Boris Glinka Hero of the Soviet Union Date of Birth: 27.09.1914 Country: Ukraine

1. Biography of Boris Borisovich Glinka
2. Early Life and Education
3. Military Career
4. Post-War Service
5. Later Years and Legacy

Biography of Boris Borisovich Glinka

Boris Borisovich Glinka was a Soviet pilot and a Hero of the Soviet Union. He was awarded this title on May 24, 1943, for his 200 combat flights and 10 enemy planes shot down. Glinka served as an adjutant in the 45th Fighter Aviation Regiment, which was part of the 216th Mixed Aviation Division, 4th Air Army, and the North Caucasus Front. He held the rank of lieutenant.

Early Life and Education

Boris Borisovich Glinka was born on September 27, 1914, in Krivoy Rog, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Ukraine. He came from a working-class family and was of Ukrainian descent. In 1940, Glinka joined the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU). He completed seven years of schooling in 1928 and started working in a mine in 1929. Glinka graduated from a mining technical school in 1934 and worked as a shift technician while also studying in an aeroclub.

Military Career

In 1936, Glinka graduated from the GVF Flight School in Kherson and became a flight instructor there. He joined the Red Army on December 31, 1939, and completed his pilot training at the 8th Odessa Military Aviation School named after P.D. Osipenko in 1940. Glinka served as a flight instructor at the same school before the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War in June 1941.

During the war, Glinka fought alongside his brother Dmitry on the Crimean and North Caucasus Fronts. He was credited with downing 30 enemy aircraft personally and one more in a group. On July 1943, while engaged in an aerial battle over the Vorskla River, Glinka rammed an enemy fighter with the propeller of his damaged aircraft and made a forced landing. He also participated in battles on the 4th, 2nd, and 1st Ukrainian Fronts.

Post-War Service

After the war, Glinka continued his service in the Soviet Air Force. In 1952, he graduated from the prestigious Red Banner Military Air Academy. Glinka went on to serve in the Borisoglebsk Red Banner Military Aviation School and the Cosmonaut Training Center. He received numerous awards and decorations, including the Order of Lenin, three Orders of the Red Banner, Orders of the Patriotic War 1st Class, the Order of the Red Star, and the Medal "For Combat Merit."

Later Years and Legacy

Boris Borisovich Glinka passed away on May 11, 1967, after a long illness. He was buried in the Zvezdny Gorodok (Star City) of the Moscow Region. Glinka's bravery and skill as a pilot during World War II earned him the highest honor of being named a Hero of the Soviet Union. His legacy continues to inspire future generations of aviators and military personnel.