Kokorin Nikolai Sergeevich - local historian, veteran of the Great Patriotic War, teacher...

Biography

Nikolai Kirillovich Kokorin was born on May 20, 1889 in the village of Lom, Kazan district, Kazan province (now the Khlebnikovskoye rural settlement of the Mari-Turek district of the Republic of Mari El). Graduated parochial school.

Military ranks

Awards

• Order of St. George, 4th degree - PAF dated 07/31/1917 “for the fact that, while in the rank of ensign, in an air battle on December 20, 1916, having met an enemy plane over our positions, attacked it and shot it down. The enemy plane crashed at our location.”
• Order of St. Anne, 4th degree - By order of the armies Southwestern Front No. 111 of January 26, 1917;
• Order of St. Stanislaus, 3rd degree - by Order for the armies of the Southwestern Front No. 454 of 04/13/1917;
• Full Knight of the Cross of St. George:
  • 4th degree No. 192070 - By order of the 6th Siberian Corps No. 66 of 04/17/1915 “for distinction during aerial reconnaissance March 12, 1915 in the area of ​​Sochaczew, Lowicz, Skierniewice”;
  • 3rd degree No. 4204 - By order of the 2nd Army No. 805 of November 15, 1915 “for selfless reconnaissance in April, May, June 1915, and for boldly and courageously flying over enemy positions and in his rear, having carried out reconnaissance, he delivered valuable information about the enemy, threw bombs at various targets, each time flying under continuous and fierce enemy fire; returned twice with the plane damaged by shell fragments”;
  • 2nd degree No. 21452 - Order of the 2nd Army No. 49 of January 13, 1916 “for reconnaissance and bombing during August, September and October 1915, and for the fact that ... during their reconnaissance, being behind enemy lines and staying in the air for up to 5 hours continuously, senior non-commissioned officer Kokorin gave the observer the opportunity to investigate in detail the observed area and note the concentration and movements of the enemy. In addition, during his reconnaissance, he dropped 13 bombs from an airplane and one of them, on September 19, 1915, according to prisoners, hit the enemy’s camp kitchen”;
  • 1st degree No. 10114 - Order of the 2nd Army No. 463 of 06/06/1916 “for combat reconnaissance of the enemy rear and battles with German aircraft during the month of April 1916, and for the fact that on March 20th of this year, the pilot Kokorin made a flight to Sventsyany to inspect the enemy’s rear. During the entire flight over the enemy’s location (more than 100 versts) he was fired upon by concentrated fire from his artillery, the shells of which made 7 holes in the vehicle and broke the wing spar, but despite this, he courageously completed his task, gave his observer the opportunity to examine in detail the enemy’s rear and in addition, he himself, despite the particularly heavy fire over Sventsyany, noticed a narrow-gauge railway enemy, descended and, making sure of this, determined its direction.”
• St. George's Arms - PAF dated July 31, 1917 “for the fact that, being in the rank of ensign, on November 12, 1916, taking off on a Nieuport system aircraft, he met a German aircraft at our location and decisively moved to attack it . Noticing this, machine-gun fire was opened from the German plane, but, despite the obvious danger of being shot down, Second Lieutenant Kokorin approached the enemy plane at a very short distance and only then, in turn, did he open machine-gun fire, wounding a German pilot and forcing the enemy plane to land in our position.”

Nikolai Kokorin shot down air battles 8 German aircraft (including 5 officially), was a full Knight of St. George, but never achieved officer rank.

Nikolai Kokorin was born on May 8, 1889 in the small village of Khlebnikovo. From December 23, 1910, he served in one of the infantry battalions. On January 21, 1914, he achieved a transfer to aviation and in September passed the exam for the rank of pilot. At first, Nikolai flew on the Nieuport, and in 1915 he mastered another French aircraft, the Moran. He began to fight with the rank of Non-Commissioned Officer in the North Western Front as part of the 4th aviation detachment. For his courageous flights behind enemy lines for reconnaissance and bombing, he was repeatedly awarded by the command. The first award - St. George's Cross Kokorin received the 4th degree in March 1915, and by April of the following year he was already a full Knight of St. George.

