Ekaterina Vasilievna Budanova, whose biography is described in this article, is a fighter pilot of the 73rd Guards Air Regiment, Hero of the USSR. Girlfriend Lydia Litvyak. They fought together.
Difficult childhood
Budanova Ekaterina was born on December 7, 1916 in the Smolensk region, in the Tumanovsky (now Vyazemsky) district, in the village of Konoplyanka. Her father died in 1924, and her mother, Alexandra Yakovlevna, was left alone with five children. Catherine then turned only 6 years old. Her mother could not feed all the children, and there was always not enough food. Katya had to work since 7 years. In winter, she studied, and the rest of the time she nursed other people's babies.
Education
Despite the difficult childhood, Catherine graduated from the local village school with a certificate of merit. She would like to immediately learn further, but there was no money for it. And the nearest seven-year school was 14 kilometers away. Katya graduated a little later, when the opportunity arose.
After that, it was decided at the family council that she needed to study further. But Katina’s mother didn’t even want to hear about the career of a pilot. And she sent her daughter to relatives in Moscow. But there Ekaterina Vasilievna Budanova nevertheless made a choice in favor of her dream and went to study at the flying club. She graduated in 1934. Then she continued her studies at a flying school. She graduated in 1936. Then she entered the Kherson Aviation School. She graduated in 1939.
Youth
Katya was mobile, active, cheerful and quick-witted since childhood. She danced and sang well. Everyone loved her, both at home and throughout the village. She always helped the elderly and was a good adviser among young people. Her dream was to become a pilot. She read a lot about people in this profession.
Labor activity
When Budanova Ekaterina Vasilievna came to Moscow to continue her studies, she got a job at the Aviation Plant named after Gorbunov locksmith. She became a pioneer of the 63rd school. After graduating from the flying club, she remained in it to work as an instructor. Before the war she managed to work as a pilot. Participated in Tushino air parades.
The beginning of World War II
In the fall of 1941 Budanova Ekaterina Vasilievna volunteered at the point where female air regiments were formed. It was sent to part of the fighters. She had to retrain as a pilot of combat aircraft "Yak-1." After she was sent to the 586th Women's Aviation Regiment, commanded by Marina Raskova.
Hone mastery in battle and first personal victory
In the spring of 1942, Catherine first participated in the battles over Saratov. It was then that she began to hone the skills of the aviator, developing her own unique and peculiar style. In the autumn of 1942, she was sent to the 437th Air Regiment, to the Stalingrad Front. Sometimes it was necessary to fight in a pair against 12-13 enemies at the same time. Or four against 19.
On October 6, Ekaterina Vasilievna Budanova, a professional pilot, fought alone against 13 JU-88. She crashed into the ranks, which dispersed the enemy, and during the second approach knocked out the nearest Junkers. This was the first personal victory of Ekaterina Budanova.
In November 1942, air battles became increasingly fierce. Soviet pilots often fought with superior numbers of the enemy. At this time, Catherine was destroyed three more German aircraft.
Among the best pilots. First awards
In November, already in the rank of junior lieutenant, Budanova Ekaterina Vasilievna, whose photo is in this article, was enrolled in the "free hunters". On December 10, even though there was almost no fuel and ammunition left, she entered the battle with two German ME-109s. The fight lasted 25 minutes, but Catherine was able to bring down the leading aircraft.
In the winter of 1943 she was sent to the 73rd Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment. Fought along with L. Litvyak. Pilots became best friends. Budanova was given high confidence when the commander appointed her follower. And she coped with it brilliantly.
In February 1942, Budanova Ekaterina Vasilievna received her first award - the Order of the Red Star. In March, the pilot returned from the “free hunt” and saw a German spotter flying to the front line. Catherine began the persecution. The first time to catch a nimble plane did not work. The German evaded the fire, maneuvering intensively. "Frames" evaded harassment with a decline. But Budanova also quenched speed and almost over the ground still overtook a German plane, destroying it.
In the spring and summer of 1943, Catherine, together with a group, shot down a couple of enemy fighters and one bomber. Subsequently, she was awarded the Order of the Patriotic War of the first degree.
Heroic death of a pilot
Budanova Ekaterina Vasilievna, test pilot, died a heroic death. This happened on July 19, 1943. Catherine, together with a group of other fighters, covered the Soviet IL-2. They went to the base after a successful assault on the enemy. The fighters followed them. Catherine closed the cover group. Suddenly she saw three German ME-109s nearby.
There was no time to warn her, and she alone entered into an unequal battle. She was able to win her eleventh victory in him. But, unfortunately, the latter. Residents of Novo-Krasnovka observed a fight from the ground. They saw how one of the German planes began to lose pieces of skin and went to the ground in a steep spiral. The second turned back. Apparently, he also received serious damage and fled from the battlefield, trying to escape. But the third was able to knock out a Soviet fighter. At first he just fell, but suddenly leveled off and even landed on the field. The villagers immediately ran to the plane and pulled out the body of a charred pilot. This was Catherine. She was unconscious. But the wounds were so serious that the pilot died without recovering. She was only 26 years old.
Last honors
Budanova’s funeral was modest. She rested on the edge of the village of Novo-Krasnovka. Was represented by the command to the title of Hero of the USSR, but received it posthumously. During the war years, Catherine made 266 combat flights and destroyed 11 enemy aircraft.
Budanova Ekaterina Vasilievna was solemnly reburied on May 9, 1988 in the Lugansk region, Antratsitovsky district, in the village of Bobrikovo. Her grave is taken care of by students of the Novokrasnovskaya school. In the village of Bobrikovo, where Ekaterina Budanova died, her monument is erected. The Tretyakov Gallery houses the bust of the aviator, which was created by V. Mukhina, the sculptor. The name of Ekaterina Budanova is recorded on the Mamaev Kurgan.
In Moscow, the name of this pilot is the street on which she lived before the war. And on the facade of school number 63 there is a memorial plaque. In the Smolensk region, in the village of Tumanovo, there is a street. Katya Budanova. At the request of the schoolchildren of the village, a song was written about the aviator. In Smolensk itself there is a museum of the Great Patriotic War. In it, employees carefully store things that belonged to Ekaterina Budanova.