Vasily Vasilyevich Reshetnikov (; 23 December 1919 – 20 March 2023) was a

Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

pilot who served during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. Reshetnikov flew 307 missions, mainly as a pilot of a long-range bomber, and in the summer of 1943, received the title of

Hero of the Soviet Union The title Hero of the Soviet Union () was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded together with the Order of Lenin personally or collectively for heroic feats in service to the Soviet state and society. The title was awarded both ...

. After World War II, he was named commander of an Aviation Division, Air Corps. Reshetnikov was subsequently promoted to Colonel General and took command of the

Long-Range Aviation Long Range Aviation may refer to the following: * Soviet Long Range Aviation, the branch of the Soviet Air Force responsible for long-range nuclear or conventional strikes by aircraft, until the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 * Ukrainian L ...

branch from 1969 to 1980 and was made Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force of the Soviet Union from 1980 to 1986.

Early life

Reshetnikov was born on 23 December 1919 in the city of

Katerynoslav Dnipro is Ukraine's fourth-largest city, with about one million inhabitants. It is located in the eastern part of Ukraine, southeast of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on the Dnieper River, Dnipro River, from which it takes its name. Dnipro is t ...

, to a family of hereditary artists and icon painters. His uncle was artist Fyodor Pavlovich Reshetnikov. In 1936, at the call from the

Komsomol The All-Union Leninist Young Communist League, usually known as Komsomol, was a political youth organization in the Soviet Union. It is sometimes described as the youth division of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU), although it w ...

, he joined the

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...

. He graduated from the Voroshilovgrad Military Aviation School named after the Proletariat of Donbass in 1938. After graduation, he began serving in long-range aviation of the

Soviet Air Forces The Soviet Air Forces (, VVS SSSR; literally "Military Air Forces of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics"; initialism VVS, sometimes referred to as the "Red Air Force") were one of the air forces of the Soviet Union. The other was the Sovie ...

World War II

Following the outbreak of

Operation Barbarossa Operation Barbarossa was the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany and several of its European Axis allies starting on Sunday, 22 June 1941, during World War II. More than 3.8 million Axis troops invaded the western Soviet Union along ...

in June 1941, he served in the 751st Separate Night Long-Range Bomber Regiment, which was tasked with striking at targets in the enemy's deep rear, while flying an

Ilyushin Il-4 The Ilyushin Il-4 (DB-3F) (; NATO reporting name: Bob) is a Soviet twin-engined long-range bomber and torpedo bomber, widely used by the Soviet Air Force and Soviet Naval Aviation during World War II. Design and development In 1938, the Ilyush ...

bomber. He became a member of the

Communist Party of the Soviet Union The Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU),. Abbreviated in Russian as КПСС, ''KPSS''. at some points known as the Russian Communist Party (RCP), All-Union Communist Party and Bolshevik Party, and sometimes referred to as the Soviet ...

in 1942. At the end of May 1942, he took part in the bombing of a German command post in Angerburg. He also participated in the long-range bombing of

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

on the night of 10 September 1942. He served as the squadron commander of the 19th Guards Long-Range Aviation Regiment, 8th Guards Long-Range Bomber Aviation Division and the 2nd Guards Long-Range Aviation Bomber Corps. On 27 July 1943, Reshetnikov was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union by the decree of the

Presidium of the Supreme Soviet The Presidium of the Supreme Soviet () was the standing body of the highest organ of state power, highest body of state authority in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).The Presidium of the Soviet Union is, in short, the legislativ ...

. Reshetnikov's plane was shot down twice. The first time was in February 1942, near the front line, when he bombed the Balbasovo Airfield near

Orsha Orsha (; , ; ) is a city in Vitebsk Region, Belarus. It is situated on the fork of the Dnieper, Dnieper River and Arshytsa River, and it serves as the administrative center of Orsha District. As of 2025, it has a population of 101,662. History ...

. When he was shot down the second time, it took more than a week for him to get out of the enemy's rear. In 1943, he took part in the liberation of his hometown from the German invaders. Reshetnikov completed his 307th and last combat mission on 16 April 1945. He ended the war as deputy regiment commander.

Post war

After the war, he was sent to study, and in 1946 he graduated from the accelerated course of the

Air Force Academy An air force academy or air academy is a national institution that provides initial officer training, possibly including undergraduate level education, to air force officer cadets who are preparing to be commissioned officers in a national air forc ...

Monino Monino () is an urban locality (a work settlement) in Shchyolkovsky District of Moscow Oblast, Russia, located east of Moscow. Population: History Monino was founded in the Muninskaya Wasteland () on August 23, 1792. The name "Monino" or "M ...

