His highest position was as president of DOSAAF (1972–1981), a mostly civilian organisation that was largely tasked with training young civilians and preparing them for service with the Air Force. Pokryshkin again found himself ostracized for his honesty. Despite strong pressure, he never wrote about or supported glorification of premier Leonid Brezhnev's role in the battle of Kuban, where Brezhnev was a minor general. Pokryshkin died on 13 November 1985 at the age of 72. In Novosibirsk, a street, a square and a subway station are named in his honour.