Sergei Khudyakov

Sergei Alexandrovich Khudyakov (; ); born Armenak Artemi Khanferiants (, – 18 April 1950), was a Soviet Armenian Marshal of the aviation.

Russian Revolution Armenak Khanferiants (or Khanperiants) was born in 1902 in the village of Mets Tagher (Böyük Tağlar), Shushinsky Uyezd, Elisabethpol Governorate, Russian Empire. His father died in 1908, leaving a widow with three sons. Khanferiants travelled to Baku to study and started working at oilfields owned by Armenian tycoon and philanthropist Alexander Mantashev. In 1918, he was involved in the production of the newspaper Iskra.

While in Baku, he joined the Bolsheviks and organized the Red Guards of Baku in April 1918. While he was in Astrakhan during the Russian Civil War, he was saved from drowning in a steamer sunk by a British gunboat by his friend, Sergei Khudyakov, who was later killed fighting the Whites. Khanferiants adopted Sergei's name as his own as memorial to the man who saved his life. He continued to serve as a cavalry officer until 1920. In 1929, Khudyakov was admitted to the Tiflis Cavalry School, and in 1931 went to Moscow to attend the Zhukovsky Military Air Academy. He graduated with honors in 1936. Khudyakov became head of the Operations Branch of the Air Staff in 1937 and Chief of Logistics Management Air Force in 1938.

World War II The war greatly accelerated his career, and he jumped four ranks in just three years. During the Great Patriotic War (1941–1945), he was chief of staff of the Air Force and commander of the Air Force of the Western Front, chief of staff of the Red Army's Air Force, commander of the 1st Air Army, chief of staff and deputy commander of the Red Army's Air Force.

As the chief of staff of the Air Forces of the Western Front, he participated in the successful defence of Moscow.

Aviation units under his command took part in the offensive of the Western Front forces in the Rzhev-Sychevka direction and supported the ground troops in the Rzhev-Vyazma operation. In 1943 Marshal Khudyakov coordinated combat operations of the Air Force of the Voronezh and Steppe Fronts in the Battle of Kursk and the Battle for the Dnieper. On 1 April 2005, an institute of the Armenian Air Force was named after him. On 9 May 2010, Khudyakov's grandson, Lieutenant Colonel Vardan Khanferyants led a column of Armenian soldiers at the 2010 Moscow Victory Day Parade on Red Square in honor of the 65th anniversary of the victory in World War II. His other grandson now works in the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Awards and honors USSR Jubilee Medal "XX Years of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army" Medal "For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945"

Foreign