Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News
Moscow, September 2 /Xinhua/ — “In my work, I will tell about my great-great-grandfather Pavel Fyodorovich Zhigarev, who lived an amazing life. He went from being a cavalry boy to being the chief marshal of aviation…” This is what third-grade student Fyodor Zhigarev wrote in his school essay “The Trace of War in My Family” four years ago.
The boy presented unique records from the family archive, photographs, letters, award sheets and other documents of his great-great-grandfather. One of the photographs shows a group of pilots against the background of an airplane. The photo was taken in 1937, on the eve of P. Zhigarev's business trip to China, where he went with the rank of colonel to fight against militaristic Japan.
“I came to the command and said: ‘I want to fly to China voluntarily to fight.’ And I flew,” says Konstantin Bobyrev, a member of the marshal’s large family. “China and Russia are neighbors. And neighbors should always help each other out, help each other.”
THE WAY TO CHINA
The future Soviet military leader, Commander-in-Chief of the USSR Air Force /1949-1957/, Chief Marshal of Aviation Pavel Zhigarev was born on November 19, 1900 in the Tver province to a poor peasant family. At the age of 18, he entered military service as a cavalryman. In 1925, at his own request, P. Zhigarev was transferred to aviation. He graduated from the Leningrad Military School of Observer Pilots, taught for several years, then studied at the N. E. Zhukovsky Air Force Academy of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, and in 1933 became Chief of Staff of the Kachin Higher Aviation School of Pilots and commanded aviation units.
In 1937-1938, P. Zhigarev was sent to China, where he led a group of Soviet volunteer pilots. He also trained Chinese pilots to fly Soviet aircraft. Very few memories of those years have survived, and some information is still classified. According to K. Bobyrev, the son of Marshal Valery Zhigarev told how disassembled aircraft were delivered in boxes to Kazakhstan, to a place near Almaty, where they were assembled. Then they flew to Lanzhou /Northwest China/. The route, almost 3,000 km long, was fraught with dangers. Difficult terrain, unfamiliar terrain, and severe weather conditions required the crews to work clearly and harmoniously, and be constantly ready to make quick decisions. “At that time, there were no radios or any technical equipment. To the point that the Chinese comrades simply carried fuel on their backs and in their arms, because everything there was very complicated,” says K. Bobyrev.
"The war was bloody. But, nevertheless, the Japanese got their ass kicked in the skies… They thought they were the masters of the air," continues K. Bobyrev.
From June 1945, P. Zhigarev commanded the 10th Air Army, which participated in the operation to liberate Northeast China. The military leader's combat activities were highly appreciated by the Soviet leadership. In 1953, P. Zhigarev became Marshal of Aviation of the USSR, and in 1955 – Chief Marshal of Aviation of the USSR.
CHINA'S ROLE IN THE WAR FOR FREEDOM
At the beginning of the war with the Japanese militarists, the Soviet Union was one of the first to provide assistance to the Chinese people. It supplied weapons, tanks and planes. China, in turn, also provided enormous assistance to the USSR.
"If there had been no China, of course, the Japanese would have attacked us. This is absolutely obvious," explains K. Bobyrev. According to him, everyone remembers the losses suffered by the Chinese people and how bravely they fought.
"China acted as a shield… We know very well that Europe surrendered very quickly. That is, there was no conscious resistance there, and the fascists conquered it very quickly, unlike, by the way, China, which fought. It fought for a very long time," notes K. Bobyrev.
MEMORY OF THE ZHIGAREVS
The Zhigarev family believes that history should not be forgotten. “We fought together. Both our pilots and Chinese pilots performed feats together… This is our common history,” says K. Bobyrev.
Today, the marshal’s great-great-grandson, 14-year-old Fyodor, dreams of attending a military parade in China and of having as many people as possible learn about his great-great-grandfather.
“We must remember all the actions that our ancestors performed and participate in various events related to this,” the boy believes. –0–
Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.
.