Victorious maneuver: how Soviet soldiers were awarded in the first year of the Second World War

Along with border guards, infantrymen, tankmen, and gunners, there were Soviet pilots among those who heroically took up the fight in 1941, standing up with their chests to defend their Homeland. "Stalin's falcons," as our valiant pilots were called on the front pages of newspapers, showed miracles of courage, bravery and bravery in the fight against the enemy. The author's article by Andrey Khazin, Rector of the Russian State Social University (RSSU), academician of the Russian Academy of Arts, tells about who was among the first awardees and their fates.

Who was awarded at the beginning of the war

On June 22, we celebrate the mournful date — the 85th anniversary of the beginning of the Great Patriotic War. Shortly after the attack of Nazi Germany, the leadership of the USSR faced a difficult task: in the chaos and confusion of the first days of the war, it was vital to set an example not only of heroic self-sacrifice in the battles for the Motherland, but also of exemplary performance of combat missions and to award state (they were then often called government) awards to the most worthy soldiers.

And already on July 8, 1941, by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, the title Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded to three fighter pilots of the 158th Fighter Aviation Regiment - junior lieutenants Stepan Zdorovtsev, Mikhail Zhukov and Peter Kharitonov. In the last days of June, each of them successfully rammed German planes in the skies over Pskov and returned safely to the airfield. It was the pinnacle of flying skills, the highest manifestation of courage and the will to win. Many newspaper articles, notes, and publications were published about the first pilots of the Great Patriotic War, the Heroes of the Soviet Union, both in the first days after the award in Pravda, Izvestia, and Krasnaya Zvezda, and later in the Soviet and Russian press.

On the same day, by another decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, 83 distinguished pilots, navigators, flight gunners and aircraft technicians of the Red Army Air Force were awarded state awards. Nine of them were awarded the highest Order of Lenin in the Soviet award system, 43 received the Order of the Red Banner, 31 received the Order of the Red Star.

The fate of pilots

One of those awarded the Order of Lenin is the squadron commander of the 161st Fighter Aviation Regiment, Senior Lieutenant Nikolai Terekhin. By the beginning of the war, he already had combat experience gained in 1939 during the conflict on the Khalkhin Gol River. In an air battle on July 1, 1941, in the Mogilev region, Terekhin, having used up all his ammunition on an enemy bomber, shot down a second German U-88 with a ram, after which he shot down another Junkers with another ram on his already damaged I-16 fighter. Thus, he accomplished the impossible — two ramming attacks in a row. On July 10, in another aerial battle, Terekhin skillfully rammed a German Dornier-17 bomber into the ground. The famous writer and war correspondent Konstantin Simonov, inspired by the exploits of the pilot, dedicated the poem "The Secret of Victory" to Nikolai Terekhin.

On December 5, 1942, the commander of the 10th Fighter Aviation Regiment, Major Terekhin, was awarded the Order of the Patriotic War I degree for 15 downed enemy aircraft, three of which were rammed. Nikolai died heroically on December 30, 1942, in an unequal air battle near Lake Vershinskoye in the Novgorod region.

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Twice, the fearless pilot was deservedly presented with the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, but due to confusion with the documents, he never received it. Almost 85 years later, historical justice was restored: on March 30, 2026, President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin awarded Major Nikolai Terekhin the title of Hero of the Russian Federation posthumously — "For courage and heroism shown in the fight against the Nazi invaders during the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945."

On June 22, 1941, near Grodno, flight commander of the 127th Fighter Aviation Regiment, Lieutenant Sergei Zhukovsky, conducted nine aerial battles on his I-153, personally shot down one Messerschmitt 110 fighter-bomber, as well as four enemy aircraft in the group. During the years of fighting, Zhukovsky scored 17 aerial victories and flew over 500 combat missions. He was awarded numerous awards, including the Order of Lenin and four Orders of the Red Banner.

Lieutenant Yevgeny Gorbatyuk, despite being wounded in battle on June 23, remained in service, and on June 30 and July 1, he shot down one enemy Messerschmitt 109 fighter on a MiG-3 fighter jet. By February 1942, he had flown over 200 sorties, destroyed four enemy aircraft, and a significant number of enemy equipment and manpower. By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated March 4, 1942, Senior Lieutenant Gorbatyuk was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union for his exemplary performance of command combat missions and his bravery and heroism.

Yevgeny Gorbatyuk and Sergey Zhukovsky had a brilliant career after the war: both rose to the rank of Colonel-General of the Air Force.

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The biography of Junior Lieutenant Grigory Finogenov is also amazing: on the very first day of the war, he shot down a German Yu-88 bomber on a MiG-3 fighter. The officer went through the entire Great Patriotic War, winning nine aerial victories over the Nazis. In 1952, Major Finogenov took part in a military conflict in Korea and shot down two of the newest American F-86 fighters.

The fates of the first order-bearers of the Great Patriotic War developed in different ways. Many of them died in battle, were shot down and went missing in the summer of '41, never having had time to receive their well-deserved awards. It is still unknown about someone's merits. Some were lucky enough to go through the war from the first to the last day, and then continue their service in peacetime. But all of them fulfilled their duty to the Motherland and the nation to the end.

The example of each of them is forever inscribed in the military annals of a great country. And it is our sacred duty to preserve the memory of the heroic deeds of the heroes who fearlessly engaged in an unequal battle with the enemy, stopped and defeated Nazism in 1945.