Photo of the Hero of the Soviet Union, Captain V.P. Lukyantsev.

The original photo is in very good collector's condition. The TASS Photo Chronicle press. The size is 77*118 mm. Guarantee of authenticity.

Vasily Petrovich Lukyantsev (1913-1998) — Hero of the Soviet Union (1944), deputy squadron commander of the 10th Separate Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment (1st Air Army, Western Front), captain. He was born on August 21, 1913 in the village of Maryinskaya, now in the Kirovsky district of the Stavropol Territory, into a peasant family. Russian. He graduated from the 9th grade, and in 1937 from the Bataisk School of the Civil Air Fleet. He worked as an instructor pilot at the Taganrog Aero Club. In the Red Army since 1941. On the fronts of the Great Patriotic War since September 1941. Member of the CPSU since 1942. During the offensive of the Soviet troops near Moscow, he flew several sorties a day in difficult weather conditions, bombed resistance centers, enemy manpower concentrations, columns of tanks and vehicles. They destroyed 5 tanks and 20 trucks with cargo. On their Pe-2 aircraft, together with the navigator of the crew, Captain V. I. Kononenko, they constantly controlled the areas of Yartsev, Smolensk, Roslavl, and sometimes broke into the enemy rear up to Oryol and beyond. According to their intelligence, the assault and bomber aircraft inflicted a number of crushing blows on the invaders.

By June 1943, he had flown 167 combat missions, 81 of them for bombing enemy troops and facilities, 86 for long—range reconnaissance. 55 enemy airfields have been explored and photographed. In all cases, flights into the enemy's deep rear were carried out by a single crew without fighter cover and simultaneously with the bombing of railway stations and airfields. He participated in 12 aerial battles with superior enemy forces, personally shot down one, two with his crew, and five enemy aircraft in a group battle.

He was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union for successfully completing combat missions of the air reconnaissance command, exceptional bravery and heroism in the battles against the Nazi invaders. By the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR "On awarding the title Hero of the Soviet Union to the officers of the Red Army Air Force" dated February 4, 1944, for "exemplary performance of combat missions of the command at the front of the struggle against the German invaders and the courage and heroism shown at the same time", he was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union with the award of the Order of Lenin and the Gold medal A star." By the same order, the navigator of the Kononenko crew, Vasily Ivanovich, received the title of Hero. He graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1946. In 1957, he joined the reserve with the rank of lieutenant colonel. He lived in Astrakhan, died on June 23, 1998.