Yakov Alksnis
Encyclopedia
Yakov Ivanovich Alksnis was the commander of Red Army Air Forces in 1931–1937.
Jēkabs Alksnis was born in a farmer's family in Naukšēni parish
, Vidzeme
(present-day Latvia
). He attended school in Ramnieki (1907–1913) and a teachers seminary (college) in Valmiera
(1913–1917), where he joined the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party
. In 1917 Alksnis was drafted into Imperial Russian Army
; he completed basic officers' training in Odessa
, and was assigned to the 15th Siberian Regiment, later 11th Siberian Regiment. After the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
he left Russian Army. He was drafted again, this time to Red Army
, in 1919, and in 1919–1921 held administrative and political assignments in Southern Russian theatre of war.
After graduation from the Red Army Military Academy (1921–1924) Alksnis was appointed the head of logistics service of Red Air Forces; in 1926 deputy commander of Red Air Forces. In 1929 he received wings of a fighter pilot at the Kacha
pilot's school in Crimea
and was later known to fly nearly every day. Defector Alexander Barmine described Alksnis as "a strict disciplinarian with high standards of efficiency. He would himself personally inspect flying officers... not that he was fussy or took the slightest interest in smartness for its own sake, but, as he explained to me, flying demands constant attention to detail... Headstrong he may have been, but he was a man of methode and brought a wholly new spirit into Soviet aviation. It is chiefly owing to him that the Air Force is the powerful weapon it is today." According to Barmine, Alksnis was instrumental in making parachute
jumping a sport for the masses. He was influenced by one of his subordinates who has seen parachutists entertaining public in the United States, at the time when Soviet pilots regarded parachutes "almost a clinical instrument".
In the same year he was involved in establishing one of the first sharashka
s – an aircraft design bureau staffed by prisoners of Butyrki prison, including Nikolai Polikarpov
and Dmitry Grigorovich
. In 1930–1931 the sharashka, now based on Khodynka Field, produced the prototype for the successful Polikarpov I-5
. In June 1931 Alksnis was promoted to the Commander of Red Air Forces, while Polikarpov and some of his staff were released on amnesty
terms. In 1935, Red Air Forces under Alksnis possessed world's largest bomber
force; aircraft production reached 8,000 in 1936.
In June 1937 Alknis sat on the board of the show trial
against members of Trotskyist Anti-Soviet Military Organization
; he himself was arrested on November 23, 1937, charged with setting up a "Latvian fascist
organization" and shot July 28, 1938.
During the destalinization of late 1950s Alksnis was posthumously rehabilitated; the Air Forces college in Riga
was named in his honour. Viktor Alksnis
(born 1950), grandson of Yakov Alksnis, is a right-wing Russian politician remembered for his pro-Union activities of late 1980s – early 1990s.
Jēkabs Alksnis was born in a farmer's family in Naukšēni parish
Naukšēni parish
- Towns, villages and settlements of Naukšēni parish :*...
, Vidzeme
Vidzeme
Vidzeme is one of the historical and cultural regions of Latvia. Literally meaning "the Middle Land" it is situated in north-central Latvia north of the Daugava River...
(present-day Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
). He attended school in Ramnieki (1907–1913) and a teachers seminary (college) in Valmiera
Valmiera
Valmiera is the largest city of the historical Vidzeme region, Latvia, with a total area of 18.1 km². It is the center of the Valmiera District. As of 2002, Valmiera had a population of 27,323, and in 2008 – 27,569....
(1913–1917), where he joined the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party
Russian Social Democratic Labour Party
The Russian Social Democratic Labour Party , also known as Russian Social Democratic Workers' Party or Russian Social Democratic Party, was a revolutionary socialist Russian political party formed in 1898 in Minsk to unite the various revolutionary organizations into one party...
. In 1917 Alksnis was drafted into Imperial Russian Army
Imperial Russian Army
The Imperial Russian Army was the land armed force of the Russian Empire, active from around 1721 to the Russian Revolution of 1917. In the early 1850s, the Russian army consisted of around 938,731 regular soldiers and 245,850 irregulars . Until the time of military reform of Dmitry Milyutin in...
; he completed basic officers' training in Odessa
Odessa
Odessa or Odesa is the administrative center of the Odessa Oblast located in southern Ukraine. The city is a major seaport located on the northwest shore of the Black Sea and the fourth largest city in Ukraine with a population of 1,029,000 .The predecessor of Odessa, a small Tatar settlement,...