. In the summer of 1946, he returned to the 183rd Guard Bomber Regiment in

Uzyn Uzyn (, ) is a city in Bila Tserkva Raion of Kyiv Oblast (province) in central Ukraine. It hosts the administration of Uzyn urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. The city and covers an area of . Population: The largest industrial orga ...

, and was appointed its commander after replacing regiment commander A. Shaposhnikov, who in the early years of the war helped him master the skill of night flying. He commanded the regiment for 8 years. From January 1951 to December 1954, he served as commander of the 185th Guard Bomber Regiment in

Poltava Poltava (, ; , ) is a city located on the Vorskla, Vorskla River in Central Ukraine, Central Ukraine. It serves as the administrative center of Poltava Oblast as well as Poltava Raion within the oblast. It also hosts the administration of Po ...

. In 1954, at his own request and with the support of the Commander of Long-Range Aviation,

Chief Marshal of Aviation Chief marshal of the branch () was a senior military rank of the Soviet Armed Forces. It was immediately above the rank of Marshal of the branch. Both ranks were equal to general of the army. History The ranks of chief marshal of aviation, arti ...

Alexander Novikov Alexander Alexandrovich Novikov (; – 3 December 1976) was the chief marshal of aviation for the Soviet Air Forces during the Soviet Union's involvement in the World War II, Second World War. Lauded as "the man who has piloted the Red Air F ...

, he became a student of the Higher Military Academy named after K. E. Voroshilov. He graduated from the academy in 1956, and was appointed to the position of division commander. In the spring of 1959, he set a new unofficial world record for the flight range of 17,150 kilometers within closed curve, surpassing the American record by 2,700 kilometers. He spent 20 hours at the helm. He became the deputy commander, and from December 1957 to December 1960, he was the commander of the 106th Heavy Air Bomber Division in Uzyn, which consisted of

Tu-95 The Tupolev Tu-95 (; NATO reporting name: "Bear") is a large, four-engine turboprop-powered strategic bomber and missile platform. First flown in 1952, the Tu-95 entered service with the Long-Range Aviation of the Soviet Air Forces in 1956 and ...

strategic bombers. From 1960 to 1961, he served as deputy commander, and from June 1961 to September 1968, he served as commander of the 2nd Independent Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment in

Vinnytsia Vinnytsia ( ; , ) is a city in west-central Ukraine, located on the banks of the Southern Bug. It serves as the administrative centre, administrative center of Vinnytsia Oblast. It is the largest city in the historic region of Podillia. It also s ...

. From the years 1966 to 1971, he was a member of the

Communist Party of Ukraine The Communist Party of Ukraine (CPU or KPU) is a banned political party in Ukraine. It was founded in 1993 and claimed to be the successor to the Soviet-era Communist Party of Ukraine, which had been banned in 1991. In 2002 it held a "unifi ...

Audit Committee, and from 1963 to 1971 a deputy to the Supreme Council of the

Ukrainian SSR The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, abbreviated as the Ukrainian SSR, UkrSSR, and also known as Soviet Ukraine or just Ukraine, was one of the Republics of the Soviet Union, constituent republics of the Soviet Union from 1922 until 1991. ...

for the 6th and 7th terms. From September 1968 to January 1969, he was the deputy commander, and from January 1969 to November 1980, he was the commander of the USSR Long Range Aviation branch. From 1980 to 1986, he served as deputy commander-in-chief of the Soviet Air Force. He retired from active duty in 1986.

Later life

After his retirement, Reshetnikov lived in

. For more than 30 years, he actively participated in the Council of Veterans of Long-Range Aviation. For 10 years, he served as the chairman of this council and then as its honorary chairman. In 2003, at the age of 83, he flew a

North American B-25 Mitchell The North American B-25 Mitchell is an American medium bomber that was introduced in 1941 and named in honor of Brigadier General Billy Mitchell, William "Billy" Mitchell, a pioneer of U.S. military aviation. Used by many Allies of World War ...

bomber at the Monino Air Show. The aircraft was flown from

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

, by an Austrian pilot. Reshetnikov

turned 100 A centenarian is a person who has reached the age of 100. Because life expectancies at birth worldwide are well below 100, the term is invariably associated with longevity. The United Nations estimated that there were 316,600 living centenarian ...

in December 2019. As of July 2021, he was the last of the living Heroes of the Soviet Union who flew the Il-4. He died on 20 March 2023, at the age of 103. He was buried with

military honours A military funeral is a memorial or burial rite given by a country's military for a soldier, sailor, marine or airman who died in battle, a veteran, or other prominent military figures or heads of state. A military funeral may feature guards ...

at the

Federal Military Memorial Cemetery The Federal Military Memorial Cemetery (Russian: Федеральное военное мемориальное кладбище) is a national cemetery of Russia, located in Mytishchinsky District, Moscow Oblast, on the north-eastern outskirts ...

