Photo of Major of the Red Army Air Force K.P.F. Sychenko, Hero of the Soviet Union, 1943

The original wartime photo is in good collector's condition. The size is 55*82 mm. There are traces of pasting into the album on the back. Very rare. Guarantee of authenticity.

Pyotr Fedorovich Sychenko (1911-1969) — participant of the Great Patriotic War, commander of the 241st Assault Aviation Regiment (11th Mixed Aviation Division of the 3rd Army of the Bryansk Front), commander of the 118th separate correction and reconnaissance aviation Regiment, Hero of the Soviet Union (1943), Colonel. He was born on May 24 (June 6), 1911 in the village of Novoe Zaozerye, now in the Tolochinsky district of the Vitebsk region of Belarus, into a peasant family. A Belarusian. He graduated from the 7th grade, the Federal Law school in the administrative center of the Kherson region of Ukraine, the city of Kherson, and worked as a foundry worker. In the Red Army since 1931. In 1932 he graduated from the Volsky Military Aviation School of Technicians, and in 1939 from the Engels Military Aviation School. Member of the CPSU since 1940.

He participated in the Great Patriotic War since June 1941. He began fighting on the DB-3 bomber aircraft, and then, after the urgent development of new aviation technology, on the IL-2 attack aircraft. He took part in combat operations on the Central, Southern, Bryansk, Voronezh, Southwestern, Stalingrad, and 1st Ukrainian fronts. Participated in the defense of Moscow, the Battles of Stalingrad and Kursk. In November 1941, he joined the 241st Assault Aviation Regiment (11th Mixed Aviation Division, 3rd Army, Bryansk Front) and assumed the post of deputy squadron commander. In May 1942, he became a regimental commander with the rank of major, and remained in this position until September 1943. In the period from November 20 to December 31, 1941, Captain Pyotr Sychenko forty-two times led groups of Il aircraft to storm enemy concentrations of troops and military equipment, as a result of which the enemy suffered significant losses: six tanks, one hundred and sixty-nine vehicles, ten buses, twenty-five motorcycles, three anti-aircraft batteries, two cars motor vehicles, twenty-six horse-drawn carts, seven hundred and seventy soldiers and officers.

On December 23, 1941, returning from a combat mission, the pilots of a group led by P. F. Sychenko witnessed six Messerschmitts attacking Soviet infantry leading a successful offensive. Captain Sychenko decided to engage in combat with enemy aircraft. The aerial battle lasted no more than fifteen minutes. The pilots of the 241st regiment emerged victorious in this battle: two Messers were shot down, and the rest turned back.

In April 1944, Sychenko became the commander of the 118th separate correction and reconnaissance aviation regiment, which under him became the Red Banner of the Order of Kutuzov, 3rd degree, the Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky, 2nd degree, and the Order of Alexander Nevsky. He is focused on training from the front. In 1945, he graduated from the advanced officer training courses at the Air Force Academy. After the war, P. F. Sychenko continued to serve in the Soviet Air Force. In 1956, he joined the reserve with the rank of colonel. He lived and worked in the capital of Ukraine, the hero city of Kiev.He died on June 25, 1969. He was buried at the Baykov cemetery in Kiev.

By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated February 14, 1943, Captain Sychenko Pyotr Fedorovich was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union with the award of the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star Medal (No. 938) for exemplary performance of combat missions of the command on the front of the struggle against the Nazi invaders and his courage and heroism.