Marina Popovich is an exceptional pilot, writer, and poet. The only frontier she has yet to conquer is space.
According to Russia Beyond, with 102 records in the global aviation industry, 5,600 flight hours, and having piloted 40 different types of aircraft and helicopters, Marina Lavrentievna Popovich is one of the most renowned female pilots of the post-war Soviet Union. She also holds a doctorate in engineering and has published 15 books, including one poetry collection. She is famously nicknamed “Madame MiG“.
Marina Lavrentievna Popovich is one of the most renowned female pilots of the post-war Soviet Union.
Chasing Dreams
Popovich (her maiden name was Vasilieva) was born into a family of musicians, but from a young age, amid the years of war, she dreamed of joining the military aviation sector. However, Popovich initially faced challenges in pursuing her dream. Standing at just 1.50 meters tall, she was not allowed to join the flying club.
“My feet couldn’t reach the pedals“, Popovich recalls, “So, I set a goal for myself – to stretch my legs and started practicing hanging upside down. After that, I grew taller; it’s unclear whether it was because I was only 16 at the time or due to my exercises, but my height increased to 1.61 meters, and the flying club accepted my application. Initially, I learned skydiving, then progressed to flying planes.”
Young Marina Lavrentievna Popovich. (Photo: Sputnik).
However, the flying club was still not a big enough world for the young girl. Popovich dreamed of enrolling in an aviation school, but the school had stopped admitting female students after the war.
Refusing to give up, she personally approached Marshal Kliment Voroshilov, the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union, and persuaded him to give her a chance. As a result, in 1954, Popovich graduated with honors from the Saransk Aviation Technical School.
“Madame MiG”
Entering the military jet aviation sector seemed like an impossible task for a girl, but Popovich gradually proved her capabilities. In 1961, she became the first-class female test pilot of the Soviet Union.
Later, the girl with many big dreams married astronaut Pavel Popovich and decided to conquer space. However, this time, luck turned its back on her. Popovich believed she was not accepted into the space crew because she could not swim and was already a mother.
“Maria, there’s no need to be too eager to go into space“, German astronaut Titov comforted her, “We only make a short flight and then sit on Earth for the rest of the time“.
Marina Lavrentievna Popovich has set many records in aviation. (Photo: russiainphoto.ru).
Nevertheless, Popovich refused to sit idly by. In 1964, she became the first female pilot to break the “sound barrier” with the MiG-21 fighter jet. This achievement is why the Western press nicknamed her “Madame MiG”.
Subsequently, Popovich continued to set various records, ultimately surpassing 100 records. Not only did she pilot high-speed fighter jets, but she also mastered massive aircraft like the heavy transport An-22 “Antey”.
Of course, this was a risky job. Popovich reported that she had found herself on the brink of death on several occasions:
“Once, the afterburner of the MiG-21 malfunctioned, and the plane crashed shortly after takeoff, with the cockpit jammed. Fortunately, a miracle saved me: They broke the cockpit window and pulled me from the burning aircraft. At first, I was not scared at all, but by night, recalling the flight in my dreams, I screamed in terror.
The next morning, I had to go to the medical unit for treatment. Three days later, I recovered and began test flights again.“
The only frontier she has yet to conquer is space. (Photo: TASS).
After retiring, Popovich began writing books. She co-authored dozens of books for the aviation industry, wrote scripts for several films, and published her own poetry collection.
Some of her works focus on UFOs (unidentified flying objects) – a field that “Madame MiG” is very passionate about.
“Unusual and under-researched phenomena have become my second love after the sky” – Popovich shared.
