Georgy Baydukov

Georgy Filippovich Baydukov (; – 28 December 1994) was a Soviet test pilot, Hero of the Soviet Union, writer and hunter. He was one of the leaders in the creation of the Soviet air defense system in the 1950s–1970s. Full holder of the Order “For Service to the Homeland in the Armed Forces of the USSR” (May 25, 1987), laureate of the USSR State Prize (1970), and recipient of the largest number of Soviet orders (21 orders).

Early years Baydukov was born at the Taryshta railway station in the Tomsk Governorate of the Russian Empire (now Novosibirsk Oblast, Russia) in family of a railway worker. He became an orphan at the age of 9 and was homeless for some time. Baydukov was taken to an orphanage and worked in railway construction for some time.

In March 1926 he enlisted in the Red Army

Valery Chkalov, Georgy Baydukov and Alexander Belyakov flew an improved ANT-25 via the North Pole to Udd Island, in the Sea of Okhotsk (distance 9,374 km, flight time 56 h 20 min) from July 20, 1936, to July 22, 1936. He returned to the front lines in January 1942.

Baydukov served as deputy commander of the 31st Mixed Aviation Division from December 1941. In February, he assumed command of the division. In March 1942, he became commander of the Air Force of the 4th Shock Army. In May 1942, Baydukov was appointed commander of the 211th Mixed Aviation Division. In June 1942, he became commander of the 212th Assault Aviation Division. In May 1943, the division became the 4th Guards Assault Aviation Division. In January 1944, Baydukov became commander of the 4th Assault Aviation Corps.

Post-war years In December 1945, Baydukov became deputy commander of the 13th Air Army. In July 1946, he became deputy head of the State Red Banner Air Force Research and Testing Institute for flight testing. Baydukov participated in the Tupolev Tu-70 tests in fall 1947.

From December 1947 until December 1949, he was a head of the Main Department of the Civil Air Fleet (GVF).

In September 1949, Baydukov entered the Higher Military Academy, graduating in December 1951.

Baydukov was a colonel-general of aviation from May 1961.

In the 1980s, he was a consultant of the Ministry of Defense.

Georgy Baydukov served with the Soviet Air Force in various capacities until May 1988, when he retired with the rank of colonel general.

Honours and awards USSR Hero of the Soviet Union (July 1936) Two Orders of Lenin (July 1936, November 1950) Order of the October Revolution (December 1972) Four Orders of the Red Banner Order of Kutuzov 1st class (May 1945) Two Orders of Suvorov 2nd class (1944, 1944) Order of Kutuzov 2nd class (April 1945) Order of the Patriotic War 1st class Order of the Patriotic War 2nd class Order of the Red Banner of Labour (May 1977) Four Orders of the Red Star Order for Service to the Homeland 1st, 2nd, and 3rd class campaign and jubilee medals Medal "For the Capture of Königsberg" Medal "For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" Medal "Veteran of the Armed Forces of the USSR" USSR State Prize (1970) honorary citizen of Nikolayevsk-on-Amur (since August 1981)

Russian Federation Order of Friendship (April 1994)

Foreign awards Officer of the Legion of Merit (USA) Army Distinguished Service Medal (USA) Distinguished Flying Cross (USA) Medal for Odra, Nisso and the Baltic (Poland) Medal for Warsaw (Poland) Order of the Grunwald Cross 2nd class (Polish People's Republic, 1946) Order of Polonia Restituta 2nd and 3rd classes (Poland) Order of Sukhbaatar (Mongolia) Order of the Red Banner (Mongolia) Czechoslovak War Cross (Czechoslovakia) Order of the White Lion 1st class (Czechoslovakia) Order of the White Lion 1st class For Victory