Raisa Vasilyevna Belyayeva (russian: Раиса Васильевна Беляева; 25 December 1912 19 July 1943) was one of the first Russian female fighter pilots. She fought alongside Lydia Litvyak and was credited with up to three aerial victories. She died in combat, from causes unknown, in 1943.

Early life

Belyayeva attended a technical institute for tanners in Kirov. After graduation she asked her old friend

Olga Yamshchikova Olga Nikolaevna Yamshchikova (russian: Ольга Николаевна Ямщикова; 1914–1982) was Soviet fighter pilot squadron commander during World War II who became a test pilot after the war; she has been credited with as many as thr ...

, a Leningrad flight instructor, to teach her to fly. Belyayeva soon proved herself an enthusiastic and indefatigable alumna. Before the war, she accumulated more than a 1,000 hours flight time and a hundred parachute jumps, instructing hundreds of parachutists. She also took part in many airshows over Tushino airfield, near Moscow.

Military career

She took part in the

Battle of Stalingrad The Battle of Stalingrad (23 August 19422 February 1943) was a major battle on the Eastern Front of World War II where Nazi Germany and its allies unsuccessfully fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad (later re ...

and flew as an escort pilot for

Nikita Khrushchev Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev (– 11 September 1971) was the First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964 and chairman of the country's Council of Ministers from 1958 to 1964. During his rule, Khrushchev s ...

. Belyaeya died in a crash on 19 July 1943.

References

Bibliography

* * * https:// * {{DEFAULTSORT:Belyaeva, Raisa Vasilevna 1912 births 1943 deaths Soviet women in World War II Women air force personnel of the Soviet Union Russian people of World War II Soviet World War II pilots Soviet military personnel killed in World War II Russian women aviators