The courage and perseverance of the pilot is evidenced by the document attached to track record Kokorina:

“On April 14, 1916, the pilot observer of the 4th corps aviation detachment, Lieutenant Belokurov, with the pilot Non-Commissioned Officer Kokorin, carrying out reconnaissance of the enemy’s deep rear on the Moran-Parasol apparatus and being armed only with revolvers, when meeting with the enemy “Albatross” heading to our side, entered into battle with him, forced him to turn to their location and, despite the wound in the face received by Second Lieutenant Belokurov, continued the flight until they completed the task to the end."

In August 1916, the aviation detachment in which Kokorin served was sent to the Lutsk area. For some time, the pilots flew French two-seater SPAD A.2 aircraft, then mastered the Nieuports. On November 12, 1916, Kokorin was awarded the St. George's Arms for shooting down an enemy plane. A series of new victories soon followed. On November 14, Nikolai, attacking a German airplane from above, forced it to land. On December 20, with an accurate burst from a machine gun, the pilot hit the crew of another German plane that had flown out to intercept a Russian air group. For this battle he received the Order of St. George the Victorious. 2 days later, while piloting a Moran fighter, he shot down an Albatross again.

In March 1917, Nikolai Kokorin, with the rank of Ensign, received the newest French Spud fighter. On this car he continued to count his victories. On April 2, near the city of Kozov, he destroyed an Albatross with a 165 hp Mercedes engine. On May 12, after Kokorin’s attack, another two-seater enemy plane crashed to the ground. The pilot and observer were killed in the air by a burst of fire from a Russian ace.

Mine last Stand The pilot spent May 16, 1917. By that time, fighter aircraft combat tactics had already changed significantly. So German planes They often entered into battles as part of entire squadrons, having clearly developed methods of interaction in air combat. On that day, Nikolai Kokorin took off on the Nieuport and was soon attacked by 5 vehicles at once (from the FFA 242 unit), which suddenly attacked his plane. A German bullet pierced the pilot's chest. The plane fell to the ground and crashed near the city of Podgaitsy.

By that time, Nikolai Kokorin had shot down 8 German planes in air battles (including 5 officially), was a full Knight of St. George, but never achieved officer rank. A special telegram from the commander of the Russian army aviation, V.M. Tkachev, regarding this event said:

“With sadness I learned about the irreplaceable loss for all Russian aviation - the heroic death in a fair unequal battle of Ensign N.K. Kokorin - the thunderstorm of the Germans.”

KOKORIN Nikolai Kirillovich (05/8/1889, post. Lomovsky Khlebnikovskaya volost, Urzhum district, Vyatka province/now Mari-Turek district of the Russian Medical Museum – 05/16/1917, Podgaitsy metro station Austria-Hungary/now the city of Podgaitsy, Ternopil region Ukraine).

Military leader, junior officer of the Russian Imperial Army, warrant officer, pilot of the 4th corps aviation detachment. Participant and hero of the 1st World War. Full St. George Cavalier. Air ace, one of the best military pilots in Russia.

A native of peasants, he was born to the family of Kirill Yakovlevich and Agrippina Matveevna Kokorin, in the small village of Lomovsky, near the village of Khlebnikovo. On May 9, 1899, he was baptized by the priest of the Nativity of the Theotokos Church, Sergei Fedorovich UVITSKY and Nikolai SOFRONITSKY. Acted as godfather of the newborn brother mother of a newborn, peasant of the village of Khlebnikovo Adrian Matveevich Igumnov. Nikolai was not the only child in the family: there was also a sister, Ekaterina, and a brother, Georgy (born April 12, 1895).

Rural children grow up early. Here is Nikolai, he graduated from the Khlebnikov parochial school, before being drafted into the army, he tried several professions - he learned blacksmithing, helped his father make bricks. He was interested in technical sciences, which to a greater extent and influenced his further choice life path. As a seventeen-year-old boy, he went to Far East to earn money. Here at the end of December 1910 he was drafted into the army. So, a little later, villager, who saw aircraft only in pictures, ended up in aviation school. First, on December 10, 1910, he entered service as an ordinary soldier in the Vistula River Mine Company. A year later, on October 23, 1911, KOKORIN was sent to study at Officer school Aviation Division air fleet.

