Valentina Grizodubova was one of the Soviet Union's first female pilots who also held several records in the sphere of aviation.  She saw action during the Second World War and became one of the first women to be awarded the title of  Hero of the Soviet Union. Grizodubova also served as a member of the commission set up to investigate Nazi war crimes.  In 2000 this monument of her was unveiled outside the research institute where she worked after the war.