Zhukov, Mikhail Petrovich

Born on November 10, 1917 in the village of Ruzhbovo, Cherepovets district, Novgorod province ^[1] in a peasant family. Father - Peter Ermolaevich Zhukov, born in 1875, village of Yargomzha, mother - Anna Matveevna Zhukova, born in 1877, village of Ruzhbovo.

In 1930 he graduated from an elementary rural school in the village of Pokrov. Then he studied at an incomplete secondary school in the village of Abakanovo. In 1931 he entered the Shukhobod Vocational School, which he graduated with honors in 1933. As a bonus, he was presented with the entire instrument made by him during practice. In January 1934 he was sent to the Leningrad school of builders of a new apprenticeship, where he studied roofing.

In September, he came to Yaroslavl to his brother, got a job as a mechanic in an electric workshop at YaShZ. He studied at FZU at the rubber-asbestos factory. At the end of FZU he worked as an electrician at the Yaroslavl Tire Plant. Mikhail Petrovich Zhukov actively participated in the life of the collective, was a pioneer leader in elementary school, an agitator during the first elections of deputies to the Supreme Council of the USSR.

In 1936 he was sent on a ticket to the Yaroslavl flying club, and after 2 years he was determined by the commission in the flight school of the Stalingrad Red Banner Proletariat.

Since November 1938 in the ranks of the Red Army. In October 1940 he graduated from the Stalingrad Military Aviation School of Pilots, where he mastered the aircraft R-5, UTI-4, I-16.

In May 1941 he was appointed pilot of the 158th IAP 39 fighter air division of the Leningrad Region, with the rank of junior lieutenant. He flew on the I-16. At the end of 1941 he mastered the fighter "P-40E".

World War II

Mikhail Zhukov made his first combat flight on I-16, on the second day of the war. In the air I met a German bomber " Yu-88 ". The German pilot did not accept the air battle, turned around and flew out of the barrage zone by Mikhail. June 24, 1941 M. Zhukov blocked the flight of the fascist scout, who, not completing the task of aerial photography of the area, turned around and went into the clouds. He opened the battle account on the fourth flight, knocking down the Junkers .

On June 29, 1941, in an air battle over Lake Pskov, Mikhail Petrovich spent all his ammunition and, not wanting to miss the enemy, drove a German bomber into the lake with a dive. Unscathed, he returned to his base airfield.

On July 8, 1941, the first decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on awarding the rank of Hero of the Soviet Union to pilots of the 158th fighter aviation regiment S. I. Zdorovtsev , P. T. Kharitonov, and M. P. Zhukov was published on radio and in newspapers. .

On July 10, 1941, the newspaper Pravda reported on its pages:

“These are the first order-bearers of the holy Patriotic war of the Soviet peoples against the bloody dogs of fascism. As soon as the telegraph and radio carried the Decree on the first heroes of World War II throughout the country, the names of Heroes of the Soviet Union Stepan Zdorovtsev, Mikhail Zhukov, Peter Kharitonov became popular and loved. So simple Soviet people who do not know the fear of struggle and the proud sons of our winged people fight and win. "They multiply skill and courage and beat the enemy, mercilessly raining down tons of steel on him, destroying him in the air."

The 39th fighter air division, in which Mikhail Zhukov served, guarded the approaches to Leningrad, the " Road of Life " through the Shlisselburg Bay of Lake Ladoga , the Volkhov Hydroelectric Power Station - the only power station that supplied Leningrad with electricity. The pilots especially guarded the “Road of Life”, along which the city was supplied with food, ammunition and military equipment, the redeployment of troops and the evacuation of Leningraders exhausted from hunger.

In the documentary of Valentin Vikulov, titled “One of the First,” published in the Communist newspaper in 1975, an excerpt from a letter from the head of the USSR Ministry of Defense archive repository Korenyak is given:

“On June 29, 1941, the pilots of the regiment reflected numerous attempts by enemy aircraft to attack the Retuppe station and the city of Pskov. On this day, junior lieutenant Zhukov was especially distinguished in air battles. Having no ammunition, he pursued an enemy bomber, simulated attacks and pressed on until he drove him into Lake Pskov. "

In the book of Yaroslavl writers "Stalin's tribe" it is written:

“The life of Mikhail Zhukov is the ordinary life of a young man of the Stalin era. The Zhukov family is a wonderful family of Soviet patriots. Seven brothers and one sister from the family of the Cherepovets peasant Pyotr Yermolayevich Zhukov are at the front, fighting a fierce, treacherous enemy. The true family of Russian “heroes”. ”

September 3, 1941 M.P. Zhukov won another victory - shot down a pair of multipurpose twin-engine aircraft Me-110.

December 3, 1941 at Cape Osinovets, he shot down 2 enemy aircraft. For excellent actions in the defeat of the Finnish landing on Lake Ladoga, Zhukov was awarded the Order of the Red Banner.

At the beginning of May 1942, Mikhail Zhukov had a chance to visit Yaroslavl. He met with friends, spoke at the regional meeting of fighters of all-universal education. The hero called on young patriots to strengthen assistance to the front, to master military knowledge, to devote all their strength to the cause of victory.

