Yekaterina Ryabova (July 14, 1921 - September 12, 1974) was a Russian military pilot, awarded the title of Heroine of the Soviet Union on February 23, 1945. She attained the rank of senior lieutenant as a member of the 46th Guards Night Bomber Regiment. She flew 860 night missions in her career as a Polikarpov Po-2 navigator.

Yekaterina Ryabova, May 1945

Young serbian partisan girl - Milja Marin

Army General Margelov was called one of the world's most talented commanders. During the WW2 he commanded rifle units, participated in the forced crossing of the Dnieper and liberation of Kherson. In 1944, being a major general, Hero of the USSR, commander of the 49th Guards Rifle Division, he participated in the Iasi-Kishinev operation, liberating Bendery from the Nazi invaders.
 
The hero was awarded 60 medals and orders for his feats. The creation of the post-war Soviet Airborne Forces owe much to the efforts of one man, Army General Vasily Margelov, so much so that the abbreviation of VDV in the Airborne Forces is sometimes waggishly interpreted as "Войска дяди Васи", "Uncle Vasya's Troops".

Vasily Margelov put his heart, experience and commander’s talent into the airborne troops. He managed to turn the airborne troops into an elite, bring up and train the soldiers for whom there were no impossible missions.