Olga Lisikova facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Olga Lisikova
Native name	Ольга Михайловна Лисикова
Born	7 November 1916 Vladivostok, Russian Empire
Died	7 September 2011 (aged 94) Saint Petersburg, Russia
Allegiance	Soviet Union
Service/branch	Soviet Air Force
Years of service	1941–1945
Rank	Senior lieutenant
Battles/wars	Winter War World War II
Awards	Order of Red Banner

Olga Mikhailovna Lisikova (born Vlasova; 7 November 1916 – 7 September 2011) was a brave Soviet transport pilot. She was the only woman in the Soviet Air Force to become the main pilot, or "pilot-in-command," of a large C-47 cargo plane. Her courage and skill helped many people during wartime.

Early Life and Flying Dreams

Olga Lisikova was born on 7 November 1916 in the Vladivostok area of Russia. Her family later moved to Leningrad, where she went to school.

In 1934, Olga started studying at the Tambov civil aviation school. She loved flying! In 1936, she and other female students moved to the Bataysk Flight School. There, they formed a special women's squadron. She learned to fly different types of planes, like the Po-2 and R-5.

After finishing flight school in 1937, Olga became a pilot for Aeroflot, a major airline. She flew on the challenging route between Moscow and Leningrad. Even though she was new, she quickly became very good at it. She flew small planes by herself and later worked as a co-pilot with her future husband, Vasily Lisikov.

Olga was one of the few women pilots who flew during the Winter War. This war happened before World War II. She flew missions to rescue injured and freezing soldiers from the battlefront. She even did this while she was pregnant with her first child!

World War II Hero

When Germany invaded the Soviet Union, Olga was a new mother. But she was immediately called to serve as a pilot. She flew an SP-2, which was a special medical plane. Her job was to fly wounded soldiers to safety.

One day, early in the war, her plane was carrying two injured soldiers. A German Bf 109 fighter plane chased her. Even though her plane had a clear red cross painted on it, the enemy plane attacked. Olga was very skilled. She flew her plane with amazing moves to avoid the fighter. She managed to make the Bf 109 crash! For saving her passengers and showing such bravery, she received the Order of the Red Banner award.

Later, Olga learned to fly much bigger planes: the Lisunov Li-2 and the C-47. These planes were larger and more advanced than anything she had flown before. She quickly mastered them, even with only a short training period. These planes needed a crew of six people to fly them.

Olga was promoted to "pilot-in-command." This meant she was the main pilot in charge of the aircraft. She was the only woman in her division to hold this important role. Her missions were very important. She dropped paratroopers behind enemy lines. She also delivered vital supplies to the people of besieged Leningrad. And she dropped aid to brave partisan fighters.

Throughout the war, Olga flew about 408 missions. A large number of these, 280, were in the heavy Li-2 and C-47 cargo planes. She became well-known during the war. Her picture and stories of her brave actions were printed in newspapers and magazines.

Life After the War

After the war, in 1946, Olga had to stop flying. She had flown at high altitudes without enough oxygen, which affected her health. She briefly returned to Aeroflot but could not continue flying for long.

Olga believed her first husband, Vasily Lisikov, had died in the war. So, she remarried and started a new family. However, Vasily had actually survived. He had been captured and held as a prisoner of war. He was finally released in 1946.

Olga Lisikova lived her later years in a home for war veterans in Pavlovsk, near Saint Petersburg. She passed away on 7 September 2011, at the age of 94.

Awards and Recognition

Olga Lisikova received several important awards for her service:

• Order of the Red Banner (1942)
• Order of the Patriotic War 2nd class (1985)
• Order of the Red Star (1943)
• Medal "For Battle Merit" (1944)
• Various campaign and jubilee medals

See also

In Spanish: Olga Lisikova para niños