Alexander Anisimov, the pilot: the biography

We can say that Alexander Anisimov - a pilot with an incredible talent, today is unfairly forgotten. Most often, mention of him can be found in other people's memoirs. Prints remember this legendary fighter pilot almost always in passing and just as the best friend of another, better known Soviet pilot - Valery Chkalov.

This state of affairs is completely unfair, since Anisimov Alexander is a test pilot whose biography is worthy of attention, and he is worthy of being remembered.

The figures of aerobatics, which were performed by this truly talented person, were not replicated by many.

Alexander Anisimov is a pilot. Biography, brief data, preserved to this day

Unfortunately, to this day information about the family, childhood and youth of a man, who during his lifetime did not hesitate to call a genius pilot, remained very little. In some sources, the date of his birth is 16.11.1897, in others - 16.07.1897. It is known for certain that he came to the world in a small village called Vozdezdy, which now belongs territorially to the Novgorod region.

Family History

Unfortunately, the details of Anisimov's youth have not survived to this day. Perhaps, some interesting and significant facts are still stored in the archives, but there is no free access to them. It is known that his family was poor, because she was on the list of Entry Labor Force. Alexander Anisimov (a pilot whose talent will be admired by thousands in the future), along with his brothers and sister Alexandra, were listed in this list as a family of poor people.

To this deplorable situation, the head of the family and father of the future test pilot, Frol Yakovlevich, was led by the revolution. Before that, he was a very large and successful entrepreneur-merchant, whose main area of earnings was the processing of flax. But after the revolution, he was first arrested and then shot. The same fate befell one of the brothers Alexander - Basil, shot in 1937, and then posthumously rehabilitated.

Primary education

The future pilot Alexander Anisimov (biography, photo of which is given in our article) once studied at the Medved School, graduating from three departments of which, he continued his studies at the Novgorod city four-grade school. His studies in this institution, he graduated in 1912 and after graduation received the specialty of the driver-mechanic. It was he who worked for the next two years.

Call for the First War

In 1914, Alexander Anisimov (pilot, known to the entire Soviet Union in the near future, and then still a simple ordinary young fellow motorist) was drafted into the ranks of the Russian Army. Since the First World War broke out during this period, the guy unwittingly took part in it.

After Anisimov got into the army, he was able to use his specialty. In 1915 Alexander graduated from the motor class at the Polytechnic Institute in Petrograd. From February 1915 to October 1916 he was a mechanic in the IV mechanical detachment and eventually became the senior non-commissioned officer.

It is known that during World War I, Russia rapidly lost a lot of its pilots while conducting air battles. The tsarist government decided to train pilots from the most gifted and best soldiers. Showing himself as a talented mechanic and reliable soldier, Alexander was selected and sent to study at the Petrograd Flight School. It would seem that for the young man everything turned out the best way, and before him the prospects opened up to become a conqueror of the sky (which many of his contemporaries could only dream of). But in 1918 everything changed.

Voluntary withdrawal to the Civil War

After the revolution begins in 1917, Anisimov decides to give up his studies. He decides to volunteer for the Civil War that struck Russia. Anisimov was of peasant origin and sincerely believed in the bright future promised by the power of the Soviets. It's natural that he went to war for the Reds at war. In 1918 he became a member of the Red Army.

Service in the ranks of the Red Army

Within the next year after coming to the Civil War, Alexander Anisimov (a pilot in the near future) served on the Eastern Front and took part in battles with the Czechoslovak corps.

He served as senior airmaster and was assigned to the V Socialist Aviation Division. In the same post of airmotor, since 1919, he was transferred to the First Petrograd Air Squadron, which fought on the Western Front with the Poles.

Continuation of studies

Since after the Civil War, Anisimov had no higher education in the aviation sphere, he went to study at the military theoretical aviation school, which was located in Yegoryevsk. Having successfully graduated in 1922, he continued his studies at the Kachinsky and Moscow Higher Aviation Schools, and in 1924 he was trained in bombing and air shooting at the Serpukhov aviation school.

Flying career

This young man, after completing his studies in a short time, managed to become a professional pilot. For 5 years, beginning in 1928, he stayed at the Air Force Research Institute, doing flight test work. In 1931 he went on promotion and was appointed commander of his detachment.

This talented test pilot took a direct part in testing such aircraft as I-4 and I-5. Piloting the first fighter, he participated in the test of the legendary "Link-1".

Memories of the Pilot

The best friend of Anisimov throughout his life was V. Chkalov, who was his colleague. Unfortunately, due to the great injustice of Alexander Frolovich, they often recall Chkalov as a friend. But those who remembered Anisimov himself confirmed that he was a genuinely brilliant pilot. He knew the technique of piloting unsurpassed, he always performed all the most complicated aerobatics figures requiring special skill, he did it very naturally and easily.

They say that in his time, Chkalov in Anisimov liked his desire to learn something new in technology and to test planes.

Some of those who were personally acquainted with Alexander Frolovich said that he could make the impression of an angry and aggressive person who suffered from excessive pride. In many respects such an opinion was due to the fact that Anisimov never wanted to share the secrets of his tricks with anyone. He believed that every pilot must have his own unique handwriting in aerobatics, and everyone must work out his own. Of course, many offended.

At the same time, Chkalov, being in itself a fully held personality and pilot, managed to make a sincere friendship with Anisimov. Many were jealous of this couple, because the top management forgave them a lot (for example, comic battles between themselves that friends could arrange during the next tests), considering and respecting their rare professionalism.

The tragic death

Alexander Anisimov is a test pilot, who passed away very early on the 37th year of his life. Death found him in the sky, but not during the test of the next plane, as many might have guessed. In 1934, one of the French film companies called "She-Noir" began shooting a documentary tape "Aviator". The French decided that for the execution of tricks and for filming only Anisimov is suitable, because they considered him an aerial acrobat, a man-bird.

The leadership of the Air Force gave its consent to the shooting. The first day, October 16, 1934, was great. Anisimov performed all sorts of tricks at an extremely low altitude, the French were delighted. After the shooting, Louis Schaber (representative of the She-Noir) even presented the pilot with a look of admiration and appreciation to the Swiss watch. Despite the seemingly idyllic, second shooting day ended in tragedy.

October 17 Anisimov got into the air, but since the cameras had to remove his tricks as clearly as possible, he could not rise to a greater height. The rudder pedal could not withstand a low altitude. She broke down, and Anisimov's plane fell swiftly and scattered into pieces.

Alexander Anisimov (the pilot): private life

Of course, many are interested in the details of the personal life of such an outstanding pilot. But in the public domain information about his wife and possible children is missing. A few years ago the First Channel featured a feature film "Chkalov. Wings ", which was dedicated to the life story of V. Chkalov. Of course, the story line could not do without the best friend of the hero - Anisimov. In the film, which is positioned as a biographical one, it is shown that Alexander had a wife Margo. She was a dancer and actually did not love Anisimov, but Chkalov himself.

After the release of the film, the daughter of Chkalov, Olga, refuted many of the facts cited in this tape. Including she said that in fact no woman named Margo ever existed. According to Olga, the pilot Alexander Anisimov (wife, whose children aroused the interest of a wide audience) had a single favorite woman named Bronislava. And, of course, the main part of his life was occupied by work and love for aircraft. Unfortunately, more detailed facts from the personal life of this pilot are unknown.