Soviet Il-2 Attack Aircraft “Revenge of the Barinovs”, 1944

October 25, 2025 - Reading time: 5 minutes

Ceremonial handover of the Soviet Il-2 “Revenge of the Barinovs” attack aircraft, built with Leningrad residents’ personal funds after the Siege. USSR, June 1, 1944.

Ceremonial handover of the Soviet Il-2 attack aircraft “Revenge of the Barinovs” to pilot Georgy Parshin, USSR, June 1, 1944.

A solemn ceremony of handing over the Soviet Il-2 attack aircraft “Revenge of the Barinovs” to the Red Army Air Force took place on June 1, 1944. The aircraft was built with the personal savings of Leningrad residents Praskovya Vasilyevna Barinova and her daughter Yevgeniya, who decided to contribute everything they had to the defense of their country after the devastating Siege of Leningrad.

Before the war, the Barinov family consisted of six members. During the siege, Praskovya’s husband and their youngest daughter died of starvation, and her son Viktor, who had joined the militia, went missing in action. On January 27, 1944, the day Leningrad was fully liberated, the surviving mother and daughter donated their remaining savings — including an inheritance — to fund the construction of an aircraft, requesting that it bear the name “Revenge of the Barinovs”.

The plane was ceremonially presented to Captain Georgy M. Parshin, one of the best pilots of the 943rd Assault Aviation Regiment, 13th Air Army of the Leningrad Front. On the left side of the fuselage was painted “Revenge of the Barinovs”, and on the right — “For Leningrad”.

Captain Parshin flew over a hundred combat missions on this aircraft, participating in the liberation of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, as well as the storming of Berlin. He destroyed numerous enemy targets and shot down ten aircraft. For his exceptional bravery, he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union twice — on August 19, 1944, and April 19, 1945.

Pilot Georgy Parshin died in a test flight accident on March 13, 1956.
Praskovya Barinova passed away in 1974, and her daughter Yevgeniya in 1972.

This photograph, taken by Georgy Konovalov, captures a deeply emotional wartime moment — a family’s grief turned into an act of defiance and contribution to victory.

Technical photo data:

📍 Location: USSR
📅 Date: June 1, 1944
📝 Event: Handover of the Il-2 “Revenge of the Barinovs” aircraft to Captain G.M. Parshin
📷 Author: Georgy Konovalov
📚 Source: www.photoarchive.spb.ru