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497:. He later recalled how having completed all the necessary tests, he was disappointed that he was not able to fully appreciate the experience involved in deploying with the vehicle. The division commander promptly arranged for Shcherbakov to make a jump, after two days of training. Despite fracturing his leg on landing, Shcherbakov recalled that he was "euphoric", and was greeted by his comrades with the traditional award of a certificate, 3 rubles and 50 kopecks, a paratrooper badge, and copious amounts of vodka. They also signed his cast. On reporting the results of the test, and the fact he had carried out a successful jump to the commander of the experiments, the commander announced "That's it, I'm taking you, I need you in the Airborne Forces!"
524:, and in 1972 he was transferred to the Scientific and Technical Committee of the Airborne Fores. In 1976 he became head of the Airborne Forces' Armoured Service. Initial experiments with deploying the BMD-1 by air had proved problematic. The crew were dropped separately by parachute, often ending up some distance from the landing site of the BMD-1, and took time to locate it. Attempts were made to produce a system whereby the BMD-1 could be jettisoned from the aircraft with at least some of the crew inside, relying on the BMD-1's parachute system to allow the crew, who did not have personal parachutes, to land safely. On 23 January 1976 Lieutenant-Colonel Shcherbakov and Major
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303:, where he worked in its scientific and technical committee. Initially the BMD-1 was to be dropped separately from its crew, who would locate it after landing. This proved unsatisfactory, and Shcherbakov became involved in trials of parachute and rocket-braking systems to allow members of the crew to be aboard the vehicle during its descent. In January 1976 he and Major
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the preceding year, Shcherbakov settled in Moscow and worked for the
Russian Development Fund. On 22 August 1996 Shcherbakov was belatedly recognised for his "courage and heroism shown during testing, fine-tuning and mastering special equipment" with the award of the title of
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575:, with responsibility for armaments. He returned to the North Caucasus Military District as deputy commander for armaments in 1988, and was involved in testing and evaluating equipment and vehicles in combat conditions during the
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as a test engineer. Over the next few years
Shcherbakov was involved in the testing and trials of fifteen types of armoured vehicles, some Soviet, and some captured foreign examples. Shcherbakov carried out tests in the
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330:, and ended his career as Inspector-General of Equipment and Armaments in the Main Inspectorate of the Ministry of Defence. Only in retirement was his work fully rewarded, with the award of the title of
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as deputy commercial director, and in 2009 became advisor to the general director. He was also a board member of the
Russian Association of Heroes.
322:. His later career included important positions as deputy commander of the North Caucasus Military District and deputy commander in chief of the
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using a parachute-jet system. Given the extreme risk involved in the test, both
Shcherbakov and Margelov were nominated for the award of
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493:, a vehicle intended to be dropped by aeroplane in support of ground forces. While evaluating the craft, Shcherbakov made his first
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boarding an aircraft. Despite fracturing his leg on his first jump, Shcherbakov went on to work with the
Airborne Forces.
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became the first in the world to make an experimental landing inside the BMD-1. Both were nominated for the award of
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Shcherbakov died on 29 May 2021 at the age of 84 after a "serious and prolonged illness". He was buried in the
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Retiring from active service in May 1992 with the rank of lieutenant-general, shortly after the
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as a test engineer, and carried out trials on fifteen different Soviet and foreign vehicles.
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in 1976. The nomination was not acted upon, and in 1977 Shcherbakov instead received the
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Military
Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union alumni
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with the rank of lieutenant, serving with the 14th Tank
Division as part of the
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for "achievements in increasing the combat readiness of the
Airborne Forces".
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became the first in the world to make an experimental landing inside the
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During this period he was part of a team handpicked by
Colonel-General
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on 1 June 2021. Over his career
Shcherbakov was awarded the title of
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and later Russian military officer who held a number of posts in the
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780:Герой России Леонид Щербаков об армии, ОПК, Родине и своей судьбе
269:, which included practical experiences of tank factories in
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Shcherbakov became particularly involved in trials of the
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in 1941, and that year Shcherbakov was evacuated to the
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Shcherbakov now became increasingly involved with the
430:. Having graduated, Shcherbakov was assigned to the
395:. After graduating, Shcherbakov was assigned to the
384:in the early 1950s, and in 1957 graduated from the
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828:"похороны генерал-лейтенанта Леонида Щербакова"
16:Soviet and Russian military officer (1936–2021)
8:
432:38th Research Institute of Armoured Vehicles
279:38th Research Institute of Armoured Vehicles
357:Shcherbakov was born on 12 October 1936 in
334:in 1996. He died in 2021 at the age of 84.
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886:Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner
636:List of Heroes of the Russian Federation
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891:Recipients of the Order of the Red Star
871:Personnel of the Soviet Airborne Forces
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420:Military Academy of the Armoured Forces
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881:Heroes of the Russian Federation
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616:Hero of the Russian Federation
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332:Hero of the Russian Federation
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190:Medal "For Impeccable Service"
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1:
418:. In 1963 he enrolled in the
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735:(in Russian). Klub-geroev.rf
454:and in Belarus, Ukraine and
202:Leonid Ivanovich Shcherbakov
25:Leonid Ivanovich Shcherbakov
690:"Щербаков, Леонид Иванович"
559:Shcherbakov (far right) in
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802:"ЩЕРБАКОВ Леонид Иванович"
733:"Щербаков Леонид Иванович"
386:Kiev Tank Technical School
241:Kiev Tank Technical School
235:, Shcherbakov entered the
510:infantry fighting vehicle
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620:Orders of the Red Banner
612:Troyekurovskoye Cemetery
596:. In 1997 he joined the
541:Hero of the Soviet Union
316:Hero of the Soviet Union
210:Леонид Иванович Щербаков
194:1st, 2nd and 3rd classes
96:Troyekurovskoye Cemetery
47:Леонид Иванович Щербаков
545:Order of the Red Banner
380:Shcherbakov joined the
320:Order of the Red Banner
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182:Order of the Red Banner
688:Kargapoltsev, Sergey.
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832:. Retrieved
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737:. Retrieved
704:. Retrieved
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359:Bannovskoye
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218:Soviet Army
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77:29 May 2021
59:Bannovskoye
43:Native name
850:Categories
758:|url=
642:References
583:Retirement
351:heavy tank
103:Allegiance
452:Black Sea
450:, on the
416:battalion
159:1954–1992
749:cite web
630:See also
624:Red Star
622:and the
563:in 1989.
133:Service/
86:, Russia
782:at the
760:value (
443:Kubinka
424:Kharkov
412:company
290:Kubinka
271:Kharkov
206:Russian
834:1 June
812:1 June
756:Check
739:1 June
706:1 June
618:, the
561:Maykop
214:Soviet
174:Awards
135:branch
127:Russia
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91:Buried
84:Moscow
701:]
605:]
537:BMD-1
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508:, an
506:BMD-1
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375:Urals
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297:BMD-1
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146:]
836:2021
814:2021
762:help
741:2021
708:2021
504:The
426:and
348:T-10
273:and
164:Rank
74:Died
53:Born
441:in
288:in
852::
791:^
770:^
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751:}}
747:{{
716:^
699:ru
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346:A
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