The Russian command at this time was seriously engaged in training pilots, but the number of officers entering the aviation schools, was insufficient, so in a number of cases they began to recruit those willing from among the lower ranks. Our fellow countryman became one of them. On November 5, 1911, he was sent to study at the Aviation Officer School of the Air Fleet Department. At first he was sent to a motor mechanics course, but after persistent reports, he was assigned to the newly formed 5th Siberian Corps Aviation Detachment as a trainee pilot, and later seconded to the Sevastopol Aviation School. He took the exam on a Nieuport plane and was assigned to the 2nd Aviation Company. On September 29, 1912, he was transferred to the 2nd Aviation Detachment. Here, on July 20, 1913, he became a junior non-commissioned officer. Since 02/08/1914, Nikolai KOKORIN was in the 5th Siberian Corps Aviation Detachment. On February 11, 1914, he was awarded the rank of senior non-commissioned officer.

Shortly after the outbreak of the First World War, on September 20, 1914, Nikolai passed the exam for the rank of pilot and received a diploma as an aviator pilot. On November 16, 1914, he was transferred to the 15th aviation detachment, with an assignment to the 2nd aviation company. Since December 1914 - pilot-soldier of the 4th corps aviation detachment that fought on Northwestern Front. During the first half of 1915, KOKORIN more than once carried out risky reconnaissance flights over enemy positions.

On June 28, 1915, he was sent to the Wartime Aviation School of the Imperial Moscow Aeronautics Society, where he was trained on the new high-speed devices of the Moran and Nieuport types. After studying, on August 22, 1915, he returned to the 4th Corps Aviation Detachment. In August 1915, his detachment entered the first battle group Southwestern Front, and Nikolai became a dashing fighter pilot.

The courage and perseverance of the pilot is evidenced by the document attached to KOKORIN’s service record:

“On April 14, 1916, the pilot observer of the 4th corps aviation detachment, Lieutenant Belokurov, with the pilot Non-Commissioned Officer Kokorin, conducting reconnaissance of the enemy’s deep rear on the Moran-Parasol apparatus and being armed only with revolvers, when meeting with the enemy “Albatross” heading to our side, entered into battle with him, forced him to turn to their location and, despite the wound in the face received by Second Lieutenant Belokurov, continued the flight until they completed the task to the end. For their outstanding selfless daring and irrevocable determination, despite any obstacles, they completed the assigned task, on behalf of the service I thank Second Lieutenant Belokurov and Non-Commissioned Officer Kokorin. I order you to present them for a reward...”

(Nikolai Kokorin - first from left)

In August 1916, the aviation detachment in which KOKORIN served was sent to the Southwestern Front near the city of Lutsk. For some time, the pilots flew French two-seater SPAD A.2 aircraft, then mastered the Nieuports. On November 12, 1916, KOKORIN was awarded the St. George's Arms for shooting down an enemy plane. A series of new victories soon followed.

The detachment commander, Staff Captain Kazakov, spoke of him this way: “An excellent, undaunted fighter pilot, flies all aircraft systems, an excellent officer. He loves and knows his job.” On November 14, Nikolai, attacking a German airplane from above, forced it to land. On December 20, with an accurate burst from a machine gun, the pilot hit the crew of another German plane that had flown out to intercept a Russian air group. For this battle he received the officer's Order of St. George, IV degree. 2 days later, while piloting a Moran fighter, he shot down an Albatross again. By order of the armies of the Western Front No. 275 of 08/25/1916, KOKORIN was awarded the rank of ensign for military distinction (production approved by the VP dated 09/28/1916a).

On January 2, 1917, while controlling the Moran-monocoque apparatus, Nikolai KOKORIN managed to unexpectedly approach and attack an Austrian reconnaissance aircraft, hitting it with machine-gun fire. The enemy vehicle turned over in the air and crashed to the ground.

