Snipers are heroes of the Patriotic War. Women snipers heroes of the ussr

The Soviet Union, unlike other countries during World War II, used women in many combat missions during combat. Women snipers were trained at the Central Women's School of Sniper Training, were one of the most experienced and best shooters in the battles on Eastern Front.

(15 photos)

Girls are snipers

When the Soviet Union entered the battle on the Eastern Front during the Second World War, snipers became an integral part of the Red Army in defensive positions. Unlike other countries, the Soviet Union willingly encouraged and actively recruited girls to participate in the war. According to many sources, by 1943 there were over 2,000 female snipers in the Red Army who fought alongside men on the Eastern Front.

For several years, the Red Army suffered significant losses. personnel, therefore, a plan was developed for the recruitment and training of female snipers. The Central Women's Sniper Training School was built in 1942, just a few kilometers from Moscow. The requirement for candidates was between 18-26 years of age and be in good physical shape.

The snipers were trained to work in teams of two and each was given a sniper version of the Mosin rifle in caliber (7.62 mm).

The leadership of the Soviet army believed that women would make excellent snipers because they were "more resistant to the stress of combat than men" and "more resistant to cold." They also believed that female body"more flexible"

Claudia Kalugina, one of the deadliest snipers in world history. She was taken into the ranks of the Red Army and the sniper school at the age of 17, showing unsurpassed accuracy. Claudia has killed 257 enemies for all the time in battles.

Born in Ukraine in 1916, she was among the first volunteers at the recruiting station, where she was asked to join the infantry. Killed 309 enemy soldiers, including 36 snipers, Lyudmila is the best sniper girl in Soviet history.

Pavlichenko was in the 25th Infantry Division. Unlike many of her compatriots during the war years, Pavlichenko was wounded after a mortar attack and had to leave the front. For the rest of the war, after being wounded, she taught and shared her experience with visiting military personnel from allied countries, including the United States and Canada.

Roza Egorovna Shanina was born in 1924 and volunteered for military service after learning that her 19-year-old brother had been killed in the war. When the sniper training school opened, Shanina gained recognition and became a highly skilled sniper. On the front line, she quickly became one of the best shooters and was awarded many medals of distinction. Shanina died in action in January 1945 at the age of 19.

Nina Petrova was 48 years old when the war began, she was full to serve her country. Petrova was accepted into a sniper school and became the oldest sniper in the entire Soviet Army. Nina Pavlovna also trained snipers, during the war years she trained more than 500 snipers. She has 122 killed enemies throughout the war. Unfortunately, she died in a car accident just a few days before the end of the war, at the age of 53.

In the photo above, two girlfriends are snipers, 3rd shock army, May 4, 1945. Senior Sergeant A. E. Vinogradova (left; killed 83 enemies) and Junior Lieutenant N. P. Belobrova (killed 70 enemies).

Although many civilian women spoke of the sexual harassment of female snipers in the Red Army during World War II, this is not true - during and after the war, men showed respect for the women around them.

Kira Petrovskaya Wayne was born in the Crimea in 1918 and was drafted into Soviet army in 1941. How her mother and grandmother starved to death while Wayne served as a sniper in the Red Army. When did the second World War Wayne began a theater career that took her to the United States, where she became the author of several books.

Soviet snipers from the Third Shock Army, May 4, 1945

At that time, almost 2000 female snipers served in the army, only 500 of them survived the war. After the Second World War, women will slowly move away from the combat role in the Soviet troops.

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After the start of the Great Patriotic War in June 1941, hundreds of thousands of Soviet women went to the front as nurses, cooks and snipers. More than 2 thousand women were trained in sniper courses and were sent to the most dangerous sectors of the front. The saying “We mowed down the Nazis like a ripe grain”, which was placed in the title of this post, belongs to the Hero Soviet Union, sniper Lyudmila Pavlichenko.

Lyudmila Pavlichenko was born in the city of Belaya Tserkov, Kyiv province (Kyiv region of modern Ukraine). Hearing a neighbor's boy bragging about his success at the shooting range, Lyudmila began to learn how to shoot a gun.

Lyudmila Pavlichenko in position near Sevastopol, June 6, 1942.
When the Great Patriotic War began, Pavlichenko, who at that time was a student of the history department of the Kyiv state university named after T. G. Shevchenko, went to the front as a volunteer.
Pavlichenko did not agree to the role of a nurse and insisted that she be recorded as a sniper. Then Lyudmila was handed a gun and, as a test task, was asked to shoot two Romanians who worked with the Germans from a hill held by the Red Army. Pavlichenko easily coped with this task, and soon she was enrolled in the ranks of the 25th Chapaev Rifle Division.

