the 324th Fighter Aviation Division, stationed in Kubinka near Moscow. Among the first, Lieutenant Colonel Kozhedub mastered the MiG-15 jet fighter, having received the qualification of a military pilot of the 1st class. In December 1949 Kozhedub was appointed deputy commander, and in November 1950 - the commander of this division.

At this time, on the distant Korean Peninsula, a war was already going on between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the Republic of Korea. The use of carpet bombing tactics by the US intervening in the war did damage not only to the North Korean army and industry; thousands of civilians were killed. In the fall of 1950, Soviet fighter pilots based in Northeast China began to cover cities and facilities in the DPRK. The 64th Fighter Corps was formed. In March 1951, the 324th Fighter Aviation Division of the Guards Lieutenant Colonel I.N. Kozhedub. It consisted of the 176th Guards and 196th Fighter Aviation Regiments. On April 3, its pilots began to make combat missions. Ivan Nikitovich himself was strictly forbidden to participate in them.

During the Korean War with the pilots of the 324th division. From left to right: B. Abakumov, B. Bokach, I. Kozhedub, F. Shibanov, V. Nazarkin. 1951 g.

On April 12, 1951, one of the largest air battles of the Korean War took place over the Yalu River. On this river there was a large hydroelectric power station and bridges, along which reinforcements of Chinese people's volunteers who fought on the side of the North Koreans went. On this day, 48 American bombers took part in the raid under the cover of 42 fighters. An additional 36 fighter-bombers were allocated to suppress air defense. The advanced radar posts of the Soviet 64th Fighter Air Corps were able to detect the enemy in advance. 44 fighters of the 176th Guards and 196th Aviation Regiments rose to intercept.

This day went down in the history of the Korean War and American military aviation under the name "Black Tuesday". According to Soviet sources, the US Air Force lost up to 12 bombers and six fighters on April 12. The time of the unpunished bombing of Korean cities by the Americans was coming to an end.

B-29 in the frame of the FKP MiG-15 bis pilot A. Suchkov. April 7, 1951

In total, in the period from April 1951 to February 1952, the pilots of the 324th Fighter Aviation Division shot down 200 aircraft of all types. In battles, the division lost 10 pilots and 29 aircraft. For courage, 143 servicemen of the division were awarded orders and medals. Kozhedub, who carried out the operational leadership of the division, participated in the training of flight personnel and the rearmament of the air forces of the People's Republic of China and the DPRK, was awarded the Soviet Order of the Red Banner and the Chinese-Soviet Friendship medal of the People's Republic of China.

In February, the division returned to the USSR and was deployed in the Kaluga region. In August 1953 Kozhedub was awarded the rank of Major General of Aviation. In 1955 he entered the Higher Military Academy. K.E. Voroshilov. He passed part of the most difficult first year as an external student, as due to official reasons he was delayed with the beginning of classes. After graduating from the Academy, I.N. Kozhedub held high command positions in the Soviet military aviation. In November 1956, he was appointed deputy head of the Air Force Combat Training Directorate, and a year and a half later - first deputy commander of the 76th air army in the Leningrad Military District. In January 1964, Lieutenant General of Aviation I.N. Kozhedub became the first deputy commander of the aviation of the Moscow military district. In 1971, Aviation Colonel-General Kozhedub was appointed First Deputy Chief of Air Force Combat Training. Since 1978 he has been in the Group of Inspectors General of the USSR Ministry of Defense. Until 1969, Ivan Nikitovich regularly flew fighters, mastered dozens of aircraft types. He made his last flights on the MiG-21. In 1985 Kozhedub was awarded the rank of Air Marshal.

Three times Hero of the Soviet Union I.N. Kozhedub was awarded two Orders of Lenin, the family - the Red Banner, the Orders of Alexander Nevsky, the Patriotic War 1st degree, two Orders of the Red Star, the Order "For Service to the Motherland in the Armed Forces" of the USSR, 2nd and 3rd degrees, and medals, and also foreign orders and medals.

Peru Kozhedub owns a number of works, including the memoirs "Serving the Motherland" and "Loyalty to the Fatherland", which are instructive in many ways for the modern generation of young people.

Ivan Nikitovich died on August 8, 1991 of a heart attack at his dacha in the village of Monino, Moscow Region. Buried on Novodevichy cemetery Moscow.

Streets in Moscow and other cities of Russia and Ukraine are named after Kozhedub. His name bears the 237th Guards Center for the Display of Aviation Equipment named after the Russian Air Force. In the homeland of the Hero, his bust was installed in Obrazheevka, and a museum functioned. Another bust is in the Central Museum of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. in Moscow. Memorial plaque to I.N. Kozhedub was installed on the house in Sivtsevoy Vrazhka in Moscow, where he lived in last years... His La-7 aircraft is on display at the Central Air Force Museum in Monino.

E. A. Nazaryan,
Candidate of Historical Sciences, Junior Research Fellow
Military Research Institute
history of VAGSh RF Armed Forces

Kozhedub Ivan Nikitovich - the most productive military pilot during the Great Patriotic War. Subsequently - Air Marshal, three times Hero of the Soviet Union, awarded 14 Soviet and 6 foreign orders, Soviet and foreign medals. During the Great Patriotic War, he flew 330 sorties, conducted 120 air battles, personally shot down 62 enemy aircraft. According to the official data of I.N. Kozhedub - the most productive Soviet fighter pilot.

The future pilot was born on July 6, 1922 in the village of Obrazheevka, Sumy region, becoming the fifth child in a poor peasant family. Graduated from the rabfak of the Shostin chemical-technological college. In 1938 he came to the flying club, where in April 1939 he made his first flight. Then, at the beginning of 1940, he entered the Chuguev Military Aviation School, after which he remained there to work as an instructor. Since the beginning of the war I.N. Kozhedub repeatedly wrote reports about sending to the front, but his requests were granted only in the fall of 1942, when I.N. Kozhedub was sent to Moscow, and then to the 240th Fighter Aviation Regiment, which was armed with the latest La-5 fighters.

At the beginning of his military career, Ivan Nikitovich was haunted by failures, the pilot was almost transferred to a warning post. Only the intercession of the regiment commander, Major I. Soldatenko, helped him stay in the regiment.

The pilot won his first victory during a 40 sortie, shooting down a German dive bomber. Later I.N. Kozhedub proved himself to be a brave and skillful pilot, in which audacity was combined with prudence, initiative with diligence. Kozhedub treated his combat vehicle at times as a living being , for him the plane was a friend, and the fighter responded in the same way: during the war years, the pilot never had to jump with a parachute.

In September 1944 Kozhedub was transferred to the 176th "Marshal" Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment, where many famous military pilots were gathered. As part of this regiment, he ended the war. On the account of Ivan Nikitovich, among many types of German aircraft, there is also the Me-262 jet fighter, which he shot down on April 19, 1945 over the Oder.

After the war I.N. Kozhedub graduated from the Air Force Academy and was appointed to command the 326th Fighter Aviation Division. During the Korean War from March 1951 to February 1952. Kozhedub's division won 215 victories, losing 52 aircraft and 10 pilots. True, Kozhedub himself did not participate in combat missions due to the strict prohibition of the command. Upon returning to his homeland, Kozhedub graduated from the Academy of the General Staff, held a number of high command posts in the Air Force, including the commander of the aviation of the Moscow Military District. In 1985 N.I. Kozhedub was awarded the rank of Air Marshal.