9. 2. 1905 - 11. 2. 1945

Ivan Polbin was Commander of the 150^th Bomber Aviation Regiment of the Stalingrad Front, Commander of the 6^th Guards Bomber Air Corps of the 1^st Ukrainian Front.

He was born on January 27 (February 9) 1905 in Rtishchevo-Kamenka, Mainsky district of Ulyanovsk region in a peasant family, but actually was born in prison. His mother was arrested by police during the peasant revolts. Russian. In the autumn of 1918, Polbin left his native village when he was only 13. Then he worked on the railroad maintenance. In 1922 he joined the Young Communist League. He was secretary of the Komsomol organization, a member of the Ulyanovsk district Komsomol committee.

Joined the Red Army in 1927. A member of the CPSU (B) since 1927. In 1931 he graduated from the Orenburg military school of pilots. From 1933 to 1941 he served in various aviation units of the Red Army in the Far East.

From 1939 he commanded the Air Bomber Regiment. For an active part in the battles with the Japanese militarists on the Khalkhin Gol (Mongolia) he was awarded the Order of Lenin.

During the Great Patriotic War he was in the army from July 1941. He fought on the West, Stalingrad, Bryansk, Voronezh, the 1^st and the 2^nd Ukrainian Front. He commanded the 150^th Bomber Aviation Regiment, then the 301^st Bomber Air Division (since 1942), the 1^st (the 2^nd Guards, the 6^th Guards), Air Corps (since 1943). He flew 157 combat missions. Developed and implemented the scheme of the group fighting hit (“spinner”). He was awarded many orders and medals. Enrolled forever in the list of Guards Bomber Aviation Regiment he served for.

By the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet on November 23, 1942 commander of the 150^th Bomber Aviation Regiment (the Stalingrad front), Lieutenant Colonel Ivan Polbin was awarded the honorary title of Hero of the Soviet Union, the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal (# 758).

Guards Air Force Major General I. Polbin died on February 11, 1945 in a dogfight at Breslau, making his last 157^th combat sortie.

By the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on April 6, 1945 commander of the 6th Guards Bomber Air Corps (the 1^st Ukrainian Front), Guards Air Force Major General Ivan Polbin posthumously was awarded the second Gold Star medal.

He was awarded two Orders of Lenin, two Orders of the Red Banner, the 2^nd Class Order of Suvorov, the 1^st Class Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky, the 1^st Class Order of World War, the Order of the Red Star and medals.

Orenburg Higher Aviation School was named after him. The busts were installed in his homeland (the village is now named after him) and in Ulyanovsk. Streets in Moscow, Ulyanovsk and Wroclaw are also named after him.