Zuleykha Seyidmammadova

Zuleykha Seyidmammadova (, ; 22 March 1919 – 10 November 1994) was one of the first Azerbaijani female pilots, and the first Azerbaijani woman to fly in combat.

She gained her pilot's license in 1935 at a flying club in her hometown, and later at the aviation academy in Zhukovsky near Moscow. In 1938 she became qualified as a petrochemical engineer but chose to pursue aviation as her main career.

During World War II, she was the regimental navigator of the 586th Fighter Aviation Regiment, one of the three women's military aviation regiments founded by Marina Raskova. During the war, she fought in over 40 aerial battles and carried out over 500 missions. During the war, she would inform the commissar as well as Tamara Kazarinova, the commander of her regiment, about the pilots' attitudes toward their leadership.

After the war, she was demobilized and in 1952 she became the Minister of Social Security of the Azerbaijan SSR. Seyidmammadova died in Baku in 1994.

Early life and education Zuleykha Seyidmammadova was born on 22 March 1919, in Baku to Mina Khanim and Mir Habib Agha. Her father received his first education at a religious school, and later studied at the Baku Realschule. He was an accountant and considered the loyal right-hand man of the Baku millionaire Haji Zeynalabdin Taghiyev,

Zuleykha was a teacher at school number 16, and her parents wanted her to get a higher education and become an oil engineer.

Flying In early 1934, she went to the Baku airfield with her fellow students, and got to experience flying for the first time in a "U-2" plane. After this trip, she and her fellow students decided to form an aero club at the institute.

Returning to Baku, Zuleykha finished special courses at the flight club and received the title of pilot instructor. A group of accountants is assigned to train with her. One of the eight people in that group is her former physics teacher Jumshud Efendiyev.

After graduating from the institute as an engineer-geologist in 1938, she applied to the Zhukovsky Air Force Engineering Academy to become a professional pilot, but the academy, which accepted only men, rejected her. Seyidmammadova was also the first Azerbaijani to be admitted to the Zhukovsky Air Force Academy. Zuleykha turns to Baghirov again as her last hope in the face of this news. She sends a telegram to Baghirov:

"To Comrade Bagirov, First Secretary of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan! “The enemies of the State” want to tarnish my father’s reputation. They gave false information to the Air Force Academy where I am currently studying. I was sent to study here by the republic. I am the only girl among the students. After receiving the necessary information, they will decide whether I can continue to study here or not. Please protect the rights and justice so that they do not receive any false information."

Bagirov soon releases her father from prison in order not to damage the reputation of the country, and he is ordered not to talk about it anywhere. Thus, a letter goes to Moscow with the necessary content to Zuleykha: "It is a lie, Mir Habib Seyidmammadov is at home. Everything is in order." The photo of Seyidmammadova, a first-year student, was placed on the Academy's "Board of Honor" by the Komsomol organization of the faculty headed by Gurevich.

On 23 February 1940 - Red Army Day, she was promoted to the rank of junior lieutenant.

Zuleikha, who is the only woman in the piloting faculty of the academy, is appointed pilot of a fighter aircraft in the training aircraft regiment after graduation.

Awards and honors

Order of Lenin Two Orders of the Red Banner of Labour Two Orders of the Badge of Honour Order of the Red Star Order of the Patriotic War, 2nd class