Beliakov, Aleksandr Vasilevich

Born Dec. 9 (21), 1897, in the village of Bezzubovo, Moscow Province. Lieutenant general of the air force (1943); Hero of the Soviet Union (July 24, 1936). Specialist in aerial navigation; doctor of geographic sciences; professor. Member of the CPSU since 1936. The son of a teacher.

Beliakov was in the Red Army from February 1919 and fought in V. I. Chapaev’s 25th Rifle Division. He graduated from aviation school in 1921. From 1930 to 1935 he was an instructor and head of a subdepartment of the Zhukovskii Air Force Academy. He was crew navigator with V. P. Chkalov on nonstop flights from Moscow to Lake Udd (1936) and over the North Pole to the USA (1937). From 1936 to 1940 he was chief flight navigator of the air force, as well as of the Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army. From 1940 to 1945 he was director of the Riazan’ Higher Aviation School for Navigators. As a chief navigator in the air force, he took part in the Berlin Operation of 1945. From 1945 to 1960 he was head of a department at the Air Force Academy. Beliakov has been in retirement since 1960. He is the author and editor of many scientific studies in aerial navigation. He was a deputy at the first convocation of the Supreme Soviet. Beliakov was awarded two Orders of Lenin, three Orders of the Red Banner, the Order of the Patriotic War First Class, two Orders of the Red Star and various medals.