Lyudmila Pavlyuchenko sniper biography personal life children. Granddaughter of sniper Pavlichenko: She didn’t dare come to the funeral
At the age of 27, Kiev resident Lyudmila Pavlichenko became the Hero of the Soviet Union and the first female sniper to be awarded this title during her lifetime. And also the first Soviet woman received into the White House, which is what our story will be about. Of course, she didn’t even think about this. There lived a man, went to school, worked at the Arsenal plant. In 1937, Lyudmila entered the history department of the Kyiv State University named after T. G. Shevchenko, where she did not smoke menthol cigarettes with a bottle of rum-cola, but was involved in gliding and shooting. Thus, fourth-year student Pavlichenko was always ready for work and defense, and straight from summer practice in Odessa she went to beat the invaders.
As the media unanimously report, by July 1942, it was no longer a student, but a sergeant of the 54th Infantry Regiment of the 25th Infantry Chapaev Division of the Primorsky Army, Lyudmila Pavlichenko, a participant in the battles in Moldova, the defense of Odessa and Sevastopol, who had killed 309 enemy soldiers and officers. Including 36 enemy snipers. Including, according to legend, a specialist with five hundred lives to his name. A lot, especially for a girl. 23rd place in the world in terms of performance, taking into account the fact that since 1942 Lyudmila Mikhailovna did not fight, but taught young people in the Shot courses.
Of course, among us there will be citizens who will have an idea about the unnatural nature of such activity, which will certainly develop into discussions about totalitarian education in the evil empire. According to the testimony of her partner on a trip to the USA and Great Britain in the fall of 1942, Vladimir Pchelintsev, a certain Jesse Storry took up the same issue. He outlined his impressions of communicating with Lyudmila Mikhailovna on the pages of the Canadian youth magazine New Advance: “I discovered an interesting fact that helps to better understand her anti-fascist character at breakfast in the White House, where Mrs. Roosevelt received the Canadian delegation. We were in the living room, casually talking with Mrs. Roosevelt, when she suddenly said that the day before she had received the Soviet delegation here. One of the questions Mrs. Roosevelt asked Lyudmila was: “How did she, a woman, manage to shoot at the Germans, seeing their faces at the moment of aiming? American women have a hard time understanding this!” Lieutenant Pavlichenko answered briefly: “I saw with my own eyes how my husband and my child died... I was nearby...”. This fact, it must be said, is not found in any biography.
But another fact is very well known: Lieutenant Lyudmila Pavlichenko, Senior Lieutenant Vladimir Pchelintsev and Komsomol leader Nikolai Krasavchenko fulfilled an important state mission - to shame the allies, who in every possible way avoided opening a second front. Just for the occasion, I dug up a couple more rare frames in the US Library of Congress, apparently not previously published. And as a bonus - a country song about a heroic sniper, composed by famous performer Woody Guthrie. He, like millions of ordinary Americans, was ashamed.
“A historian by training, a warrior by mentality, she fights with all the fervor of her young heart,” wrote the Krasny Chernomorets newspaper on May 3, 1942. Anyone who wants details can read the memoirs. The newspaper, surprisingly, did not lie. For a long time, after her partner Leonid Kutsenko was mortally wounded, Lyudmila went to “work” alone, until the evacuation from besieged Sevastopol. Although this often backfired on her. And in the fall of 1942, together with her colleague from the Leningrad Front, Vladimir Pchelintsev, and the propaganda secretary of the Moscow city Komsomol committee, Nikolai Krasavchenko, she went to the USA and then to England. With a propaganda trip, let's say.
From the front SVT. For work she had the usual "three"
Another photo “for the front-line newspaper”
Both companions are worthy of all attention. The son of a Kraskom who died of typhus in 1920, adopted by his mother’s second husband, an officer of the Red Army, the young man was brought up in the Spartan spirit. “In the 9th and 10th grades I do physical education and military affairs. I train at the OAH Shooting Club. I am in charge of military affairs at the school. At this time, I passed the standards for the GTO, VS, GSO, VS 2nd stage, PVHO badges. Repeatedly participated in shooting competitions. 10th grade was spent in a stubborn struggle for knowledge,” Vladimir wrote in his own hand in his autobiography. I had to fight because Pchelintsev studied in Petrozavodsk, where pests built their criminal nest. They forced young people to learn Finnish. “Only after the elimination of the enemies of the people could we study properly,” notes Vladimir, taking us into the difficult atmosphere of that time.
V. N. Pchelintsev with the rank of sergeant
Having entered the Leningrad Mining Institute to study as a geologist, he continued to shoot: from 02/22/1940 - 1st class shooter, from 03/14/1940 - Master of Sports of the USSR, from 04/27/1940 - category III shooting sports instructor. Of course, with the beginning of the war, Vladimir volunteered to join the active army, although senior students, starting from the third year, in 1941-42. had a deferment from conscription (imagine). He ended up in the 83rd fighter battalion of the NKVD, then in the 11th rifle brigade of the 8th army of the Leningrad Front. He is considered one of the “initiators” of the sniper movement. On February 6, 1942 he received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. At this time, there were 102 enemy soldiers and officers on my personal account. The total score is 456, including 14 snipers.
