Anatoly Dmitrievich
Ionov
1917-1994
Anatoly Dmitrievich Ionov was a lieutenant Colonel of the Soviet Army, participant of the Great Patriotic War, the Hero of the Soviet Union. As a child, he moved with his family to Moscow, where he finished a secondary school and Mosnarpit factory apprenticeship school, after which he worked as a cook, a construction worker. Later, Ionov graduated from the Faculty of Labor at Moscow Mining Institute and flight courses at Osoaviakhim. In 1940 he was called up to serve in the Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army. In July 1942 Ionov graduated from the Balashov Military Aviation School. Since October 1943 he was on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War. He took part in the Belarusian, Memel, Gumbinnen-Goldap, East Prussian operations, was shot down twice, but survived. By April 1945, Captain Anatoly Ionov was the deputy squadron commander of the 953rd Assault Aviation Regiment of the 311th Assault Aviation Division of the 1st Air Army of the 3rd Belorussian Front. By that time, he had made 107 sorties to attack clusters of military equipment and manpower of the enemy, inflicting heavy losses. By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated June 29, 1945, for “exemplary performance of command tasks and courage and heroism shown at the same time”, Captain Anatoly Ionov was awarded the high title of the Hero of the Soviet Union with the award of the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star Medal number 7986. In total, during his participation in the fighting, Ionov made 132 sorties. After the end of the war, he continued to serve in the Soviet Army. He graduated from Air Force Academy in 1955. In 1958, with the rank of lieutenant colonel, Ionov was discharged into the reserve. He lived in Moscow, worked in the Civil Defence system of the USSR. He died on August 23, 1994, and was buried at the Kuzminsky Cemetery in Moscow. He was also awarded two Orders of the Red Banner, the Order of Alexander Nevsky, two Orders of the Patriotic War of the 1st degree, two Orders of the Red Star, a number of medals.
Address: Moscow, Ferghanskaya str., 15, bldg. 1
