Photo of twice Hero of the USSR, Air Force Captain N.M. Skomorokhov

The original photograph of the future air marshal is in excellent collector's condition. The size is 75*90 mm. There are traces of pasting into the album on the back. Guarantee of authenticity.

Nikolai Mikhailovich Skomorokhov (1922-1994) was a Soviet military commander, air marshal, participant in the Great Patriotic War, twice Hero of the Soviet Union (1945, 1945), Honored Military Pilot of the USSR (1971), Doctor of Military Sciences, Professor.

In November 1942, Skomorokhov was sent to the front of the Great Patriotic War. For a year and a half, he fought as part of the 164th Fighter Aviation Regiment, and was a pilot, senior pilot, flight commander, and deputy squadron commander. He flew on LaGG-3, La-5 and La-7 aircraft. In April 1944, he was transferred to the 31st Fighter Aviation Regiment, where he continued to fight until the end of the war, first as deputy squadron commander, and then as squadron commander. He fought on the Transcaucasian, Southwestern, and 3rd Ukrainian fronts. He participated in the defense of Tuapse, the Battle for the Caucasus, the liberation of Krasnodar Krai, Donbass, the south of the Ukrainian SSR, Moldavian SSR, Romania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Hungary, Austria. He proved himself to be a skilled pilot and an accurate air shooter. He led fighter groups more than once, emerging victorious from fierce battles. He provided air cover for ground troops, repelling attacks by German aircraft, and also successfully covered assault groups. After becoming a commander, he proved himself to be an excellent organizer, putting combat work at a high level in the unit entrusted to him. He was the deputy commander of the "hunter squadron" of the 295th Fighter Aviation Division of Nikolai Fedorovich Krasnov.

As of December 23, 1944, Skomorokhov flew 483 sorties, took part in 104 air battles, shooting down 25 enemy aircraft personally and 8 more as part of a group. In addition, during the attack, he destroyed: 3 aircraft on the ground, 9 cars, 15 ammunition wagons, 1 fuel depot, 7 railway wagons, up to 150 enemy soldiers and officers. For these services, by Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated February 23, 1945, Captain Nikolai Mikhailovich Skomorokhov was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union with the award of the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal number 4895.

Following the results of 520 sorties and 119 air battles, in which he shot down 35 enemy aircraft personally and 8 more as part of a group, Skomorokhov was again presented with the highest degree of distinction. By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated August 18, 1945, Captain Nikolai Mikhailovich Skomorokhov was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union for the second time with the award of the second Gold Star medal number 6913.

In total, during his participation in the Great Patriotic War, Skomorokhov flew 605 combat missions, took part in 143 air battles, shooting down 46 enemy aircraft personally and 8 more as part of a group.