As for the Komsomol member, he was included in the small delegation as an inspirer and a link between Soviet and non-Soviet youth. He also had some combat experience. As journalist and writer Leonid Mlechin tells us, in 1946, Stalin received an anonymous letter to the Central Committee aimed at the leader of Moscow, Georgy Popov. Nikolai, whom the Moscow authorities had just decided to promote further, also suffered from it: “The young careerist Komsomol member Krasavchenko went to the front, was captured by the Germans, and who knows where he got his party card. By unknown means he got out from behind enemy lines. He should belong in the camps. But Popov gave him a new party card, sent him abroad as a member of the youth delegation, and then made him secretary of the MK and MGK Komsomol. ...Popov persistently sought the election of Krasavchenko at the last Komsomol congress as secretary of the Komsomol Central Committee. But even young people saw through what kind of fruit Krasavchenko was and failed him.”
Delegates in all their glory. Photo from the archives of the US Congress Library
It happened near Smolensk, where a group of Moscow youth was sent to build defensive structures. The Germans advanced so quickly that people were captured. Krasavchenko, realizing what awaited him, buried his Komsomol card, not his party card (otherwise he would have been a communist) in some barn. But when he came out to his people, he honestly told how everything had happened, and they gave him a new one. And since he was released abroad, therefore, the party and government believed his story about what happened.
And the background of the trip is that a good friend of the Soviet people, US President Franklin D. Roosevelt sent a telegram to Joseph Vissarionovich. In it, he (as always) expressed sincere sympathy for the courageous struggle of the Soviet people, spoke about the ever-increasing efforts of the allied states and about the great role of youth in the anti-fascist struggle, especially its leading part - the students. And already, as if casually, he announced that from September 2 to 5, the World Student Assembly was meeting in Washington, where the leading place should be taken by delegations of the allied powers - the USA, USSR, England and China. In general, send at least two or three delegates.
I am inclined to evaluate the ideological combination for the selection of delegates as extremely correct, which to some extent justifies the civilian suit of Comrade. Krasavchenko in difficult years for the country. The problem is obvious: the allies (primarily Great Britain) are openly pushing for a solution to a strategically important issue. Negotiations on the opening of a second front had been ongoing since June 1941, and specifically in the spring of 1942, People's Commissar Molotov flew to the USA, and then to England again on the same occasion. Everyone politely agreed, but in a letter to Stalin dated July 18, and then during negotiations with the head of the Soviet government in Moscow in August 1942, Churchill announced England’s refusal to open a second front in Europe in 1942. “This was also confirmed on behalf of the President F. Roosevelt and the US Ambassador to Moscow A. Harriman, who was present at the negotiations between W. Churchill and J.V. Stalin,” this is the information that can be gleaned from the pages of the publication “The Great Patriotic War. Questions and Answers.”
For a PR campaign in order to process public opinion in the dynamic countries, young and beautiful white people of the Caucasian race were chosen, representing the two main fraternal Slavic peoples and having a specific result. After the destruction of the airfields in 1941, things were still a bit tight with the pilots, the sailors and tank crews were also lagging behind, and in general things at the front were rubbish - it was not possible to recapture Kharkov, the landings near Kerch and Feodosia failed, the Germans were rushing to Stalingrad. And here, personally, with their own hands, 411 fascists were killed between them. Living Hero of the Soviet Union. Moreover, who came out with him to the American and English public? A weak girl, and already with the Order of Lenin, by the way! Moreover, Pavlichenko fought from the very beginning and was a unique phenomenon in her own way.
At the People's Commissariat for Foreign Affairs, Pchelintsev and Pavlichenko quickly resolved the clothing issue. In particular, the general's uniform was altered to fit. I can’t say for sure, but the lady was awarded the rank of junior lieutenant before the trip. And this can also be explained purely logically: it’s not like just a sergeant will represent a huge country! Again, a strange relationship of subordination: Pchelintsev was already a senior lieutenant. He recalled that the form was sorted out literally within a day.
Jr. Lieutenant Pavlichenko in a magnificent cap.
“Having tried mine on, I was pleased - everything fit. The general's buttonholes disappeared, and now in their place were sewn crimson infantry buttonholes with gilded edging, and three shiny ruby “cubes” and infantry emblems were attached to them. Gold chevrons are sewn on the sleeves - three gold stripes with a break. From his tunic he hung the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal. Lyudmila Pavlichenko also looked good in the uniform of a junior lieutenant with the Order of Lenin and the medal “For Military Merit.” They showed up in uniform to Mikhailov (First Secretary of the Komsomol Central Committee - TS). He liked our costumes. To our “regalia”, on behalf of the Deputy People’s Commissar of Defense, Colonel-General Shchadenko, he added two more modest awards - the gilded “Sniper” and “Guard” badges,” he recalled. They also gave out stylish “bottle” boots. I cannot remain silent: the presentation of guards badges in this case was pure window dressing, especially since the 25th Chapaev Division, in which Pavlichenko served, died in July 1942 and was by that time officially disbanded.
