Alexander Novikov

Alexander Novikov
Novikov c. 1943
Native name	Алекса́ндр Алекса́ндрович Но́виков
Born	(1900-11-19)19 November 1900 Nerekhta, Kostroma Governorate, Russian Empire
Died	3 December 1976(1976-12-03) (aged 76) Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Allegiance	Soviet Union
Service/branch	Red Army (1919–1933) Soviet Air Force (1933–1958)
Years of service	1919–1956
Rank	Chief marshal of aviation
Commands held	Soviet Air Forces
Battles/wars	Winter War World War II
Awards	Hero of the Soviet Union (twice)

Alexander Alexandrovich Novikov (Russian: Алекса́ндр Алекса́ндрович Но́виков; 19 November [O.S. 6 November] 1900 – 3 December 1976^[1]) was the chief marshal of aviation^[2] for the Soviet Air Forces during the Soviet Union's involvement in the Second World War. Lauded as "the man who has piloted the Red Air Force through the dark days into the present limelight",^[3] and a "master of tactical air power",^[4] he was twice given the title of Hero of the Soviet Union as well as a number of other Soviet decorations.

A gifted air force commander and one of the leading men of the Soviet armed forces,^[5] Novikov was involved in nearly all exploits of the air force during the war and was at the forefront of developments in command and control and of air combat techniques.^[6] After the war, Novikov was arrested by order of the Politburo, and was forced by the NKVD chief, Lavrentiy Beria, into a "confession" that implicated Marshal Georgy Zhukov in a conspiracy.^[7] Novikov was then imprisoned until the death of Joseph Stalin in 1953, whereupon he became an avionics teacher and writer until his death.