The Last Soviet Airwoman Remembers

The history of World War II that I learned growing up was mostly about how America saved the world from Nazi Germany.  My college history courses introduced me to the idea that the Soviet Union also contributed to that victory and my subsequent readings tell me that while both US nor Soviet efforts were necessary for Germany's defeat, neither was sufficient on its own.  I also learned about the scale of Soviet casualties (almost 479,000 Soviet dead and missing in the Battle of Stalingrad--more than the 437,000 American dead and wounded in the entire war).

What I did not learn about was the role of women in the Soviet war effort.  I knew the stories about how women contributed to America's war effort--Rosie the Riveter and even the women pilots who ferried aircraft in the US to free male pilots for combat.  In 2013 I came across the obituary for Nadezhda Popova, one of the most famous women pilots who flew combat missions for the Soviet Air Force.  Wanting to know more, I found an oral history of Soviet airwomen, A Dance With Death.  I always knew that the Soviets were formidable warriors but the exploits of their female combat pilots showed me that strength was widespread.  In case I needed further proof, Svetlana Alexievich's The Unwomanly Face of War dramatically drove home that point, documenting the wide variety of ways that Soviet women served in the war--from laundry workers and cooks to combat medics and snipers.

So reading about the last surviving Soviet airwoman remembering her and her comrades' service in The Great Patriotic War (the Soviet/Russian name for World War II) on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the German surrender brought that history back to mind.  If nothing else, it's a reminder that Russia has a long history of defeating invaders in no small part to the valor and determination of its people.

Post-Soviet Russia may be a kleptocratic oligarchy but I would never bet against the Russian people.

postscript

The historical novel, The Huntress, offers an accurate description of the life and times of a Soviet airwoman as one of its sub-plots.  The novel is a combination adventure-mystery-historical story with fully developed characters that  becomes more compelling and fast-paced as it moves toward its conclusion.