But for the Americans and the British this was completely unimportant; they did not understand Soviet military uniforms. But in terms of appearance, it was a winning move. The Guard is the Guard. And the trip across the USA, Canada and then the UK was extremely successful. Every time in a new place, guests from the fighting country of the Soviets felt the inexhaustible interest of the public. Literally from the first day, about which the hardworking Pchelintsev left a similar report. In addition to the daily report, he very colorfully described his sniper talents and somehow very noticeably rubbed Lyudmila - either she refuses to shoot (they were asked to do this all the time), then she gets fat from beer, or in general it turns out that she doesn’t exist.
At the Consulate in Washington
“Today is August 27th. It was 5:30, and no wonder we had difficulty getting up. But there was no time to idle. In just a few minutes our express arrived in Washington. At 5.45 he made the last turn of the wheels and stopped under the arches of the capital's station. It was dark, gloomy, there was a slight haze and dampness in the air. Imagine our surprise when, looking out the window, we saw many people greeting us on the platform. However, at that moment we were more occupied not with contemplating the crowd on the platform, but with the thought that we had finally arrived in Washington - the goal of our journey. We arrived on the 14th day of the journey, leaving several thousand kilometers behind. Whatever you say, this is impressive and remains forever in the memory,” writes Pchelintsev. And they stayed overnight in the White House, under the tutelage of Eleanor Roosevelt, whom they later spoke of with great feeling.
Gift photo of Eleanor Roosevelt. From the archive of V. Pchelintsev.
With officials. Even the gloomy Pchelintsev noted Lyudmila’s ability to make others laugh
And here is the TASS message from August 30: “In a conversation with journalists, Krasavchenko asked them to convey greetings to American youth and the entire American people from the Soviet people fighting at the front against the Nazi hordes. Krasavchenko briefly described the diverse participation of Soviet youth in the fight against the aggressor. He expressed the hope that the stay of the Soviet delegation in the United States would strengthen the friendship of American and Soviet youth and that the active participation in the war of the youth of all united countries would accelerate the final victory over Hitlerism. Lyudmila Pavlichenko conveyed fighting greetings from Soviet women to American women and spoke about the selfless work of Soviet women, inspired by hatred of the enemy. Pchelintsev spoke about the art of the sniper and concluded: “We can and will win. Stalin said so, so it will be.”
With Ambassador of the Soviet Union to the USA M. M. Litvinov
The program of the visit was extremely eventful - we traveled all over the country, met with students, trade unions, labor collectives and even the Furriers Association. Almost everywhere - with constant success. Here is what Vladimir Nikolaevich reports on this matter:
“By the end of the meeting, the ministers, already out of breath, bring paper sheets to the presidium and hand them over to us: “I don’t like communists, and all Russians are communists! I came here out of curiosity to see what kind of people you are? To be honest, I liked you! Please accept it from me.” a small amount and buy yourself a gift of your choice - in memory of this meeting" - signature. Here, on a narrow form, is a check. The first time, I remember, I turned it around in front of me in bewilderment and asked the translator:
What it is? He smiled:
Congratulations! This is a bearer check for one thousand dollars. A gift, as you can see from the note, you can give yourself a rich one!
As we stayed in America, we received more and more such bank checks. Of course, it never occurred to us to spend it on ourselves. In addition, we received a lot of checks that went to the aid fund, either for “Soviet Russia”, or for the “Red Army”, or for the “second front”. And so it happened that we began to attach “our” personal checks to all the others and transfer them wholesale to the embassy to M. M. Litvinov. The total amount soon reached an impressive size, on the order of several hundred thousand dollars!”
This is understandable, since snipers had examples from life, and corresponding texts were prepared for them. In particular, Luda. “Lyudmila spoke before the International Student Assembly in Washington, before the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO), as well as in New York, but many people remember her speech in Chicago.
Gentlemen,” a ringing voice rang out over the crowd of thousands of people gathered. - I am twenty five years old. At the front, I had already managed to destroy three hundred and nine fascist invaders. Don't you think, gentlemen, that you've been hiding behind my back for too long?! The crowd froze for a minute, and then exploded into a frenzied noise of approval....”
This is how numerous sources describe the most poignant moment of the trip, without, however, providing a link to the original source. We won't give it either.
It should be noted that Soviet snipers (and Komsomol members) traveled across the USA and Canada not alone, but together with representatives of other allies, specially selected by the American International Students Service committee. Traveling around the eastern states were Pavlichenko, the Chinese Yun-Wan (a former actress, a friend of Chiang Kai-shek’s wife, a student at Columbia University), Irena Morrey, the leader of the Washington ISS Committee, British pilots Peter Cachran and Scott Malden, as well as “representative of Holland Abdul Kadir, a native of Dutch West Indies". On the western side - Pchelintsev with Krasavchenko in the company of two more British pilots and a Dutch naval lieutenant.
