Photo of the Hero of the Soviet Union, Captain of the Red Army Air Force D.V. Jabidze.

The original photo from the Hero's personal file is in excellent condition. The size is 87*127 mm. Guarantee of authenticity.

David Vasilyevich Jabidze (1916-1982) — captain of the Soviet Army, participant of the Great Patriotic War, Hero of the Soviet Union (1946).

David Jabidze was born on February 10 (new style — 23), 1916 in the village of Chkhari (now Terzhol municipality of Georgia). After graduating from high school, he worked at a mine in Tkibuli. In 1937, he completed three courses at the Faculty of Chemistry of Tbilisi State University and the Tbilisi Aero Club. In November of the same year, Jabidze was drafted into the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army. In 1940, he graduated from the Stalingrad Military Aviation School of Pilots, after which he served in the Leningrad Military District. Since June 1941, he served on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War. He participated in the battles near Leningrad, on December 10, 1941, he was shot down in an air battle and was seriously wounded. At the hospital, one of his lungs was removed. In 1943, Jabidze graduated from the Air Force Academy in Monino. Later, he participated in battles on the Southern, 4th Ukrainian, 3rd and 1st Belorussian fronts. He participated in the liberation of the Krasnodar Territory, the Crimea, the Byelorussian SSR, the Baltic States, the Vistula-Oder operation, and the storming of Berlin.

By the end of the war, Captain David Jabidze commanded a squadron of the 812th Fighter Aviation Regiment of the 265th Fighter Aviation Division of the 3rd Fighter Aviation Corps of the 16th Air Army of the 1st Belorussian Front. By that time, he had flown 274 combat missions, participated in 64 air battles, in which he shot down 22 enemy aircraft personally and 2 more as part of a group. According to M. Y. Bykov's research, he won only 18 personal victories.

By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated May 15, 1946, Captain David Jabidze was awarded the high title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the award of the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal number 9006 for "courage and heroism shown in battle."

In July 1947, Jabidze retired with the rank of captain. In 1955, he graduated from the Faculty of History and postgraduate studies at Tbilisi State University, after which he remained there to teach. He lived in Tbilisi, died on December 15, 1982, and was buried at the Saburtala Cemetery in Tbilisi. Professor, Doctor of Historical Sciences. He was also awarded two Orders of the Red Banner, the Orders of Alexander Nevsky and the Patriotic War of the 1st degree, as well as a number of medals.