A memorial plaque in honor of Ivan Avekov was unveiled at the Liozno school named after the hero.

A memorial plaque featuring the portrait of Ivan Avdekov, a Hero of the Soviet Union and fighter pilot, will now adorn the facade of the basic school building.

A memorial plaque featuring the portrait of Ivan Avdekov, a Hero of the Soviet Union and fighter pilot, will now adorn the facade of the basic school building. The daring pilot (a native of Osinovka, now Dubrovensky District) was a legendary figure. At the start of the war, he was only 21 years old and served in the 252nd Fighter Aviation Regiment. The short, slender young man proved to be very brave and courageous. He was assigned reconnaissance missions, tasked with attacking enemy vehicle convoys and airfields, escorting bombers into enemy rear areas, and defending the airspace against enemy raids. By March 1942, Ivan had completed 178 combat sorties! It was no wonder that the "ace" was called a master of aerial combat.

On one occasion, Avdekov's "Yak" fighter was attacked by 7 German fighters simultaneously. The Soviet pilot was wounded in the leg and arm, and his "Yak" caught fire... He then resorted to a ramming attack, clipping a "Messerschmitt" with the wing of his aircraft. He miraculously survived...

The story of this remarkable feat is now told to every newcomer by the students of the school named in his honour. They are very proud to study at this educational institution. The Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, Alexander Subbotin, urged the schoolchildren to be worthy of the hero's memory:

Pavel Avekov, the legendary fighter pilot's grandnephew, also participated in the solemn ceremony of unveiling the memorial plaque:

– Thank you for educating the current generation by the example of our grandfathers and great-grandfathers, – he thanked the initiators of the event and representatives of local authorities. – This is very important work. All of us, born in Belarus, must be heroes of our land, our country, in memory of the feats our ancestors accomplished during the Great Patriotic War for freedom and independence. – Study and live in such a way that you can always proudly say: I am a graduate of this school: the school named after Hero of the Soviet Union Ivan Avdekov, – the head of the region advised. At the age of 23, he was nominated for the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, but the brave young man did not live to receive the award – he died. He is buried in the Lipetsk region.

Source: vitebsk-region.gov.by