Alexander Molodchy

Alexander Ignatyevich Molodchy (Алекса́ндр Игна́тьевич Моло́дчий; born on 27 June 1920 – died on 9 June 2002), was a famous pilot of the Soviet Long Range Aviation.

He was made a Hero of the Soviet Union on two separate occasions (22 October 1941 and 31 December 1942). Molodchy was the most effective pilot of Long Range Aviation in the Soviet Union during the World War II. He conducted 311 combat flights (including 287 night flights). Molodchy participated in many bombardments of strategic military facilities of Nazi Germany. His combat mileage reached 600 thousand kilometers. He dropped more than 200 thousand tons of bombs on different military and industrial facilities of the enemy.

The Russian heavy strategic bomber Tupolev Tu-160 (hull No 07) was named «Alexander Molodchy» in honour of pilot.

Honours and awards

 * Twice Hero of the Soviet Union
 * Three Orders of Lenin
 * Two Orders of the Red Banner
 * Order of Alexander Nevsky
 * Order of the Patriotic War 1st class
 * Order of the Red Star
 * Medal "For Combat Merit"
 * Jubilee Medal "For MIlitary Valour in Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary since the Birth of Vladimir Il'ich Lenin"
 * Medal "For the Defence of Leningrad"
 * Medal "For the Defence of Stalingrad"
 * Medal "For the Defence of Moscow"
 * Medal "For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945"
 * Jubilee Medal "Twenty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945"
 * Jubilee Medal "Thirty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945"
 * Jubilee Medal "Forty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945"
 * Jubilee Medal "50 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945" (Russian Federation)
 * Jubilee Medal "60 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945" (Russian Federation)
 * Medal "For the Capture of Königsberg"
 * Medal "For the Capture of Berlin"
 * Medal "Veteran of the Armed Forces of the USSR"
 * Jubilee Medal "30 Years of the Soviet Army and Navy"
 * Jubilee Medal "40 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR"
 * Jubilee Medal "50 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR"
 * Jubilee Medal "60 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR"
 * Jubilee Medal "70 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR"
 * Medal "In Commemoration of the 250th Anniversary of Leningrad"
 * Medal "For Impeccable Service" 1st class
 * Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky 2nd class (Ukraine)
 * Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky 3rd class (Ukraine)
 * Order of Red Banner (Mongolia)