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Anatoly Lyapidevsky | |
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| Native name | Анатолий Васильевич Ляпидевский |
| Born | (1908-03-23)March 23, 1908 |
| Died | April 29, 1983(1983-04-29) (aged 75) |
| Allegiance | Soviet Union |
| Branch | Soviet Air Force |
| Years of service | 1926–33; 1935–61 |
| Rank | Major general |
| Battles / wars | World War II |
| Awards | Hero of the Soviet Union |
Anatoly Vasilyevich Lyapidevsky (Russian:Анато́лий Васи́льевич Ляпиде́вский; 23 March 1908 – 29 April 1983) was a Soviet aircraft pilot and one of the first people to be awarded the title ofHero of the Soviet Union (in June 1934). A graduate of the Soviet Air Force Academy, he reached the rank of Major general of theSoviet Air Force at 1946.[1]
Anatoly Lyapidevsky was born on March 23 (10), 1908 in theBelaya Glina village inStavropol Governorate (nowKrasnodar Krai) in the family of a clergyman. His family is of a dynasty of clergymen fromTula Governorate. At childhood he dwelt atStaroshcherbinovskaya stanitsa, later atYeysk.[1] Lyapidevsky worked as an apprentice in a smithy, apprentice of a metalworker, an engineman of a mowing machine, driver assistant at an oil mill.[1]
In 1926 he was conscripted into the Red Army. In 1927 Anatoly has graduated from Leningrad Military Theory School of the Air Force, in 1928 – from Sevastopol School of Naval Pilots. Lyapidevsky served in a frontline unit of Naval Aviation of theRed Banner Baltic Fleet, then as an instructor pilot at Yeysk School of Naval Pilots. He was discharged in 1933.[1]
He worked as a pilot with the Far Eastern department of the Civil Air Fleet. Lyapidevsky took part in an aerial search and rescue operation for the crew of the steamshipChelyuskin, under extremely difficult conditions, after it was sunk inArctic waters after February 13, 1934.
Together with six other pilots, Lyapidevsky rescued 104 people from the wrecked freighter. The rescue operation took two months, as survivors waited to be rescued on ice floes. Lyapidevsky personally made 29 scouting flights despite blizzards. Lyapidevsky made his first landing on one of the floes on March 5. It was a great feat of flying. Not only was the weather horrid but the floe was only 500 by 1,300 feet. Lyapidevsky took off from the floe with 10 women and 2 children on board his plane.[1][2] He flew the stranded people from their makeshift airstrip on the floating ice field of theChukchi Sea to the town ofUelen. Lyapidevsky was awarded the title of theHero of the Soviet Union for this deed on April 20, 1934.[1] After the Gold Star medals had appeared, on November 4, 1939 No.1 medal was handed over to him.
The heroics of the fliers in the Chelyuskin Rescue prompted the government to create the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. The title later became the Soviet Union's highest military honor.[2]
In 1935 Lyapidevsky returned to the Army. In 1939 he graduated from the Department of Engineering ofZhukovsky Air Force Engineering Academy. Beginning in 1939, he was the deputy of the head of the Main Inspectorate ofPeople's Commissariat of Aviation Industry and head of Aviation Factory No.156 (Moscow, after October 1941 –Omsk).
Lyapidevsky participated in World War II. From May to September 1942 he was head of 4th Department of the Air Force Research Institute, from September 1942 to September 1943 he took the position of Deputy Commander of Air Force of19th Army, then head of field repair service of7th Air Army (Karelian Front).
In 1943 Lyapidevsky returned to his work as head of an aviation factory. After the end of the war, he worked as the main inspector ofMinistry of State Control, deputy of Minister of Aviation Industry. From 1949 to 1954 Lyapidevsky was head of Factory No.25 ofMinistry of Aviation Industry. After in May 1954 the factory was handed over toMinistry of Medium Machine Building, he was the first deputy of the head of Design Bureau-25 and head of Experimental Factory No.25 (now All-Russian Research Institute of Automation). From 1962 to 1983 he was the lead constructor, the deputy of the main engineer ofMikoyan Design Bureau. Major-General Lyapidevsky was discharged in 1961.
He died on April 29, 1983, after catching a cold at the funeral ofVasily Molokov. Lyapidevsky is buried in Moscow, atNovodevichy Cemetery.[1]
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