17.10.1917 - 20.10.1944

Alexander Karpov was a fighter pilot of the 123^rd /27^th Vyborg Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment of the 2^nd Leningrad Guards Fighter Air Defense Corps, the most effective Air Defence pilot, and the only pilot awarded the title of twice Hero of the Soviet Union.

He was born on 4 (17) October 1917 in the village of Felenevo (today Peremyshl district of Kaluga region) in a peasant family. Russian. In 1935 he graduated from Factory Trade Apprenticeship in Kaluga, and until 1939 worked as a locksmith at Kaluga machine factory and studied at the flying club.

Joined the Red Army in 1939. In 1940, Lieutenant A. Karpov graduated from Kachin Military Aviation School named after A. Myasnikov and was sent to an aviation unit stationed in the Ukraine, where he was among the pilots who had been entrusted to develop a new generation of the I-26 fighter that became aviation history as the Yak-1 - the first of the Yak group.

Participated in the Great Patriotic War from July 1941. A member of the CPSU (B) since 1942. Sorties’ account opened in the Battle of Moscow, and from September 1941, following the transfer of the 123^rd Fighter Regiment (later renamed in the 27^th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment), in which he served, at Leningrad, continued to hone flying skills and strike the enemy in the sky over the Neva, covered the legendary Road of life in the air defense of the Leningrad front. Having started the war as a pilot he became commander, deputy commander of the squadron and the 27^th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment.

A. Karpov was a brilliant pilot, and in late July 1943, during five sorties Lt. Karpov shot down 7 enemy planes.

By the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet on September 28, 1943, for the exemplary performance of command assignments, and for his courage and heroism, Alexander Karpov was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal (№ 1202).

On June 30, 1944 Guards Captain Karpov knocked down another enemy plane, which was agreed to consider the thousandth Hitler’s plane shot down on the Yak in the skies over Leningrad. On this significant victory he was congratulated by General Designer of the plane - Alexander Yakovlev.

By the order of the Supreme Commander dated July 2, 1944 the 27^th Guards Fighter Regiment where A. Karpov served, received the honorary title of “Vyborg”.

By the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet on August 22, 1944 Guards Captain Alexander Karpov was awarded the second Gold Star medal. He was the first, and as it turned out later, the only pilot of air defense, twice awarded the highest degree of the Soviet Union.

Having completed 456 combat sorties, conducted 97 air battles, Major A. Karpov personally shot down 28 enemy planes and 8 in group. On October 20, 1944, he was killed in a combat assignment, and according to the Great Soviet Encyclopedia (the 3^rd ed. Volume 11, p. 456) – on October 29, 1944. By some sources, it happened in the thick cloud cover during the flight to their base, but on the other - piloting fighter “Spitfire” of the LF1H type and trying to reach a German reconnaissance plane, A. Karpov lost consciousness due to failure of the oxygen system, and his plane crashed in the Gulf of Finland ...

He was awarded the Order of Lenin, three Orders of the Red Banner, the Order of Alexander Nevsky, and medals. On May 7, 1990 he was awarded posthumously the title of Honorary Citizen of Kaluga.

A bronze bust of twice Hero of the Soviet Union, Alexander Karpov was installed in the city of Kaluga, where Days of his memory are held annually in October, and where a vocational school number 1 is bears his name.