Raskova, Marina (1912–1943)
Raskova, Marina (1912–1943)
Russian aviator. Born Marina Mikhailovna Raskova, Mar 28, 1912, in Moscow, Russia; died Jan 4, 1943, in military combat, near Saratov; buried in the Kremlin Wall in Red Square; dau. of teachers; married with children.
Began work at air navigation laboratory of N.E. Zhukovski Air Force Academy (1932); graduated from Central Training Center of the Civil Air Fleet (1934); joined Red Army (1938); wrote Notes of a Navigator (1939); commanded an air detachment for the formation of air regiments and was made commander of a women's bombardment aviation regiment (1942); with Valentina Grizodubova and Polina Osipenko, flew 3,717 miles nonstop from Moscow to Soviet east coast near Japan (1938), a journey one-third longer than Amelia Earhart's solo flight, and crash landed, spending 10 days in the Siberian taiga until rescued. Awarded 2 Orders of Lenin and Order of the Patriotic War 1st Class (posthumously).
See also Bruce Myles, Night Witches: The Untold Story of Soviet Women in Combat (Presidio, 1981); and Women in World History.