In the middle - Captain Peter Cachran, Scotsman . Photofrom a book you know.
The delegation is almost in full strength. From the archive of V. Pchelintsev.
Pchelintsev cites an interesting episode about American democracy in connection with a visit to Pittsburgh, where one morning in a hotel corridor he met two policemen. “From his explanation, I understood that Pittsburgh is a special city in America: it is a city in which the overwhelming majority of the population are immigrants from Germany, Germans! Many in the city do not hide their sympathies for Hitler, they admire the successes of Hitler’s army on the Eastern Front, they hate Russians; there are many fascist thugs in the city. They learned from the press that there were two Russians in the youth delegation that came to the city. And all the newspapers are talking about the fact that one of them was a sniper who exterminated one and a half hundred of their compatriots! The reaction of the fascist elements is understandable, their unequivocal threats to “deal with the Russians” - that’s even how it happened.
The Furriers' Association kindly presented the envoys of the Red Army with bear jackets and another fur coat made from silver foxes.
And at the end of September, when the program was exhausted, the USSR Consul in the USA, Viktor Fedyushin, said that it was still too early to go home, since Prime Minister Churchill personally sent an invitation to visit Great Britain. “You must, my dears, correctly understand that your stay in America and your trip around the country brought enormous benefits that are difficult to overestimate. It would not be an exaggeration to say that in some matters the attitude towards us has now radically changed in the United States. Many issues are being resolved quickly and favorably, which until recently had to be resolved for weeks, or even months. “I’ll tell you a small “official secret” - Maxim Maksimovich Litvinov recently said at an embassy meeting in Washington that your youth delegation was an unexpected catalyst that accelerated and intensified many processes of Soviet diplomatic activity in the United States,” the consul admonished the snipers.
Farewell party at Hunter College, organized by a certain "Russian war relief". The second front is what we expect from you, gentlemen Americans, and you are talking about milk...”, Pchelintsev responded irritably about the slogan.
Running through the visit in italics, we will only say that Churchill received them personally, the snipers were given a visit to military units, presented with rifles, and at the end a meeting was organized with Charles de Gaulle. Everyone assured that the opening of a second front was not far off, everyone was ready and it was just a matter of time. And old de Gaulle boasted that his pilots are ready to fight fascism - just give them planes. The talk, of course, was about the future “Normandy-Niemen”. Well, and of course, meetings with working people.
I wonder what she has in her hand? She told De Gaulle that snipers don't smoke
“She was enthusiastically greeted by the workers of the plant she visited. At a rally in London, organized on November 22, 1942 by the Women’s Committee of Anglo-Soviet Friendship in honor of Pavlichenko, English women promised to be worthy of their Soviet sisters,” says the official website of the Russian Ministry of Defense on this occasion, which has not lost the sparkling style of the editorials of the formidable 40- x years.
I’m making a note to you, comrade Englishman. Your weapon hasn't been cleaned for a long time
Senior Lieutenant Pchelintsev did not like Uncle Winston. “The descendant of the Duke of Marlborough studied the officer standing in front of him. One thing the prime minister did not know was that before him there was also a descendant who, like himself, was proud of his pedigree, although it spoke of my common origin from a distant ancestor, a forest beekeeper, a “beekeeper.” But my great-grandfather died in Bulgaria, near Shipka, in 1877 in a battle with the Turks. Grandfather died in 1905 near Mukden, in Manchuria, in a battle with the Japanese. His father also laid down his head in 1920 near Kursk in the battle with the White Guards,” these are the thoughts that were born in his head with the limp handshake of the legendary prime minister and the terry anti-Soviet.
Let's talk about the results: interest in the Soviet Union and the war it waged single-handedly against all of Europe grew sharply. Of course, the Battle of Stalingrad played a key role in this, but Soviet snipers (and Komsomol members) gave an ironclad information lead. For example, American radio began to include stories about life in the USSR in national and local broadcasts and reported details of the heroic struggle of Soviet soldiers and partisans.
The British are boasting about tanks that are “about to go across the strait.” The overcoats are sewn to order through the efforts of Ambassador Maisky, the buttons and buttonholes are made-to-measure.
In November 1942, the newly created US Office of Information organized weekly radio broadcasts dedicated to the Soviet Union. And in 1942, I will tell you, in America there were more than 28 million radio points, which covered 82.8% of the entire population of the country. The Soviet documentary film “The Defeat of the Germans near Moscow” was shown in cinemas in Great Britain and the USA. In general, the public was very much in favor of helping the allies. But the second front was eventually opened when the collapse of Germany was obvious. But the famous film about the lost private will tell you about this better than I can.
And if I’m lying, then old man Woody Harty’s song “Miss Pavlichenko” does not at all resemble the deceitful fabrication of the Kremlin secret services. There are heartfelt lines in it: “The world will love your sweet face, just like me. After all, more than three hundred Nazi dogs died from your weapons.” What's it like?
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova is a Russian tennis player, international master of sports. She has 12 victories in WTA tournaments. At one time, the tennis player managed to become the first racket of the world in the junior rankings.