Lyudmila Pavlichenko during the defense of Sevastopol, June 6, 1942.
In the first months of the war, Lyudmila Pavlichenko participated in border battles in the Moldavian SSR and in the defense of Odessa, and then was transferred to the defense of Sevastopol. Pavlichenko was wounded four times, and in the end, after a fragment hit her head, she was suspended from participating in hostilities. After rehabilitation, Lyudmila Pavlichenko trained future snipers and participated in campaigning.
In less than one year of service, Pavlichenko eliminated 309 enemy soldiers and officers, including 36 snipers. Pavlichenko is considered the most outstanding female sniper in world history.

Lyudmila Pavlichenko during a visit to Washington, DC, USA, 1942.
In 1942, Lyudmila Pavlichenko was sent to the USA, Canada and Great Britain as part of the Soviet delegation. During a visit to the United States, journalists bombarded Pavlichenko with ridiculous, tactless questions regarding her style, hair and makeup on the battlefield.

Lyudmila Pavlichenko in Washington with other members of the Soviet delegation, 1942
At first, Lyudmila behaved with restraint, but when her patience began to run out, she began to ask the Americans awkward questions:
“Gentlemen, I am 25 years old. At the front, I have already managed to destroy 309 fascist invaders. Don't you think, gentlemen, that you've been hiding behind my back for too long?"

Lyudmila Pavlichenko and workers near Odessa, August 9, 1944.
Upon returning to the USSR, Lyudmila Pavlichenko received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Until the end of the war, Pavlichenko trained snipers, and then continued her studies at Kiev University.

Sniper Lyuba Makarova on the Kalinin Front, 1943.
Soviet female sniper

May 6, 1942.
Sniper Liza Mironova

Sniper Liza Mironova, 1943.

Female snipers of the Red Army, 1943.

1943

Sniper Anastasia Stepanova in time Battle of Stalingrad, 1942

A female sniper near Stalingrad, 1942.

Snipers Bykov and Skrypnikov return from a combat mission, November 24, 1943.

Nina Lobovskaya, commander of a women's sniper company that participated in the Berlin offensive operation, December 31, 1944.

Soviet female snipers in East Prussia, February 1945.

Highly qualified snipers were worth their weight in gold during World War II. Fighting on the Eastern Front, the Soviets positioned their snipers as experienced marksmen, noticeably dominant in many ways. The Soviet Union was the only one that trained snipers for ten years, preparing for war. Their superiority is confirmed by their "death lists". Experienced snipers killed many people and, of course, were of great value. For example, Vasily Zaitsev killed 225 enemy soldiers during the Battle of Stalingrad.

10. Stepan Vasilyevich Petrenko: 422 killed.

During World War II, the Soviet Union had more skilled snipers than any other country on Earth. Due to their continued training and development during the 1930s, while other countries cut back their teams of specialist snipers, the USSR had the best marksmen in the world. Stepan Vasilyevich Petrenko was well known among the elite.

His highest professionalism is confirmed by 422 killed enemies; The effectiveness of the Soviet sniper training program is confirmed by accurate shooting and extremely rare misses.

During the war, 261 shooters (including women), each of whom killed at least 50 people, were awarded the title of outstanding sniper. Vasily Ivanovich Golosov was one of those who received such an honor. His death list is 422 killed enemies.

8. Fedor Trofimovich Dyachenko: 425 killed.

During World War II, 428,335 people are believed to have received Red Army sniper training, of which 9,534 used their qualifications in death experience. Fedor Trofimovich Dyachenko was one of those trainees who stood out. Soviet hero with 425 confirmations, received the Distinguished Service Medal for “high heroism in military operations against an armed enemy.”

7. Fedor Matveevich Okhlopkov: 429 killed.

Fedor Matveyevich Okhlopkov, one of the most respected snipers in the USSR. He and his brother were recruited into the Red Army, but the brother was killed in action. Fyodor Matveyevich vowed to avenge his brother by those. Who took his life. The number of people killed by this sniper (429 people) did not include the number of enemies. Which he killed with a machine gun. In 1965 awarded the order Hero of the Soviet Union.

