Photo of the Hero of the Soviet Union, Captain A.I. Mayorov, 1943

The original wartime photo is in good collector's condition. The size is 56*83 mm. There are traces of pasting into the album on the back. Very rare. Guarantee of authenticity.

Alexander Ivanovich Mayorov (April 1, 1921, Kesova Gora, Tver Province — October 26, 2004, Odessa) was a Soviet military fighter ace. Participant of the Great Patriotic War. Hero of the Soviet Union (September 2, 1943). The Colonel (1955).

A. I. Mayorov was drafted into the ranks of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army in 1940 and sent to the Borisoglebsk Military Pilot School named after V. P. Chkalov (now the Borisoglebsk Aviation Training Center for Flight Personnel named after V. P. Chkalov). In the battles with the Nazi invaders, Second Lieutenant A. I. Mayorov since February 1942. He fought on LaGG-3, La-5, La-5F, La-5FN and La-7 aircraft. He began his military career as a pilot of the 425th Fighter Aviation Regiment of the Volkhov Front. Alexander Ivanovich shot down his first aircraft (Me-109) on March 19, 1942 in the area of the Myasnoy Bor station as part of a pair. In April 1942, he was transferred to the 2nd Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment of the Air Force of the 52nd Army of the Volkhov Front, in which he took part in the final phase of the Lyuban operation. In June 1942, the Air Force of the 52nd Army took part in covering the 2nd Shock Army, which was coming out of the encirclement. In one of the battles, four fighters, led by Second Lieutenant Mayorov, engaged 37 enemy aircraft and won, shooting down 3 enemy bombers and 2 fighters. During the preparation of the Sinyavinsk operation on August 11, 1942, the 2nd Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment was transferred to the direct subordination of the Volkhov Front and conducted reconnaissance of enemy defenses in the interests of the front. Then he participated in the Sinyavinsk operation. During this period, Guard Lieutenant A. I. Mayorov made 32 sorties, 12 of them for reconnaissance, and in four aerial battles shot down 1 Me-109F personally and two more enemy aircraft in a group.

In June 1943, the 2nd Fighter Aviation Corps was transferred to the Kursk Bulge and was subordinated to the 1st Air Army of the Western Front. On July 7, 1943, the 2nd Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment was incorporated into the 322nd Fighter Aviation Division and took part in the Orel operation of the Battle of Kursk. During the fighting on the Kursk Bulge, Junior Lieutenant A. I. Mayorov shot down 9 German aircraft. At the end of July 1943, the 2nd Fighter Aviation Corps was operationally subordinated to the 15th Air Army of the Bryansk Front and provided air cover for units of the 11th Guards Army.

On September 2, 1943, by Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, Junior Lieutenant Alexander Ivanovich Mayorov was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union for exemplary performance of combat missions of the command at the front of the struggle against the Nazi invaders and the courage and heroism of the Guard.

In early September 1943, the 2nd Squadron of the 2nd Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment received 12 La-5FN aircraft built at the expense of the workers of the Mongolian People's Republic, one of which went to Majorov. Later, fellow railwaymen presented the best pilot of the regiment with a named aircraft "St. George Puteets". As part of the Mongolian Arat squadron, Alexander Ivanovich fought on the 1st Baltic and 3rd Belorussian fronts, participated in the liberation of Belarus and the Baltic States, by the summer of 1944 he had risen from second lieutenant to captain and in June 1944 was appointed commander of the 3rd squadron of the 2nd Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment. Under his command, from June 22 to August 18, 1944, the squadron flew 234 successful sorties, including 125 for escorting attack aircraft and bombers, 61 for covering ground troops, 18 for attacking enemy troops, 18 for reconnaissance and 12 for free hunting. In aerial combat, the squadron shot down 16 enemy aircraft. Captain A. I. Mayorov of the Guard himself made 22 successful sorties during this period. By the beginning of 1945, Alexander Ivanovich received the rank of major.