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 the unbending strength of spirit and patriotism. Among the heroes who fought in this war was the outstanding pilot Anna Egorova. In the regiment, the girl was affectionately called Yegorushka.
The childhood and youth of Anna Egorova
Anna was born on September 23, 1916. The girl grew up in a large poor family. Father - peasant Alexander Egorov - was engaged in seasonal work. Participation in the First World War and in the Civil Wars greatly undermined the health of men, and in 1925 he died. All worries about the children fell on the shoulders of his wife.
Anna studied at a secondary school in the village of Nove. After completing 7 classes, she went to her brother in Moscow. In the prewar years, Anna worked in the construction company Metrostroy. In parallel, she graduated from the flying club and in 1938 was sent to study at the school of pilots Osoaviahima, from which she was expelled after the arrest of her brother, declared "an enemy of the people." Anna went to Smolensk, where she worked in a flax mill and worked in an aero club, from where she got a referral to Kherson.
Participation in the Great Patriotic War
After graduating from Kherson school, a talented student became an instructor pilot at the Kalinin Aero Club. In August 1941, enlisted in the ranks of the Red Army. Since September 1941, she fought as part of the 130th separate communications air squadron of the Southern Front. On a plane, the U-2 made 236 sorties.
In January 1943, the pilot began retraining on an IL-2 aircraft, which, according to reports from senior management, quickly learned and mastered. She fought in the 1st Belorussian Front, took part in the breakthrough of the Blue Line. Accompanying fighters confirmed the high professionalism and effectiveness of 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. The first female crew in the attack aircraft included Anna Egorova and Dusya Nazarkina. This is a truly unique case in military history, testifying to the heroism of women who served in the Red Army.
The attack aircraft Egorova was shot down in an air battle in August 1944. The command considered that the pilot had died, and presented her to the rank of Hero of the USSR posthumously, but Anna managed to survive and was captured. She was seriously injured and seriously burned. Having regained consciousness, the woman saw the faces of German soldiers in front of her. Despite the threat to life, Anna Yegorova behaved bravely and courageously, as one of the German soldiers subsequently shared in her memoirs.
When the Germans found Egorova, she was unconscious. At first, the soldiers mistook her for a young man. But what was their surprise when they realized that they were facing a woman! She showed no fear of the enemy and managed to overcome the pain when the doctors treated her wounds. Nursing Julia Krashchenko, who was also captured, took care of Anna. Together they ended up in the Kyustrinsky concentration camp, where the Germans conducted medical experiments on prisoners. But fate saved Anna: on her way met people whose help saved her from torture and a terrible death.
The military doctor Georgy Sinyakov and Professor Pavel Trpinats became aware of the stay of the brave pilot in a concentration camp. They set themselves the task of saving Yegorova and obtained permission from senior persons in the camp for her treatment. Doctors saved the life of the Soviet aviator and practically pulled her out of a deadly conclusion. Doctors Sinyakov and Trpinac helped many prisoners forced to survive in the difficult conditions of the Nazi camp. They made a lot of efforts to save the lives of prisoners 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. Tough interrogations continued for ten days, which insulted a woman who had not fully recovered from her injuries and humiliated her dignity. After the war, Anna shared her memories and painfully talked about what she had to go through during interrogations. The counterintelligence deemed suspicious the fact that the pilot managed to keep the party ticket and orders captive, so they tried to extract from her recognition of actions 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
For health reasons, the Medical Board 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 by the name of Peter became the commander of the squadron.
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 war ended, the hero of the Soviet Union Anna Egorova devoted herself to raising young people. She performed with great success in schools, flight units and among metro builders. Her life became an example for millions of people whom she inspired with her courage and courage. In the Soviet Union there were only three pilots who controlled the attack aircraft. Anna Egorova, as you know, was one of them.
Awards
Anna Alexandrovna’s awards include many honorary symbols: the “For Courage” medal, the Order of the Red Banner, two orders of the Patriotic War of the 1st degree, the Order of Lenin and the Polish Silver Cross.
In 2006, a 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 was also awarded more than 20 medals.
The 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 Egorova told about her life in the military memoirs written by her, “Hold on, sister” and “I am Birch, how do 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 with warmth and boundless respect recalls his fellow soldiers and shares with the reader memorable episodes from his life. The works are designed for a wide audience and for many years have attracted the attention of people who are not indifferent to the history of Russia.
Pilot Anna Egorova lived an eventful life and immortalized her name for centuries. She died on October 29, 2009 at the age of 93 years.