6. Mikhail Ivanovich Budenkov: 437 killed.

Mikhail Ivanovich Budenkov was among those snipers that few others could only aspire to. Surprisingly successful sniper with 437 killed. This number does not include those killed by machine guns.

5. Vladimir Nikolaevich Pchelintsev: 456 killed.

Such a number of dead can be attributed not only to the skill and mastery of the rifle, but also to the knowledge of the landscape and the ability to competently disguise. Among these skilled and experienced snipers was Vladimir Nikolaevich Pchelintsev, who killed 437 enemies.

4. Ivan Nikolaevich Kulbertinov: 489 killed.

Unlike most other countries during World War II, women could be snipers in the Soviet Union. In 1942, two semi-annual courses in which only women were trained paid off: almost 55,000 snipers were trained. 2,000 women took an active part in the war. Among them: Lyudmila Pavlichenko, who killed 309 opponents.

3. Nikolai Yakovlevich Ilyin: 494 killed.

In 2001, a film was made in Hollywood: "The Enemy at the Gates" about the famous Russian sniper Vasily Zaitsev. The film depicts the events of the Battle of Stalingrad in 1942-1943. A film about Nikolai Yakovlevich Ilyin has not been made, but his contribution to the Soviet military history was just as important. Having killed 494 enemy soldiers (sometimes listed as 497), Ilyin was a deadly shooter for the enemy.

2. Ivan Mikhailovich Sidorenko: approximately 500 killed

Ivan Mikhailovich Sidorenko, was drafted in 1939 at the beginning of World War II. During the 1941 Battle of Moscow, he learned to snipe and became known as a gunman with a deadly aim. One of his most famous deeds: he destroyed a tank and three others vehicles using incendiary ammunition. However, after his injury in Estonia, his role in the following years was primarily teaching. In 1944 Sidorenko was awarded the prestigious title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

1. Simo Hayha: 542 Killed (probably 705)

Simo Hayha, a Finn, is the only non-Soviet soldier on this list. Nicknamed "White Death" by the troops of the Red Army because of the camouflage disguised as snow. According to statistics, Hayha is the bloodiest sniper in history. Before taking part in the war, he was a farmer. Incredibly, in weapons, he preferred an iron sight to an optical one.

Consolidated rating of snipers for men and women during the Second World War.
The discrepancies in the number of those killed are noteworthy, but this is a common occurrence when comparing the overlapping statistics of the Allies, the USSR and Germany.
AT this case how obviously we are dealing with domestic statistics.

Ludmila Pavlichenko- destroyed 309 enemy soldiers and officers (among them 36 snipers). Lyudmila Pavlichenko (July 12, 1916 - October 27, 1974) - Hero of the Soviet Union. She was born in the village (now the city) Belaya Tserkov in Ukraine. By nationality, Lyudmila Pavlichenko is Russian. She volunteered for the front in June 1941. Participated in the defense of Odessa and Sevastopol. In June 1942, Lyudmila Pavlichenko was wounded, after which she did not take part in the hostilities. After being wounded, she traveled as part of a delegation to the United States and Canada. At a speech in Chicago, Lyudmila Pavlichenko said: "Gentlemen! I am twenty-five years old. At the front, I have already managed to destroy 309 fascist invaders. Don't you think, gentlemen, that you have been hiding behind my back for too long ?!" After returning to her homeland, Lyudmila became an instructor at the Shot sniper school, where she trained dozens of good snipers.

Either Rugo- destroyed 242 enemies. (in Western statistics, she is listed as Libo Rugova and has an account of 275 killed Germans)

Olga Vasilyeva- Destroyed 185 enemies. Olga Vasilyeva opened a combat sniper account on August 15, 1943. After the end of the war, she returned to her native Voronezh. She was awarded the Orders of the Patriotic War, the Red Star, the medals "For Courage", "For the Defense of Odessa", "For the Defense of Sevastopol", "For the Defense of the Caucasus" and "For the Victory over Germany".

Natalia Kovshova- destroyed 167 enemies. Natalya Kovshova (November 26, 1920 - August 14, 1942) - Hero of the Soviet Union. Born in Ufa. She volunteered for the front in October 1941. Participated in the defense of Moscow. From January 1942 she fought on the North-Western Front. On August 14, 1942, near the village of Sutoki, Novgorod Region, together with sniper Maria Polivanova, they fought to the last bullet. Then they blew themselves up with the last grenades along with the Nazis who surrounded them.

