Photo of Major of the Red Army Air Force L.I. Beda, twice Hero of the Soviet Union

The original photo is in very good collector's condition. The size is 55*80 mm. There are traces of pasting into the album on the back. Guarantee of authenticity.

Leonid Ignatievich Beda (August 16, 1920, Novopokrovka village, Ryasskaya volost, Petropavlovsk district, RSFSR; now Uzunkol district of Kostanay region, Kazakhstan — December 26, 1976; Brest region, Byelorussian SSR, USSR) — twice Hero of the Soviet Union (October 26, 1944, June 29, 1945), Honored Military Pilot of the USSR (17 August 1971), Lieutenant General of Aviation (1972).

He was born on August 16, 1920 in the village of Novopokrovka (now Uzynkol district of Kostanay region, Kazakhstan). The Ukrainian. In 1936, he graduated from the 7th grade of school, in 1940 — the Ural Teachers' Institute and the aero Club in the city of Uralsk. In the army since August 1940. In 1942, he graduated from the Chkalov Military Aviation School of Pilots (Orenburg).

Participant of the Great Patriotic War: in August 1942-January 1943 — pilot, senior pilot, navigator and commander of an aircraft squadron, assistant commander for air rifle service of the 505th (since March 1943 — 75th Guards) Assault Aviation Regiment.

By April 1944, he had flown 109 combat missions. For his courage and heroism in battle, by Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated October 26, 1944, Senior Lieutenant Leonid Ignatievich Bede was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union with the award of the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal.

For the next 105 combat missions, by Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated June 29, 1945, Guards Major Leonid Ignatievich Beda was awarded the second Gold Star medal. He fought on the Stalingrad, Southern, 4th Ukrainian and 3rd Belorussian fronts. He participated in the Battle of Stalingrad, the liberation of Donbass, Southern Ukraine, Crimea, Belarus and Lithuania, in the East Prussian operation and the storming of Konigsberg. During the war, he flew 214 combat sorties on an Il-2 attack aircraft.

In 1945, he graduated from the Advanced Training Courses for Command Personnel at the Lipetsk Higher Officer Flight Tactical School. He continued to serve in the Air Force combat units (in the Belorussian Military District) until 1947. In 1950 he graduated from the Air Force Academy (Monino). He was the commander of an aviation regiment, deputy commander of an aviation division (in the Turkestan Military District). In 1957 he graduated from the Military Academy of the General Staff. In 1957-1966, he commanded the 1st Guards Assault Aviation of the Stalingrad Order of Lenin, twice the Red Banner Order of Suvorov and Kutuzov division (1st Guards School), in which he fought from Stalingrad to Konigsberg (the division headquarters was located in the city of Lida, Grodno region, (Belarus) before being withdrawn to Krasnodar in 1993). In 1966-1968 — Deputy, in 1968-1972 — 1st Deputy Commander of the 26th Air Army (Belorussian Military District). Since February 1972 — Commander of aviation of the Belarusian Military District.

He lived in Minsk (Belarus). He died on December 26, 1976 in a car accident along with Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of Belarus F. A. Surganov. He was buried at the Eastern Cemetery in Minsk. Deputy of the Supreme Council of the Byelorussian SSR of the 5th and 9th convocations (in 1959-1963 and since 1975). Member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Belarus since 1976.