Marina Raskova | |
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Марина Раскова | |
Born | Марина Михайловна Малинина March 28, 1912 Moscow, Russian Empire |
Died | January 4, 1943 Saratov Oblast, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union | (aged 30)
Resting place | Kremlin Wall Necropolis, Moscow |
Occupation | Navigator |
Known for | Founding three Soviet female air regiments |
Political party | Communist Party |
Spouse |
Sergei Raskov (m. 1929–1935) |
Children | Tanya Raskova |
Military career | |
Allegiance | Soviet Union |
Service | Soviet Air Force |
Years of service | 1941–1943 |
Awards | Hero of the Soviet Union Order of Lenin (2x) 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]; née Malinina; 28 March 1912 – 4 January 1943) was the first woman in the Soviet Union to achieve the diploma of professional air navigator. Raskova went from a young woman with aspirations of becoming an opera singer to a military instructor to the Soviet's first female navigator. She was the navigator to many record-setting as well as record-breaking flights and the founding and commanding officer of the 587th Bomber Aviation Regiment, which was renamed the 125th M.M. Raskova Borisov Guards Dive Bomber Regiment in her honor. Raskova became one of over 800,000 women in the military service, founding three female air regiments, one of which eventually flew over 30,000[1] sorties in World War II and produced at least 30 Heroes of the Soviet Union.[2]