Papivin, Nikolai

Born Dec. 1 (14), 1903, in the city of Klin, now in Moscow Oblast; died Apr. 19, 1963, in Moscow. Soviet military commander, colonel general of aviation (1944). Hero of the Soviet Union (Apr. 19, 1945). Member of the CPSU from 1919. Son of a worker.

Papivin joined the Red Army in 1920. He graduated from the All-Russian Central Executive Committee First Combined Military School in 1924, from a military pilots school in 1929, and from the higher academic training courses of the K. E. Voro-shilov Higher Military Academy in 1952. Papivin commanded an air brigade in 1939–40. In the Great Patriotic War (1941–45), he saw action on the Kalinin, First Baltic, and Third Byelorussian fronts as commander of the 264th Attack Aircraft Division (1942) and deputy commander (1942–43) and commander of the Third Air Army (1943–45).

After the war, Papivin held responsible command positions in the air force. He retired in April 1961 for reasons of health. He was awarded two Orders of Lenin, four Orders of the Red Banner, the Order of Suvorov First Class, the Order of Kutuzov First Class, and various medals.