Soviet Flyers in front of YAK-9
 

Love this picture. Can anyone identify place and/or unit?

Re: Soviet Flyers in front of YAK-9
 

Yak-3s?

Re: Soviet Flyers in front of YAK-9
 

Same photo appears here:

https://topwar.ru/97479-nebo-svoboda-nebo-rabota.html

Caption is:

Полковник Анатолий Рубахин объясняет личному составу боевое задание

Google translate gives: Colonel Anatoly Rubakhin explains the combat mission to the personnel.

Another source has the name as Anatolii Ermolaevich Rubakhin, (402 IAP/ 3 IAK)

Re: Soviet Flyers in front of YAK-9
 

Maj. (Lt.Col.) Anatolii Ermolaevich Rubakhin (1918) served in 4th Air Army, 3 IAK, 265 IAD, 402 IAP. They flew Yak-9s and Yak-3s as well and fought eg. in the Stettin area, supporting the 2nd Belaruss Front. So the photo shows Yaks of the 402 IAP.

Gabor

Re: Soviet Flyers in front of YAK-9
 

Thanks RSwank And HGabor. Now I can label the photograph.

Re: Soviet Flyers in front of YAK-9
 

If you look at the awards and the warm season, it is probably a photo-September 1944. Yak-3 – about this time changed the 402 IAP Yak-1 on Yak-3 (Yak-9 in the regiment was in late 1943 – early 1944). It's probably a rear airfield (airfield "Razboyschina" Saratov region 51.571950, 45.830817), where there were retraining and re-equipment of the regiment.

The pilots of 402 IAP (from left to right):
Lt. Nazir T. Konukoev - (HSU, 06.05.1965)
J.Lt. Alexey A. Lazarev
Lt. Sergey P. Shpunyakov - (HSU, 15.05.1946)
Maj. Anatoly E. Rubakhin (commander of the 402 IAP; HSU, 23.02.1945)
S.Lt. Vladimir A. Egorovich - (HSU, 15.05.1946)
J.Lt. Rant I. Ishkhanov
S.Lt. Nikolai D. Dugin - (died from wounds 02.05.1945, HSU, 15.05.1946)
Gu.S.Lt. Nikolai F. Petrovykh
S.Lt. Oleg P. Makarov
Photos from the same series:
http://soviet-aces-1936-53.ru/abc/r/rubahin2.jpg
http://soviet-aces-1936-53.ru/abc/foto/402_2.jpg