Valentina Grizodubova - Golden Star of Russian Aviation

17
Among the names of Heroes of the Soviet Union, the name of the military pilot Valentina Stepanovna Grizodubova deserves special mention: she is the first woman to receive the Star of the Hero. The combat path of Valentina Grizodubova is also unique in that she commanded a whole regiment of distant aviation. This fragile and at the same time courageous Russian woman dropped bombs on the heads of enemies, evacuated children and participated in the supply of partisan detachments operating in the deep enemy rear.

According to some sources, Valentina Grizodubova was born in Kharkov on New Year's Eve 1910 of the year, on the other - 10 of May 1909 of the year. Aviation future Grizodubova was predetermined by the fact that her father, Stepan Vasilyevich Grizodubov, was a talented aircraft designer and pilot. He was deeply fascinated by his work and devoted his whole life to him. Stepan Grizodubov can rightfully be considered one of the geniuses of the domestic aircraft industry: he was the author of several types of aircraft and engines for them.



From the manger - to the sky

It was the father who raised his daughter Valentina to the sky, not only figuratively, but also in the literal sense. Grizodubova made her first flight almost before she learned how to stand on her feet - in 2,5 year! The father tied the girl to his seat belts, raised the airplane to the sky and forever infected his daughter with his own passion for flying and aviation. The result of such an early aviation education was the first independent flight, which took place at the rally of glider pilots in Koktebel, when Vale was 14 years old. After graduating from high school, Valentina entered the Kharkov Institute of Technology, where she received an excellent engineering education, which allowed her to do aviation professionally. It is worth saying that the sky was not the only hobby of the girl - in continuation of her studies at the university, Grizodubova successfully mastered the piano at the music school, after which the future storm of the fascist rears was credited to the Kharkov Conservatory.

Valentina Grizodubova - Golden Star of Russian Aviation


In the 1928 year, having completed a three-month flight training at the Osoaviahima School of Civil Aviation, Grizodubova received the long-awaited title of pilot. Later, the young pilot also graduated from the Penza instructor pilot school, after which, in the 21 year, she left for Tula, where she got a job at the flying club. Career Grizodubova continued its rapid development and, finally, it falls in the Moscow region Tushino, and then at the Central Airfield of Moscow, which was the base of the squadron to them. Maxim Gorky. Work in the squadron allowed Valentina to get a unique pilot experience: during her service in the unit, flying around the cities of the USSR, she had to fly a wide variety of aircraft of that time.

Girl flight

A fragile young girl flew over the mountains of the Caucasus and the Pamirs, laid new air routes and set new records, giving odds to the best male pilots of the country and the whole world. One of these flights brought Valentina Grizodubova world fame. 24-25 September 1938 of the ANT-37 “Motherland” airplane The female crew of Valentina Grizodubova, Polina Osipenko and Marina Raskova made a non-stop flight from Moscow to the Far East, having covered 6450 kilometers in 26 hours and 29 minutes. It was for this record-breaking flight that the girls were awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union.

At the front

Before the start of the war, Grizodubova received the position of head of the Directorate for International Airways of the USSR, and with the beginning of the liberation struggle of the Soviet people, became the head of the Anti-Fascist Committee of Soviet Women. However, the courageous pilot was well aware that she was not suitable for the rear work, for all its importance, because the front needed her extensive piloting experience, and Grizodubova headed the 101 air regiment of the Long-Range Aviation. weapon and food for the partisan detachments of Kovpak, Saburov and Fedorov.

Alone, driving the heavy Lee 2, Valentina flew around 200 sorties, around 2 / 3 of which were nightly with the most dangerous landings on partisan airfield sites. During the departures from the enemy rear, Valentine evacuated about 4000 children, which characterizes her services to the Motherland as outstanding and invaluable, is it worth arguing that at all times children were and will be the main asset and the main hope of Russia, it was these rescued children who were to rebuild the country after the war, to strengthen its defense, to create the most powerful industry in the world.

"I will not be in the army for a single day without a war"

This is how Valentina responded to the proposal of the Marshal of the Air Force Novikov to head the division. Hero of the Soviet Union, a brave pilot Grizodubova preferred scientific career and social activities to a military career. On her initiative and with her active participation, NILITs was created - the Research and Flight Test Center, whose task was to develop the latest aviation electronics. For her work in this field, Grizodubova received her second Star - this time a Hero of Socialist Labor. The authority of Grizodubova in the party environment, as well as among the common people, was enormous, she was accepted into the offices of the supreme leaders, which allowed her to help out people who had fallen into a difficult situation and solve unsolvable problems. It was thanks to the efforts of Grizodubova that Sergei Korolev, the founding father of Russian manned cosmonautics, was able to escape from Kolyma.

Valentina Grizodubova lived to a very old age and died exactly 20 years ago, April 28, 1993. In the family nest of the Grizodubovs in Kharkov, after her death, a museum was created, in many settlements of the former USSR streets were named after her, and a monument was erected in Moscow on Kutuzovsky Avenue.

