A HIGH-FLYING WOMAN

Very few people know that the first Azerbaijani female pilot, the first woman pilot in the Caucasus and also in the whole of Southern Europe and Asia Minor was Leyla Alaskar giziMammadbayova. She was the woman who, on 17 March 1933, voluntarily jumped out of a U-2 aeroplane with a parachute, having become secondfemale parachutist in the Soviet Unionafter Nina Kamneva. In 1934 Mammadbayova came first in the parachute-jumping competition among the representatives of the Caucasian republics. By 1941, she was an Air Force major and went on to train staff at the Baku Air Club.

During the years of the Great Patriotic War [World War II], Mammadbayova was not sent to the front as she was the mother of four minors (she had six children altogether). The Baku Air Club was closed, but she managed to get permission to run courses for paratroopers and parachutists, on which she trained hundreds of paratroopers and approximately 4,000 parachutists. Two of them subsequently became Heroes of the Soviet Union.

A pilot's helmet instead of the veil

…The year 1919 was passing. They were in Astrakhan. They were sheltering there from the terrible massacre that the Armenian Dashnaks and the Bolsheviks carried out against the Turkish Muslims in Baku in 1918. But there was no peace even there. Persuaded by the spirit of the epoch, Baku resident Alesker also became a revolutionary. Even before his journey to Astrakhan, he had become acquainted with many activists in the political struggle. He became friends with Nariman Narimanov. In Astrakhan they lived in the same house, Narimanov on the ground floor and Alesker and his family on the first floor. But his favourite, his little daughter Leyla, pressing her hand to her chest, would complain to her father: "Papa, it hurts…", to which Alesker would say, "Go and get Uncle Nariman to check it out." The little girl would run to Nariman Narimanov, who was a doctor by profession. He would ask: "Where does it hurt?" Leyla would run her hand across her chest: "Here, here…" Narimanov would smile: "Well then, if something hurts come and see me."

Leyla was 10 years old at that time. She was born in Baku on 9 September 1909. The waveof revolution flowed over Astrakhan. Being with her parents far from her home town, little Leyla became an assistant to the Bolsheviks. In the town they were putting up barricades, As Leyla was a child, the gendarmes took no notice of her. Therefore the revolutionaries charged her with delivering letters and documents to the necessary addresses.

Her father's brother was also a Bolshevik. He arrived in Baku with the XIth Red Army. In 1920, Leyla's family also returned to Baku. She was just 12-13 years old when her mother passed away. Her father and his three brothers did everything they could to ensure that Leyla, the only child in the family, everybody's favourite since infancy, would not feel this loss. What is more, they named her after her father's sister who had died prematurely. Alaskar Zeynalov remarried many years later. In 1935 he had a son. In 1925, Leyla who was already a 14-year-old girl, left her father's house and set up home with 19-year-old Bahram Mammadbayov, who came from the village of Lurdaxani. She gave birth to her first child at the age of 16. She was lucky. Her husband encouraged her in her desire to work, to be active in public life…

Her youngest son, Xanlar Mammadbayov recounted recollections of his mother which were unheard of at that time: "At that time, father was studying and working. Immediately after they were married, he told Mama, "You should study and work." And he insisted upon it. He permitted his young, veil-wearing wife to go to the Abilov club where she began to get an education."

Later on, Bahram Mammadbayov occupied various positions and became a highly respected person. In 1927, he joined the Communist Party.

Xanlar Mammadbayov recounts: "A meeting was held in 1928. All the Communists were ordered beforehand to bring their wives along. Father took Mama with him. At that time, they made a list of women who had stopped wearing the veil. During the meeting an appeal was made to the women. Mama removed her veil too, but did not throw it away, she kept it." Leyla Mammadbayova was 19 at that time. She happened to hearthat a flying school in Baku was recruiting. Her husband was working in Davaci at that time and in his letters he advised her to get a job. But Leyla took a decision…

There were 22 places at the flying school. She was the only woman to apply for a place. They were issued with a military uniform, and, once she had put it on, she went to see her husband. Bahram opened the door. Standing before him was a young man in military uniform. Only the long plaits down to her knees gave away that it was a girl. He did not even recognise here immediately. Then he burst out laughing: "Go on then, fly away!"

The sky, happiness, children

One day they told her: "According to the regulations, a pilot cannot have plaits." When she went home, she talked it over with her husband. This put him in a bad mood. But after she had cut off her plaits, Bahram looked at her attentively and said "Actually, it looks all right!"

In 1931, after training at the Air Club, Leyla Mammadbayova had to make her first flight. On that day, she experienced an unforgettable moment. The cadets at the Air Club formed up on the airfield. A few minutes later, Leyla rose in the air on a U-1, accompanied by an experienced instructor. She felt she was the happiest person in the world, sitting there in the cockpit, soaring through the sky. She had made her first independent flight successfully. They praised here and congratulated her.

When they decided to send her to Moscow in 1932 to do further training, she told the leader of Azerbaijan at that time, Mir Cafar Bagirov: "I have a small child". Bagirov promised to provide her with a nanny. And he kept his word.

Leyla Mammadbayova went to Moscow for training. The intensive days crammed with lessons, training sessions and flights began. She learnt to pilot the U-2 aircraft and became acquainted with famous pilots.

