CITY: s. Catchers DATE OF BIRTH: 12/19/1926 DATE OF DEATH: - HISTORY: Title: Junior Sergeant. Type of troops: Aviation. Subdivision: 182nd Assault Aviation Tilsit Orders of Suvorov and Kutuzov Division. Svetlana's daughter tells. Larin Nikolai Aleksandrovich, was born on December 19, 1926 in the village of Lovtsy, Moscow region, in a large friendly family of an employee, with four children (there were 6 children in total). Even at school, Kolya raved about the plane, so his choice was determined. After graduating from high school in 1943, Nikolai entered the preparatory department of the Moscow Aviation Institute, from where he was drafted into the active army on March 5, 1944. He participated in hostilities as part of the 3rd Belorussian Front from October 10, 1944. Until the end of the war, he served as a master of aircraft armament 397 - Order of Kutuzov, third degree assault aviation regiment of the 182 Order of Suvorov, assault aviation Tilsit division with the rank of junior sergeant. For his conscientious attitude to the service he was twice awarded the medal "For Military Merit". Here is an extract from the order of May 22, 1945, No. 09 / N awarding: “While in the active army, he served 115 air sorties. During this time, there was not a single case of weapons failure. Day and night he works on the materiel, keeps weapons in constant combat readiness. ”He took part in the battles for the liberation of the city of Konigsberg, for which he was also awarded the medal“ For the capture of Konigsberg ”. After the end of the Great Patriotic War, Nikolai Aleksandrovich decided to link his life forever with serving the Motherland, with heaven. After graduating from the Chkalovsk Military Aviation School of Navigators in 1946, for further service he was sent to the city of Mitava, Latvian SSR. It was from here that his glorious and long combat path began from lieutenant to colonel, navigator of the regiment. In peacetime, an officer of the USSR Air Force Larin N.A. served regularly for the good of the Motherland. Serving in the Military Transport Aviation, he transported important cargo from the regions of the far north to Antarctica. Immaculately carried out responsible government tasks. He took an active part in the search and rescue operation during the landing of the first cosmonaut Yu. A. Gagarin, for which he was awarded. Participated in the resolution of armed conflicts in Czechoslovakia in 1968, in Yemen, transported the body of the first Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru from Moscow to Delhi. International military exercises in Czechoslovakia "Shield 72" were the final stage of the service, which he completed in 1973 in the 110th regiment of the Military Transport Aviation, Krechevitsky garrison. This legendary regiment still has a special status and is directly subordinate to the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Federation. Dad's service was both dangerous and difficult. He spent 30 years of his life in the sky, was a first class navigator. When asked: "How to land a plane in smoke, fog, mountains or other difficult conditions?", He invariably answered: "You have to feel the Earth in your gut." As in the song: “Everything is clear to the navigator: in the light or in the darkness! He does not make mistakes on the way! " He was repeatedly awarded for trouble-free flights. In total, he has 25 government awards, of which 2 "for military merit", "for the capture of Konigsberg", the Order of the Patriotic War of the 2nd degree. After completing the service, accustomed to being in constant combat readiness, dad could not sit on his pension, and continued to work. He worked as the head of the filmstrip department at the Film Studio of the Ministry of Defense, transferring his richest military experience to young specialists. Next to dad there was always his faithful fighting friend - his beloved wife, whom he called only "my Lyalechka". With my mother, they lived in love and harmony for no less than 60 years and 9 months. And only death could separate them. Dad was a very positive, hardworking person, he always went in for sports, doused himself with cold water, never smoked. During his service in Krechevitsy, on the Volkhov River, he opened the swimming season before the Victory Day parade, and ended before the parade on November 7, when ice floes were already floating on the river. He possessed a mathematical mindset. Being in old age, he continued to calculate utility services on a slide rule. He could not sit idle, was constantly busy, made something, was fond of photography, loved to repair watches, was unusually organized and disciplined: each of his things knew its place. In recent years, he lived in the village of Beloomut near Moscow, where he spent his childhood. Dad loved the land very much. At the time of the spring sowing season, lovingly laying seed potatoes in the hole, he gently said: "grow big and small potatoes." He kept a diary of observations of the weather, comparing ancient folk signs with the weather changes of our time. Dad loved life very much and fought for it until his last breath, instilling optimism and faith in the people around him!