The Soviet army utilized the most women on the frontlines during the war. While British and German women soldiers primarily served in support roles, women in the Soviet army were directly engaged in close combat on the frontlines.
Other nations employed their female soldiers in more behind-the-scenes roles, such as nurses, clerks, and postal workers. In contrast, the Soviets assigned important roles to women without regard to gender, actively involving them in combat. Even female snipers were part of the Soviet forces.
It is known that around one million women served in the Soviet military, with 200,000 of them earning medals for their achievements. Here are some notable Soviet women soldiers:
Lidya Litvvak
- Shot down 12 Nazi aircraft.
- Piloted a Yak-1 fighter aircraft.
- Two years after her successes, she was shot down and killed at the age of 21 by the experienced pilot Hans J. Merkle.
Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya
- A successful saboteur involved in partisan attacks on railways, trains, and supply trucks.
- Captured and tortured by the Wehrmacht.
- Executed at the age of 18.
- A statue in her honor stands in St. Petersburg.
Natalya Meklin
- A combat pilot who rose to the rank of major.
- Successfully completed 980 missions.
- Passed away in 2005 at the age of 82.
Iyudmila Pavlichenko
- A sniper who killed 309 German soldiers.
- Held a significant position among snipers.
- Was part of the Soviet delegation that visited the U.S. in 1942, where she met President Franklin Roosevelt.
- Survived the war and died of natural causes in 1974.
Alexandra Samusenko
- A tank operator who piloted a T-34 tank.
- Participated in the Soviet assault on Berlin during the final defense in 1945.
- Was injured in the fierce defense ordered by Hitler and died on March 3, 1945, just two months before Hitler’s death.
Nina Petrova
- Volunteered for the army at the age of 46.
- The oldest among the snipers.
- Killed 122 Nazi soldiers and survived the assault on Berlin.
- Died in a car accident during the May 1, 1945, celebrations.