Stepan Akimovich Krasovsky[1] (Russian: Степан Акимович Красовский; Belarusian: Сцяпан Акімавіч Красоўскі, romanized: Stsyapan Akimavich Krasowski; 20 August [O.S.

Born on 20 August 1897 to a peasant family in the village of Glukhi, Mogilev Governorate, Krasovsky graduated from the higher primary school in Bykhov in 1915, and worked at the Seletsk post office.

He was transferred with the aviation detachment to the city of Yefremov in December 1917, where he joined the Red Army in February 1918 during the Russian Civil War.

[2][3] After the end of the war, Krasovsky continued to serve in the Soviet Air Force as a commissar until 1925: as military commissar of the 47th Consolidated Transcaucasus Aviation Detachment and the Red Moscow Squadron of the Air Forces of the Moscow Military District.

[3] After the end of the war, he was appointed chief of the Krasnodar Military Aviation School in April 1940, and was promoted to major general on 4 June when the rank system changed.

Under his command, the army provided air support during defensive operations in spring and summer 1942 in the Voronezh sector.

In November 1942 he was appointed commander of the 17th Air Army, part of the Stalingrad and Southwestern Fronts, and promoted to lieutenant general on 20 December.

From June 1953 to April 1955 Krasovsky served successively as commander of the Air Forces of the North Caucasus and Belorussian Military Districts.

Appointed commander of the 26th Air Army in the Belorussian Military District in April 1955, Krasovsky left operational command in April 1956 to become chief of the Red Banner Military Air Academy, a position he held until May 1968, being promoted to marshal of aviation on 8 May 1959.