In March 1917, Nikolai KOKORIN received the newest French Spud fighter. With this car he continued to count his victories. On April 2, KOKORIN flew out on the new Moran-monocoque for his next command mission. This is how he reports on the battle that took place in his report: “In the Kozov area, at an altitude of 3500 meters, I met 2 enemy aircraft. One of them... made a turn and walked towards the sunset towards me. I, being higher, went with a big decline towards him. He made a 90 degree turn as he descended. He began to fire at me from the side. But I kept attacking him from above, which forced him to descend under my fire to the very ground. The plane landed 2 versts west of the village of Uvse. When landing, I hooded it. I went down next to him. Upon examination, it turned out the following: there were many bullet holes in the enemy aircraft and the pilot was wounded by 3 bullets.”

The pilot and observer were captured, and the captured German Albatross S.III was later repaired.

On April 7, Nikolai KOKORIN was put on leave and arrived at his duty station only a month later. On May 11, literally the next day after returning, the brave aviator attacked a two-seater enemy plane over the village of Shibalin. The fight was short but fierce. Our fellow countryman emerged victorious. The pilot and observer were killed in the air by a burst of fire from a Russian ace. In the First World War, aces were called pilots who won five or more victories in air battles.

Nikolai KOKORIN fought his last fight on May 16, 1917. By that time, fighter aircraft combat tactics had already changed significantly. Thus, German aircraft often entered into battles as part of entire squadrons, having well-developed methods of interaction in air combat. At the same time German command To fight the Russian pilot, he called in his ace from the French front. That day, KOKORIN flew out with his regular partner, non-commissioned officer Mikhail Zemblevich, and was soon attacked by 5 vehicles (from the FFA 242 unit), which suddenly attacked his plane. At the critical moment of the battle, Zembelevich left KOKORIN alone. During the battle, he received a fatal through wound in the chest, after which the Nieuport plane piloted by KOKORIN lost control, went into a tailspin and fell near the town of Podgaitsy, which then belonged to Austria-Hungary (now the Ternopil region of Ukraine).

By that time, N. KOKORINA had 5 officially shot down enemy aircraft (but they are talking about 8 aircraft). In a special telegram from the commander of the aviation of the Russian army, V.M. Tkachev, regarding this event it was said: “I learned with sadness about the irreplaceable loss for all Russian aviation - the heroic death in a fair unequal battle of ensign Kokorin - the thunderstorm of the Germans.” “Restrained, modest and devoid of any bravado, he was one of those modest heroes on whom the Russian Imperial Army, and who were more likely to die than to change even in the slightest degree what they considered their duty,” this is the opinion of contemporaries about our fellow countryman, one of the first Russian pilots Nikolai Kirillovich KOKORIN. The commander of the Russian pilots, Alexander Kazakov, called the death of his subordinate heroic and addressed his comrades with an appeal: “ Dead pilot Ensign Kokorin left his peasant family in an extremely difficult financial situation. During his lifetime, Warrant Officer Kokorin helped his parents, giving his sister the opportunity to take courses. I take the liberty of inviting the detachment officers... to provide financial assistance to the family dead hero" His call did not go unanswered. Russian officers did not abandon either their comrades or their loved ones in trouble.

Posthumously on July 22, 1917, he was awarded the rank of second lieutenant. His officer rank gave him the right to be buried in his homeland - the coffin with the hero’s body was taken to the village of Khlebnikovo and buried in the church cemetery. In the years Soviet power the grave was in oblivion, but then fellow countrymen put it in order and erected a new monument. Rich material about the ace of the First World War has been collected in the local history museum of the village of Khlebnikovo. Sister of Nikolai KOKORIN later years spent her life in the village of Lazarevo, Urzhum district, Kirov region.

