In fierce battles against the fascist army, millions of Soviet citizens defended the right of their descendants to life and demonstrated to the whole world their unbending fortitude and patriotism. Among the heroes who fought in this war was the outstanding pilot Yegorova Anna. In the regiment, the girl was affectionately called Yegorushka.
Childhood and youth of Anna Egorova
Anna was born on September 23, 1916. The girl grew up in a large, poor family. Father - a peasant Alexander Egorov - was engaged in seasonal work. Participation in the First World War and in the Civil War severely undermined the he alth of the man, and in 1925 he died. All worries about the children fell on the shoulders of his wife.
Anna went to high school in the village of Nove. After graduating from 7 classes, she went to her brother in Moscow. In the prewar years, Anna worked for the Metrostroy construction company. In parallel, she graduated from the flying club and in 1938 was sent to study at the Osoaviakhim pilot school, from which she was expelled after the arrest of her brother, who was declared an "enemy of the people." Anna left for Smolensk, where she worked in a flax mill and studied at an flying club, from wherereceived a referral to Kherson.
Participation in the Great Patriotic War
After graduating from the Kherson school, a talented student became an instructor pilot at the Kalinin flying club. In August 1941 she was enlisted in the Red Army. From September 1941 she fought as part of the 130th Separate Communications Squadron of the Southern Front. She made 236 sorties on the U-2 plane.
In January 1943, the pilot began retraining on the Il-2 aircraft, which, according to reports from top management, she quickly studied and mastered. She fought as part of the 1st Belorussian Front, took part in the breakthrough of the Blue Line. The escort fighters confirmed the high professionalism and effectiveness of the sorties. She enjoyed authority among her comrades, was responsible and disciplined.
German captivity
The control of the attack aircraft was trusted only by experienced pilots who proved their high professionalism. Anna Egorova and Dusya Nazarkina were part of the first female attack aviation crew. This is a truly unique case in military history, testifying to the heroism of women who served in the Red Army.
Egorova's attack aircraft was shot down in aerial combat in August 1944. The command considered that the pilot had died, and presented her to the title of Hero of the USSR posthumously, but Anna managed to survive and was captured. She was severely injured and severely burned. Having regained consciousness, the woman saw the faces of German soldiers in front of her. Despite the threat to her life, Anna Egorova behaved bravely and courageously, about whichone of the German soldiers later shared in his memoirs.
When the Germans found Yegorova, she was unconscious. At first, the soldiers mistook her for a young man. But what was their surprise when they realized that in front of them was a woman! She showed no fear of the enemy and managed to overcome the pain when the doctors treated her wounds. Anna was cared for by nurse Yulia Kraschenko, who was also taken prisoner. Together they ended up in the Kustrinsky concentration camp, where the Germans conducted medical experiments on prisoners. But fate saved Anna: on her way she met people whose help saved her from torture and a terrible death.
The military doctor Georgy Sinyakov and Professor Pavel Trpinac became aware of the stay of the brave pilot in the concentration camp. They set themselves the task of saving Egorova and obtained permission from higher-ranking officials in the camp for her treatment. Doctors saved the life of a Soviet pilot and practically pulled her out of a deadly prison. Doctors Sinyakov and Trpinac helped many prisoners who were forced to survive in the difficult conditions of the Nazi camp. They made great efforts to keep the prisoners alive and prevent their death as a result of cruel experiments initiated by the leadership of the Third Reich.
The camp was liberated on January 31, 1945. After the concentration camp, Anna Egorova entered the SMERSH counterintelligence department for verification. For ten days, harsh interrogations continued, which insulted the woman who had not fully recovered from her injuries and humiliated her dignity. After the warAnna shared her memories and spoke with pain about what she had to go through during interrogations. Counterintelligence considered it suspicious that the pilot managed to keep her party card and orders in captivity, so they tried to extort from her a confession of deeds that she did not commit. After removing all suspicions from Anna Egorova, she was offered a job in counterintelligence, which she categorically refused.
Life after the war
The medical board for he alth reasons did not allow the woman to fly, and she returned to Metrostroy in Moscow. Anna married Colonel Timofeev Vyacheslav Arsenievich, whose image is shown below.
In marriage they had two sons, the eldest of whom named Peter became the squadron commander.
In 1961, in the Soviet edition of Literaturnaya Gazeta, the famous pilot became the heroine of the publication Egorushka.
The title of Hero of the Soviet Union was awarded to her in 1965.
After the end of the war, the hero of the Soviet Union Anna Yegorova devoted herself to educating the youth. She performed with great success in schools, flying units and among metro builders. Her life has become an example for millions of people whom she inspired with her courage and bravery. In the Soviet Union, there were only three female pilots who flew attack aircraft. Anna Egorova was known to be one of them.
Awards
Anna Alexandrovna's awards include many honorary symbols: the medal "For Courage", the Order of the Red Banner, twoOrder of the Patriotic War 1st class, Order of Lenin and Polish Silver Cross.
In 2006, the war veteran was awarded the honorary title "National Hero" and received the Order "For Honor and Valor". In addition to the honorary awards listed above, she has also been awarded over 20 medals.
Portrait of Anna Egorova - Hero of the Soviet Union - was depicted on a postal envelope issued in honor of the 75th anniversary of the Great Victory.
Literary activity
Hero of the Soviet Union Anna Yegorova spoke about her life in her military memoirs "Hold on, little sister" and "I'm Bereza, can you hear me?". They tell about the life of a simple village girl brought up in a large family, about the combat work of a pilot and about the time spent in German captivity.
On the pages of books, the author recalls his brother-soldiers with warmth and boundless respect and shares memorable episodes from his life with the reader. The works are designed for a wide audience and have been attracting the attention of people who are not indifferent to the history of Russia for many years.
Pilot Anna Egorova lived an eventful life and immortalized her name for centuries. She passed away on October 29, 2009 at the age of 93.
