Masha Kovalenko at the age of 24
Masha Kovalenko was born in 1964 in Ukraine to a family of engineers. She grew up in a small rural town and was always fascinated with science, spending her free time in her father's workshop tinkering and experimenting. She was determined to pursue a career in science and studied hard, eventually graduating top of her class from the Moscow State University of Technology in 1984. After graduating, Masha began her career as a research engineer at the prestigious Vostok Institute of Electronics in Moscow. During her time there she developed several groundbreaking technologies related to microelectronics and robotics. In 1989, she was awarded the Lenin Prize, the highest honor in the Soviet Union, for her work in robotics. Masha was a trailblazer in the field of Soviet science and made many contributions over the years. In 1996 she was appointed to the position of Deputy Director of the Institute, making her one of the few women to hold a senior-level position in the scientific community. Masha continued to work in the field of science until her retirement in 2013. She was a passionate advocate for women in science and was an inspiration for many aspiring scientists. She is remembered as one of the most influential Soviet women scientists of her generation.