All 44 passengers and six crew died in the impact, including Donna Bull, A-level programmes manager at Bellerby’s College in Cambridge and colleague Yana Baranova, a recruitment manager for the Bellerby’s College group, based in Russia.

Both were beginning a 10-day marketing trip. At present, it is not known why the plane crashed, although media reports indicate that the Tartarstan Airlines flight had tried to land several times before nosediving and crashing.

James Pitman, Managing Director, HE UK and Europe, confirmed the sad news, explaining, “Donna had flown out from the UK to Moscow earlier in the day, where she met Yana, and the two were heading to Kazan.”

Yana Baranova. Photo: Linked In.

He said both women were popular and well respected. “Yana, although based in Moscow, forged close relationships with Bellerbys staff in the UK in her capacity as recruitment manager and will likewise be sorely missed. We offer our heartfelt condolences to both families during this very difficult time.”

The Bellerbys school in Cambridge remained closed yesterday but is back in operation today, and counselling will be arranged for students and staff who feel they require it.

Prior to working for Study Group, Baranova worked for Russian education agency ITEC. Both women joined Study Group in 2012.

Bull leaves a husband and two children. Her widower, Robert Crome, said, “Donna was a wonderful mother to George and Kate, kind, thoughtful and caring to her family and her many friends. She was a dedicated and hard-working professional, as a teacher and educationalist, so her students will all miss her greatly.”