Marina Raskova facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Marina Raskova
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Raskova in 1938
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| Born |
Марина Михайловна Малинина
March 28, 1912 Moscow, Russian Empire
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| Died | January 4, 1943 (aged 30) Saratov Oblast, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
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| Resting place | Kremlin Wall Necropolis, Moscow |
| Nationality | Soviet |
| Occupation | Navigator |
| Known for | Founding three Soviet female air regiments |
| Political party | Communist |
| Spouse(s) | Sergei Raskov (married 1929-1935) |
| Children | Tanya Raskova |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance | Soviet Union |
| Service/ |
Soviet Air Force |
| Years of service | 1941–43 |
| Awards | Hero of the Soviet Union Order of Lenin (2) Order of the Patriotic War 1st Class Medal "For Battle Merit" Honored Employee of the NKVD |
Marina Mikhaylovna Raskova (Russian: Мари́на Миха́йловна Раско́ва, IPA: [mɐˈrʲinə mʲɪˈxajləvnə rɐˈskovə]; born Malinina; 28 March 1912 – 4 January 1943) was a brave Soviet pilot and navigator. She was the first woman in the Soviet Union to become a professional air navigator.
Marina Raskova started out wanting to be an opera singer. But she became a military instructor and then the Soviet Union's first female navigator. She helped set many flight records. She also started and led the 587th Bomber Aviation Regiment. This group was later renamed in her honor. Marina Raskova helped create three all-female air regiments during World War II. One of these regiments flew over 30,000 missions and had at least 30 pilots who became Heroes of the Soviet Union.
Contents
Early Life and Aviation Dreams
Marina Malinina was born into a middle-class family. Her father was a singer and her mother was a teacher. Unlike many other Soviet women pilots, Marina wasn't interested in flying at first. She dreamed of becoming an opera singer.
When she was seven, her father died after being hit by a motorcycle. Marina continued her music studies. But then she got an ear infection that stopped her from singing. So, she decided to study chemistry and engineering instead. After finishing school in 1929, she worked as a chemist in a dye factory to help her family. There, she met and married Sergey Raskov, and her name became Raskova. They had a daughter named Tanya in 1930. The next year, she started working as a draftswoman at the Air Force Academy.
Marina Raskova became a famous aviator in the 1930s. In 1933, she was the first woman to become a navigator in the Soviet Air Force. A year later, she started teaching at the Zhukovsky Air Academy. This was also a first for a woman. She taught military navigation to both male and female students. Some male students doubted her at first, but she quickly proved how skilled she was.
In 1935, the Academy sent Raskova for flying lessons. She finished these lessons in August 1935. After her training, she became an instructor for instrument flying. She could teach advanced navigation to top military staff. She divorced in 1935.
Marina Raskova set several long-distance flight records. These were big achievements in the Soviet Union, and aviators became celebrities. Most of her record flights happened in 1937 and 1938 while she was still teaching. People sometimes called her the "Russian Amelia Earhart" because of her amazing flights.
The Rodina Flight
Her most famous long-distance flight was on 24–25 September 1938. She was the navigator on the Rodina (which means "Motherland") plane. This was a special Ant-37 bomber. The crew also included Polina Osipenko and Valentina Grizodubova. Their goal was to set a new international women's record for a straight-line flight. They planned to fly from Moscow to Komsomolsk-on-Amur in the Far East.
The flight lasted 26 hours and 29 minutes. They covered a distance of 5,947 kilometers (about 3,695 miles). But the whole adventure took 10 days! The plane couldn't find an airfield because of bad weather. Marina Raskova's navigator cockpit had no way to get to the rest of the plane. It was also dangerous in a crash landing. So, she parachuted out before the plane landed. She forgot her emergency kit and couldn't find the plane for 10 days. She had no water and very little food. The rescue team found the plane eight days after it landed. They were waiting when she finally found her way back to it. All three women were then taken to safety.
On 2 November 1938, all three women received the Hero of the Soviet Union award. They were the first women ever to get this high honor.
World War II and Women Pilots
When World War II began, many women who were trained pilots wanted to join the fight. But it was hard for them to get into combat roles. Their applications were often delayed or blocked. Marina Raskova used her connections with Joseph Stalin to help. She convinced the military to create three combat regiments made up entirely of women.
After a speech by Raskova on 8 September 1941, Stalin ordered the creation of the all-female 122nd Aviation Corps on 8 October 1941. These women would not only be pilots but also support staff and engineers. After their training, the three regiments got their official names:
- The 586th Fighter Aviation Regiment: This was the first of the three female regiments to fight. They started combat on 16 April 1942. They flew Yakovlev Yak-1, Yak-7B, and Yak-9 planes. They flew 4,419 missions and destroyed 38 enemy aircraft in 125 air battles.
- The 587th Bomber Aviation Regiment (later called the 125th Guards Bomber Aviation Regiment): Marina Raskova commanded this unit. She led them until her death in a plane crash. This unit received the best Soviet bombers, the Petlyakov Pe-2. Many male units had older planes, which caused some hard feelings. This unit flew 1,134 missions and dropped over 980 tons of bombs. Five of its pilots became Heroes of the Soviet Union.
- The 588th Night Bomber Aviation Regiment (later called the 46th Taman Guards Night Bomber Aviation Regiment): The Germans nicknamed this group the "Night Witches" (die Nachthexen). It was the most famous of the regiments. It was led by Yevdokia Bershanskaya. By the end of the war, they had flown over 24,000 combat missions. Twenty-four of their pilots became Heroes of the Soviet Union. Their plane was the Polikarpov Po-2, which was an old biplane. This was the only one of the three regiments that stayed all-female throughout the entire war.
Marina Raskova died on 4 January 1943. Her plane crashed while trying to land near Stalingrad. She was leading two other Pe-2 planes at the time. The entire crew died. She was given the first state funeral of the war.
Legacy
Marina Raskova's ashes were buried in the Kremlin Wall Necropolis in Red Square, next to Polina Osipenko's. She was given the Order of the Patriotic War I Class after her death. An American ship was given to Russia in June 1943 and renamed Marina Raskova in her honor.
A street in Moscow and Kazan is named after her. There is also a square in Moscow, some schools, and youth groups named after her.
In Philately
- Stamps
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Soviet stamp, 1939
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A stamp from Russia, 2012, celebrating 100 years since Marina Raskova's birth.
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See also
- List of female Heroes of the Soviet Union
- Kartamyshevskaya street of the Moldavanka historical district in Odesa, which was renamed M. Raskova street from 1953–1995.
