13. 4. 1920 - 31. 5. 2007

Ivan Stepanenko was deputy squadron commander of the 4^th Fighter Regiment (11^th Mixed Air Corps, 15^th Air Army, Bryansk Front), a senior lieutenant.

He was born on April 13, 1920 in Nekhayki, now Drabovsky district of Cherkassy Oblast (the Ukraine). Ukrainian. He completed seven school classes. Since 1938 he worked as a mechanic at a factory in Dneprodzerzhinsk (Dnepropetrovsk region, the Ukraine). In 1940 he graduated from Dneprodzerzhinsk flying club.

He joined the Army in 1940. In 1941 he graduated from Katchin Military Aviation School. He served in the Air Force combat units (Odessa Military District).

A member of the Great Patriotic War: June 1941-May 1945 – pilot, flight commander, deputy commander and squadron commander of the 4^th Fighter Regiment. He participated in the Battle of Stalingrad, battles on the Kuban and the Battle for Kursk. By August 1943 he made 232 sorties, shot down 14 enemy planes.

For his courage and heroism in the battles against the Nazi invaders, by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet on April 13, 1944 Senior Lieutenant Ivan Stepanenko was awarded the honorary title of Hero of the Soviet Union, the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal (№ 3617).

He participated in liberation of Belarus and the Baltic states. By February 1945 squadron commander of the 4^th Fighter Regiment, Major I. Stepanenko made 395 sorties and shot down 32 enemy aircraft.

By the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet on August 18, 1945, Major Ivan Stepanenko was awarded the second Gold Star (№ 74/II).

During the war, he fought on the South, Stalingrad, the North Caucasus, Bryansk, the 2^nd Baltic and Leningrad fronts. In total has made 414 sorties on the I-153, Hurricane, Yak-7 and Yak-9 fighters, during 118 air battles he personally shot down 33 enemy planes and 9 – in a group. Was hit 6 times (sat on the forced landing) and wounded – 2 times.

After the war he continued service in the Air Force combat units. In 1949 he graduated from the Frunze Military Academy, in 1957 - the Military Academy of the General Staff. He commanded aviation connections, mastered the MiG-15 and MiG-17 jet fighters. Since 1976, Air Force Major General (1958) I. Stepanenko - in reserve.

He lived in Lvov, then - in Cherkassy (the Ukraine). Died on May 31, 2007. He was buried in Cherkassy.

Lieutenant-General (1999), Honored Military Pilot of the USSR (1966). He was awarded the Order of Lenin (1944), three Orders of the Red Banner (1942, 1944, 1945), the Order of Alexander Nevsky (1944), two 1^st Class Orders of the Patriotic War (1945, 1985), the 2^nd Class Order of the Patriotic War (1943), five Orders of the Red Star (1942, 1943, 1945, 1955, 1956), the 3^rd Class Order “For Service to Motherland in the USSR Armed Forces” (1975), and medals.

A bronze bust of Hero was installed in his homeland.