Rank: Major General of Aviation Branch of Service: Air Force, Military Pilot 1st class Unit: 216th Mixed Aviation Division Pavel Berestnev - Deputy Squadron Commander of the 45th Fighter Aviation Regiment (216th Mixed Aviation Division, 4th Air Army, North Caucasus Front), First Lieutenant. Pavel Berestnev was born on May 20 (June 2), 1913 in the village of Pokrovka (now does not exist, territory of the Hislavichsky District of the Smolensk Region). Russian. He graduated from Junior high school in the village Cherepova (Hislavichsky District). He worked on his father's farm, was a village reporter for the newspaper "Socialist Village". He went to the Donbass in 1930 and worked in a mine. After returning home, he worked for a collective farm, performed tasks of the Village Council for grain procurement. He lived in Moscow since 1933, worked as a roofer and at the same time studied at the school of working youth at the "Hammer and Sickle" Factory. He graduated from the Labor Faculty of the People's Commissariat of Railways in 1936. In the army - since August 1936. He graduated from the Kachin Military Aviation School of Pilots in 1939. In 1940 - Advanced Training Courses for Air Force Navigators in Poltava. He served in combat units of the air force (in the Transcaucasian Military District). Participated in the Great Patriotic War: in March 1942-November 1943 - Adjutant of the Air Squadron, Deputy Commander and Commander of the Air Squadron of the 45th (since June 1943 – 100th Guards) Fighter Aviation Regiment. He fought on the Crimean, North Caucasus, Southern and 4th Ukrainian Fronts. Participated in the defense of the Crimea and the Caucasus, the liberation of Donbass and Melitopol. He was shot down and forced to leave the plane with a parachute in June 1942. He was seriously injured and was treated in a hospital until March 1943. He was sent to study at the Air Force Academy in November 1943. During the period of participation in combat operations, he made 185 sorties on Yak-1 and R-39 "Aerocobra" fighters, in air battles he personally shot down 12 enemy aircraft and 2 as part of a group. For the courage and heroism shown in battle, the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of May 24, 1943, First Lieutenant Pavel Berestnev was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star Medal (#990). He graduated from the Air Force Academy (Monino) in 1945. He continued to serve in combat units of the air force in the Northern Group of Troops (Poland) and in the Group of Soviet Troops in Germany. He was a Deputy Commander and Regimental Commander, a Pilot Inspector for the division's piloting techniques. Then he was Deputy Commander and Commander of the fighter air division (in the Odessa and Transcaucasian Military Districts). In 1958-1961 - Deputy Commander of the 34th Air Army for Air Defense (Transcaucasian Military District). Major General of Aviation P. Berestnev - in reserve since September 1961. He lived in Odessa (Ukraine), then moved to Ordzhonikidze (now Vladikavkaz, North Ossetia). He died on May 20, 1981. He was buried in the Pantheon of the Ossetian Church in Vladikavkaz. A street in the village of Hislavichi and Cherepovskaya Secondary school are named after him. Awarded: Order of Lenin (24.05.1943), four Orders of the Red Banner (1.02.1943, 22.04.1943, 4.06.1955, 30.12.1956), Order of the Patriotic War 1st degree (5.04.1943), three Orders of the Red Star (3.10.1942, 21.08.1953, 29.04.1954), medals.