Hangar Princess - 3438464314_f17e5201c3_o.jpg (1/1) [147K]

[Netko]

Specifically it's Russian Princess Evgenia Mikhailovna Shakhovskaya with her
instructor Vsevolod Mikhailovich Abramovich. Abramovitch was killed in a
crash when he was instructing Shakhovskaya in 1913 (probably shortly after
this picture was taken).

Princess Evgenia actually qualified in August 1911, making her Russia's
second female pilot. In November 1914 she became the first woman in the
world to fly as a military pilot (flying reconnaissance missions in the
Imperial Russian Air Service - one of several women to serve in that role).

Abramovich worked for a German subsidiary of the Wright Brothers and then
designed the Abramovich Flyer shown in the picture.

To spice things up for those expecting a more racy picture, Shakhovskaya was
reportedly a bit of a nymphomaniac.

The photograph is from the Library of Congress (hence it's snappy name).

[Neil Hoskins]

Any idea what happened to her? Was she murdered by the Bolsheviks like the
rest of the royal family?

"Netko" > wrote in message
x.com...
> Specifically it's Russian Princess Evgenia Mikhailovna Shakhovskaya with
> her
> instructor Vsevolod Mikhailovich Abramovich. Abramovitch was killed in a
> crash when he was instructing Shakhovskaya in 1913 (probably shortly after
> this picture was taken).
>
> Princess Evgenia actually qualified in August 1911, making her Russia's
> second female pilot. In November 1914 she became the first woman in the
> world to fly as a military pilot (flying reconnaissance missions in the
> Imperial Russian Air Service - one of several women to serve in that
> role).
>
> Abramovich worked for a German subsidiary of the Wright Brothers and then
> designed the Abramovich Flyer shown in the picture.
>
> To spice things up for those expecting a more racy picture, Shakhovskaya
> was
> reportedly a bit of a nymphomaniac.
>
> The photograph is from the Library of Congress (hence it's snappy name).
>

[N0I]

No idea how accurate this is, but...

http://forum.alexanderpalace.org/index.php?topic=2490.msg52077


"Unfortunately for the Princess, she was later charged with treason for
aiding the enemy and was scheduled to die in front of a firing squad.
Instead, she was sentenced to life in a convent thanks to the
intervention of the Czar. When she was freed during the revolution, she
joined the Reds and was later killed by them."

n0i

Neil Hoskins wrote:
> Any idea what happened to her? Was she murdered by the Bolsheviks like the
> rest of the royal family?
>

[Willem Van der Voort]

I found this:

According to The Imperial Russian Air Service by Alan Durkota, et al,
Russia's second woman pilot, Princess Eugenie Shakhovskaya, was also the
world's first female combat pilot. She became interested in aviation on a
trip to Germany in 1911 and paid for her own flight lessons, learning to fly
the Wright Flyer at Johannisthal in Berlin. She received her pilot's
certificate on 16 August 1911.

In 1912, Princess Eugenie volunteered to serve as a recon pilot for the
Italians in the Tripolitan War but was refused. During the next two years,
she continued flying, narrowly escaping death in 1913 when a crash killed
her passenger and left her with a concussion.

When Russia declared war on Germany in 1914, the Princess wrote to the Czar
and requested assignment as a military pilot. Her request was granted and
she reported for duty in November 1914. As a Praporshik (Ensign), she was
posted to the Northwestern Front where she joined the 1st Field Air
Detachment as a recon pilot.

Unfortunately for the Princess, she was later charged with treason for
aiding the enemy and was scheduled to die in front of a firing squad.
Instead, she was sentenced to life in a convent thanks to the intervention
of the Czar. When she was freed during the revolution, she joined the Reds
and was later killed by them.

"Neil Hoskins" > schreef in
bericht ...
> Any idea what happened to her? Was she murdered by the Bolsheviks like
> the rest of the royal family?
>
> "Netko" > wrote in message
> x.com...
>> Specifically it's Russian Princess Evgenia Mikhailovna Shakhovskaya with
>> her
>> instructor Vsevolod Mikhailovich Abramovich. Abramovitch was killed in a
>> crash when he was instructing Shakhovskaya in 1913 (probably shortly
>> after
>> this picture was taken).
>>
>> Princess Evgenia actually qualified in August 1911, making her Russia's
>> second female pilot. In November 1914 she became the first woman in the
>> world to fly as a military pilot (flying reconnaissance missions in the
>> Imperial Russian Air Service - one of several women to serve in that
>> role).
>>
>> Abramovich worked for a German subsidiary of the Wright Brothers and then
>> designed the Abramovich Flyer shown in the picture.
>>
>> To spice things up for those expecting a more racy picture, Shakhovskaya
>> was
>> reportedly a bit of a nymphomaniac.
>>
>> The photograph is from the Library of Congress (hence it's snappy name).
>>
>
>

[Netko]

On Tue, 12 May 2009 08:53:14 +0100, Neil Hoskins wrote
(in article >):

> Any idea what happened to her? Was she murdered by the Bolsheviks like the
> rest of the royal family?

I believe she was detained at the time of the revolution but was released and
joined the Reds; however, I don't know whether or not she flew with the Red
air force during the Civil War. She met her end, I think, in the early 20s,
possibly executed.

Shakhovskaya's story (and those of her female air force colleagues) seems an
interesting one but I really don't know much about it. Anyone else got more
detail to add?

[Netko]

On Tue, 12 May 2009 11:52:36 +0100, Willem Van der Voort wrote
(in article >):

> I found this:

Thanks to you and NOI for the extra information.

> Unfortunately for the Princess, she was later charged with treason for
> aiding the enemy and was scheduled to die in front of a firing squad.
> Instead, she was sentenced to life in a convent thanks to the intervention
> of the Czar. When she was freed during the revolution, she joined the Reds
> and was later killed by them.

I had assumed she had been detained during the Revolution (because of her
connection to the nobility) but this says it was Imperial Russia which
imprisoned her and the Bolsheviks who released her.

Shakhovskaya's story just got even more interesting.

Well, to me at least.