Yevgeniya Rudneva facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Yevgeniya Maksimovna Rudneva
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| Native name |
Евгения Максимовна Руднева
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| Nickname(s) | Zhenya (Женя) |
| Born | 24 May 1921 Berdiansk, Ukraine SSR |
| Died | 9 April 1944 (aged 22) near Kerch, Crimea, Soviet Union |
| Allegiance |  Soviet Union |
| Service/ |
 Soviet Air Force |
| Years of service | 1941–1944 |
| Rank | Senior Lieutenant |
| Unit | 46th Taman Guards Night Bomber Aviation Regiment |
| Battles/wars | Eastern Front of World War II † |
| Awards | Hero of the Soviet Union |
Yevgeniya Maksimovna Rudneva (born May 24, 1921 – died April 9, 1944) was a brave pilot and navigator during World War II. She was the main navigator for a famous group of female pilots called the Night Witches. This group was part of the 46th Guards Night Bomber Regiment. After she died, she was given the highest honor, the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Before the war, Yevgeniya was an astronomer. She even led the Solar Department of the Moscow branch of the Astronomical-Geodesical Society.
Contents
Early Life and Studies
Yevgeniya Rudneva was born in Berdiansk, a city in Ukraine. She was the only child of a telegrapher. Most of her childhood was spent in Moscow. After finishing her seventh year of school, she went to Moscow State University. There, she studied mechanics and mathematics for three years. In October 1941, she decided to join the military to help her country. She became a member of the Communist Party in 1943.
Joining the War Effort
After joining the Red Army in 1941, Yevgeniya trained to become a navigator. She completed her courses at the Engels Military Aviation School. Her very first flight was on January 5, 1942. In May of that year, she and her regiment, then called the 588th Night Bomber Regiment, were sent to the Southern Front.
Flying with the Night Witches
Yevgeniya flew many missions with different pilots. Some of these pilots, like Yevdokiya Nikulina and Irina Sebrova, also became Heroes of the Soviet Union later. She flew 645 night combat missions. Her plane was an old, slow biplane called the Polikarpov Po-2. Despite its age, she used it to destroy enemy river crossings, troop trains, and military equipment. She flew bombing missions in different areas, including the Transcaucasian, North Caucasian, and 4th Ukrainian fronts. She also took part in battles for the Taman and Kerch peninsulas.
Sadly, on the night of April 9, 1944, her plane was shot down. She was navigating for a new pilot named Praskovya "Panna" Prokofyeva at the time.
Her Strong Beliefs
Yevgeniya wrote a letter to her former professor, Sergey Blazhko, on October 19, 1942. In it, she promised that the first bomb she dropped on the Nazis would be revenge. It was for their bombing of the Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics back in winter. She wrote that she was fighting to protect the honor of her university.
Awards and Tributes
Yevgeniya Rudneva received several important awards for her bravery and service:
- Hero of the Soviet Union (awarded on October 26, 1944, after her death)
- Order of Lenin (awarded on October 26, 1944, after her death)
- Order of the Red Banner (awarded on April 27, 1943)
- Order of the Patriotic War 1st Class (awarded on October 25, 1943)
- Order of the Red Star (awarded on September 9, 1942)
Many places and things were named after her to honor her memory. Monuments were built in Moscow, Kerch, and the Saltykovka settlement. An Asteroid was named 1907 Rudneva after her. A school in Kerch and streets in Berdiansk, Kerch, Moscow, and Saltykovka also bear her name.
See also
- List of female Heroes of the Soviet Union
