On August 22, 2017, the funeral of Pyotr Deinekin, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Air Force, took place in the Russian capital. The pilot devoted his entire life to aviation and public service.
Pilot biography
Pyotr Stepanovich Deinekin was born on December 14, 1937 on the Sulinsky farm of the Milyutinsky district, located in the Rostov region. Comes from a Russian family of teachers. In childhood, the boy survived the German occupation, and his father, who served in the military aviation pilot school, died in the line of duty on May 7, 1943. In the same year, the family moved to the city of Morozovsk, located in the same region. And in the winter of 1944, the Deinekins were forced to change their place of residence, going to Western Ukraine, to Lvov.
As a child, the boy dreamed of continuing his father's work and conquering the air spaces, so his choice of profession in the future did not come as a surprise. The boy's mother, Zinaida Mikhailovna, did not dissuade her son from the decision to become a military man, although the loss of her husband at the front left a sad imprint in her heart. In the future, it was Zinaida who helped Peter enter the pilot school.
After graduating from high school in Lvov in 1952, Pyotr Stepanovich went toKharkov Special School of the Air Force. It was from this training, which lasted 3 years, that Deinekin began his journey into aviation.
The start of the journey
Then the biography of Peter Deinekin continued in the Saratov region, where he arrived from Kharkov. Here, in the small town of Balashov, there was a military flight school, where the future pilot chose. Becoming an officer, Deinekin continued his studies at the Yuri Gagarin Air Force Academy. So, in 1955, Peter joined the ranks of the Soviet army, served as part of the Long-Range Aviation units. This is how the military biography of Peter Deinekin began.
Military career
Having received lieutenant's shoulder straps at the flight academy, Deinekin found out about his first assignment. It was disbanded into one of the military units located in the Far East. Here Peter took up the duties of an assistant commander of the ship. The regiment in which he began his service was in full combat readiness, even bombers were in the arsenal.
In the autumn of 1962, Pyotr Stepanovich graduated from special courses for ship commanders at the flight center in the Far East. After that, the leadership of the Ryazan Aeroflot appointed Deinekin as a pilot of the special group.
Having served in several more units located on the Kamchatka Peninsula, in Yakutia and Chukotka, the pilot decided to go to civilian life. So the biography of Peter Deinekin continued at home, where he worked as part of the crews involved in servicing Flights from Moscowand Leningrad.
Service in the Air Force
However, military service still attracted the former officer, and just a few years later, Deinekin again appeared before his colleagues in uniform. In 1969, Deinekin Petr Stepanovich took the post of deputy commander of a combat squadron, and after only 2 years he received the same position in a bomber regiment. Very soon, the lieutenant led this regiment and received a promotion - he became the commander of the air army and the aviation division.
The next step in the military biography of Peter Deinekin was the post of Commander-in-Chief of Long-Range Aviation of the Air Force of the Soviet Union. In parallel with this position, he served as deputy commander of the USSR Air Force. In 1990, Petr Stepanovich became the first deputy commander of military aviation. And just a year later, Deinekin received a new promotion and became commander in chief.
The status of Peter at that time was equal to the Deputy Minister of Defense. And subsequently Deinekin officially took such an important post. In 1992, after the split of the Soviet Union, Pyotr Stepanovich began to command the aviation of the armed forces of the commonwe alth of the countries of the former USSR.
Achievements
In his 40 years of career, General of the Army Pyotr Deinekin has flown more than 5,000 hours without accident as a ship commander and pilot-instructor on 20 different types of aircraft: from piston units to missile-carrying bombers. In addition, an experienced pilot participated in various military tests and professional operation of aviation strike systems andtankers. The Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Air Force Pyotr Deinekin personally led the air parade, which took place on May 9, 1995 in the Russian capital in honor of the Great Victory of the Soviet Union. On this day, Pyotr Stepanovich was driving a Tu-160 strategic missile carrier called Ilya Muromets.
In 1997, the army general was awarded the Gold Star and the title of Hero of the Russian Federation for courage and heroism, as well as a significant contribution to strengthening the country's defense capability and the development of the Russian Air Force. During such a long career, Pyotr Stepanovich was awarded many other honorary signs and orders.
After Service Activities
In the winter of 1998, Pyotr Stepanovich resigned due to reaching the age limit for military service. For four years, Deinekin served as head of the administration of the President of the Russian Federation, dealing with issues of the Cossacks. In 2003, the retired general worked as vice president of the Avikos insurance company and chairman of the board of directors of the Afes company. After 7 years, he received an offer to accept the position of vice-president of the Alfa Insurance company. In the fall of 2011, he took over as Chairman of the Public Council of the Federal Air Transport Agency.
Private life
Pyotr Deinekin's family is large: the general was married and raised three sons. In addition to flying, he loved fishing and water skiing. Often went out into nature. Another hobby of the family of Peter Deinekin was visiting the theater. Together with his wife, Pyotr Stepanovich regularly went to various performances.
Recent years
When he retired, Deinekin very often worked with young people and wrote memoirs. In one of his books "Checked by Heaven" Pyotr Stepanovich told many interesting facts about important historical events and his colleagues. And the work "Wings of Our Youth" was dedicated to the beginning of the formation of a pilot, his early years and career.
At the age of 79, the great pilot took the helm for the last time. He flew the American aircraft "Douglas", which for the most part was a rarity. The flight of the former general was watched by thousands of spectators who gathered on the occasion of the 105th anniversary of the Air Force in Kubinka near Moscow.
True, the doctors strictly forbade the famous pilot to take to the skies at such an advanced age. However, Deinekin did not pay any attention to the objections of the doctors, since he considered it his duty to sit at the helm on such an important day for Russia. Before the flight, Pyotr Stepanovich, as expected, underwent a medical examination, which only confirmed the general's readiness to go on a flight. The astonished audience admired the pilot, and he only repeated that he would fly the plane more than once. But, unfortunately, the plans of Peter Stepanovich were not destined to come true. On August 19, 2017, the famous pilot passed away. The reason for this was a heart attack, which overtook the general just a week after his last flight to"Douglas".
Pyotr Deinekin's funeral took place 3 days later at the Federal Military Cemetery in Mytishchi. Several thousand people came to say goodbye to him, among whom were all famous statesmen. This is how the brilliant life of a great military leader, a brilliant pilot, an outstanding person ended.
