Street Hero

Ask today's young people: they heard about Valentina Grizodubova? Few nod in response ... For older generations, Grizodubova was from a fairy tale. The brave pilot, the only one in our history a woman who was at the same time the title of Hero of the Soviet Union
and Hero of Socialist Labor. It exploits the whole world admires. Despite the tragedy of the era, it was the time of the Romantics. Fly above all, on all ... And she set record after record, the stroke of the global achievements of foreign aces. Yes, but is it? Were she and other services, which became known much later ...







Valentine Grizodubova - the daughter of the inventor and one of the pioneers of aeronautics pilot Stepan Grizodubova. Born in Kharkov, January 31 1910.
Already in 2, 5 years Valentine raised to the sky on his father's airplane from Kharkov airport, straps tied to his father.



At age 14, she made the first flight in a glider at a rally in Koktebel glider.
After graduating from high school he entered the Kharkov Institute of Technology. In parallel, she graduated from the School of Music in piano and was admitted to the conservatory.
November 4, 1928, a student of HTI, credited to the first set of Kharkiv Central Flying Club.



She graduated from the Aero Club for three months. To continue training lёtnomu skill in Kharkov there was no opportunity, and Grizodubova, leaving the institution, enrolled in the 1st Tula flight-school sports Osoaviahima. In 1929 she entered the Penza Pilot School instructors.
Planёrnym engaged in sports. From 1930 to 1933 she worked as an instructor pilot flying club in the Tula "Dobrolet", then - the instructor flying school near the village near Moscow Tushino.



In 1934-35 was a pilot agiteskadrili Gorky, based at the Central Airport in Moscow. Working in the squadron, it had spread almost all over the country on different types of aircraft at the time. I fly over the Pamir Mountains, Kabardino-Balkaria, the Ferghana Valley.



In October 1937, it established five world records at light aircraft.
07/10/1937 UT-1 VS Grizodubova Class C,
2nd category, female Airspeed 100 km closed route 218, 18 km / h
09/10/1937 UT-1 hydro VS Grizodubova Class C-bis,
2nd category, female Airspeed 100 km closed route 190, 88 km / h
UT-1 aircraft



Aircraft UT -2



09/10/1937 UT-2 hydro VS Grizodubova - pilot;
E. Slobozhenko - mechanic Class C-bis,
Category 1, female Airspeed 100 km closed route 200, 00 km / h
10/15/1937 UT-2 hydro VS Grizodubova - pilot;
E. Slobozhenko - mechanic Class C-bis,
1st category, the female flight height 3267 m
The aircraft UT-1 hydro



10/24/1937 AIR-12 VS Grizodubova - pilot;
MM Raskova - navigator Class C-bis,
1st category, the female flight distance in a straight line 1444 72 km
AIR-12 aircraft



24-25 September 1938 as commander of the crew, together with PD Osipenko and MM Raskova on the plane "Rodina" (ANT-37) made a nonstop flight from Moscow to the Far East, having established the international women's distance record (29 in 26 hours minutes covered a distance of 6450 km).



ANT 37 & quot; Homeland & quot; and its heroic crew.



VS Grizodubova using his fame and acquaintances in the highest circles, repeatedly petitioned the protection of people affected by the repression. In particular, together with the known pilot MM Gromov she stood up for SP Korolev, the future founder of the Soviet space program; thanks largely to their efforts, he was transferred from the camp in Kolyma in CDB-29.
SP Korolev From personal affairs convict ...



In 1941 he joined the CPSU (b). He headed the Anti-Fascist Committee of Soviet Women. Member of the commission of inquiry into the crimes of the German fascist invaders (1942).
During the Great Patriotic War, from March 1942 to October 1943, the commander of Regiment 101 long-range aircraft (ADD).
Planes AFLRO.



In May 1943 personally flew about 200 sorties (including 132 - Night) by plane Li-2 in the bombing of enemy targets, to deliver ammunition and military cargo to the front and to support communication with the guerrillas. In 1943 he was awarded the rank of colonel.
Since 1946, Colonel VS Grizodubova - in stock.



After demobilization from the Soviet Army, he worked in the civil aviation deputy chief of NII-17 (later the Institute of Instrumentation, now Radio Engineering Corporation "Vega") as part of the Flight. Her division conducts tests of electronic equipment for the Air Force and civil aviation. She personally took part in test flights for testing and debugging developed in NII-17 radar equipment.



In 1963, on his own initiative Grizodubova was a unique Research Flight Test Center (NILITS), which she headed. In 1972 Grizodubova returned to the Institute of Instrumentation for the post of Deputy Chief, where she worked until 1993.



Deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. The only woman in the USSR awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union and Hero of Socialist Labor, the whole title is in the country were 11 people.



Died April 28, 1993, buried in the Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow.



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