Photo of Lieutenant Colonel A.P. Shtepenko, Hero of the Soviet Union, who was the first to bomb Berlin in 1941.

The original photo is in excellent collector's condition. The size is 135*93 mm. He accomplished a unique feat in August 1941, when, in the crew of the commander of the Vodopyanov aviation group, M. V. Shtepenko was the flag navigator of one of the Soviet bomber raids on Berlin and, starting from the front airfield, accurately led the group to the fascist capital, the first to strike at its military installations. Guarantee of authenticity. It's rare.

Alexander Pavlovich Shtepenko (October 10, 1904, Velikomikhailovka, Yekaterinoslav province — January 15, 1972, Moscow) was a navigator of the 746th Aviation Regiment squadron of the 3rd Aviation Division of Long-range Aviation, Major. Hero of the Soviet Union.

He was born on October 10, 1904 in the village of Velikomikhailovka, now Pokrovsky district, Dnipropetrovsk region, Ukraine, into a peasant family. The Ukrainian. Graduated from 7th grade. Together with his father, he worked as a roofer for high-rise buildings. Both were notable bell tower ceiling workers and enjoyed great fame not only in Dnipropetrovsk region, but also in neighboring adjacent areas of other Ukrainian regions.

He has been in the Navy since 1926. In 1927, he graduated from the electromining school with a degree in radio operator. Until 1933, he served in the aviation unit in Sevastopol. Then he lived in Moscow, worked at the Scientific Research Institute of problems of the North, often flying on Arctic routes. He was awarded two labor awards for the development of the North. In 1939, he graduated from the Higher Training Courses for Navigators at the Air Force Engineering Academy.

He participated in the Soviet-Finnish War of 1939-40. He flew 15 bombing missions against enemy military installations, for which he was awarded the Order of the Red Banner. Member of the CPSU (b) since 1941.

On the fronts of the Great Patriotic War since July 1941. He served in long-range aviation.  In one of the combat missions in the fall of 1941, Shtepenko performed a unique navigational feat. In a strong crosswind, he managed to place 10 bombs exactly along the length of the moving ammunition train. No one else has achieved such grandmaster precision. By the end of April 1942, Captain A. P. Shtepenko, navigator of the 746th Long-range Aviation Regiment, had made 28 combat sorties to bomb military-industrial facilities deep behind enemy lines, including Berlin and Konigsberg, the capital of Nazi Germany. In May 1942, Captain Alexander Shtepenko, as the navigator of the crew on a TB-7 bomber, participated in a government assignment to deliver a Soviet delegation led by USSR Foreign Minister V. M. Molotov to the United States via a risky route through Germany, the North Sea, and the Atlantic, with intermediate landings in Scotland, Iceland, and Canada.

Returning from America proved even more difficult. The plane got into a difficult meteorological situation between Newfoundland and Greenland. His icing began, and he lost contact with the outside world. The plane was making its way blindly. But A. P. Shtepenko's navigational "god" never once deviated from the correct course. On June 12, 1942, a unique historical mission was successfully completed at the central airfield in Moscow.

By Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR "On awarding the title Hero of the Soviet Union to the commanding staff of the Red Army Air Force" dated June 20, 1942, he was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union with the award of the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal for "bravery and heroism shown while fulfilling the government's mission to carry out a long-range responsible flight."

Until victory Day, 1945, navigator of the 3rd long-range Bomber Aviation Division A. P. Shtepenko continued his combat work, which ended only after the surrender of the enemy.

After the war, the brave pilot continued to serve in the Soviet Air Force. Since 1955, Colonel A. P. Shtepenko has been in reserve. He lived in the hero city of Moscow. He died on January 15, 1972. He was buried at the Vvedenskoye cemetery (29 years old).

He was awarded three Orders of Lenin, three Orders of the Red Banner, the Orders of Alexander Nevsky, the Patriotic War of the 1st degree, the Red Banner of Labor, the Red Star, the medal "For Labor Distinction", and other medals. In the homeland of the Hero, in Velikomikhailovka, a street is named after him, and a memorial plaque is installed on the facade of the school building.