Alexander Novikov

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Alexander Novikov

Soviet (Russian) Chief Marshal of the Air Force (Chief Marshal) Novikov Alexander Alexandrovich (1900 - 1976)

Born 19 November 1900 he joined the Red Army i 1919, fought in the civil war and in 1933 transferred from the infantry to the air force. From April 1942 to March 1946 Novikov headed the Soviet Air Force. He was promoted to general colonel (equivalent to US threestar rank) on 18 January 1943 after the Stalingrad victory, and on 17 March 1943 he became the first Marshal of the Air Force (equivalent to US fourstar rank). On 21 February 1944 he became the first of only two officers to be made Chief Marshal of the Air Force during WWII (the other being Alexander Golovanov).

From the start of the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945), commander of the Air Force of the Main command of the North-West direction, the Northern and Leningrad fronts. Later, Deputy People's Commissar of Defence of the USSR (for aviation), commander of the Red Army's Air Force. As representative of the Supreme Command Headquarters, coordinated several fronts' combat aviation operations in the Battles of Stalingrad and the Kursk Bulge and operations to liberate the North Caucasus, Ukraine, Byelorussia, the Baltic area and Poland, operations to storm Koenigsberg (present-day Kaliningrad), the Berlin operation and the rout of the Japanese Kwantung Army.

Twice Hero of the Soviet Union, was awarded many orders and medals.

Novikov was arrested on 24 April 1946 and after two weeks of constant interrogation he was held in strict isolation for six years. He was released in 1953 and rehabilitated. He was deputy Commander in Chief of the Soviet Air Force 1954-55 and chief of the High school of civil aviation 1956-76.