, and was assigned to the 15th Siberian Regiment, later 11th Siberian Regiment. After the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was a peace treaty signed on March 3, 1918, mediated by South African Andrik Fuller, at Brest-Litovsk between Russia and the Central Powers, headed by Germany, marking Russia's exit from World War I.While the treaty was practically obsolete before the end of the year,...
he left Russian Army. He was drafted again, this time to Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
, in 1919, and in 1919–1921 held administrative and political assignments in Southern Russian theatre of war.
After graduation from the Red Army Military Academy (1921–1924) Alksnis was appointed the head of logistics service of Red Air Forces; in 1926 deputy commander of Red Air Forces. In 1929 he received wings of a fighter pilot at the Kacha
Kacha (Crimea)
Kacha — is a town on the Crimean peninsula. Administratively, Kacha is subordinate to the municipality of Sevastopol which does not constitute part of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.Near the town is an airbase.-Demographics:* 1926 — 366 inhabitants...
pilot's school in Crimea
Crimea
Crimea , or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , is a sub-national unit, an autonomous republic, of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name...
and was later known to fly nearly every day. Defector Alexander Barmine described Alksnis as "a strict disciplinarian with high standards of efficiency. He would himself personally inspect flying officers... not that he was fussy or took the slightest interest in smartness for its own sake, but, as he explained to me, flying demands constant attention to detail... Headstrong he may have been, but he was a man of methode and brought a wholly new spirit into Soviet aviation. It is chiefly owing to him that the Air Force is the powerful weapon it is today." According to Barmine, Alksnis was instrumental in making parachute
Parachute
A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag, or in the case of ram-air parachutes, aerodynamic lift. Parachutes are usually made out of light, strong cloth, originally silk, now most commonly nylon...
jumping a sport for the masses. He was influenced by one of his subordinates who has seen parachutists entertaining public in the United States, at the time when Soviet pilots regarded parachutes "almost a clinical instrument".
In the same year he was involved in establishing one of the first sharashka
Sharashka
Sharashka was an informal name for secret research and development laboratories in the Soviet Gulag labor camp system...
s – an aircraft design bureau staffed by prisoners of Butyrki prison, including Nikolai Polikarpov
Nikolai Nikolaevich Polikarpov
Nikolai Nikolaevich Polikarpov was a Soviet aeronautical engineer and aircraft designer, known as "King of Fighters". He designed the I-15 series of fighters, and the I-16 Ishak "Little Donkey" fighter....
and Dmitry Grigorovich
Dmitry Pavlovich Grigorovich
Dmitry Pavlovich Grigorovich, in Russian: Дмитрий Павлович Григорович, was a Russian/Soviet aircraft designer of a number of planes under the Grigorovich name....
. In 1930–1931 the sharashka, now based on Khodynka Field, produced the prototype for the successful Polikarpov I-5
Polikarpov I-5
The Polikarpov I-5 was a single-seat biplane which became the primary Soviet fighter between its introduction in 1931 through 1936, after which it became the standard advanced trainer...
. In June 1931 Alksnis was promoted to the Commander of Red Air Forces, while Polikarpov and some of his staff were released on amnesty
Amnesty
Amnesty is a legislative or executive act by which a state restores those who may have been guilty of an offense against it to the positions of innocent people, without changing the laws defining the offense. It includes more than pardon, in as much as it obliterates all legal remembrance of the...
terms. In 1935, Red Air Forces under Alksnis possessed world's largest bomber
Bomber
A bomber is a military aircraft designed to attack ground and sea targets, by dropping bombs on them, or – in recent years – by launching cruise missiles at them.-Classifications of bombers:...
force; aircraft production reached 8,000 in 1936.
In June 1937 Alknis sat on the board of the show trial
Show trial
The term show trial is a pejorative description of a type of highly public trial in which there is a strong connotation that the judicial authorities have already determined the guilt of the defendant. The actual trial has as its only goal to present the accusation and the verdict to the public as...
against members of Trotskyist Anti-Soviet Military Organization
Case of Trotskyist Anti-Soviet Military Organization
The Case of Trotskyist Anti-Soviet Military Organization was a 1937 secret trial of the high command of the Red Army, orchestrated by Joseph Stalin as part of the Great Purge.-Defendants:...
; he himself was arrested on November 23, 1937, charged with setting up a "Latvian fascist
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
organization" and shot July 28, 1938.
During the destalinization of late 1950s Alksnis was posthumously rehabilitated; the Air Forces college in Riga
Riga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
was named in his honour. Viktor Alksnis
Viktor Alksnis
Viktor Alksnis is an ethnic Latvian Russian politician and former Soviet Air Force colonel. He is the chairman of Russian Center of Free Technologies, an organization intended to promote Free Software and open standards in Russia...
(born 1950), grandson of Yakov Alksnis, is a right-wing Russian politician remembered for his pro-Union activities of late 1980s – early 1990s.