Based on materials:
http://militera.lib.ru/memo/russian/verhozin_am/index.html
http://www.pravda.ru/society/fashion/models/26-03-2011/1071516-grizodubova-0/
http://www.segodnya.ua/life/stories/cpacla-koroljova-c-kolymy-a-brezhneva-nazyvala-lenej.html
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    17 comments
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    1. +3
      April 29 2013 08: 36
      Eternal memory of the Soviet Heroine. Dedicated to Valentina Stepanovna Grizodubova

    2. +4
      April 29 2013 09: 14
      So sweet and fragile ... But how purposeful and strong. One can only admire these. love
    3. +4
      April 29 2013 11: 45
      Yeah, these are not the current "heroes" of Wed ... wow glamor. Where did it all go?
    4. patriot2
      +3
      April 29 2013 11: 53
      Today's girls are a good example! love
    5. +3
      April 29 2013 12: 18
      the article is good, but it is too little written :(
    6. +3
      April 29 2013 12: 41
      Generations - as an example!
      They gave the Fritz by the face of a girl in WWII!
      Nightmares strangle chances to this day, who is still alive.
    7. +2
      April 29 2013 17: 10
      Alone, flying a heavy Li-2, Valentina made about 200 sorties
      why alone? or is the type of aircraft messed up and are we talking about y-2?
      1. +2
        April 29 2013 23: 44
        It also says: 101st long-range aviation regiment, what is the U-2 in long-range aviation?
        1. +1
          April 30 2013 01: 20
          well, there’s not one pilot for 2, there’s an error somewhere in the article, which, however, absolutely does not reduce anything that Grisodubova did
    8. +1
      April 29 2013 18: 56
      “I have been instructed to announce the decision of the Politburo on your complaint, Grizodubova,” Malenkov said. - For libel for mercenary purposes against your immediate commanders, for attempting to slander Marshal Golovanov, the long-range aviation commander, who has been entrusted with responsible party work and the country's leadership, for trying to discredit the commander of the devoted homeland and party commander, it was decided to transfer the case about you to the military tribunal to bring to justice, where and transfer the available materials. Now go to Comrade Shkiryatov, the chairman of the Party Control Commission, there the issue of your party affiliation will be resolved.

      I do not want to describe here what followed the announcement of this decision. On her knees, in tears, Grizodubova prayed for forgiveness, for some reason turning to me more than to the Secretary of the Central Committee ... I involuntarily thought how many more people, innocent people in the world suffer from all kinds of slander! How can a person who has been given all the opportunities to take part directly in the war, in defeating the enemy that is hated by everyone, which all the forces, all the thoughts of the Soviet people are directed at now, instead direct his energy, forces to achieve personal, selfish goals, without stopping not before anything, even before a deliberate slander and deliberate slander of his older comrades, knowing that these slander, this slander can lead innocent people to a sad end, but they will open the way for her, cherished for I am her goals. Blinded by the opportunities that opened up before her, the regiment commander Grizodubova did not think for a minute about the possible fate of the persons she was negotiating. Instead, she already saw herself as the first woman in the country in the uniform of a general ...

      http://militera.lib.ru/memo/russian/golovanov_ae/31.html
      1. +2
        April 29 2013 20: 08
        And I thought it was a sinful thing that nobody knew about this "little" episode with Golovanov .... Although in his memoir it is described well. But on the other hand ... "throw a stone at the one who is not sinless ....". About times, about morals ... laughing
    9. +2
      April 29 2013 20: 11
      At the airport, where the Grizodubova regiment was based, there were 2 more regiments. One of the nights of combat, a plane of a neighboring regiment flew in from a mission with a 250-kg high-explosive bomb hanging under the fuselage, which could come off and explode at any moment. The situation was further complicated by the fact that the pilot was unable to make a landing from the first approach. But the damaged plane could not stay in the air. Before everyone's eyes, he hit the ground and caught fire. The crew of the burning plane - pilots, navigator, flight engineer, radio operator and gunners - could not leave the car. The doors of Li-2 jammed when they hit the ground. But who dares to approach a burning plane? A bomb explosion could follow at any second. Yes, and gas in the tanks of the car remained about a ton. And then Grizodubova, together with her deputy - Lieutenant Colonel Orlov and two brave minders, boldly rushed to the burning plane. The injured crew, almost all of whose members were injured in the air battle, were saved.
    10. fatty
      -3
      April 29 2013 20: 53
      I hate bulls who have to cheat, give advice, to all sorts of freaks, but, we, Russians, smelly buggers, along with filthy freaks, I'm sorry, European pederasts,
      gods make you die
      In the sense, Nitsche died, my wife is a goddess.
      1. laurbalaur
        +2
        April 29 2013 21: 46
        fatty , I'm sorry, you didn’t mix anything up by going to this site?
        1. +3
          April 29 2013 23: 58
          Do you understand him?
    11. fight
      +2
      April 30 2013 11: 43
      respect)))))))))
    12. do not burn bonfires
      +2
      April 30 2013 18: 28
      Cho instructed cons for the trouble? Such women baud any mention, forehead nails in the floor need to hammer.
    13. lilit.193
      +1
      1 May 2013 18: 44
      Valentina Stepanovna Grizodubova is a real legend! And this is an example for us! And I think that not only for girls!
    14. smershspy
      +3
      3 May 2013 12: 20
      Quote: lilit.193
      Valentina Stepanovna Grizodubova is a real legend! And this is an example for us! And I think that not only for girls!


      I completely agree! Now I don’t remember that there were such heroes! Glory!

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