Vitaly Ivanovich
Popkov
1922-2010
Vitaly Ivanovich Popkov was an ace pilot, participant of the Great Patriotic War, twice Hero of the Soviet Union, Lieutenant General of Aviation. He proved himself as an outstanding pilot during the Great Patriotic War. Popkov made 82 combat sorties already in the first four months of his stay at the front. He flew to attack and bombard airfields and enemy troop concentrations, carried out aerial reconnaissance and aerial photography and covered ground forces. He participated in the liberation of the Ukrainian SSR and Poland, the battles on the Oder and in Germany. During the entire war, he made 345 (according to other sources, 358) combat sorties, shooting down 40 enemy aircraft. A bust in honor of V.I. Popkov was installed on a granite cylindrical pedestal in 1953. The pilot is depicted with a portrait likeness. He is dressed in an official dress uniform, with a full display of awards on his chest. A commemorative plaque on the pedestal speaks of the awarding of V.I. Popkov with the second Gold Star medal and the order to build a monument in his honor. The bust of V.I. Popkov is an object of cultural heritage of regional significance.
Sculptor: L. E. Kerbel
Architect: L. G. Golubovsky
Materials: bronze, granite
Year of installation: 1953
Address: Moscow, Samotechny Boulevard