In a combat description of Mikhail Zhukov on December 31, 1943, the commander of the 2nd air squadron, captain Drevyatnikov wrote:

“During the war, it made 259 sorties, of which 50 were escorted by bombers, 5 attack flights, 167 to cover its troops, airfields and facilities. He participated in 47 air battles in which he shot down 3 bombers in person and in the group a Me-109 fighter and a bomber. In air battles he showed himself to be bold, decisive, with a high sense of mutual assistance. ”

On January 12, 1943, formations of the 67th Army of the Leningrad Front and the 2nd Shock Army of the Volkhov Front launched Operation Iskra to break through the blockade of Leningrad in order to restore land communications connecting the city with the country. With the support of the Air Force, artillery and Baltic Fleet aviation, the 67th and 2nd armies delivered counter-attacks on enemy troops on a narrow ledge between Shlisselburg and Sinyavino . On January 18, troops of the fronts met in the area of ​​workers' settlements No. 1 and No. 5. The January Iskra burnt a gap in the enemy siege of 8-11 kilometers wide and tore the ring of blockade.

On the day the operation began, Mikhail flew out on his last 263rd sortie. The four fighters, led by Captain Drevyatnikov, covered our ground forces in the Nevsky Dubrovka area . The plane of the flight commander Mikhail Zhukov was shot down and fell to the territory of the enemy burning.

From the combat magazine 158 IAP:

"11.35 - 12.30 4" Kittyhawk "158 IAP leading captain Drevyatnikov covered their troops in the area of ​​Dubrovka, height 100-250 meters. In the patrol area, they received the “Cover IL-2” radio signal. Four attacked 1 Me-109, which tried to attack IL-2. The enemy’s plane with strong smoke, with a decline, went in the direction of V. Dubrovka. Received a signal "Follow the clouds", where they were suddenly attacked by Me-109. Art. Lt Zhukov was shot down on a Kittyhawk plane, burning in the Dubrovka area. ”

The enemy’s plane was shot down by captain Drevyatnikov from a distance of 50 meters, Me-109 crashed into the ground between Dubrovka and the RZD (junction) 9km.

• He was awarded the Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union (No. 542), orders of Lenin , the Red Banner and World War I degree.

• In 1948, the street in Cherepovets and in the Leninsky district of Yaroslavl was named after him.
• Busts are set in the park in front of the Yaroslavl school number 7 (bronze, since 1974 ), as well as near the Yaroslavl school number 3, located at ul. Zhukova, 7A.
• Mikhail Zhukov is forever listed in the list of workers of the Yaroslavl tire factory and in the book of honor.
• Memorial plaques are installed in the homeland - in the villages of Abakanovo and Shukhobod of the Cherepovets district, as well as in the building of vocational school No. 7 of Yaroslavl.
• In 2016, on their own, a memorable banner with infographics about M.P. Zhukov.

• First Heroes of the Patriotic War // Belyakov Yu. P., Popov V.G. Heroes of the land of Yaroslavl. - Yaroslavl, 2005. - T. 1. - S. 118-123
• “Everything - from grandfathers to grandchildren - repeat their family names” // Wars of the past veterans. - Yaroslavl, 2001 .-- S. 49-50
• Mineev N. One of the three // Heroes of the Leningrad sky. - L., 1984. - S. 20-28
• Rumyantsev B. Mikhail Zhukov // Heroes of the Fire Years: Essays on the Heroes of the Soviet Union - Yaroslavl. - Yaroslavl, 1985. - S. 144—146
• Zhuchaev I. A. Operation Perseus. - Yaroslavl, 1979. - S. 3-68: portr.
• Usov V. One of the first // People of military prowess: (essays and articles). - Yaroslavl: Yaroslav. Prince Publishing House, 1958. - S. 89-94
• Hero of the Soviet Union Mikhail Zhukov // We were led by youth. - Yaroslavl, 1969. - S. 56-58
• Senior Lieutenant Zhukov M.P. // Popov V.G. Golden stars on the streets of Yaroslavl. - Yaroslavl, 2005 .-- S. 20-24
• Rumyantsev B.P. Sky of Heroes // Rumyantsev B.P. Sky of Heroes. Rakitin N.S. Stronger than tank armor. Zhuchaev I. A. Operation Perseus. - Yaroslavl: Verkh.-Volzh. Prince ed., 1979. - S. 3-69. [Documentary story.]
• Sidorov I. I. Workers of the Yaroslavl region during the Great Patriotic War. - Yaroslavl: Yaroslavl book. ed., 1958. - S. 67-68
• First Heroes // Homeland. - 1995. - No. 1. - S. 80-83
• Senchugova I. In the name of life on earth // Veterans and youth. - 2003. - No. 13 (December). - S. 4

• Zhukov, Mikhail Petrovich (Russian) . Site " Heroes of the country ".
• Mikhail Petrovich Zhukov, one of the first Heroes of the USSR in the Great Patriotic War.
• Photos of Zhukov M.P. at 103 GIAP
• Vologzhan - Heroes of the USSR .
• Zhukov Mikhail Petrovich . Website "Vologda Regional Library named after IV Babushkin" .