Photo by M.I. Smilsky– Hero of the Soviet Union

The original photo is in good collector's condition. The size is 82*122 mm. There are traces of pasting into the album on the back. Guarantee of authenticity.

Mikhail Ivanovich Smilsky (5.9.1920 — 11/11/1990) was a squadron commander of the 504th Assault Aviation Regiment of the 226th Assault Aviation Division of the 8th Air Army of the Southern Front, senior Lieutenant. Hero of the Soviet Union. He was born on September 5, 1920 in the village of Mokhnachka in a peasant family. The Ukrainian. Member of the CPSU since 1942. In 1936, he graduated from the 7th grade. He studied at the school of the Federal Law at the Kiev Automobile Repair Plant. He worked at an auto repair plant. In March 1939, he was drafted into the Army. In 1940, he graduated from the Odessa Military Aviation School of Pilots. He participated in the Great Patriotic War since June 1941. He fought on the Southwestern, Western, Stalingrad, Southern and 3rd Belorussian fronts. By February 1943, Senior Lieutenant M. I. Smilsky had completed 60 successful sorties against enemy concentrations.

By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated May 1, 1943, Senior Lieutenant Mikhail Ivanovich Smilsky was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union with the award of the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal for his courage and heroism in aerial battles with the Nazi invaders. After Stalingrad, M. I. Smilsky liberated Ukraine and Belarus, stormed Konigsberg. He ended the war as the commander of an assault aviation regiment. During the Great Patriotic War, M. I. Smilsky flew 181 combat missions, personally destroyed or damaged 13 fascist aircraft, over 80 tanks, 250 vehicles with infantry and military supplies, 10 guns of various calibers, 3 warehouses with fuel and ammunition, disabled more than 500 enemy soldiers and officers. He was wounded four times during the war. In April 1944, he took command of the 74th Guards Assault Aviation Regiment, with which he served until the end of the war. After the end of the Great Patriotic War, M. I. Smilsky continued his service in the Air Force. In 1947, he graduated from the Higher Tactical Flight Training Courses for officers. Then he taught pilots from China how to fly, and was an aviation consultant at the Dovzhenko Film Studio. He was Deputy Head of the DOSAAF Kharkiv United Technical School, Chairman of the Aviation Sports Federation of the Kharkiv region. During the 10 post-war years, he headed the Training Center for Fighter Pilots of the USSR Air Force, whose base was located near Volchansk. Since 1970, Colonel M. I. Smilsky has been in the reserve. He lived in Kharkov. He died on November 1, 1990. He was buried in Kharkov at cemetery No. 2.