Womens Rank in the Great Patriotic War

[Synthesis]

Wasn't Test Pilot/Cosmonaut Marina Popovich an active-duty Colonel in the VVS? At least until she retired.

[Laurent]

Marina Raskova (1912-1943)

[vvadim]

Wasn't Test Pilot/Cosmonaut Marina Popovich an active-duty Colonel in the VVS? At least until she retired.

Marina Popovich never was a cosmonaut. In March of 1962 she was considered as a candidate for the female group, but never even been presented to the authorities who made the decisions. Upon retirement from armed forces in 1978 she had military rank of “engineer-colonel”. That is not “colonel”.
The same like female in post before yours is not “captain”, but rather “intendant 3rd rank” military rank given to the military personal specializing in supplying and provisioning troops instead of commanding them.

[CtahhR]

I have a nice document to a senior LT who happens to be a female... Although I doubt a female head of the USSR was ever in the works but then again we always have Ms. Umalatova!

[Synthesis]

Marina Popovich never was a cosmonaut. In March of 1962 she was considered as a candidate for the female group, but never even been presented to the authorities who made the decisions. Upon retirement from armed forces in 1978 she had military rank of “engineer-colonel”. That is not “colonel”.

I stand corrected. I only heard her describe as "Colonel Popovich", and I knew she was a pilot, so I assumed she was an Air Force Colonel.

[Auke]

Some more high-ranking women not mentioned yet:

Olga Nikolayevna Yamshchikova (1914-1983) joined the Air Force in 1938 and was one of the pilots of the 586th all-women Fighter Regiment during the war, completing 217 combat missions, participating in aerial combat 93 times and shooting down 3 enemy aircraft. In 1947, she became the first women to fly a jet (a MiG-9). Additionally, she was the first women to attend the Air Force Engineering Academy. During her career she flew 40 different types of aircraft. She was promoted Colonel of Engineering in 1958.

Nina Ivanovna Rusakova (1915-1997) joined the Air Force in 1934. In 1940, she attempted to break the famous distance record set by the 'Rodina', but due to the wind and other circumstances their attempt failed. Rusakova was a test pilot from 1940 to 1961. She was the only women to hold the title of "Distinguished Test Pilot of the USSR". She was promoted Colonel in 1955.

Yevdokia Nikolayevna Zavaly (1924-2010) joined the Army at the age of 17, shorty after the German invasion. She initially served as a medic but later joined a marine infantry unit. In 1943 she was promoted Junior Lieutenant and became a platoon commander in the 83rd Naval Infantry Brigade. During the war she had suffered four wounds and two contusions. She was the only women to command a Naval Infantry platoon during WW2. She held the rank of Colonel and retired in 1947.

Valentina Stepanovna Grizodubova (1909-1993) broke various world records and was part of the well-known 'Rodina' crew in 1937. She became a member of the Communist Party in 1943. During the war she commanded the 101st Long Range Aviation Regiment. By May 1943 she had flown 200 bombing missions. She retired in 1946 and was the only women to hold both the titles HSU and HSL. She was promoted Colonel in 1943.

Yevdokia Yakovlevna Rachkevich (1907-1975) joined the Communist Party in 1926 and the Air Force in 1932. During the war she was the deputy commander for political affairs of the well-known 46th Guards Night Bomber Aviation Regiment, the "Night Witches". She held the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and retired in 1956.

Yevdokia Davydovna Bocharova (Born as Karabut, better known as Bershanskaya, 1913-1982) joined the Air Force in the 30s. She commanded the 46th Guards Night Bomber Aviation Regiment during the war. She was the only women to be awarded the Order of Suvorov and held the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

[Al-muell]

Not sure if the Lady was mentioned already, but that's an interesting story:
Yevdokiya Zavaliy: the Heroine of WWII | English Russia