Maguba Syrtlanova is the only woman from Bashkiria awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union during the war years. She was born on June 15, 1912 in Belebey, graduated from a seven-year school, dreaming to connect her life with the sky. But there was a ban on women flying aircraft and then Maguba went to her elder brother in Uzbekistan, where she got a job in a survey party. Her tasks included equipping landmarks for aircraft and determining the trajectory of future airlines. The girl’s dream, albeit in a slightly different form, nevertheless came true.
Being a Komsomol activist, she achieved her goal in 1932 and got a permission to join a flight school located in Balashovka. This was the first female class, but Maguba Syrtlanova was able to rise into the sky only once. After several months of study, an order came to disband the women’s class. The girl had a choice: return to Uzbekistan or try to find a way out of the difficult situation. And Maguba found it, going to Tbilisi, where a flying club had by then opened courses, and later a flying school for women.
In 1942, having received the junior lieutenant’s epaulettes and a diploma, Maguba Syrtlanova asked to be sent to the front, although she was to have joined the local sanitary squadron. But she already knew that a female aviation regiment had been formed in Assinovka, whose female pilots were called “night witches” behind their backs. She had to go around more than one authority before getting assignment to the air unit, commanded by legendary Evdokia Bershanskaya. Already during her first night sortie, Syrtlanova’s plane was hit, but Maguba was able to reach the airfield and received congratulations on a baptism of fire from experienced airwomen.
In total, the girl carried out 780 mission sorties during the war and dropped more than 190 tons of bombs. She had 85 major fires, 2 destroyed crossings, 3 artillery batteries, several trains with military equipment to her credit. Maguba Syrtlanova participated in fighting to liberate the Crimea and the Caucasus, Belarus and Poland. She ended the war in North Prussia.
Her regiment was disbanded in October 1945, the girls were demobilized. Nobody seemed to care about the only female squadron that flew missions only at night, showing ingenuity and amazing courage. But in 1946, many airwomen were awarded, and only Maguba Syrtlanova was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union. She took it calmly, noting that there were more worthy candidates in the regiment, except that these girls would have to be awarded posthumously.
Being a Komsomol activist, she achieved her goal in 1932 and got a permission to join a flight school located in Balashovka. This was the first female class, but Maguba Syrtlanova was able to rise into the sky only once. After several months of study, an order came to disband the women’s class. The girl had a choice: return to Uzbekistan or try to find a way out of the difficult situation. And Maguba found it, going to Tbilisi, where a flying club had by then opened courses, and later a flying school for women.
In 1942, having received the junior lieutenant’s epaulettes and a diploma, Maguba Syrtlanova asked to be sent to the front, although she was to have joined the local sanitary squadron. But she already knew that a female aviation regiment had been formed in Assinovka, whose female pilots were called “night witches” behind their backs. She had to go around more than one authority before getting assignment to the air unit, commanded by legendary Evdokia Bershanskaya. Already during her first night sortie, Syrtlanova’s plane was hit, but Maguba was able to reach the airfield and received congratulations on a baptism of fire from experienced airwomen.
In total, the girl carried out 780 mission sorties during the war and dropped more than 190 tons of bombs. She had 85 major fires, 2 destroyed crossings, 3 artillery batteries, several trains with military equipment to her credit. Maguba Syrtlanova participated in fighting to liberate the Crimea and the Caucasus, Belarus and Poland. She ended the war in North Prussia.
Her regiment was disbanded in October 1945, the girls were demobilized. Nobody seemed to care about the only female squadron that flew missions only at night, showing ingenuity and amazing courage. But in 1946, many airwomen were awarded, and only Maguba Syrtlanova was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union. She took it calmly, noting that there were more worthy candidates in the regiment, except that these girls would have to be awarded posthumously.