Nastya was born in 1991 in Samara. Her parents are professional athletes: her mother was a swimmer, her father was a rower. Anastasia has a brother, Alexander.
It is noteworthy that the Pavlyuchenkovs are a sports dynasty, where Nastya and Sasha are already the third generation. Their grandmother was a professional basketball player, and their grandfather worked as a basketball referee. But the younger Pavlyuchenkovs did not choose any of the sports that their family practiced. They preferred tennis, in which Anastasia reached considerable heights.
Nastya first picked up a racket at the age of 6. At the initial stage, she was trained by her mother, an amateur tennis player. Then brother Sasha played with Nastya.
Tennis
The sports biography of Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova achieved its first successes when the girl turned 14 years old. She managed to win the doubles tournament of the International Tennis Federation. A year later, Nastya was the leader in singles. Soon Pavlyuchenkova was named the first racket among athletes in the youth category.
When her daughter turned 16, her parents realized that Anastasia had a brilliant sports future. But in order to move on without stopping, she needs to seriously improve her level of skill under the guidance of a professional mentor. So the 16-year-old girl ended up in France, where Patrick Mutorgla became her coach.
According to unconfirmed information, Anastasia’s parents sold the car and moved to a smaller apartment in order to pay for their daughter’s expensive stay and training abroad. Pavlyuchenkova worked with experienced coaches not only in France, but also in England. Looking ahead, let’s say that since 2013, the famous Martina Hingis has been preparing it.
The results of training under the guidance of world-famous mentors began to bear fruit since 2005. We can say that Nastya found herself in professional sports this year. And since 2007, she managed to win 10 victories in prestigious ITF tournaments in a short time.
Pavlyuchenkova has 9 Women's Tennis Association titles. And according to the results of the games in 2011 and 2013, Anastasia became a finalist of the Fed Cup and entered the top 20 best world tennis players in the WTA ranking.
Winner of the Kremlin Cup 2014 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova In the summer of 2013, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova showed excellent results at the XXVII World Universiade in Kazan. For this she received a certificate of honor from the President of the Russian Federation. In 2014, the girl won the Kremlin Cup. A year later, Pavlyuchenkova was one step away from first place at the tournament in Washington, losing to Sloane Stephens in the final. In 2016, the tennis player competed at the Olympic Games in Rio, where she lost to Monica Puig.
Sports journalists, watching the athlete play, claim that Nastya feels comfortable on the back line of the clay court. And her signature shot is a forehand down the line.
Personal life
It is not surprising that an athlete of such a high level lives on an extremely busy schedule, with very little time for entertainment and relaxation. For now, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova’s personal life is about her family and friends, of whom the girl has many. Nastya is an open and sociable person. This is evidenced by her accounts on social networks - “ Instagram" And " Twitter", where there are photos of the tennis player with close people and colleagues.
The girl is passionate about football, which she loves to watch live, at the stadium, surrounded by a large group of her favorite friends. The tennis player also loves movies, and is not limited to watching one specific genre. Nastya can be seen at fashion shows in the capital, which she attends if she comes to Moscow.
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova now
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova is in good professional shape. According to the Russian singles rankings at the end of 2017, the tennis player took 15th place.
In April 2018, Pavlyuchenkova participated in the WTA tournament in Stuttgart. The girl managed to make it to the quarterfinals thanks to her victory over American Madison Keys in the first round and over Spaniard Garbine Muguruza in the second. The Russian lost the quarterfinals to Estonian Anett Kontaveit.
Anastasia spent the second half of May 2018 on the courts of the International Tennis Tournament in Strasbourg. The tennis player from Russia successfully competed in the first and second rounds, where she fought with German Tatyana Maria and compatriot Natalya Vikhlyantseva. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova's opponent in the quarterfinals was Zarina Diyas from Kazakhstan. The match ended with a score of 6:4; 6:2 in favor of the Russian. In the semi-finals, the girl played a match against Australian Ashleigh Barty and beat her with a score of 6:4, 1:0.
In the final of the competition, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova met with her opponent from Slovakia, Dominika Cibulkova. The girls did not want to give victory to each other. As a result, the match, which commentators called “hellish,” lasted for 3.5 hours. Pavlyuchenkova won by a points margin. The tournament became the 12th competition won in Pavlyuchenkova’s career. The girl received $43 thousand for winning.
Without slowing down, Anastasia headed to the French Roland Garros, which began on May 27 in Paris. But her performance at the Grand Slam tournament turned out to be unsuccessful for the Russian. The tennis player won the first round match against Polona Hercog from Slovenia. At the next match, she fought with Australian tennis player Samantha Stosur, who beat Anastasia with a score of 6:2, 7:6 (7:1). A loss could have a negative impact on the Russian woman’s WTA ranking. Now she occupies 28th position according to the updated version dated May 28, 2018. Anastasia was even ahead of, which was only 30th.
