The sailors have a sign - a woman on a ship brings trouble. However, the sea captain Anna Shchetinina convincingly refuted this prejudice.
Starting conditions
Not all men are eligible for maritime service. The sailor must have good health and strong character.
Anna Ivanovna Shchetinina is a charming and attractive woman. Initially, no one could have thought that a fragile girl would make a dizzying career in a purely male profession. Anya was born on February 26, 1908 in a peasant family. Father, like a real Russian man, was a jack of all trades. Carpentry, fishing, repairing railway tracks. Mother was engaged in housework. The child grew up "under the cow."
According to all existing canons, the biography of Anna Shchetinina should have developed traditionally - children, kitchen, church. However, after graduating from eight classes, the girl firmly decided to get a special education and entered the naval school in the department of navigation. She knew very well how sailors live during long trips. Her perseverance and aspiration were amazed by both relatives and seasoned sea wolves. After school, Shchetinin was sent to serve in Kamchatka.
Long voyage
Without losing her job, Anna Ivanovna continued her education in practice. At the age of 24, Schetinina received a navigator diploma. Three years later she became a captain. The ocean fleet of the Soviet state was regularly replenished with large vessels. In 1935, Shchetinina became the most famous captain in the world. This is not an exaggeration, a pleasant coincidence. The 27-year-old girl was entrusted by the Soviet government to bring the Chavycha bulk carrier from the port of Hamburg to the port of Vladivostok.
All newspapers of civilized countries wrote about this flight. Some with admiration, others with sarcasm. But, despite the envy and indignation of the losers, Shchetinina’s career was successful. It is interesting to recall that at the final stage the bulk carrier almost wiped out the ice in the Sea of Okhotsk. In a difficult environment, the captain showed firmness of character and excellent knowledge of navigation. Not every man could handle it. For the successful completion of the campaign, Shchetinin was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor.
