Berestnev, Pavel Maksimovich

Pavel Berestnev was born on May 20 ( June 2 ), 1913 in the village of Pokrovka (now does not exist, was in the territory of the present Khislavichi district of the Smolensk region ). After graduating from an incomplete secondary school in the village of Cherepovo, he worked in his father's farm, then he was a village correspondent for the newspaper “ Socialist Village ”. In 1930, Berestnev left for Donbass, worked at a mine. Returning to his homeland, he worked on a collective farm . Since 1933 he lived in Moscow , studied at the school of working youth at the Hammer and Sickle factory, and at the same time worked as a roofer. In 1936 he graduated from the rabfak NKPS USSR ^[1] .

In August 1936 he was called up for service in the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army . In 1939 he graduated from the Kachinsky Military Pilot School, in 1940 - advanced training courses for navigators of the Air Force in Poltava . He served in the combat units of the Air Force of the Transcaucasian Military District . Since March 1942 - on the fronts of World War II . In March 1942 - November 1943 he was at first an assistant, then deputy commander and squadron commander of the 45th (since June 1943 - 100th Guards) fighter regiment. He participated in battles on the Crimean , North Caucasian , Southern , 4th Ukrainian fronts, took part in the defense of the Crimea and the Caucasus , the liberation of Donbass and Melitopol . In June 1942 he was shot down, jumped with a parachute , while being seriously injured, and was in the hospital until March 1943. During participation in the battles, he flew over 200 sorties on the Yak-1 and Aerokobra fighters , personally shot down 10 and in the group - 2 enemy aircraft ^[2] .

By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of May 24, 1943 for "courage and heroism shown in battles," senior lieutenant Pavel Berestnev was awarded the high rank of Hero of the Soviet Union with the award of the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal number 990 ^[1] .

In November 1943, Berestnev was sent to study at the Air Force Academy in Monino , which he graduated in 1945 . He served in the Northern Group of Forces in Poland and the Northern Fleet , was the deputy commander, regiment commander, pilot-inspector for the technique of piloting the division , deputy commander and commander of the fighter aviation division in the Odessa and Transcaucasian military districts. In 1958 - 1961, Major General Pavel Berestnev was Deputy Commander of the 34th Air Army for Air Defense . In September 1961 he was discharged to the reserve. He lived in Odessa , later in the city of Ordzhonikidze (now - Vladikavkaz ). Died May 20, 1981, was buried in the Pantheon of the Ossetian Church in Vladikavkaz ^[1] .

• Gold Star Medal of the Hero of the Soviet Union
• four orders of the Red Banner
• Order of the Patriotic War , 1st degree
• three orders of the Red Star
• medals ^[1]

In honor of Berestnev, a street was named in the village of Khislavichi, Smolensk region, and a secondary school in the village of Cherepovo ^[1] .

• Heroes of the Soviet Union: A Brief Biographical Dictionary / Prev. ed. collegium I. N. Shkadov . - M .: Military Publishing , 1987.- T. 1 / Abaev - Lyubichev /. - 911 p. - 100,000 copies. - ISBN comp., Reg. RCP No. 87-95382.
• Vorobyov M.V. et al. Smolyan - Heroes of the Soviet Union. - M., 1982.