Tari Vutchinnik- destroyed 155 enemies

Ekaterina Zhdanova- destroyed 155 enemies

Genya Peretyatko- destroyed 148 enemies. Genya Peretyatko graduated from sniper courses in 1939. In June 1941, she volunteered for the front. AT postwar period moved to New York.

Maria Polivanova- destroyed about 140 enemies. Maria Polivanova - Hero of the Soviet Union. She was born on October 24, 1922 in the village of Naryshkino, Tula Region. At the front since October 1941. Participated in the defense of Moscow. From January 1942 she fought on the North-Western Front. On August 14, 1942, near the village of Sutoki, Novgorod Region, together with her friend Natalya Kovshova, she defended herself from the advancing Nazis. When the cartridges ran out and the Nazis approached closely, the sniper friends blew themselves up with the last grenades along with the enemies surrounding them.

Inna Mudretsova- destroyed 138 enemies. Inna Mudretsova opened her sniper account in 1943 near Gomel. On the outskirts of Berlin, Inna was seriously wounded and was amputated left hand. After the war, Inna Mudretsova became a lecturer in the Knowledge Society and traveled almost all over the Soviet Union. Inna died on the very eve of the 55th anniversary of the Victory.

Nina Petrova- destroyed 122 enemies. Nina Petrova is a full cavalier of the Order of Glory. She was born on July 15 (27), 1893 in Oranienbaum (now the city of Lomonosov). Long before the start of the war, Nina Petrova became interested in bullet shooting, graduated from a sniper school, in which she later became an instructor. By the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, she was already 48 years old and she was not subject to conscription. However, she volunteered for the front. On May 1, 1945, near the city of Stettin, Nina Petrova died: the car she was driving fell into a cliff.

Tatiana Kostyrina- Destroyed 120 enemies. Tatyana Kostyrina - Hero of the Soviet Union. Born in 1924 in the city of Kropotkin (Krasnodar Territory). At the front since August 1942. On November 22, 1943, in the battle for the village of Adzhimushkay, she replaced the battalion commander who was out of action and raised the fighters to attack. She died in this battle.

Olga Bordashevskaya- Destroyed 108 enemies. Olga Bordashevskaya - holder of the Order of Glory 2nd and 3rd degree. She volunteered for the front. She was seriously wounded in March 1945. After the war, Olga returned to Odessa, she was diagnosed with a disability of the 2nd group, but Olga Bordashevskaya did not want to be a pensioner at the age of 26. A year later, she was able to go on a many-month sea voyage to the shores of Antarctica with one of the first flights of Soviet whalers. Then she became the executive secretary of the Committee for the Defense of Peace.

Natalya Sapyan- destroyed 102 enemies. Leningrader Natalia Sapyan went to the front as a volunteer. In addition to sniper work, this small and fragile-looking girl successfully coped with the duties of a medical instructor. In addition to 102 killed Nazis, Natalia also had another equally important account: during the war years, she saved the lives of 109 wounded soldiers and commanders. The chest of the brave girl was decorated with 11 military awards. After the war, Natalya Sapyan graduated from the university and became a historian.

Vera Petrovskaya- destroyed 100 enemies

Nina Kovalenko- destroyed about 100 enemies Snipers Ekaterina Golovakha (left) and Nina Kovalenko (right)

Elizabeth Mironova- Destroyed about 100 enemies. Elizaveta Mironova is one of the few girls who fought in the 255th Red Banner Marine Brigade of the Black Sea Fleet. Participant in the battles for Malaya Zemlya. She died in 1943, during the battles for Novorossiysk.

Valentina Khokhlova- destroyed 94 enemies. Valentina Khokhlova was a medical officer and sniper (as was Natalya Sapyan, with whom she served and was friends). From April 1942 to December 1943, she destroyed 94 fascists, spent 156 days on the front line. During the same time, she bandaged and carried 101 wounded from the battlefield. In January 1944 she retired from the reserve and returned to Leningrad.

Aliya Moldagulova- destroyed 91 enemies. Kazakh Aliya Moldagulova - Hero of the Soviet Union. She was born on October 25, 1925 in the village of Bulak (Aktobe region, Kazakhstan). In the army since October 1943. Aliya died in action on January 14, 1944.

