Photo of Captain of the Red Army Air Force G.A. Grigoriev– Hero of the Soviet Union

The original photo is in good collector's condition. The size is 78*103 mm. Rare. Guarantee of authenticity.

Gerasim Afanasievich Grigoriev (March 16, 1921, Antsiforovo village — April 23, 1966, Riga) was a Red Army Air Force pilot, colonel, participant in the Great Patriotic War. Hero of the Soviet Union (1943). Gerasim Grigoriev was born on March 16, 1921 in the village of Antsiforovo (now Kholm—Zhirkovsky district of the Smolensk region in a peasant family. He graduated from seven grades of school, worked as an accountant on a collective farm. Since 1936, he lived in Moscow, received a degree in plastering, and worked on construction sites in the capital. Since 1938, he lived in the city of Nikolaev, graduated from the aero club there. In 1939, Grigoriev was drafted to serve in the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army. In 1940, he graduated from the Odessa Military Aviation School of Pilots. Since June 1941, he served on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War. The first enemy plane was shot down on the third day of the war. By November 1942, Captain Gerasim Grigoriev was deputy squadron commander of the 178th Fighter Aviation Regiment of the 6th Fighter Aviation Corps of the Air Defense Forces. By that time, he had flown 300 combat missions, participated in 18 aerial battles, shooting down 11 enemy aircraft personally and 2 more as part of a group (according to the award list); (according to a study by M. Y. Bykov, 8 personal and 5 group victories were confirmed from the bottom). By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated February 14, 1943, Captain Gerasim Grigoriev 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 791 for "exemplary performance of combat missions of the command at the front of the struggle against the German invaders and his courage and heroism." During the war, he flew more than 450 combat missions, destroyed 12 enemy aircraft personally and 5 more in a group in aerial battles. Since the spring of 1943, he practically did not participate in air battles. Grigoriev graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1955. In 1963, with the rank of colonel, he was discharged into the reserve. He lived in Riga, died there on April 23, 1966. He was buried at Mikel's cemetery in Riga. He was awarded two Orders of Lenin, three Orders of the Red Star, as well as a number of medals. His son is actor and TV presenter Yuri Grigoriev (born 1955).