Arkady Kamanin: biography and photos

Many years ago, the Great Patriotic War ended, ruthlessly passed on the souls of people and carried away millions of human lives. In every family she entered without knocking, destroyed the usual way of life, adding to it new, irreversible in its scope, the amendments. It was at this time that the patriotism of the Russian man, ready for his native land, for the sake of a bright future of descendants, paid off with his own life was manifested as much as possible. In the battle with death, all entered: men and women, brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers, adults and children. Children of war…

Arkady Kamanin, whose feat contributed to the approach of the Great Victory, in peacetime was an ordinary Soviet boy, who, like most peers, was fond of sports, reading, playing musical instruments (bayan and accordion). And the sky was creeping him: blue, clean, distant ...

His sky was shining

Arkady Kamanin was born, whose biography and photo arouse sincere interest of the modern generation, November 2, 1928. The father of the future hero Nikolai Petrovich Kamanin, a Soviet officer, an experienced pilot who was a vivid example of a real man for a young man, served at the airport, and his son always had the opportunity to be with him and provide all possible teenage help.

Arkady Kamanin is a pioneer hero whose biography represents a vivid example of love for the Motherland, a readiness to defend his native land from enemies in the name of a brighter future. Born in the Far East, the boy and his family (as a father's duty) changed their residence several times, lived in Moscow for some time, and disappeared at the aerodrome during the summer holidays, mastering the profession of an aviation mechanic. In this capacity, he even managed to work at the capital aviation plant in 1941.

Stayed in War

In the same year, his father continued his service in Tashkent (Uzbekistan), where he stayed with his family until 1943. In February, he was appointed commander of the assault air corps, and 14-year-old Arkady Kamanin again began working as an air mechanic at the location of the military unit of his father. Being still a minor, was threatened with sending to the rear, but flatly refused to leave the military unit. Moreover, the high level of qualification did not allow the management to easily release a competent specialist. After all, in wartime the need for qualified technical workers was constant.

Successful start

Arkady Kamanin was enlisted as a mechanic of special equipment in the 423rd Aviation Squadron of Communications (Kalinin Front), which was a successful start in the air career of a young man who decided to learn how to fly. It was flying practice that gave invaluable experience and helped to understand the theory. For the first time in the sky, Kamanin, the youngest, climbed up on a two-seat training U-2.

At first he flew as an air mechanic and navigator-observer, and in July 1943 he received an official permission to fly independently. The reason for this was the case when, during one of the flights, a stray bullet smashed the visor of the cockpit to smithereens, and the fragments that got inside blinded Arkady. The young man summoned an experienced pilot from the ground, under the remote guidance of which he managed to professionally plant the car. After this successful event, the talented young man began to pass formal training. Two months later, Kamanin, Jr., successfully passed the exams to the strict and demanding Major General N. Kamanin, who could not find grounds for not allowing his son to fly independently.

Save Friend

War is a war, and General Nikolai Kamanin sent Sergeant Arkady Kamanin to flight, risking not to wait for his son from the next assignment. In reconnaissance flights, the "flyers" (as the grown-up colleagues nicknamed the boy) showed themselves heroically, delivering orders to the commanders of the advanced units, obtaining valuable information right under the noses of the fascists and carrying out other complex assignments.

Arkady Kamanin - a pioneer hero, was characterized by an astounding fearlessness and risked on a par with adults. In confirmation of this, there is a case when, upon returning to the headquarters of the squadron headquarters, Arkady saw on his neutral stunt a striker lying on the belly, lying on his belly. Looking at the closed cockpit of the plane, the young man realized that the pilot was inside and, apparently, was wounded. Remembering the unwritten law - the mutual assistance of a friend, Arkady Kamanin, without a moment's hesitation, landed professionally near a downed plane, skillfully "parked", closing himself off from the Germans with a downed attack aircraft, in whose cabin was Lieutenant Berdnikov wounded in the head. Having completed the task, he did not have time to deliver the results of aerial photography to the base. The fragile youth managed to transport a camera with a film to his plane, and then the limp body of the rescued pilot.

The first award

Kamanin, the youngest, managed to get unharmed to the location of his unit, besides, his colleagues helped him, distracting the attention of the Germans from the firing of a brave and arrogant corn mover. For the perfect feat 15-year-old Arkady was awarded his first Order of the Red Star.

On the account of Arcadia, the rescue of another comrade - a mechanic who flew up on the tail of the plane. When taking off on a wet ground, the technicians deliberately sat on the tail of the device, pressing it in such a way that he did not "nose" into the ground. Then it was required to skip off skilfully and in a timely manner, which in this case the mechanic did not have time to do.

Arkady, being in anticipation of permission to land, noticed a man in the air, about which he flashed missile guns to the imprudent pilot, who had already managed to hide the chassis. The man was removed from the tail of the plane.

Fearless "flyer"

The second Red Star, Arkady Kamanin, was awarded in 1944: when the enemy was attacked at the front-line headquarters, the young man, under fire, took to the air on his plane, called for help, and showered uninvited guests with grenades.

Order of the Red Banner Arkady earned in early 1945 for the delivery of secret documents and food for the radio partisan detachment. The young man had to carry out a 1.5-hour flight beyond the front line on an unfamiliar route, characterized by a complex mountainous terrain, which at times complicated the fulfillment of the task.

The overall track record of pilot Kamanin Jr. totals 283 hours in the air (which is more than six hundred sorties). Many of them were produced in severe weather conditions, under the sights of German guns. During this period, the young man was awarded six government awards, including medals "For the capture of Vienna", "For the victory over Germany", "For the capture of Budapest".

Ahead of a peaceful life

War is over. It seemed that ahead of Arkady Kamanin a bright future awaited. Substantially retired from his studies from peers, the young man with his usual purposefulness and zeal began to actively study the lost material. This was enough for him one academic year. After receiving a school diploma, in 1946 Arkady Kamanin (photo can be seen in the article) was enrolled in the preparatory course of the Air Force Academy. Zhukovsky, in which his father once studied. Years of training, service in the Soviet Army, a real opportunity to get into the detachment of Soviet cosmonauts ... But ...

Forever Young

At the age of 18, Arkady fell seriously ill with meningitis and suddenly died for all. April 13, 1947 - the last day of life of the youngest pilot, fearlessly passed the Great Patriotic War from beginning to end. Arkady was buried at Novodevichye Cemetery in Moscow. So he remembered his peers: young, cheerful, purposeful, always ready to come to the aid of a friend. In love with the sky ...