Xanlar Mammadbayov recounts: "Mama said that father only became angry with her once. In 1933 they brought parachutes to the aerodrome. At that time, that was something new. Mama was very pleased. But, when she told her husband that she was going to do a parachute jump, he became very angry: "Just think of your children". Every time Mama went up in the air, Papa was terribly worried. And every time he saw the parachute appear, it drove him completely out of his wits: "I told you to go and study, but I didn't tell you to soar through the air. I didn't say anything. You used to have splendid hair, but you cut it off. Once again I didn't say anything. And now you are going to make a jump with a parachute. But what happens if the parachute doesn't open and you fall out of the sky straight to earth? Who's going to look after the children then? Then Leyla remained silent and didn't say a word. Although she understood her husband perfectly, she had no intention of going back on her decision.

On 17 March 1933 she made a jump with a parachute from a U-2 aircraft at Tushino aerodrome in Moscow. There had been 84 parachutists in the Soviet Union before her. She returned to Baku full of high hopes. But here disappointment awaited her: "They told Mama that she would not be given an aircraft and that she should go and run the library. She was indignant. She stated to Mir Cafar Bagirov: "I left my two children and went to train in Moscow and now they tell me I can run the library." He curtly replied, "Well, ok. Get on with it."

The issue was resolved. They immediately gave Mama an aircraft and she started flying."

In 1934, Mammadbayova took first place in the parachute-jumping competitions of the republics of the Southern Caucasus. In 1935, when the 15th anniversary of Soviet Azerbaijan was celebrated, she went to Moscow as a member of the republican delegation. She was awarded the "Order of Honour" order. Mikhail Kalinin the chairman of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR, said: "You have a very important profession. You have my best wishes for you to fly higher and faster."

Leyla Mammadbayova was engaged in all this in that period when women in Baku were still prohibited from removing their veils, and were not allowed to work and to take any part in public life. In January 1933, Sariya Xalilova was brutally murdered by her father and brother. She was one of the active members of the women's club named after Ala Bayramova, a seamstress in the sewing workshop.At that time, the tragedy shocked a lot of people. In 1934, the director Mikail Mikailov made the film " Ismat" ["Crumpled"] devoted to the life of Leyla Mammadbeyova and Sariya Xalilova. In this film the director reflected the fate of Azerbaijani women by means of generalisation.

The 1937 repressions were a cause of alarming days for the Mammadbayov family.

From Xanlar Mammadbayov's account: "In 1937 father had his party card taken from him. At that time, it was usually the rule that, if a person had their party card taken away, they would come to a tragic end. Father immediately went to meet Bagirov to explain the situation to him. Bagirov knew Alaskar Zeynalov well. This was precisely the reason why my father was not arrested at that time. The next day they returned his party card to him."

Flying experts

When the World War II started in 1941, Leyla Mammadbayova already had four children. Her youngest daughter was born that year. She was not sent to the front. Leyla Mammadbeyova went to a meeting with Mir Jafar Baghirov and told him that she did not have a job and would like to open a glider and parachute club. She continued to teach at the Baku Air Club. During the war years she trained and sent to the front hundreds of paratroopers and 4,000 parachutists cum paratroopers. Two of her trainees, Adil Quliyev and Nikolay Sheverdyayev, became Heroes of the Soviet Union. The first female fighter pilot in Azerbaijan, Zuleyha Seidmammadova, chose that profession, because she had been inspired by Mammadbayova's example.

The first Azerbaijani woman pilot made her last flight in 1949. She retired after serving 20 years. It was difficult for her to leave the skies, but the doctors recommended that she should give it up owing to her state of health. Xanlar Mammadbayov says: "She often fell ill at that time. She complained of heart pains. But the doctor who gave her a check-up said that there was nothing wrong with her heart. She underwent treatment and gradually began to feel better. She worked as the deputy chairperson of the Baku DOSAAF [Voluntary Society for Collaboration with the Army, Air Force and Navy] Committee and retired in 1961.

During the war years and after Leyla Mammadbayova received the medal "For Motherhood", which was awarded to her because she had given birth to six children and raised them. XanlarMammadbayov recounts that Leyla Mammadbeyova had 10 children but "four of them died in childhood. But fate blessed us, Firudbay, Rustam, Elmir, Zemfira, Vaqif and me, with a long life. Two of our older brothers have gone to the other world. Rustam passed away in 1993 and the eldest brother Firudbek in 2007."

Leyla Mammadbayova's eldest son, Firudbek, went to the front in the Second World War at the age of 18 years and her youngest son, Xanlar, fought in Nagornyy Karabakh. Xanlar Mammadbayov recounts: "My father had a stroke and died at the age of 52. At that time, four of his children were still quite small - 3, 8, 11 and 13 years old. After my father died, we no longer had servants. Mama did all the housework herself. We did help her. Three of us were studying at evening classes. We went out to work at 16. The family's difficult situation made it impossible for the rest of the children to study. I was the only one to complete secondary school. Mama received a female pilot's wage and a pension as a mother of many children. When she retired, they told her that only one person had the right to a pension. All she received was 60 roubles. I was only 12 years old at that time."

Leyla Mammadbayova pass away in July 1989, before her 80th birthday in September. She is buried in the Avenue of Remembrance. But the newspapers did not even print a short obituary on the death of our first woman pilot who was renowned throughout the Soviet Union, to whom poems were devoted and about whom films were made…