Background
Nadezhda Zhurkina was born on August 28, 1920, in the city of Turinsk, Sverdlovsk Region, in a working-class family.
Sadovaya-Kudrinskaya Ulitsa, 9, Moscow, Russia, 123001
Nadezhda Zhurkina studied at the Moscow Law Institute.
Sadovaya-Kudrinskaya Ulitsa, 9, Moscow, Russia, 123001
Nadezhda Zhurkina studied at the Moscow Law Institute.
Nadezhda Zhurkina was born on August 28, 1920, in the city of Turinsk, Sverdlovsk Region, in a working-class family.
Nadezhda Zhurkina studied at the Moscow Law Institute. She graduated from the Moscow Aero Club.
Nadezhda Zhurkina during the period from March 4 to April 2, 1944, as a member of the crew, performed in the area of populated areas of the airborne gunner of the 99th Separate Guards Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment of the Guard points of the Pskov region: Pushkin Mountains, Opochka, Idritsa 23 sorties for reconnaissance of enemy troops and photographing enemy military installations. Intelligence data was transmitted by radio from the aircraft. Repelled nine attacks by enemy fighters.
For courage and bravery shown in the battles, on April 30, 1944, Nadezhda Zhurkina was awarded the Order of Glory of the 3rd degree.
From September 16 to October 1944, Nadezhda Zhurkina participated in 15 sorties for reconnaissance and bombing of enemy forces in the area of Riga, Tukums, Klapkalns (Latvia). From the plane, she transmitted 93 radiograms about the enemy. Repulsed several attacks of enemy fighters.
For courage and bravery shown in battles, on November 15, 1944, Nadezhda Zhurkina was awarded the Order of Glory of the 2nd degree.
On November 18, 1944, Major Berestov’s crew, which included Zhurkina as a radio operator, was given the task of photographing the front line of the enemy’s defense in the Latvian city of Kuldiga. The task had to be carried out in difficult meteorological conditions, from an extremely low altitude of 500 meters, under heavy fire of German troops. During his return to his airfield, Berestov’s plane was attacked by four FW-190 fighters. In the ensuing air battle, radio operator gunner Nadezhda Zhurkina shot down one plane and seriously damaged the second - he was forced to retire.
Nadezhda Zhurkina, by January 1945, made 52 successful sorties.
During the war years, Nadezhda Zhurkina made 87 successful sorties, participated in 30 air battles with enemy fighters and successfully repelled their attacks.
In August 1945, Nadezhda Zhurkina was demobilized.
By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of February 23, 1948, for the exemplary performance of command assignments in battles with the Nazi invaders of the guard, Nadezhda Zhurkina was awarded the Order of Glory of the 1st degree, becoming the full holder of the Order of Glory.
Before the collapse of the Soviet Union, she worked as the head of the personnel department of the sewing association Rigas Aggers (Latvia).
Nadezhda Zhurkina flew eighty-seven missions at maximum altitudes of 5,000-6,000 meters, during which she displayed an exceptional ability to spot enemy aircraft in time and to chase them away or shoot them down. She was awarded the Order of Glory I Class on 23 February 1948 for outstanding performance in late 1944 over Latvia, at which time she flew ten missions behind enemy lines and shot down a decorated German ace.
Nadezhda Zhurkina was a member of the Communist Party since 1944.
Nadezhda Zhurkina was a member of the movement "War Veterans for Peace."
