[2] Chechneva was born to a working family on 15 August 1922 in the village of Protasovo in the Maloarkhangelsk District of the Orel Region and spent her first five years in that area of northern Russia.

After undergoing further training at Engels military aviation school she was delegated to the 588th Night Bomber Regiment as a Po-2 pilot.

In 1942 Chechneva was promoted to flight commander and fought hard in the battle for the Caucusus, for which she was awarded an Order of the Red Banner on 27 September 1942.

In late summer 1943, she was promoted to squadron commander and continued carrying out bombing missions as well as training other soldiers.

[4] After the war, in November 1945 Chechneva married fellow pilot and Hero of the Soviet Union Konstantin Davydov.

That same year Chechneva set a speed record on the Yak-18 and was awarded the title Honoured Master of Sports of the USSR.