Anatoly Serov

Short Biography

Anatoly Serov was born on 20 March 1910 in Vorontsovka in the North Urals region (according to other sources he was born on 2 April 1910). He enlisted into the Red Army in 1929 and joined the Bolshevik Party in 1931. He attended the Orenburg Military Air College, from which he graduated on 17 December 1931. Initially he served in the Leningrad area, but was then sent to the Far East. He worked as a test pilot until spring 1937. Serov fought in the Spanish Civil War and he arrived probably in the country in May-June 1937. During this conflict he flew under the name `Rodrigo Mateu`. Totally he claimed eight victories in 48 fights. In 1938 he returned to the URSS.For his bravery in Spain he was decorated with two Order of Red Banner, a Gold Star of Hero of the Soviet Union along with an Order of Lenin and promoted to colonel. Later in 1938 he was promoted to Chief of the Air Inspectorate of the Soviet Union. Next year he was promoted to the rank of General Leitenant. Anatoly died in an air crash on 11th of May 1939, during a long-range training flight in UTI-4 trainer, together with the female pilot Major Polina Osipenko. They were both buried in the walls of Kremlin. To remember A. K. Serov, his name was given to a little industrial town in the Sverdlovsk region, a Flying School at Bataisk, a Technical School and other Soviet State institutes.