Career
Born in Moscow in 1917, Korolev began working at the Neftegaz factory there after graduating from school. He began his route towards major sporting success in 1933, under the leadership of Ivan Stepanovich Bogayev - one of the pioneers of Soviet boxing. Soon Korolev entered the Stalin Technical School of Physical Culture and began to train, first under Konstantin Gradopolova and then under Arkady Georgevich Kharlampiev.
After six three-minute rounds, Korolev became the foremost pugilist in the Soviet Union.
In 1937 he triumphed at the Workers" Olympiad in Antwerp, knocking out two opponents in the first round. Korolev graduated as a trainer, receiving one of the first such diplomas in the Soviet Union.
In 1939 Korolev was called up for military service. He became a student at a school for fighter pilots.
However because of a plane accident in which he received heavy injuries, Korolev was forced to leave military service.
He twice carried an injured Medvedev from the battlefield. After the war Korolev served in the Northern Fleet for more than a decade. In 1944 Korolev returned to the ring.
Korolev died on 12 March 1974, and is buried in the Vvedenskoye Cemetery in Moscow.
In Bryansk an International (formerly All-Union) boxing memorial tournament was created in the name of Korolev. The first tournament was held in 1974, and after a hiatus from 1985 they resumed in 2002.
In 1977 the Soviet Ministry of Communications issued an illustrated envelope to mark 60 years since the birth of Korolev.