AWARDS:

St. George's crosses:

4th degree No. 192070 - Order of the 6th Siberian Corps No. 66 of 04/17/1915 “for distinction during aerial reconnaissance on March 12, 1915 in the area of ​​Sochaczew, Lowicz, Skierniewice”;

3rd degree No. 4204 - Order of the 2nd Army No. 805 of November 15, 1915 “for selfless reconnaissance in April, May, June 1915, and for boldly and courageously flying over the enemy’s position and in his rear, conducting reconnaissance , delivered valuable information about the enemy, threw bombs at various types of targets, each time flying under continuous and fierce enemy fire; returned twice with the plane damaged by shell fragments”;

2nd degree No. 21452 - Order of the 2nd Army No. 49 of 01/13/1916 “for reconnaissance and bombing during August, September and October 1915, and for the fact that ... during their reconnaissance, being behind enemy lines and staying in the air for up to 5 hours continuously, senior non-commissioned officer Kokorin gave the observer the opportunity to investigate in detail the observed area and note the concentration and movements of the enemy. In addition, during his reconnaissance, he dropped 13 bombs from an airplane and one of them, on September 19, 1915, according to prisoners, hit the enemy’s camp kitchen”;

1st degree No. 10114 - By order of the 2nd Army No. 463 of 06/06/1916 “for combat reconnaissance of the enemy’s rear and battles with German aircraft during the month of April 1916, and for the fact that on March 20 of this year the pilot Kokorin made a flight in the town of Sventsyany to examine the enemy’s rear. During the entire flight over the enemy’s location (more than 100 versts) he was fired upon by concentrated fire from his artillery, the shells of which made 7 holes in the vehicle and broke the wing spar, but despite this, he courageously completed his task, gave his observer the opportunity to examine in detail the enemy’s rear and In addition, he himself, despite the particularly heavy fire above Sventsyany, noticed the enemy’s narrow-gauge railway, descended and, having made sure of this precisely, determined its direction.”

ORDERS:

Order of St. Anne, 4th degree with the inscription “For bravery” - Order for the armies of the Southwestern Front No. 111 of January 26, 1917;

Order of St. Stanislaus, 3rd degree with swords and bow - Order for the armies of the South-Western Front No. 454 of 04/13/1917;

Order of St. George, 4th degree - PAF dated 07/31/1917 “for the fact that, being with the rank of ensign, in an air battle on December 20, 1916, having met an enemy plane over our positions, attacked it and shot it down. The enemy plane crashed at our location.”

St. George's Arms - PAF dated July 31, 1917 “for the fact that, being in the rank of ensign, on November 12, 1916, taking off on a Nieuport system aircraft, he met a German aircraft at our location and resolutely moved to attack it. Noticing this, machine-gun fire was opened from the German plane, but, despite the obvious danger of being shot down, Second Lieutenant Kokorin approached the enemy plane at a very short distance and only then, in turn, opened machine-gun fire, wounded the German pilot and forced the enemy plane to descend at our disposal."

About him:

M.L. Dolnikov, M.L. Dolnikova. “Icari of the Russian sky.” - Noginsk: - 2005. 251 p.; R.A. Bushkov. "Turkish side". - Kazan: TsOP ABAC, 2000. - 185 p.; Jesse Russell "Kokorin, Nikolai Kirillovich." - VSD. 2013. - 202 pp.; V. Sorokina. Glorious son land of Mari-Turek // “Fatherland” No. 2. Yoshkar-Ola, 2010. P. 10; D. Mityurin, Yu. Medvedko “Flying Aces. Russian aces of the First World War." Publisher: State Research Center “New Cultural Space”, St. Petersburg, 2006. 432 p.

– I envied everyone who went to defend their homeland. And then one evening I was sitting at home by the window and I saw: a woman from the village council rides up on a white horse and gives me a summons to the district military registration and enlistment office. The joy and pride that my turn had come overshadowed all other feelings, and I could hardly wait for the morning... In the morning I harnessed the horse and headed to Udomlya. Seven of us arrived from the area. All the same age. They gave us a piece of paper and ordered: “Write applications to the school.”

