Mikhail Philippovich Ponomarev

Mikhail Philippovich Ponomarev was born on January 23rd, 1926, in Sverdlovsk, USSR to Philipp Ponomarev and Marfa Ponomarev (Musikhina). At 17 years of age, he enlisted in the Soviet Naval Medical Academy, and served on the frontlines of WWII. He continued his studies at the Academy after the war, and became a Medical Doctor and head physician of his regiment. He also earned his PhD in psychoneurology, and published numerous scientific studies in the top Soviet medical journals about naval aviation and the selection of pilots for different types of aircraft. Mikhail was on the short list for consideration to become the first doctor in space, but got in trouble with Soviet authorities over some of his personal writings in which he was critical of the communist political system. Mikhail went into private practice after serving 20 years in the Soviet military. He continued his writings about the violent founding of the Soviet Union, and continued his criticism of the communist regime, which lead to increased legal trouble and eventually landed him in political prison and concentration camps. Mikhail spent a total on 11 years behind bars because of his political views and dissemination of his writings to associates and international correspondents. Mikhail fathered 3 children, Mikhail (46), Lyuba (44), and Philipp (37), and successfully moved his family to the USA in 1990, 2 years after filing for Political Asylum through the US Embassy in Moscow during President Reagan’s infamous visit. Mikhail became an accomplished author in the US when he began publishing his political writings. Mikhail also became quite successful in his lifelong hobbies of chess and poetry. He earned the title of chess master and Colorado State Chess Champion multiple times, and published several books of poetry, one of which is a trilogy written in the form of Dante’s Divine Comedy. Mikhail is survived by his 3 children and four grandchildren, Nicholas, Lucas, Michael, and Nina.