Semen Zhavoronkov

Born Apr. 11 (23), 1899, in the village of Sidorovskaia, in present-day Lukh Raion, Ivanovo Oblast; died June 8, 1967, in Moscow. Soviet military leader, marshal of aviation (1944). Became a member of the CPSU in 1917. The son of a peasant.

In 1917, Zhavoronkov entered the Red Guards, and in September 1918 he joined the Red Army. He fought in the Civil War of 1918–20. He graduated from the Military Political Academy (1926), the advanced training courses for command personnel at the Air Force Academy (1932), the Military School for Pilots (1933), the operations department of the Zhukovskii Air Force Academy (1936), and the higher academic courses at the Military Academy of the General Staff (1949). In 1938–39 he was commander of naval air forces, and between 1939 and 1946 he served as chief of naval aviation. In 1946 he became deputy chief of the Civil Air Fleet, between 1949 and 1957 he served as chief of the Main Administration of the Civil Air Fleet, and in 1957–59 he was first deputy chief of the Main Administration of the Civil Air Fleet. In 1959 he retired for reasons of health. He was awarded two Orders of Lenin, four Orders of the Red Banner, two Orders of Ushakov First Class, the Order of Nakhimov First Class, the Order of Kutuzov Second Class, and medals.