Mariya Dolina
Soviet WWII dive bomber pilot and Heroine of the Soviet Union (1922–2010)
Mariya Ivanovna Dolina (Ukrainian: Марія Іванівна Доліна, Russian: Мария Ивановна Долина; 18 December 1922 – 3 March 2010) was a Pe-2 pilot and deputy squadron commander in the women's 125th “Marina M. Raskova” Borisov Guards Bomber Regiment. She was active primarily on the 1st Baltic Front during World War II. On 18 August 1945 she was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union.
Early life
Born in the village of Sharovka (present-day Poltavsky District, Omsk Oblast in Siberia), Dolina was the eldest daughter of Ukrainian peasants. She had nine siblings.
In 1934, after Mariya's father lost his leg in the Russian Civil War, the family moved back to Ukraine again. Because of her father's condition, Dolina had to provide for the whole family, consequently she left school and went to work in a factory. Despite her mother's opposition, Mariya trained at a flying club of the paramilitary Osoaviakhim and, in 1940, graduated from the Kherson Flying School, after which she entered the Engels Military Flying School. Before the German invasion of 22 June 1941, she worked as an instructor in flying clubs in Dnipropetrovsk and Mykolaiv.
World War II
In July 1941, she started her military service. She initially flew the Polikarpov Po-2, liaising with infantry units.
The public source identifies “Mariya Dolina” as soviet WWII dive bomber pilot and Heroine of the Soviet Union (1922–2010). This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Mariya, Dolina and Soviet.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Mariya Dolina”, the useful work is to connect “soviet WWII dive bomber pilot and Heroine of the Soviet Union (1922–2010)” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated May 3, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q2702598. VIAF identifies the subject as 189247651. 2 of 2 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1922, 2010, 1945 and 1934.
The absence of detail may reflect summary conventions rather than a lack of surviving documentation. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Mariya Dolina”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Mariya Dolina primary sources, Mariya Dolina archive and Mariya research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Mariya Dolina”?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Mariya Dolina” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.