Awards
- 2006, 2007 – victory at the Australian Open
- 2006 – victory at the US Open
- 2013 – gold and silver medals at the Universiade in Kazan
As a rule, every publication dedicated to Soviet snipers of the Great Patriotic War mentions the legendary female sniper Lyudmila Pavlichenko. Well, of course - Hero of the Soviet Union! She has 309 destroyed fascist invaders! It would seem that there can be no doubt about her exploits. However, upon careful examination of her combat biography, many things will seem, to put it mildly, rather strange. However, let's start in order.
So, according to Pavlichenko’s biographical descriptions, she began to fight near Odessa on August 6 or 10, 1941 as part of the 54th Razin Rifle Regiment of the famous 25th Chapaev Rifle Division, and killed her first two enemies in the battle near Belyaevka. True, already here doubts arise about the reliability of the information, since the 54th regiment from August 6, throughout the entire month, acted as part of the battle group of Colonel Monakhov in the Eastern sector of the defense of Odessa, mainly in the Gildendorf area (where the village of Kotovsky is now located ).
It is curious that, according to some articles on the Internet, Pavlichenko fought not in a simple unit, but as part of a sniper platoon, whose commander was 23-year-old Lieutenant Vasily Kovtun. In the same platoon there was allegedly another female sniper from Odessa, Genya Golovataya, who was also “famous for her well-aimed shots.” As some sources report, one day “the Germans sent their sniper platoon against Kovtun’s platoon. Apparently, they decided to quickly deal with the Soviet riflemen. The massive duel lasted for several hours, Kovtun’s platoon lost more than half.” At the same time, our snipers, naturally, “killed” most of the “German snipers.” However, this “mass duel” raises great doubts, since only Romanian units took part in the battles near Odessa, and on the German side - only one infantry regiment and several small artillery units. In addition, neither the Germans nor the Romanians had snipers at all at that time, much less sniper units.
In general, as it was customary to say then, “the fame of our snipers thundered along the entire front,” and the most famous one, Lyudmila Pavlichenko, “who shot 187 fascists on the outskirts of Odessa,” was known not only to the defenders of the city, but also to the enemies who “ They were terribly afraid of her.” However, despite such great fame, Pavlichenko, for some reason, was not awarded for a long time, although several Decrees of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR were issued on awarding the defenders of Odessa with orders and medals.
In all Decrees, in the long lists of those awarded, there are many actual heroes of battles - commanders, pilots, artillerymen, machine gunners, anti-aircraft gunners, Red Army soldiers, Red Navy men... Let us note, however, that orders and medals were also awarded to many persons who clearly did not go into bayonet attacks and even never not holding weapons. Among them are cooks and bakers, production managers, clerks and draftsmen of headquarters, translators, propaganda instructors, executive secretaries of divisional party committees, editors and deputy editors of newspapers, typists and telephone operators, artists of front-line brigades, military lawyers and NKVD investigators (well, how could we be without them!)... However, , in this case we are of little interest in how, for example, the artist Steinberg received the Order of the Red Star, how the telephone operator Kulchitskaya and the bread delivery man Blyakher earned medals “For Military Merit,” or how and for what many others received awards. Who knows, maybe they really accomplished some feats? However, we are extremely interested in why the name of sniper Lyudmila Pavlichenko is not on the list of awardees. After all, all the media claim that in the battles for Odessa, Pavlichenko destroyed as many as 187 enemy soldiers and officers! And this - in just two and a half months! No Soviet sniper had such a fantastic achievement at that time. Yes, for such a combat score, any sniper would have been nominated for the title of Hero long ago! However, we repeat, neither the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, nor any order, nor even the medal “For Military Merit”, which sometimes was awarded even for such dubious “feats” as “hardworking to the point of illness for one’s work” or “takes part in the social and political life of the unit”, Pavlichenko did not receive it then. In the Decrees on awards there is neither the name of the deceased sniper platoon commander Vasily Kovtun, nor Marchenko who replaced him, nor the “legendary” Genya Golovataya, nor anyone else from the “sniper platoon” in which Pavlichenko served. Naturally, the question arises - why? After all, some of the distinguished snipers of other units received their well-deserved awards. Thus, Red Army soldier V.F. Shapovalov and Red Navy soldier N.I. Shvaronok were awarded the Order of the Red Banner. The award documents also describe the exploits of these snipers. For example, it is said about Shapovalov that he “doesn’t throw a single cartridge without hitting the target and kills from 27 to 40 fascists every day.” So, in the battles of September 13, 1941, Shapovalov destroyed 80 enemy soldiers, and on September 15 - another 50 (although, to be honest, these figures are very doubtful! ). Apparently, Shvaronok also shot accurately: for example, on September 18 he shot 40 enemies...
The medal "For Courage" was awarded to Red Navy sniper A.P. Terin. Sniper Corporal P. M. Tutashvili was also nominated for the same medal, although for some reason he did not receive it. The sniper of the 25th division N.D. Suchkov, who, having fired 95 shots, destroyed 85 fascists, was also nominated for an award. Why, after all, did not the political instructors and commanders present the “thunderstorm of the fascists” Pavlichenko for the award? Is it because few people believed in the 187 fascist soldiers and officers she “killed”?
