Nikifor Timofeevich
Yevtushenko
1917-2002
Nikifor Timofeevich Yevtushenko was a navigator of the air squadron of the 99th Guards Separate Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment, captain of the Guards, the Hero of the Soviet Union. He was in the army since August 1937. In May 1940 he graduated from Melitopol Military Aviation School. He served as a navigator in the combat units of the Air Force (in the Trans-Baikal Military District). He was a participant of the Great Patriotic War: in July-September 1941 – a navigator of the crew of the 32nd high-speed bomber Aviation Regiment (Western Front). He participated in defensive battles in Belarus, made 4 sorties on a bomber of the SB. On July 29, 1941, his plane was shot down. He jumped out with a parachute, injured. A few days later he returned to his unit. After heavy losses, the regiment was withdrawn to the rear for retraining and resupply. After retraining for the Pe-2 bomber, he was sent to the front again in the summer of 1942. During the fighting on the Bryansk Front, he made 110 sorties, dropped 36 tons of bombs, destroyed and damaged 20 tanks, 100 cars, 10 aircraft, 10 railway echelons, 5 anti-aircraft artillery batteries, photographed 16,000 square kilometers of defensive areas. He was particularly successful in the Orel offensive operation in July-August 1943, where he identified and photographed enemy defensive lines previously unknown to the Soviet command in the area of the cities of Bykhov and Orel. He was the first to discover the withdrawal of German troops from Orel, according to his intelligence, they were attacked by Soviet aircraft and suffered great damage. A few days later, he also revealed the concentration of German reserves, which allowed the Soviet command to prepare to repel the enemy’s counterattack. In total, during the war, he made 247 sorties on SB and Pe-2 bombers for reconnaissance and bombing of enemy troops. For the courage and heroism shown in the battles, by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated August 19, 1944, Guard Major Nikifor Timofeevich Yevtushenko was awarded the title of the Hero of the Soviet Union with the award of the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal.
Address: Moscow, Zarayskaya str., 26