's Pantheon of Defenders of the Fatherland on 23 March 2023.

Dates of ranks

Junior lieutenant Junior lieutenant is a junior officer rank in several countries, comparable to Sub-lieutenant. Germany In East Germany's National People's Army, the rank of () was introduced in 1956 and used until German reunification in 1990. Eastern Europe ...

: 12 December 1938 *

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

: 13 April 1942 * Senior lieutenant: 6 August 1942 *

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

: 10 March 1943 *

Major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

: 28 February 1944 * Lieutenant colonel: 6 April 1945 *

Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

: 3 October 1953 * Major general: 25 May 1959 *

Lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...

: 13 April 1964 *

Colonel general Colonel general is a military rank used in some armies. It is particularly associated with Germany, where historically General officer#Old European system, general officer ranks were one grade lower than in the Commonwealth and the United States, ...

: 29 April 1970

Awards and honors

;USSR *

(27 July 1943) *

Order of Lenin The Order of Lenin (, ) was an award named after Vladimir Lenin, the leader of the October Revolution. It was established by the Central Executive Committee on 6 April 1930. The order was the highest civilian decoration bestowed by the Soviet ...

, thrice (31 December 1942, 27 July 1943, 22 February 1955) *

Order of the October Revolution The Order of the October Revolution (, ''Orden Oktyabr'skoy Revolyutsii'') was instituted on 31 October 1967, in time for the 50th anniversary of the October Revolution. It was conferred upon individuals or groups for services furthering communis ...

(8 January 1980) *

Order of the Red Banner The Order of the Red Banner () was the first Soviet military decoration. The Order was established on 16 September 1918, during the Russian Civil War by decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee. It was the highest award of S ...

, thrice (28 April 1944, 10 December 1956, 22 February 1968) *

Order of Alexander Nevsky The Order of Alexander Nevsky () is an Order (distinction), order of merit of the Russia, Russian Federation named in honour of saint Alexander Nevsky (1220–1263) and bestowed to civil servants for twenty years or more of highly meritorious ser ...

(6 April 1945) *

Order of the Patriotic War The Order of the Patriotic War () is a Soviet Union, Soviet military Order (decoration), decoration that was awarded to all soldiers in the Soviet armed forces, security troops, and to Partisan (military), partisans for heroic deeds in the Easte ...

, 1st class (11 March 1985) *

Order of the Red Star The Order of the Red Star () was a military decoration of the Soviet Union. It was established by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of 6 April 1930 but its statute was only defined in decree of the Presidium of the ...

, twice (29 March 1942, 19 November 1951) *

Order "For Service to the Homeland in the Armed Forces of the USSR" The Order "For Service to the Homeland in the Armed Forces of the USSR" (), also known as the Order "For Service to the Motherland in the Armed Forces of the USSR", was a Soviet Union, Soviet Order (honour), military order awarded in three classes ...

, 3rd class (30 April 1975) *

Medal "For Battle Merit" The Medal "For Battle Merit" () was a Soviet military medal awarded for "combat action resulting in a military success", "courageous defense of the state borders", or "successful military and political training and preparation". It was created on ...

Medal "For the Defence of Moscow" The Medal "For the Defence of Moscow" () was a World War II campaign medal of the Soviet Union awarded to military and civilians who had participated in the Battle of Moscow. History The Medal "For the Defence of Moscow" was established on May ...

(1 May 1944) *

Medal "For the Defence of Leningrad" The Medal "For the Defence of Leningrad" () was a World War II campaign medal of the Soviet Union established on December 22, 1942 by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR to recognise the valour and hard work of the Soviet ...

(22 December 1942) *

Medal "For the Defence of Stalingrad" The Medal "For the Defence of Stalingrad" () was a World War II campaign medal of the Soviet Union. Medal history The Medal "For the Defence of Stalingrad" was established on December 22, 1942 by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet o ...

(22 December 1942) *

Medal "For the Capture of Budapest" The Medal "For the Capture of Budapest" () was a World War II campaign medal of the Soviet Union established on 9 June 1945 by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR to satisfy the petition of the People's Commissariat for Def ...

(9 June 1945) * Medal "For the Capture of Königsberg" (9 June 1945) *

Medal "For the Capture of Berlin" The Medal "For the Capture of Berlin" () was a World War II campaign medal of the Soviet Union established on June 9, 1945 by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR to satisfy the petition of the People's Commissariat for Defe ...