The train brought seven homeowners to the Davlekanovo railway station in Bashkiria, where the aerial photographic reconnaissance school taken from Gomel was located. Specialists in aerial photography and decoding were trained there. Three of the seven passed the exams. Including Nikolai Kokorin. We studied for 10 months. There is no need to talk about the conditions of study and service - war. The release took place in May 1942. The front is coming soon. Nikolai even sent a telegram home: “Mom, I’m going to the front.” It turns out I was in a hurry. The disappointment was great. Not to the west,and his further path lay to the east to Khabarovsk, to the aviation headquarters Far Eastern District.He served as a photogrammetrist-decoder in the 139th reconnaissance squadron at a military airfield in the village. Lazarevo Jewish Autonomous Region.

– Regular work. He flew reconnaissance planes over the Amur along the Soviet-Manchurian (Japanese) border. Six cameras are constantly on, and then deciphering the pictures... You sit until you've done everything...

But the dream of the front did not leave Sergeant Kokorin. Finally, I achieved my goal.

– I was standing guard one day in May 1943. Suddenly a call. One of our colleagues reports that they are already in the marching company. I run to headquarters and to Captain Terentyev, and he explains that the company is already staffed. I told him: “Allow me instead of Sergeant Shkolnikov,he’s family.” Convinced!.. We drove to the western front through Moscow and Vyazma. Vyazma was amazing - an endless pile of broken bricks. The station is in a carriage, the residents are in dugouts. Elderly women sell potato cakes. Finally, the train arrived at Volosta-Pyatnitsa station at Kaluga region. In the forest there is a town of huts - the area where the reserve regiment is located, the last frontier in front of the front line. The next day we received rations for three days and marched on foot to the front. We walked for two nights. On the second morning we went to the edge of the forest and began to wait for the “recruiters” from the front line. Nikolai Sergeevich ended up serving in the 973rd artillery regiment as a topographer.

–At night we arrived at the regiment's position. An exciting meeting with front-line soldiers. I am happy that I joined the front-line family. The dugout, the maskhalats on the officers, heavy explosions in the depths of the forest - everything was very romantic.

A week later, the division in which Kokorin served went on the offensive. The city of Spas-Demyansk was taken with fighting. Over the summer, the division also liberated the cities of Roslavl, Shumyachi, Chausy, Krichev, Gorki, Liozno. In the fall of 1943 we reached the Western Dvina River. Under New Year the river was crossed and occupied west bank a bridgehead for the summer attack on Vitebsk.

In January 1944 Kokorin was sent to military school them. Supreme Council to Moscow. He graduated from it in August 1946 and commanded a platoon for five years. In 1951 he was discharged from the army into the reserve..

–Most of all I was concerned about the issue of instilling in students love for the Motherland. Started to develop school tourism. Since 1956, regularly, for 25 years, he led young people around native land, for the purpose of studying it.

About 40 school graduates became army and navy officers. He devoted more than 50 years of his life to the upbringing and education of young people. He finally retired only at the age of 75.

- I'm no better than them and I have no more right to life than they do...

And then, after the war, returning home, when I lived among the orphaned and widowed, this feeling grew and gave no rest. Time passed, the parents of the victims disappeared into oblivion and their brothers and sisters dispersed to cities and villages. Villages disappeared, and the huts from which the men left for the front turned to dust. And to the feeling of guilt was added a sense of duty.

First, Nikolai Sergeevich created with his own hands at school local history museum. The first exhibit of the museum was the “Book of Memory,” which included 1,200 fellow countrymen who died in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-19 45 It took 15 years to create the museum, which contains about 2 thousand.exhibits. There has been a museum at the school for more than 20 years.. Over the years, Nikolai Sergeevich has conducted hundreds of excursions.

In the year of the 45th anniversary of the Victory, Nikolai Sergeevich decided that he himself would build a monument to his fallen fellow countrymen. From start to finish. The work has begun. He resorted to the help of others only if it was impossible to complete any part of the project alone.

– I’ll be honest: I had confidence because I already had experience. By that time, I had made about twenty gravestone monuments.

For five years Nikolai Sergeevich Kokorin worked on the memorial, without leaving regular lessons at school. Day after day.

