Alexander Davydov

Alexander Yakovlevich Davydov (; 6 November 1917 – 1987) was a Soviet Red Army major and allegedly the illegitimate third son of Joseph Stalin.

Biography Early life Stalin resided in the Siberian village of Kureika during his exile. Here, he had an affair with 14-year-old Lidiya Platonovna Pereprygina while he was 35, and whom he promised he would marry once she became an adult. Pereprygina allegedly became pregnant with Stalin's child. The child was born in December 1914, but died soon after. At the age of 16, Pereprygina became pregnant again and gave birth to Alexander on 21 August 1917. Stalin was transferred out of Kureika and left Siberia altogether before Alexander was born. Pereprygina later married Yakov Semyonovich Davydov, a peasant fisherman who adopted Alexander. Stalin knew of Davydov's existence and allegedly tried twice to bring him to Moscow. However, they never met.

World War II Davydov was drafted into the Red Army in August 1940. He participated in the Manchurian Campaign against the Japanese between August and September 1945. He achieved the rank of major and the Order of the Red Star.

Later life After his service in the Red Army, Davydov found work as a foreman for a construction site in Krasnoyarsk and married, with his wife working in the supply department of construction. Davydov fathered a son named Eduard and another son named Yuri around 1948–1949. According to Yuri, Davydov moved his family from Siberia to Novokuznetsk, where the Davydovs lived in a three-room apartment with another family.

In 2016, Yuri Davydov took a DNA test that confirmed Alexander's father was Stalin, with a reported 99.98% accuracy. Alexander Burdonsky, Stalin's grandson through his son Vasily Stalin, provided the genetic material to confirm the relation.

Awards and honors Order of the Red Star Medal "For Battle Merit" Medal "For the Victory over Japan"