(9 June 1945) *

Medal "For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" The Medal "For the Victory Over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" () was a military decoration of the Soviet Union established on May 9, 1945, by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR to denote military partici ...

(9 May 1945) *

Jubilee Medal "Twenty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" The Jubilee Medal "Twenty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" () was a state commemorative medal of the Soviet Union established on May 7, 1965 by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR to denote the twenti ...

(1965) *

Jubilee Medal "Thirty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" The Jubilee Medal "Thirty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" () was a state commemorative medal of the Soviet Union established on April 25, 1975, by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR to denote the thi ...

(1975) *

Jubilee Medal "Forty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" The Jubilee Medal "Forty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" () was a state commemorative medal of the Soviet Union established on April 12, 1985, by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR to denote th ...

(1985) *

Jubilee Medal "In Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the Birth of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin" The Jubilee Medal "In Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the Birth of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin" () was a state commemorative medal of the Soviet Union established by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet on November 5, 1969 to commemo ...

(1969) * Jubilee Medal "30 Years of the Soviet Army and Navy" (1948) *

Jubilee Medal "40 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR" The Jubilee Medal "40 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR" () was a state military commemorative medal of the Soviet Union established on December 18, 1957 by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR to denote the fortieth anni ...

(1958) * Jubilee Medal "50 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR" (1968) *

Jubilee Medal "60 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR" The Jubilee Medal "60 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR" () was a state military commemorative medal of the Soviet Union established and bestowed upon military personnel to denote the sixtieth anniversary of the creation of the armed forces of ...

(1978) *

Jubilee Medal "70 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR" The Jubilee Medal "70 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR" () was a state military commemorative medal of the Soviet Union established on January 28, 1988 by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR to denote the seventieth anni ...

(1988) * Medal "Veteran of the Armed Forces of the USSR" (1976) * Medal "For Strengthening of Brotherhood in Arms" * Medal "In Commemoration of the 250th Anniversary of Leningrad" (1957) ;Russia *

Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" The Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" () is a state decoration of the Russian Federation. It was instituted on 2 March 1994 by Presidential Decree 442. Until the re-establishment of the Order of St. Andrew in 1998, it was the highest order of ...

, IV class (22 December 1999) * Order of Honour (12 April 2010) *

Medal of Zhukov The Medal of Zhukov () is a state award of the Russian Federation initially awarded to veterans of the Great Patriotic War but now awarded to serving members of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. It is named in honour of Marshal of the ...

* Jubilee Medal "50 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" (1993) *

Jubilee Medal "60 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" The Jubilee Medal "60 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" (Russian: Юбилейная медаль «60 лет Победы в Великой Отечественной войне 1941–1945 гг.») is a state commemorativ ...

(2004) * Jubilee Medal "65 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" (2009) * Jubilee Medal "70 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" (2013) * Jubilee Medal "75 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" (2019) * Jubilee Medal "300 Years of the Russian Navy" (1996) *

Medal "In Commemoration of the 850th Anniversary of Moscow" The Medal "In Commemoration of the 850th Anniversary of Moscow" () is a commemorative medal of the Russian Federation created to denote the 850th anniversary of the city of Moscow. It was established on 26 February 1997 by Presidential Decree � ...

(1997) * Prize of the Government of the Russian Federation for significant contribution to the development of the Air Force (17 December 2012) ;Foreign *

Order of 9 September 1944 The Order of 9 September 1944 was an Order of Merit of the Kingdom of Bulgaria from 1945 to 1946, and of the People's Republic of Bulgaria from 1946 to 1990. It commemorated the Bulgarian coup d'état of 1944 Bulgarian may refer to: * Something ...

, 1st class (

Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...

) * Order of Military Merit (

Mongolia Mongolia is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south and southeast. It covers an area of , with a population of 3.5 million, making it the world's List of countries and dependencies by po ...

) * Officer's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta (

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Reshetnikov, Vasily 1919 births 2023 deaths Military personnel from Dnipro Communist Party of the Soviet Union members Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union alumni Heroes of the Soviet Union Recipients of the Medal of Zhukov Recipients of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 4th class Recipients of the Order "For Service to the Homeland in the Armed Forces of the USSR", 3rd class Recipients of the Order of Alexander Nevsky Recipients of the Order of Honour (Russia) Recipients of the Order of Lenin Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner Recipients of the Order of the Red Star Officers of the Order of Polonia Restituta Recipients of the Patriotic Order of Merit in gold Russian men centenarians 20th-century Russian memoirists Soviet Air Force generals Soviet colonel generals Soviet World War II pilots Shot-down aviators Burials at the Federal Military Memorial Cemetery