Nina Lobkovskaya- destroyed 89 enemies. Nina Lobkovskaya - holder of the Order of the Red Banner and the Order of Glory 3rd degree. Nina opened her sniper account on August 10, 1943. After the war, she graduated from the Faculty of History of Moscow State University and worked as a lecturer at the Central Lenin Museum for more than 20 years.

Vera Artamonova (Danilovtseva)- destroyed 89 enemies.

Antonina Boltaeva (Vyatkina) - destroyed 87 enemies
Maria Koshkina (Tkalich) - destroyed 85 enemies. Chuvash Maria Koshkina started the war as a medical officer, then became a sniper. On March 15, 1943, Maria killed the 85th fascist. This was her last sniper shot: on the same day, she was seriously wounded in her right eye. She could no longer shoot like a sniper, but she continued to fight: she went to reconnaissance, saved the wounded. On the night of March 5-6, 1944, Maria Koshkina was seriously wounded in the arm. The war is over for her. When in the post-war years Maria came from Leningrad to her native village, she never put on orders and medals. When asked why, she replied that she got them for killing people.

Lyubov Makarova- destroyed 84 enemies. Lyubov Makarova was born on September 30, 1924. For courage and military prowess shown in battles with enemies, she was awarded the Order of Glory of the 2nd and 3rd degrees, the Order of the Patriotic War of the 2nd degree, and several medals. After the end of the war, she returned to her homeland - to Perm.

Tatyana Konstantinova- destroyed 84 enemies

Maria Zubchenko (Solovyova)- destroyed 83 enemies

Alexandra Vinogradova (Mikhailova)- destroyed 83 enemies

Tatyana Chernova- destroyed 81 enemies

Julia Belousova- destroyed 80 enemies

Claudia Marinkina (Fedoseeva)- destroyed 79 enemies

Lydia Gudovantseva- Destroyed 76 enemies. Lydia Gudovantseva was born on July 11, 1923. She was awarded the Orders of the Red Star, Glory 3rd degree, Patriotic War 1st degree; medals "For Courage" (twice), "For the Liberation of Warsaw", "For the Capture of Berlin", "For the Victory over Germany" and others. The war ended in Berlin. After the war she worked as a lecturer - methodologist.

Lydia Onyanova- destroyed 76 enemies

Taisiya Maksimova- Destroyed 76 enemies. Taisiya Maksimova was born on February 26, 1928. In August 1941, to her native village Leshkino Leningrad region German soldiers burst in. In front of Taisia, unarmed people were killed Soviet people. The Nazis shot a collective farm tractor driver, brutally tortured party workers in the Molvotitsky district, killed their cousin Tatyana, her 5-year-old son and daughter, who had not yet learned to walk. Soon, Taisiya Maksimova, along with other village children, was evacuated to Novosibirsk. There she entered the factory. But the thought that was born back in her native village did not leave her: "I will go to the front." Every day she came to the military registration and enlistment office of one district or another, asked to be taken into the army, proved that she could be useful at the front. And everywhere - refusal: small! After all, she was only 15 at the time! And yet she visited the draft board every day after work. One of them was then headed by an elderly woman. Tasha hasn't been to her yet. The military commissar listened attentively to Tasin's story about the months spent in the German occupation. And the woman - the military commissar said warmly: "You will go to the front, daughter, you will go. Go to the factory and take the calculation. Tomorrow - on the road." But the foreman did not let her go. Then she decided to take a desperate step: she escaped from the factory. In March 1943, Taisiya arrived at the Kalinin Front, once again finding herself in native land. She immediately asked the commander to be assigned to the sniper unit. Taisiya reached Berlin. After the war, she settled in Leningrad.

Maria Morozova- Destroyed 75 enemies. Maria Morozova went to the front in March 1944 after graduating from the sniper school. She met the victory in Prague, where on May 12, 1945 she closed the account of the killed Nazis.

Rosa Shanina- Destroyed 75 enemies. Roza Shanina was born on April 3, 1924 in the village of Yedma (Ustyansky district of the Arkhangelsk region). When the war began, she went to the military registration and enlistment office to ask for the front. They refused: she was only 16 years old. Not a week went by that she did not go to the military enlistment office. Again and again, having tried, it seemed, already all the methods: persuasion, persuasion, and tears, she proved that her place was only at the front. In the military registration and enlistment office, amazed at her perseverance, they finally gave up and sent Rosa to the Central Women's Sniper School in Moscow. Soon she finished her studies and received a referral to the front. Rosa's first shot was fired on April 5, 1944 southeast of Vitebsk. He was accurate. During the war Roza Shanina was awarded the Order of Glory 3rd and 2nd class. Roza Shanina died in action on January 28, 1945.

