Seven hundred ninety sorties in a Polikarpov Po-2 aircraft defined the wartime career of Yevdokiya Pasko. Operating as a squadron navigator within the 46th Taman Guards Night Bomber Aviation Regiment, she conducted missions over Berlin, Crimea, and Poland while navigating through intense anti-aircraft fire. Her service helped secure her recognition as a Hero of the Soviet Union in 1944.
Early Education and Military Enlistment
Born in 1919 in the village of Lipenka, Pasko was the youngest of twelve children born to Ukrainian peasant immigrants. She pursued mathematics during her secondary schooling in Barnaul and later at the Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics at Moscow State University. In October 1941, during her fourth semester, she volunteered for a women's aviation initiative established by Marina Raskova.
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Upon finishing training at the Engels Military Aviation School in February 1942, Pasko joined the 588th Night Bomber Aviation Regiment. Initially serving as a shooter-bombardier, she advanced to flight navigator and eventually acted as squadron navigator for commander Mariya Smirnova. In February 1943, the unit earned the Guards designation. Beyond her combat sorties, she performed essential training duties for seven incoming navigators.
Academic Career and Later Years
Following the conclusion of World War II, Pasko resumed her academic pursuits. She completed her education to become a Candidate of Sciences in Physics and Mathematics. She transitioned into a long tenure as an educator, teaching for four decades at the Bauman Moscow State Technical University. She remained active in academic life until her passing in Moscow in 2017.
Fast facts
- Born: 1919, Lipenka
- Died: 2017, Moscow
- Military Rank: Senior lieutenant
- Academic Degree: Candidate of Sciences in Physics and Mathematics
- Education: Bauman Moscow State Technical University
- Primary Aircraft: Polikarpov Po-2
- Burial Site: Troyekurovskoye cemetery
Questions readers ask
What rank did Yevdokiya Pasko reach?
She held the military rank of senior lieutenant.
Where is Yevdokiya Pasko buried?
She is buried at the Troyekurovskoye cemetery in Moscow.
Achievements
- Affiliated with Bauman Moscow State Technical University
- Educated at MSU Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics and Bauman Moscow State Technical University
- Worked as aircraft pilot and teacher