– There are four Solovievs from our Ledins. Brothers. I grew up with them. Alexey, Pavel, Fedor, Vladimir. It’s as if I see now: Alexei is leading his Annushka from under the aisle. Beautiful! She is small, thin, he holds her, like a crystal vase, carefully and carefully... And Pavel is an accordionist, a handsome man, my best friend... He was... He reached Tormasovo-Komarno. And there were the Surnov brothers - there were five of them, and all five died. Will you fall asleep after this? In total, we counted one thousand two hundred and twenty-four dead - 300 more than were listed in the district military registration and enlistment office.

While he was working, he counted all the villages and called out to all the dead. Whom - not just once. They are silent, they are silent... May 9, 1997 memorial in the village. The pit was solemnly opened.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Nikolai Sergeevich published many materials on the history of the village. The pit is in the local history almanac “Udomelskaya Antiquity”, the newspaper “Tverskaya Zhizn”, in the magazine “Russian Province”.

Nikolai Kokorin was born on May 8, 1889 in the small village of Khlebnikovo. From December 23, 1910, he served in one of the infantry battalions. On January 21, 1914, he achieved a transfer to aviation and in September passed the exam for the rank of pilot. At first, Nikolai flew on the Nieuport, and in 1915 he mastered another French aircraft, the Moran. He began to fight with the rank of Non-Commissioned Officer on the Northwestern Front as part of the 4th Aviation Detachment. For his courageous flights behind enemy lines for reconnaissance and bombing, he was repeatedly awarded by the command. Kokorin received his first award - the St. George Cross of the 4th degree - in March 1915, and by the following April he was already a full Knight of St. George.

The courage and perseverance of the pilot is evidenced by a document attached to Kokorin’s service record:

“On April 14, 1916, the pilot observer of the 4th corps aviation detachment, Lieutenant Belokurov, with the pilot Non-Commissioned Officer Kokorin, carrying out reconnaissance of the enemy’s deep rear on the Moran-Parasol apparatus and being armed only with revolvers, when meeting with the enemy “Albatross” heading to our side, entered into battle with him, forced him to turn to their location and, despite the wound in the face received by Second Lieutenant Belokurov, continued the flight until they completed the task to the end."

In August 1916, the aviation detachment in which Kokorin served was sent to the Lutsk area. For some time, the pilots flew French two-seater SPAD A.2 aircraft, then mastered the Nieuports. On November 12, 1916, Kokorin was awarded the St. George's Arms for shooting down an enemy plane. A series of new victories soon followed. On November 14, Nikolai, attacking a German airplane from above, forced it to land. On December 20, with an accurate burst from a machine gun, the pilot hit the crew of another German plane that had flown out to intercept a Russian air group. For this battle he received the Order of St. George the Victorious. 2 days later, while piloting a Moran fighter, he shot down an Albatross again.

In March 1917, Nikolai Kokorin, with the rank of Ensign, received the newest French Spud fighter. On this car he continued to count his victories. On April 2, near the city of Kozov, he destroyed an Albatross with a 165 hp Mercedes engine. On May 12, after Kokorin’s attack, another two-seater enemy plane crashed to the ground. The pilot and observer were killed in the air by a burst of fire from a Russian ace.

The pilot fought his last battle on May 16, 1917. By that time, fighter aircraft combat tactics had already changed significantly. Thus, German aircraft often entered into battles as part of entire squadrons, having clearly developed methods of interaction in air combat. On that day, Nikolai Kokorin took off on the Nieuport and was soon attacked by 5 vehicles at once (from the FFA 242 unit), which suddenly attacked his plane. A German bullet pierced the pilot's chest. The plane fell to the ground and crashed near the city of Podgaitsy.

By that time, Nikolai Kokorin had shot down 8 German planes in air battles (including 5 officially), was a full Knight of St. George, but never achieved officer rank. A special telegram from the commander of the Russian army aviation, V.M. Tkachev, regarding this event said:

“With sadness I learned about the irreplaceable loss for all Russian aviation - the heroic death in a fair unequal battle of Ensign N.K. Kokorin - the thunderstorm of the Germans.”