(FILE)

Soviet pilot Grigori Akimovich Kulishenko (1903-1939) is a household name in Wanzhou, Chongqing, a key trading port on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River and a former logistics base. He was sent to China in 1939, according to Wanzhou archives.

From October 1937 to June 1941, the Soviet Union sent more than 3,000 air force personnel to China to help fight the Japanese.

Kulishenko was responsible for training Chinese aviation personnel, and took part in various battle missions. He headed two surprise attacks on the Japanese air force base in Wuhan. His aircraft was badly hit during an air battle on October 14, 1939. Kulishenko was able to land the plane on the Yangtze River but couldn't escape the cockpit before it flooded.

The Chinese Government built a tomb for Kulishenko, which was moved to Wanzhou in 1958 where it covers an area of 1,630 square meters.

(Source: China Today)