Alexandra Medvedeva (Samonosova)- destroyed more than 70 enemies

Marenkina (Yakushev)- destroyed 70 enemies

Belobrova (Mironova)- destroyed 70 enemies

Demina (Isaeva)- destroyed about 70 enemies

Alexandra Shlyakhova- Destroyed 69 enemies. Alexandra Shlyakhova completed her course at the sniper school in July 1943, after which she went to the front. Alexandra Shlyakhova died on October 7, 1944.

Evgenia Makeeva- destroyed 68 enemies

Ekaterina Golovakha- Destroyed 67 enemies. Snipers Ekaterina Golovakha (left) and Nina Kovalenko (right)

Claudia Dunaeva- Destroyed 67 enemies. Klavdia Dunaeva graduated from the sniper school in April 1942. At the front, Claudia was a sniper and a medical officer at the same time. During the war years, Claudius, under enemy fire, had medical care and carried 143 wounded soldiers and officers out of the battle. For her military work, she was awarded 11 awards. After the war, Klavdia Dunaeva served in the border troops for more than 10 years.

Polina Krestyaninova- Destroyed 65 enemies. Polina Krestyaninova was born in 1925 in Ryazan. In December 1942, as part of the first group of girls - volunteers, she was admitted to the Central Women's School of Snipers. At the age of 17, in order to get into the first draft of the sniper school, Polina attributed a year to herself. Polina graduated from the sniper school in the summer of 1943. During the war years, Polina Krestyaninova was only slightly wounded once: an enemy sniper fired at the glare of her sight, but the bullet went along the head, slightly scratching the skin.
Snipers Polina Krestyaninova (left) and her partner Anna Nosova (right)

Nina Obukhovskaya- destroyed 64 enemies

Vera Kosolapova- destroyed 63 enemies. At the front, Vera was a sniper and a medical officer at the same time. During the war, she carried 103 wounded soldiers and commanders from the battlefield. For the courage and bravery shown during the war years, Vera Kosolapova was awarded 11 awards by the Motherland.

Lyudmila Pavlyuchenko is a sniper whose biography contains great amount facts proving her invaluable contribution to the victory over the Nazis in the Great Patriotic War. On account of her destruction of 309 German soldiers and officers. Moreover, among the liquidated opponents there were 36 enemy snipers.

Childhood and youth

Date of birth - July 12, 1916. Place of birth is the Ukrainian city of Bila Tserkva. She studied at school number 3 located near the house. And when Lyudmila was 14 years old, the family moved to live in the capital of Ukraine, Kyiv.

From childhood, the girl was distinguished by her fighting character and courage. She did not like games for girls, communicating mainly with boys. The father of Lyudmila Pavlyuchenko (nee Belova), who always dreamed of a son, was glad that his daughter was in no way inferior in strength and endurance to her peers - boys.

At the end of the ninth grade, Lyudmila went to work at the Arsenal plant, where she worked as a grinder. She was able to successfully combine labor activity and studying in the 10th grade.

Lyudmila got married early. At the time of marriage, she was only 16 years old. Soon the young couple had a son, Rostislav (died in 2007). But it did not work out: having lived together for several years, the couple divorced. But Lyudmila did not refuse the surname of her husband. The husband of Lyudmila Pavlyuchenko died at the beginning of the war.

First training

While working at the Arsenal plant, L. M. Pavlyuchenko began to visit the firing range frequently. More than once she heard the boastful conversations of the neighbor guys who talked about their exploits at the training ground. At the same time, they argued that only boys can shoot well, and girls cannot do it. The story of Lyudmila Pavlyuchenko as a shooter began precisely with the fact that she wanted to prove to these boastful guys that girls can shoot just as well, or even better ...

In 1937, L. Pavlyuchenko went to study at Kyiv University. Entering the Faculty of History, she dreamed of becoming a teacher or scientist.

When the war broke out

At the time of the invasion of the USSR by the Germans and Romanians, Lyudmila, the future hero of the USSR, lived in Odessa, where she arrived for graduation practice. She decided to go to the army, but the girls were not taken there. To get into the army, she had to prove her courage and willingness to fight enemies. One day the officers gave Lyudmila a strength test. She was given a gun in her hands and pointed to two Romanians who collaborated with the Nazis. She was overcome by anger at these people, bitterness for those whom they had taken their lives. Then she shot them both. After this impromptu assignment, she was finally accepted into the army.

