Foreign Aid to China in the Anti-Japanese War

File photo of Gregory Kulishenko [Photo/Nanjing Daily]

Born in Ukraine in 1903, Gregory Kulishenko later became a member of the Soviet Union air squadron. In 1939, the air squadron flew to aid China in the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1937-1945).

During his time in China, he was highly praised and greatly admired by Chinese pilots because of his unostentatious way of living, modest manners in treating others and assiduous attitude to work. Being extremely strict with his students, he selflessly taught Chinese pilots not only the knowledge of the bomber aircraft, but also many advanced techniques and strategies in operation.

Kulishenko's aircraft [file photo]

Kulishenko and his colleagues [file photo]

On the afternoon of October 14, 1939, Gregory Kulishenko received a combat order to attack a Japanese military base. During the combat, Kulishenko shot down six enemy aircrafts but received significant damage to one of his engines. In order to protect the aircraft from crashing, he persisted in flying, despite of the risk of his own life, and managed to land on a tiny islet on the Yangtze River. However, being too exhausted to jump out of the plane after the dogfight, both him and his plane were engulfed by the river.

His body was later retrieved and buried in Xishan Park, Chongqing, in 1958. In 2009, he was listed among the one hundred heroes of great contribution to the founding of new China and was awarded the "Hero of War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression" in 2004 by the Ministry of Civil Affairs of the People's Republic of China.

Although long being a part of history, this hero has been in connection with Chinese people in a particular way. Tan Zhonghui, who witnessed the attack in 1939 in which Kulishenko's plane landed in the river, volunteered to be his grave keeper in 1958. For over 56 years, Tan and her son, Wei Yingxiang, never ceased to fulfill their pledge; their story has become a strong manifestation of the deep friendship between Chinese people and Soviet soldiers.

On Dec 24, 2014, the movie, "In Company with Gregory Kulishenko", based on Tan and Wei's real story, began filming in Xishan Park where the hero is buried. It will hit screens in September, 2015.