Military reconnaissance missions flown for the Tsar in 1914 established Evgeniya Shakhovskaya as the first woman to serve as a military pilot. Born in 1889 in Saint Petersburg, her career trajectory spanned the final years of the Russian Empire and the turbulent emergence of the Soviet state, marking a transition from aristocratic aviation to revolutionary enforcement.
Early Aviation Career
Shakhovskaya began formal flight training in 1911. By 1912, she secured her pilot's license. Her initial progression in aviation faced a significant interruption in 1913 when her instructor died while in the air, prompting her to temporarily cease flying operations. She eventually returned to the cockpit to fulfill duties during the initial stages of the First World War.
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During her service for the Russian Empire, she executed reconnaissance flights. This period ended abruptly when authorities accused her of espionage. Following her arrest and subsequent death sentence, Tsar Nicholas II, who was her cousin, intervened to commute the punishment to life imprisonment. She remained incarcerated until the events of the 1917 Russian Revolution facilitated her release.
Revolutionary Activity and Death
Following her liberation, she aligned herself with the Bolsheviks. She assumed the role of chief executioner for the Cheka based in Ukraine. During this period, she developed a dependency on narcotics. Her life concluded in 1920 in Kyiv when, while in a narcotic state, she shot a staff assistant and was subsequently killed in the ensuing confrontation.
Fast facts
- Born: 1889, Saint Petersburg
- Died: 1920, Kyiv
- Citizenship: Russian Empire
- Occupations: Fürst, aircraft pilot
- Key Military Role: First female military pilot
- Cause of death: Shot dead
Questions readers ask
Was Shakhovskaya part of the Russian royal family?
She held the title of Fürst and was a cousin of Tsar Nicholas II.
What led to her death?
She was killed in a shooting incident in 1920 after she shot one of her assistants while in a drug-induced state.
Achievements
- Worked as aircraft pilot and Fürst