June 2014

One of Almaty streets, situated on the westward from Dostyk avenue, was named after Sergey Danilovich Luganskiy

Sergey Danilovich Luganskiy (1918—1977)

The squadron commander of the 270th fighter air regiment (the 203rd fighter aviation division, the 1st assault aviation corps, the 5th air army, Steppe Front), doubly the Hero of the Soviet Union.

Sergey Luganskiy was born on the 1st of October, 1918 in a rural family in Verniy city.

In1936 he finished junior high school and worked as a gardener. In the same year Sergey was called to the Red Army and was directed by the komsomol ticket to the Orenburg Military Academy of Aviators, after the completion of which in 1938 he did military service in the 14th aviation brigade in Pskov.

In 1939-1940 Sub-lieutenant Luganskiy participated in the Soviet –Finland War, during which he carried out 59 tactical air missions and crashed 1 aircraft of the enemy, and was awarded by the Order of the Red Star.

In the beginning of the World War II Sergey Luganskiy navigated the LaGG-3 (The Lavochkin-Gorbunov-Gudkov LaGG-3) on the deck-level attack of the enemy army. He crashed 4 aircrafts near Bataisk and Rostov-on-Don and was awarded by the Order of the Red Banner, then he crashed 4 aircrafts near Belgorod and received one more order of the Red Banner.

On the 4th of September, 1942 Commander Luganskiy drove the LaGG-3 to the frontal attack against the superior strength of the enemy, protecting the temporary bridge over the Volga for the 13th guards rifle division. He started the approach with the leader of Me-109 group. The German tried to avoid the fight, but Luganskiy hit a stabilizer of the “Messerschmitt” by a rifle and the enemy aircraft went out of the control and started to fall to the earth. Later Luganskiy changed his aircraft to the Yak-1B in the Kursk Salient and near Kharkov.

Some sources contained the information about the fact that in one of the battles Luganskiy crashed the German flying ace, Otto Fönnekold, who fell prisoner. This fact is wrong, because Fönnekold fell in the battle with the American fighter aircrafts in 1944.

For 221 tactical air missions, 18 personally and 1 in the group of crashed aircrafts of the enemy, Commander Luganskiy was given the title of the Hero of the Soviet Union and was awarded by the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal (No 1493) on September 2, 1943.

In one of the battles Luganskiy defeated the attack of the enemy fighter aircrafts on the Ilyushin Il-2 of the famous strafer, Talgat Begeldinov.

On the 27th of September, 1943 during the forced crossing of the Dnepr near Mishurin Rog village (Kirovohrad oblast) Sergey Luganskiy, by troops of the Steppe Front at the head of squadron, protected the Soviet attack aircrafts. His squadron met Ju-88 and He-111 groups under cover of Me-109 group on the temporary bridge and moved into the action. The attack of “Junkers” was defeated, but the “Heinkels” penetrated to the bridge. Luganskiy assaulted the enemy flagman and broke down the diving-rudder by the propeller and the enemy went out of control and crashed down on the earth. Luganskiy managed to land his defective aircraft on his airfield successfully.

In June of 1944 Luganskiy was appointed the Commanding Air Officer. On the 1st of July, 1944 Major Luganskiy was awarded by the second Gold Star medal (No 1981). In Rumania, over the Oder, he flied on the aircraft presented by the Komsomols of Alma-Ata. Luganskiy finished his battle way in Berlin. By the end of the War he fulfilled 390 tactical air missions, personally he crashed 37 aircrafts and 6 enemy aircrafts were crashed by him in the group.

In 1949 Sergey Luganskiy graduated the Military Aviation Academy. Then he served on command duties in the Air Defence Teams. In 1964 Luganskiy retired in the position of Major General. He wrote the books: “On the Steep Turns” and “The Sky Stays Clear”.

Sergey Luganskiy died on the 16th of January, 1977 and was buried in Alma-Ata.

Awards
• Two “Gold Star” medals of the Hero of the Soviet Union
• Two orders of Lenin
• Two orders of the Red Banner
• Order of Alexander Nevsky
• Two orders of the Red Star
• Medals, including the “Medal for Battle Merit”