26. 2. 1918 - 27. 9. 1985

Nikolay Gulayev was Deputy Squadron Commander of the 27^th Fighter Regiment (the 205^th Fighter Division of the 5^th Fighter Aviation Corps, the 2^nd Air Army, and the Voronezh Front); Squadron Commander of the 129^th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment (the 205^th Fighter Division, the 7^th Fighter Aviation Corps, the 5^th Guards Air Army, the 2^nd Ukrainian Front).

He was born on February 26, 1918 in the village of Aksay (now Aksay city of Rostov region) in a working class family. Russian. A member of the CPSU (B) / CPSU since 1943. He finished seven classes of junior high school and graduated from Factory Trade Apprenticeship. For a time he worked as a mechanic at one of Rostov plants. In the evenings he studied at the flying club.

Joined the Red Army in 1938. In 1940 he graduated from the Stalingrad Military Aviation School.

The Great Patriotic War found Nikolay Gulaev in Belarus, near Mogilev, where he served in air defense, concealed a large industrial center in the rear. Baptism of fire he took in Stalingrad, where on August 3, 1942 during the night battle with the first attack without any spotlights he downed the He-111 bomber (this was his first combat mission).

Fighter pilot of the 27^th Fighter Regiment (the 205^th Fighter Division, the 2^nd Air Army, the Voronezh Front) Lieutenant Gulaev particularly distinguished himself at the Kursk Bulge in the Belgorod area.

During his first fight on May 14, 1943, reflecting a raid on Gruska airfield, he got alone into action with three Ju-87 bombers covered by four Me-109 fighters. Having boosted the plane at low altitude, he made a “hill” and advancing to the master bomber, he shot it down from the first turn. The second “Junkers” brought down fire on him. Then Gulaev shot it down. The third one tried to attack but ran out of ammo, and Gulaev decided to ram it. With the left wing of the Yak-1 he hit the right plane of the “Junkers” and it crumbled to pieces. The unmanaged fighter went into a tailspin. After several attempts, Gulaev managed to align the plane and put it at the front edge of the location of the 52^nd Infantry Division. Having arrived in the regiment, he flew again to a combat mission on another plane. For his heroism he was awarded the Order of the Red Banner.

In July 1943, four destroyers guided by Gulaev suddenly and boldly attacked a large group of 100 enemy planes. Upsetting the order of battle and shooting down four bombers and 2 fighters, the four destroyers returned safely to their base. On that day Gulaev’s echelon made several sorties and destroyed 16 enemy planes.

On July 9, at Belgorod he made a second ram. Landed by parachute.

Hero of the Soviet Union, the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal (№ 1497), Deputy Commander of Squadron of the 27^th Fighter Regiment (the 205^th Fighter Division, the 7^th Fighter Aviation Corps, the 2^nd Air Army, the Voronezh Front) Senior Lieutenant Nikolay Gulaev was awarded on September 28, 1943 for 95 sorties, shot down enemy planes – 13 personally, and 5 in the group.

In total Gulaev destroyed 17 enemy planes at Kursk.

In early 1944, Nikolay Gulaev became commander of the squadron. He participated in the liberation of the Right-bank Ukraine. In one battle on the river Prut, leading six P-39 fighter jets he attacked 27 enemy bombers accompanied by eight destroyers. For 4 minutes they destroyed 11 enemy vehicles, 5 of them Gulaev destroyed personally.

The second Gold Star medal Squadron Commander of the 129^th Fighter Regiment (the 205^th Fighter Division, the 7^th Fighter Aviation Corps, the 5^th Air Army, the 2^nd Ukrainian Front), Guards Captain Gulaev was awarded on July 1, 1944 for 125 combat sorties, 42 air battles in which he personally shot down 42 enemy planes, and 3 in the group.

In one battle he was badly wounded, but returned to service. During the war he made 250 sorties. In 69 air battles personally shot down 57 enemy planes and four - in the group.

After the war he served in command positions in the Air Defense Forces. One of the first mastered a jet plane. Since 1954 he commanded Fighter Air Divisions in Yaroslavl and Yelets. Since 1961 – the 32^nd air corps of air defense in Rzhev. Since 1968 – the 10^th Air Defense separate army in Arkhangelsk. Since 1974 he was Deputy Chief of Air Defense Forces combat training. In 1950, he graduated from the Air Force Engineering Academy named after Zhukovsky, and in 1960 – the General Staff Academy. In 1956, he was a delegate to the XX Congress of the CPSU. In 1979, Colonel-General Gulaev was retired. He lived in the city-hero of Moscow.

Died on September 27, 1985. He was buried in Moscow at Kuntsevo Cemetery.

He was awarded two Orders of Lenin, the Order of the October Revolution, four Orders of the Red Banner, and two Orders of the Patriotic War of the 1^st degree, two Orders of the Red Star and some medals.

A bronze bust of twice Hero of the Soviet Union, Nikolay Gulaev was established in Aksay (Rostov region), memorial plates – in Rostov-on-Don and Yaroslavl (February 2007).