In the rank of private Pavlyuchenko, Lyudmila Mikhailovna was assigned to the 25th Infantry Division. She wanted to get to the front as soon as possible. Realizing that she would have to shoot to kill there, Lyudmila did not yet know how she would behave when faced with the enemy face to face. But there was no time to think and reflect. On the first day, she had to raise her weapon. Fear paralyzed her, the Mossin rifle (caliber 7.62 mm) with 4x magnification trembled in her hands. But when she saw how a young soldier fell dead next to her, struck by a German bullet, she gained self-confidence and fired. Now nothing could stop her.

First tasks

Lyudmila firmly decided to go to sniper courses. Having successfully completed them, junior lieutenant Pavlyuchenko opened her combat account. Then, near Odessa, she had to replace the platoon commander who fell in battle. She, sparing no effort, destroyed the hated Nazis, until she received a concussion from a shell that exploded near. Her morale is even hellish pain. She continued to fight on the battlefield...

In October 1941, the Primorsky Army was transferred to the Crimea, where Lyudmila, along with her colleagues, began to defend Sevastopol. Day after day, as soon as the sun began to rise, Lyudmila Pavlyuchenko went “hunting” - a sniper whose biography is filled with events proving her loyalty to the Motherland. For hours on end, and in the heat, and in the cold, she was in ambush, waiting for the appearance of the "target". There were cases when I had to duel with venerable cruel German snipers. But thanks to endurance, endurance, lightning-fast reaction, she again and again emerged victorious even from the most difficult situations.

Unequal fight

Often, Luda went on combat missions with Leonid Kutsenko. They began serving in the division almost at the same time. Some of their colleagues said that Lyudmila Pavlyuchenko was the front-line wife of Leonid Kutsenko. Her personal life before the war did not work out. It is possible that these two heroic people were indeed close.

Once, having received an order from the command to destroy the enemy command post discovered by the scouts, they quietly made their way to the indicated area, lay down in a dugout and began to wait for a convenient moment. Finally, the unsuspecting German officers appeared in the field of view of the snipers. They did not have time to approach the dugout, as they were struck down by two accurate shots. But the noise from the fall was heard by other soldiers and officers of the Nazi army. There were quite a lot of them, but Lyudmila and Leonid, changing positions, destroyed them all one by one. After laying down many enemy officers and signalers, the Soviet snipers forced the enemy to leave their command post.

Death of Leonid Kutsenko

German intelligence systematically reported to the command about the activities of Soviet snipers. A fierce hunt was conducted behind them, numerous traps were arranged.

Once a couple of brave Russian snipers, who at that moment were in ambush, were found. Heavy mortar fire was opened on Pavlyuchenko and Kutsenko. A mine exploded nearby, Leonid's hand was torn off. Lyudmila carried out a seriously wounded friend and made her way to her. But, no matter how hard the field doctors tried, Leonid Kutsenko died from severe wounds.

Bitterness from the loss loved one further strengthened Lyudmila in her desire to exterminate her sworn enemies. She not only took on the most difficult combat missions, but also taught shooting to young fighters, trying to give the maximum of her invaluable sniper experience.

During the defensive battles, she brought up more than a dozen good shooters. They, following the example of their mentor, stood up to defend their homeland.

In the mountains

Winter was coming on the rocky territory near Sevastopol. Acting in the conditions of mountain warfare, L. Pavlyucheno went into an ambush under the cover of night. From three o'clock in the morning she hid either in dense fog, or in mountain ledges, or in damp hollows. Sometimes the wait dragged on for many hours, and even days. But there was no hurry. It was necessary to follow the path of patience, calculating each step in advance. If you find yourself, then there will be no salvation.

