Angelina Pasha

In 1928, in our backward village appeared tarahtyaschee the whole area of foreign countries "miracle of technology XX century". Tractors not only increased the speed of soil, but also changed all the usual patriarchal rural. Even the emancipation of women in the village went on the tractor rut: it became Pasha (Praskovya) Angelina, a pretty girl for the first time in the history of Russia took up the village "is not a woman's" thing. It was followed by hundreds of thousands of other women

. Why Pasha Angelina in 16 years dreamed of becoming a traktoristkoyN Why is it in 20 years, organized the first Soviet woman's tractor brigade, instead of quietly get married, have children and tinkering in his ogorodeN

. Our correspondent Dmitry Tikhonov interview with the nephew of the legendary tractor driver - Alexey Kirillovich Angelina.

. - My father, Kirill Fedorovich, and Praskovya Nikitichna - cousins
. My grandfather, Fedor, died very early due to injuries received in the First World, and the father Praskovya Nikitichna, Nikita V., actually fathered the children's brother. Santa Nikita treated our family as to his own.

We are all born near the village of Staro Beshevo Donetsk region. They still live, my mother, brother and son Praskovia Nikitichna, Valery. By the way, we studied with Valery at the same institute, and I always I go to him when I'm in those places.

Male Praskovia Nikitichna worked in the Party, and during the war was badly wounded and died in 1947. More married she did not come out and said that the main thing for her - to put his feet on three of his children. The eldest daughter, Svetlana graduated from Moscow State University and a longtime resident of Moscow, has retired. Middle son Valery remained, as I said, at home. Younger daughter of Stalin finished medical school, but died early. There was also the adopted son Gennady - son of her brother. When his brother died, his wife abandoned the child, and Pasha has adopted its.

- What it was for chelovekN

- About the women say: man in a skirt. She really was a man's character. It was drawn directly to tractors! But then in the village is not very welcoming. Those women who dared to sit on the tractor, were subjected to this harassment. It is even described in his memoirs. Besides Praskovya Nikitichna ethnic Greek woman, while women are generally forbidden to go into men's affairs. The father and his family were totally against that, but despite that she has mastered this purely a male profession and became a mechanic at first, and then the foreman of the first Soviet female tractor team.

In 1938, it drew attention. She got in the stream ". As a result, she appealed to all the Soviet women: "One hundred thousand girls - on a tractor!". And 200 thousand women have followed suit.
She was a purposeful person, energetic, demanding, even harsh, but very fair. And, of course, a great organizer. In the brigade always perfect order and cleanliness. By the way, women's team was from 1933 to 1945, but when they returned from Kazakhstan, from the evacuation, the women fled, and the team were only men. And Praskovya Nikitichna - their team leader. They called her Auntie Pasha

. I must say that it was a real driver, ace:, and drove a tractor and a car, from its "victory" almost did not get out and did not want to change it to a new fashion at that time "Volga".

. - Is it possible, except tractors, it does no longer interested in zhizniN

. - Very large she had a craving for books
. Although higher education she has received, read scary love. When was the deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, Moscow sent dozens of parcels of books. And all the neighbors thought she had all sorts of things scarce capital sends. Library it was magnificent. Subscribed to a whole pile of different newspapers and magazines. The postman brought their bags.

- By the way, while Praskovya Nikitichna was quite famous, or, as they said, the noble man. This helped her in zhizniN How she was treated vlastiN

- Opportunities and its relation to myself, she never used. Although the relationship she had great. Judge for yourself - a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine, . Twice Hero of Socialist Labor, . Stalin prize-winner, . had several Orders of Lenin, . 20 years in a row - a deputy of the Supreme Council, . was familiar with Mikhail Ivanovich Kalinin, . met several times with Stalin,
. But before the end of life and remained a brigadier, although she has repeatedly offered to become chairman of the kolkhoz.

I remember a case. She, like a member of the Supreme Council, was a private chauffeur. He once broke any rules, so she made him apologize in front of guards. Using his connections who would not allow. Her family often insulted her because of this. I think that the famous name helped us in only one - my family escaped the repression.
- Praskovya Angelina died in January 1959, when she was only 46 years ...
- She had cirrhosis of the liver, that when such work is not surprising. Affected by the constant presence in the body of fuel and lubricants. Previously, because the fuel through a hose sucked. She died very quickly, within a few months, and literally worked until the last. She arrived at the session of the Supreme Council, felt unwell, she turned to doctors. She was treated at the Kremlin hospital, but rescue was impossible. Second star of Hero of Socialist Labor, she was awarded when she was lying in the hospital, almost before death. Bury wanted in Moscow, the Novodevichy cemetery, but at the request of relatives buried at home, in Staro Beshevo. There still is a monument to its prospectus and its name.
- And why you have linked their lives with a rural hozyaystvomN
- My father was a mechanic and worked as a foreman of the tractor brigade in the nearby farm. And we, the children walked in his footsteps. I - the eldest son. Initially he worked as a fitter in the MTS, and then graduated from Melitopol Institute of Mechanization and Electrification of Agriculture, became a mechanical engineer. Worked in the Kuban region, was chairman of the kolkhoz. My younger brother also mechanic. True, my children have nothing to do with the countryside. Granddaughter of general studies at MGIMO.
- How do you think in today's experience Pasha Angelina primenimN
- All is well in time. Then it was simply necessary, especially during and after the war. And today, I think, en masse to involve women in such a grave matter is not necessary. None of this need. The men themselves spravyats