25. 1. 1901 - 8. 7. 1951

Vasily Ryazanov was commander of the 1^st Attack Air Corps of the 5^th Air Army (the Steppe Front), Lieutenant General of Aviation, commander of the 1^st Guards Ground Attack Air Corps of the 2^nd Air Army (the 1^st Ukrainian Front), Guards General-Lieutenant.

He was born on 12 (25) January 1901 in Bolshoye Kozin (now - in the city of Balakhna, Nizhny Novgorod region). Russian. In 1914 he completed five years of a rural school, in 1916 - four years of a top junior high school in Balakhna. He served at the post office at Ruzaevka railway station, in 1917 - at the post office in Sormovo (now - within the boundaries of Nizhny Novgorod). In 1918 he worked at Red Sormovo factory, then – an instructor at Balakhna County Board of Education.

Joined the Army in May 1920. In 1920 he joined the RCP (b). Until 1921 he was an agitator in the Nizhny Novgorod provincial military commissariat. In 1922 he graduated from technical school at Moscow State University, in 1924 - Communist University named after Ya. Sverdlov. Until 1925 he was an instructor of the political Infantry Division in the Moscow Military District.

In 1926 he graduated from Borisoglebsk Air Force Pilot School in 1927 – Serpukhov high school of aerial gunnery and bombing. He was a flight instructor at: Leningrad Military Aviation School of Air Observers (1927-1928), Orenburg Air Force Pilot School (1928-1929), Leningrad Air Force military-theoretical School (1929-1930), Odessa military aviation school (1930-1931), Moscow school of intelligence (1931-1933). In 1930 he completed advanced courses for officers of the Air Force Academy named after Zhukovsky, in 1935 - its strategic department. He commanded aviation brigade of the Air Force Academy named after Zhukovsky. Since 1936, commanded aviation brigade in the Siberian Military District. In April 1938 he was illegally arrested and dismissed from the army. In September 1939, reinstated in the army. He taught at the Air Force Academy named after N. Zhukovsky.

A member of the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939-1940. From 1940 - Head of the Training Division of the Air Force Academy (Monino).

A member of the Great Patriotic War: June-August 1941 - Deputy Air Force Commander of the 5^th Army (South-Western Front), August-December 1941 - Chief of the Air Force Office of the control group on South-Western Front, in December 1941 and March 1942 - commander of the 76^th Composite Air Division (South Front), in April-July 1942 - Commander of Air maneuverable Group on the South-Western Front, in July-September 1942 - Commander of the 2^nd Supreme Command Reserve Air Army. From September 1942 - Commander of the 1^st (February 1944 - 1^st Guards) Attack Air Corps. Units under his command fought on the South-Western, Southern, Kalinin, North West, Voronezh, Steppe, and the 2^nd Ukrainian Front.

By the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet on February 22, 1944 for his high skills, skilful organization of interaction with the ground forces while crossing the Dnieper and the personal heroism, Aviation Lieutenant General Ryazanov was awarded the honorary title of Hero of the Soviet Union, the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal (№ 1467).

At the final stage of the war his units as part of the 1^st Ukrainian Front participated in the liberation of the Western Ukraine, Poland, and in the Berlin operation.

By the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet on June 2, 1945 for his honors in the battles at the turn of the Vistula River and while defeating Czestochowa-Radom enemy group, Guards Lieutenant General of Aviation, Vasily Ryazanov was awarded the second Gold Star medal (№ 4812).

After the war he continued commanding the corps. In 1947-1949 he commanded the 14^th Air Army (the Carpathian Military District). Since 1949, he commanded the 69^th Air Army (the Kiev Air District).

He lived in Kiev (the Ukraine). Died on July 8, 1951. He was buried at Lukyanovka military cemetery in Kiev.

Lieutenant-General of Aviation (1943). He was awarded two Orders of Lenin, three Orders of the Red Banner, the 1^st Class Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky, the 2^nd Class Order of Suvorov, the Order of the Red Star, medals, and foreign awards.

He was elected deputy of the USSR Supreme Soviet, a candidate member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Ukraine.

In 1953, a bust was installed in his homeland (Bolsheshkolnaya street). The village school is named after him, the museum of Ryazanov operates. A secondary school in Kiev and streets in Bolshoye Kozino and Balakhna are also named after him.