Kovanko, Aleksandr Matveevich
From OnAirpower.org
|
|
[edit] Biography
Kovanko was born in St. Petersburg in 1856. He attended the military engineering academy and served in a sapper battalion[1].
In 1885, Kovanko organized and commanded Imperial Russia's first military airship unit. He also helped to organize the first scientific experiments in Russia on the effects of altitude and its impact on human beings. For these scientific efforts, Kovanko was elected as a member of several scientific organizations in Russia and abroad, and reportedly won a Grand Prize medal at the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904[1].
During the Russo-Japanese War Kovanko commanded the 1st Siberian Airship Battalion, which performed artillery correction and reconnaissance duties. For his service during the conflict, he was awarded the St. Gregory Gold Weapon and later became the first aviator General in the Russian army[1].
In 1918 he went into retirement, initially living in Gatchina and later in Odessa. He passed away in 1919[1].
[edit] Sources
- A Few Words About A. M. Kovanko (in Russian)
