Born: 13 August 1890, Russia
Died: 1 May 1916
Country most active: Russia, Latvia
Also known as: Lydia Slusarenka, Lidiya or Lidia, Лидия Зверева
The following bio was written by Emma Rosen, author of On This Day She Made History: 366 Days With Women Who Shaped the World and This Day In Human Ingenuity & Discovery: 366 Days of Scientific Milestones with Women in the Spotlight, and has been republished with permission.
Lydia Vissarionovna Zvereva was a Russian aviation pioneer, becoming the first woman in Russia to obtain a pilot’s license. Despite her relatively short life – she passed away at age 25 – Zvereva holds a significant place in the history of female aviators. She participated in air shows across Eastern Europe and later, alongside her husband Vladimir Victorovich Slusarenko, operated an aircraft factory in Riga.
On May 19, 1914, Zvereva impressed a full crowd at the Riga Hippodrome, flying a Morane monoplane and wowing everyone with her aerobatics. She amazed everyone by performing a loop, becoming the first female aviator to do so.