Tgor Vasilevskiy Fighter pilot Date of Birth: 01.01.1922 Country: Russia

Biography of Yegor Vasilevsky

Yegor Vasilevsky was a fighter pilot who achieved great success during World War II. He was born on January 1, 1922, in the village of Gorbachevo, now part of the Vitebsk district in the Vitebsk region. He came from a peasant family and completed seven grades of primary school before working in a collective farm.

In 1938, Vasilevsky joined the Red Army and in 1940, he successfully graduated from the Odessa Military Aviation School for Pilots. From 1940 to 1942, he served as a pilot instructor at the Stalingrad Military Aviation School. In May 1943, he was deployed to the front lines of the Great Patriotic War.

As a member of the 427th Fighter Aviation Regiment, Vasilevsky participated in numerous aerial battles during the liberation of Belgorod, Kharkov, Poltava, Kremenchug, as well as the Korsun-Shevchenkovskaya and Yassy-Kishinev operations. He engaged in combat over Romania, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and Austria. Vasilevsky flew on Yak-1, Yak-9, and Yak-3 fighter aircraft.

Known for his discipline, precision, and analytical skills, Vasilevsky became a squadron leader in November 1944. As the commander of the 151st Guards Fighter Vienna Aviation Regiment, he conducted 217 combat sorties and engaged in 54 aerial battles. He personally shot down 17 enemy aircraft and 2 more as part of a group. By the end of the war, Vasilevsky had completed a total of 262 successful combat sorties, participated in 68 aerial battles, and personally shot down 25 enemy planes.

Vasilevsky's last recorded victory was a four-engine transport plane FW-200, which he set on fire along with its pilot Sh. Kiriy near Vienna. For his bravery and courage demonstrated in combat, he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union on May 15, 1946.

After the war, Vasilevsky continued his service in the Air Force and graduated from the Military Air Academy in 1955. From 1958, he held the rank of Guard Colonel and served in reserve. He lived and worked in Vitebsk until his death in 1993.

Throughout his military career, Yegor Vasilevsky was decorated with numerous awards, including the Orders of Lenin, the Red Banner (four times), Alexander Nevsky, the Patriotic War 1st Class (twice), the Red Star, and various medals.