Command staff of the 2nd Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment of the Soviet Northern Fleet Air Force, 1942

December 17, 2025 - Reading time: 5 minutes

Command staff of the 2nd Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment of the Soviet Northern Fleet Air Force, 1942.

This photograph shows the command leadership of the 2nd Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment (2nd GvIAP) of the Soviet Northern Fleet Air Force during the height of the Great Patriotic War in 1942. The regiment was one of the elite fighter units defending the Arctic approaches to the USSR and protecting vital naval bases, convoys, and airfields in the Polar region.

From left to right, the officers are identified as follows:
Captain Pyotr Grigoryevich Sgibnev, regiment commander and Hero of the Soviet Union;
Fyodor Petrovich Pronyakov, political commissar of the regiment;
Lieutenant Colonel Ivan Fyodorovich Antonov, chief of staff;
Major Aleksandr Nikolayevich Kukharenko, deputy commander for flight training.

The 2nd Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment earned its elite status through sustained combat operations against the Luftwaffe in extremely harsh Arctic conditions. Pilots of the regiment flew continuous sorties to intercept German bombers and fighters threatening Murmansk, Polyarny, and the critically important Allied Arctic convoys delivering Lend-Lease supplies to the Soviet Union.

The presence of both command and political leadership in the photograph reflects the dual-command system of the Red Army Air Force at the time, where operational effectiveness and political reliability were considered equally essential. Despite freezing temperatures, limited daylight, and constant enemy pressure, the regiment maintained high combat readiness throughout 1942.

Captured by renowned Soviet war photographer Yevgeny Khaldei, the image represents disciplined leadership and the professional core behind the successful air defense of the Soviet Arctic.

Technical Photo Data:

📍 Location: Arctic region, USSR
📅 Date: 1942
📝 Subject: Command staff of the 2nd Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment (Northern Fleet Air Force)
📷 Photographer: Yevgeny Khaldei

• Soviet Arctic air defense
• Red Navy aviation command
• WWII Northern Fleet fighters
• Guards aviation regiment
• Luftwaffe interception Arctic