When leaving Odessa, on October 16, 1941, the 25th division, in which Pavlichenko served, was transferred to Crimea. Here, defending Sevastopol, Pavlichenko “killed 72 more fascists” with her sniper rifle by March 16, 1942, i.e. Pavlichenko's combat tally had already reached 260 killed enemies, including almost 30 German snipers. Incredible record! The successes of many famous Soviet snipers who have already been awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, such as I. D. Vezhlivtsev, P. I. Golichenkov, A. A. Kalinin, S. P. Loskutov, V. N. Pchelintsev, F. A Smolyachkov and others were much more modest: only 100 to 155 fascist warriors were destroyed. And Lyudmila Pavlichenko, who far surpassed all other Soviet snipers, “Symbol of the Defense of Sevastopol”, still has no awards. How so? Strange, very strange...
And only on April 24, 1942 she was given... no, not the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, but... just a medal “For Military Merit”! Together with her, this medal was awarded to several other Sevastopol snipers, whose combat count did not exceed 20-30 incapacitated enemies. How so? She, the most productive of the Soviet snipers, “with whose name Soviet soldiers went into battle,” was so depersonalized and “equated” with novice shooters?!
Apparently, there were serious doubts about the veracity of Pavlichenko’s combat account, for example, regarding her successes in the fight against enemy snipers. And, by the way, she herself involuntarily confirms this with one of her statements: “...German snipers taught me a lot, and their science was beneficial. Sometimes they would catch me and pin me to the ground. Well, I shout: “Machine gunners, save me!” And until they fire a couple of bursts from a machine gun, I cannot get out of the fire. And the bullets are whistling above my ear all the time and land literally next to me, but not at me.
What did I learn from the German snipers? They taught me, first of all, how to put a helmet on a stick so that you could think that it was a person. I used to do this: I see a Fritz standing there. “Well,” I think, “mine!” I shoot, but it turns out I only hit the helmet. It even got to the point where she fired several shots and still didn’t realize that it wasn’t a person. Sometimes I even lost all self-control. And while you’re shooting, they discover you and start giving a “concert.” Here we had to be patient. They also set up mannequins; standing just like a living Fritz, you also open fire. There were cases here that not only snipers, but also artillerymen were subjected to this.”
Well, as they say, no comments. In fairness, it should be noted that the number of “enemy soldiers and officers destroyed” by other Sevastopol snipers was also highly doubtful. The declared successes of snipers amazed every imagination, reaching 100 or more per day (a record number - “173 shot fascists” - was counted to snipers on May 2). And, for example, in April 1942, the snipers of Sevastopol were credited with 1,492 fascists killed by them. However, in reality, the German 11th Army lost only 458 people killed and 50 missing, as well as 1,865 wounded in the entire Crimea this month. Let us note, by the way, that enemy troops suffered losses mainly from artillery and mortar fire, and losses from snipers, according to statistics, amounted to no more than 5-10 percent...
In addition to describing Pavlichenko’s combat activities, we will also mention some very important facts in the life of a female sniper: her wounds, concussions and other cases of “temporary incapacity for combat.” So, she received her first concussion at the very beginning of her time at the front, in August 1941, during an air raid. Fortunately, the concussion was minor and Pavlichenko remained in the regiment. The second concussion from a shell explosion, around August 10-11, turned out to be more serious with partial hearing loss, and Pavlichenko ended up in the Odessa hospital for three weeks. And Pavlichenko received her first wound in the head (the shrapnel went tangentially) in a battle near the village of Tatarka on October 12, 1941, after which she ended up in the medical battalion of the 25th Infantry Division. Together with the medical battalion, Pavlichenko was evacuated to Crimea on the motor ship “Jean Zhores”. After treatment, she returned to the regiment only on November 9, 1941, that is, she did not take part in battles for almost a month. Pavlichenko received a second, more serious wound and concussion near the Mekenzia farmstead near Sevastopol, approximately on December 19, 1941. Then a shell fragment hit her in the right shoulder near the shoulder blade and another sniper, 36-year-old junior lieutenant Alexei Kitsenko, who later became her front-line husband, pulled her out of the battlefield. This serious injury cost Pavlichenko at least another month in the hospital. But for the longest period of time she was incapacitated by the death of her beloved, whose arm was torn off by a shrapnel before Pavlichenko’s eyes, after which he died on March 4, 1942. The nervous shock experienced by Pavlichenko was so strong that her hands began to tremble, and there could be no talk of using her as a sniper. Taking all this into account, the command sent Pavlichenko on a long leave to improve her health, where she remained until the very end of May 1942, that is, she was not on the front line for three months. She received a third wound and another concussion on June 16, 1942, when she was at the headquarters of the 54th regiment, which was targeted by German heavy artillery. At the same time, a shell fragment cut Pavlichenko’s right cheek on the cheekbone and tore off his right earlobe. Once again in the medical battalion, she, along with other wounded, was taken on June 19 on the L-4 submarine from Sevastopol to Novorossiysk. Pavlichenko never had the chance to go to the front again.
