Nikolai Nikiforovich Nagornyi

Born Dec. 5 (18), 1901, in the village of Ostashino, now the settlement of Ostashin, Novogrudok Raion, Grodno Oblast, Byelorussian SSR. Soviet military figure; colonel general (1944). Member of the CPSU from 1927.

Nagornyi entered the Red Army in 1920. He fought in the Civil War of 1918–20. He graduated from the M. V. Frunze Military Academy in 1933 and from courses at the N. E. Zhukovskii Air Force Academy in 1936. He fought as a volunteer in the Civil War in Spain from 1936 to 1938 on the side of the republican government. From 1939 he was head of a subdepartment at the F. E. Dzerzhinskii Artillery Academy and assistant commander of the forces of the Odessa Military District.

In the Great Patriotic War (1941–45), Nagornyi was chief of staff of the National Air Defense, chief of staff of the Western Front of the National Air Defense, chief of the central staff of the National Air Defense, and deputy commander of the artillery of the Red Army. While holding the last post he was also chief of Main Headquarters of the air defense forces of the Red Army. After the war, Nagornyi served as chief of Main Headquarters of the National Air Defense, commander of the air defense of a region, commander of the National Air Defense, and assistant commander in chief of the National Air Defense. He was placed in the reserves in August 1955.

Nagornyi was awarded two Orders of Lenin, four Orders of the Red Banner, the Order of Kutuzov First and Second Class, the Order of the Patriotic War First Class, and various medals.