Ivan Chuchvaga was born in Novosevastopolsysk on 22 May 1920.

Before the war, he worked as a teacher and graduated from the Krasnodar Aeroclub. In November 1940, he voluntarily joined the Red Army and graduated from the military aviation school in August 1941.

From November 1941, serzhant Chuchvaga served in 651 IAP on the Stalingrad Front, flying Polikarpov I-15bis and I-153s.

On 30 August 1942, he was decorated with the Order of Lenin.

He left 651 IAP in September 1942 and in October, he was posted to 866 IAP as a deputy eskadrilya commander. This unit was equipped with Yak-1s.

Kapitan Chuchvaga was killed in air combat near Kupyansk-Sortirovochnaya Station in the Kharkov area on 12 March 1943 when he reportedly made a ”taran” ramming-attack on a Ju 87. However, it seems that Chuchvaga wasn’t credited with any victories on this date.
By this time, he was eskadrilya commander in 866 IAP.
The Ju 87 was possibly from II./StG 2, which lost two in the region during the day. 5./StG 2 lost Ju 87 D WNr. 2925 (T6+FN) reportedly to flak in the Kharkov area with the pilot Feldwebel Alfons Sträter and wireless operator/gunner Unteroffizier Otto Langwer both becoming MiA. 6/StG 2 (T6+LO) lost Ju 87 D WNr. 2020 due to unknown causes with the pilot Feldwebel Erich Püls and wireless operator/gunner Obergefreiter Heinz Wenke both being wounded.

At the time of his death, Chuchvaga was credited with 2 biplane victories and a total of 9.
These had been claimed in 196 combat missions and 74 air combats.

On 24 August 1943, Chuchvaga was decorated with a posthumous Gold Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union and a second Order of Lenin.

Claims:

Kill no.	Date	Time	Number	Type	Result	Plane type	Serial no.	Locality	Unit
	1942
1	29/07/42		1	Ju 88	Destroyed	I-153		Ilovlya Station	651 IAP
2	04/08/42		1	Ju 87	Destroyed	I-153		W Abganerovo	651 IAP
	1943
3	30/01/43		1	Ju 87	Destroyed	Yak-1		S Lysyy	866 IAP
4	31/01/43		1	FW 189 (a)	Destroyed	Yak-1		W Verkhniy Tabun	866 IAP
5	31/01/43		1	Hs 123	Destroyed	Yak-1		SE Verkhniy Sukhodol	866 IAP
6	03/02/43		1	Ju 87	Destroyed	Yak-1		SW Belo-Skelevatyy	866 IAP
7	05/03/43		1	Bf 109	Destroyed	Yak-1		SE Malaya Kamyshevakha	866 IAP
8	06/03/43		1	Bf 109	Destroyed	Yak-1		W Kiseli	866 IAP
9	10/03/43		1	Ju 87	Destroyed	Yak-1		N Borki Station	866 IAP

Biplane victories: 2 destroyed.
TOTAL: 9 destroyed.
(a) Not verified with Luftwaffe records.

Sources:
All aces of Stalin 1936-1953 – Mikhail Bykov, 2014
Black Cross/Red Star Volume 4 Stalingrad to Kuban - Christer Bergström, 2019 Vaktel Förlag, Eskistuna, ISBN 978-91-88441-21-8
Deutsche Luftwaffe Losses & Claims -series - Michael Balss
Soviet Aces 1936-1953
Soviet Fighter Pilots 1936-1953 - Mikhail Bykov