It happened somehow that on Bezymyannaya she was alone against six submachine gunners. Noticing her the day before, when Pavlyuchenko destroyed many of their soldiers in an unequal battle, the Germans sat down over the road. It would seem that Lyudmila is doomed, because there were six Nazis, and at any moment they could notice her and destroy her. But even the weather stood up for her. A thick fog descended on the mountains, which allowed our sniper to find a convenient place for an ambush. But it still needed to get there. Moving in a plastunsky way, Lyudmila Mikhailovna crawled towards her cherished goal. But the Germans did not lose their stubbornness and persistently fired at her. One bullet almost hit the temple, the other went through the top of the cap. After that, having instantly assessed the location of the opponents, Pavlyuchenko fired two accurate shots. She answered both the one who almost hit her in the temple, and the one who almost put a bullet in the forehead. The surviving four Nazis continued their hysterical shooting. They pursued her, but as she crawled away, she killed three more, one after the other. One of the Germans ran away. She saw the bodies of the dead, but, fearing that one of them was pretending to be dead, she did not dare to immediately crawl up to them. At the same time, Lyudmila was aware that the one who ran away might just about bring other submachine gunners. And the fog thickened again. She nevertheless decided to crawl up to the enemies struck by her. They were all dead. Having picked up the weapons of the dead (automatic and light machine gun), she disappeared in time in an ambush. Several more German soldiers approached. They began to fire randomly again, and she fired back at once from several types of weapons. Thus, the Soviet sniper tried to convince the enemies that more than one person was fighting with them. Gradually moving away, she was able to hide from her opponents and survive in this unequal battle.

Lyudmila Pavlyuchenko - Hero of the USSR

Sergeant Pavlyuchenko was soon transferred to a neighboring regiment. Hitler's sniper operated on its territory, killing many Soviet soldiers and officers. Also, two snipers of the regiment were killed by his bullet. For more than a day there was a silent battle between a German shooter and a Soviet sniper. But the Nazi fighter, accustomed to sleeping in a dugout, exhausted himself faster than Lyudmila. And although her whole body ached from cold and dampness, she turned out to be more agile, literally a fraction of a second ahead of the enemy aiming at her.

Having hit him with a deadly bullet, Lyudmila Alexandrovna crawled up and took out a sniper book from the pocket of the fascist. She learned from it that it was the famous Dunkirk, which killed more than 500 British, French and Soviet soldiers.

By that time, numerous injuries and contusions worsened Lyudmila's condition so much that she was forcibly sent on a submarine to the mainland.

Since October 25, 1943, Lyudmila Pavlyuchenko has been a Hero of the Soviet Union. Later, on the direction of the Main Political Directorate, she traveled with the Soviet delegation to Canada and the United States of America.

Upon returning, Lyudmila Pavlyuchenko, a sniper whose biography has become an example for many brave fighters, serves as an instructor at the Shot sniper school.

Postwar years

After the war, after graduating from Kyiv University, this legendary Soviet woman works as a researcher at the General Staff of the Navy. She worked there until 1953.

Later, her work was related to helping war veterans. She was also one of the members of the Association of Friendship with the Peoples of Africa, visiting many African countries more than once.

Her life and deeds became the reason that in the film "Unbroken" ("Battle for Sevastopol") so much attention was paid to the description of her image and services to the fatherland. This is not only for Sevastopol, this is a film about Lyudmila Pavlyuchenko - a woman who changed the course of history. It was she who, with her inspirational speeches, riddled with pain from combat losses, contributed to

Lyudmila Pavlyuchenko: personal life in cinema and in reality

But it should be noted that some facts from the life of this legendary man in the film are distorted. Lyudmila Pavlyuchenko is a sniper, her biography proves that the defense of the Motherland has always been the most important thing for her. In the film, personal life is put in the first place, the thoughts of the heroine revolve around love. Although in fact, in relations with Leonid Kutsenko, they were more like comrades-in-arms than lovers. Despite the fact that he really was a front-line husband for her. And a doctor named Boris is not mentioned at all in any bibliographic source.

At the end of the film, we see her with her son. The boy looks about 12 years old. Lyudmila Pavlyuchenko, whose son's family (Rostislav, his wife and daughter) were really her closest people, gave birth to him in 1932. The year of the film is 1957. He was actually 25 years old at the time.

Lyudmila simply could not have a father named Pavlyuchenko, who works in the NKVD. This is the surname of her husband, which, after a divorce from him, remained with her. By her father, she is Belova.

Memory

Until the end of her life, it was Lyudmila Pavlyuchenko who was the symbol of heroism, stamina and courage of a Russian woman. The children from whom she often spoke loved listening to her stories about the war. They gave her a slingshot, which was kept in the small museum of L. Pavlyuchenko for many years. In addition to this memorable gift, awards and souvenirs presented to Lyudmila on numerous business trips were kept there.

The grave of Pavlyuchenko Lyudmila Mikhailovna, who passed away on October 27, 1974, is located in Moscow.