Marina Raskova Crash Site (Saratov Oblast)

The site where Marina Raskova and her crew died lies in Saratov District of Saratov Oblast, on the right bank of the Volga near the village of Mikhaylovka and the settlement of Konstantinovka. On 4 January 1943 a Pe-2 bomber flown by Marina Raskova, a navigator and pilot, Hero of the Soviet Union and founder of the Soviet women's air regiments, crashed here. A memorial obelisk now marks the spot.

Marina Raskova: life and achievements

Raskova was the first woman in the USSR to qualify as a professional air navigator. She became famous across the country after the non-stop flight of the ANT-37 "Rodina" on 24–25 September 1938, together with Valentina Grizodubova and Polina Osipenko: the crew covered about 6,450 kilometres from Moscow to the Far East and set a women's world distance record. For this flight the three became the first women to be named Heroes of the Soviet Union.

When the Great Patriotic War began, Raskova pushed for the creation of three women's air regiments: the 586th fighter, the 587th bomber and the 588th night bomber regiments. She herself commanded the 587th, which flew Pe-2 dive bombers.

How Marina Raskova died

On 22 November 1942 Raskova reported the 587th regiment ready for combat, and at the end of the year it began moving to the Stalingrad front. Some aircraft were held up on the way by faults, and Raskova stayed behind to wait for their repair. On 4 January 1943 she led a group of three aircraft towards the front, including the crews of Gubina and Lomanova. On the way they ran into dense low cloud and snow; only one crew managed to land safely.

Raskova's Pe-2 hit the ground near Mikhaylovka in Saratov District. The whole crew was killed: Raskova herself, navigator Captain Khil, radio operator and gunner Senior Sergeant Yerofeyev, and the regiment's technician.

The investigation blamed limited experience of flying in bad weather and mistakes in organising the flight. Raskova received the first state funeral of the war years, and the urn with her ashes was placed in the Kremlin Wall in Moscow.

The memorial at the crash site

According to local historians, the site was marked step by step: a memorial board in 1987, a memorial sign in 1989 and an obelisk to Raskova and her crew in 1990. After losing its commander, the 587th regiment fought on, earned Guards status and became the 125th Guards Bomber Aviation Regiment named after Marina Raskova.

Getting there

The site is not far from Saratov, near Konstantinovka and Mikhaylovka in Saratov District. It is easiest to come by car along the roads of the Volga's right bank, using the map point for the last stretch.