Andrey Chirkov Fighter pilot Date of Birth: 10.10.1917 Country: Ukraine

Biography of Andrey Chirkov

Andrey Vasilyevich Chirkov was a legendary fighter pilot and a hero of the battles for Leningrad. He was one of the best fighters on the front and later, as the commander of a squadron, he showed himself to be an exceptional leader. A man of exceptional willpower, he often demonstrated it in critical situations.

He was born on October 10, 1917, in the city of Yekaterinoslav (now Dnipro) in a working-class family. After completing his studies at the vocational school, he worked as an electrician at the tram depot. In 1937, he joined the Red Army. He graduated from the Kachinsk Military Aviation School in 1938. He participated in the Soviet-Finnish War from 1939 to 1940. He served on the front lines of the Great Patriotic War from June 1941.

It was Chirkov who scored the first aerial victory for the pilots of the Leningrad Front, shooting down a Heinkel-111 bomber near Pskov on June 23, 1941. On January 21, 1942, Lieutenant A.V. Chirkov, a pilot of the 154th Fighter Aviation Regiment (7th Fighter Aviation Corps, Leningrad Air Defense Zone), rammed an enemy aircraft in a head-on attack near the village of Pogostye in the Leningrad region while flying a P-40 "Tomahawk" fighter. He landed on enemy territory and crossed the front line to return to his squadron. By June 1943, Assistant Commander of the 29th Guards Fighter Regiment, Air-Gunner (275th Fighter Aviation Division, 13th Air Army, Leningrad Front), Major A.V. Chirkov had flown 389 combat sorties, shot down 18 enemy aircraft personally and 9 in a group. On February 4, 1944, for his courage and bravery in battle, he was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union.

After the war, he continued his service in the Air Force. Starting from 1949, he was in the reserves. He lived in Leningrad and was an honorary citizen of the city. He was awarded the Orders of Lenin (twice), the Red Banner (twice), the Patriotic War of the 1st degree, and various medals. He passed away on September 10, 1956. A street in Dnipro is named after him. A bust of the Hero is installed in Tram Depot No. 1 in the city of Dnipro.