It is not difficult to calculate that out of the eleven months of service as a sniper Pavlichenko, she spent almost half of them not in sniper ambushes, but in a hospital bed. In addition, let’s not forget that Pavlichenko was a woman and, like any other woman, was out of action for several days every month, as they say, for purely “female reasons.” It turns out that she destroyed three hundred enemy soldiers and officers in just 5 - 6 months. How such a fantastic result could be achieved in such an extremely short period of time cannot be explained by any sane person even slightly knowledgeable in military affairs.
In total, as we see, Pavlichenko was wounded three times and shell-shocked four times, that is, she repeatedly “shed blood for the Motherland.” But even for this, none of the male commanders, for some reason, considered it necessary to present Pavlichenko, at that time another of the rare female snipers, for a worthy reward.
The defense of Sevastopol ended in a huge disaster for the city’s defenders: almost one hundred thousand people were killed or captured. This tragedy became a huge moral shock for the entire Soviet people. In order to somehow smooth out the unpleasant impression of defeat, all the media of that time began to talk about the “massive and unprecedented heroism of the defenders of Sevastopol,” which inflicted “enormous losses on the Nazi troops.”
It should be noted here that by that time, not only in the Sevastopol area, but also on the entire Soviet-German front, the Red Army had suffered catastrophically huge losses in manpower and, naturally, was in dire need of replenishment. However, there were no longer enough men, so it was decided to recruit women into the army en masse. The country needed heroines whose exploits would inspire Soviet women to voluntarily join the ranks of the Active Army. The image of the martyr Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya had already faded considerably by that time. In addition, her burning of stables and residential buildings (with all the ensuing consequences for civilians and unfortunate horses!), from the point of view of universal morality, was, to put it mildly, not very attractive. We needed the names of new heroines. It was then that they finally remembered the “thunderstorm of the fascists” and, two weeks after the fall of Sevastopol, on July 16, 1942, Senior Sergeant Pavlichenko was awarded the Order of Lenin.
Let us recall that at that time Pavlichenko had 309 enemies “shot” by her, and, as we calculated, in less than six months! Let us especially emphasize that none of the Soviet snipers had such effectiveness, neither before nor after Pavlichenko. Why wasn’t she given the Hero’s Gold Star for this phenomenal record? After all, they awarded another Sevastopol sniper, Sergeant Major N.P. Adamiya, the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, although he had about 200 fascists in his combat record? By the way, Adamia not only shot accurately, but also trained more than 80 soldiers in sniper work. And for some reason, the platoon commander, senior sergeant Pavlichenko, never taught any of her subordinates the art of a sniper. Another Sevastopol sniper, Corporal I. I. Bogatyr, had only about 75 enemies, however, he also received the title of Hero. What about Pavlichenko?! Apparently, the command believed that she had not yet “earned” the Gold Star. However, the career of the “best Soviet sniper” was just beginning...
Already being treated in a hospital in Novorossiysk, she received a sudden call to Moscow, to the GPU of the Red Army. The Main Political Directorate, having far-reaching propaganda plans, began to actively “work” with the newly minted candidate for heroine. Soon, after appropriate processing, Pavlichenko was sent to England, the USA and Canada as a member of the “people's embassy” in August 1942, where she began to publicly shame our allies for not wanting to open a second front. It is curious that Pavlichenko, like another member of the delegation, also our famous sniper Hero of the Soviet Union V.N. Pchelintsev (by that time he had 144 killed Germans) was constantly asked to show his skill in shooting. And, if Pchelintsev willingly demonstrated his skill, Pavlichenko always stubbornly refused to shoot. Of course, one could attribute this to female coquetry, but, most likely, Pavlichenko was terrified of simply “missing the mark”...
It is interesting that Western reporters, greedy for the sensational headlines of their articles, called Pavlichenko nothing more than “Miss Colt”, “Lady Death”, “Bolshevik Valkyrie” and endowed her with other loud epithets. Already in our time, after the release of the pretentious film “Unbroken” (“Battle for Sevastopol”), our writers and journalists, no less susceptible to exalted headlines, began to call Pavlichenko nothing more than “The Woman Who Changed the Course of History.” Apparently, out of great intelligence, they believe that if Pavlichenko had not made her crowning speech in America about the gentlemen hiding behind her back, then the second front in Europe would never have opened. In general, in their opinion, it turns out that it was not such leaders as Stalin, Hitler, Roosevelt and Churchill who changed the course of history, but a simple senior sergeant...
Soviet political leaders were satisfied with Pavlichenko's almost year-long tour of the Allied countries as an agitator. First, on June 3, 1943, she was awarded the rank of lieutenant, and soon after returning from abroad, by a separate Order to the troops of the North Caucasus Front dated October 23, 1943 (almost a year and a half after the end of the battles for Sevastopol!), she was finally , awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union (“Golden Star” No. 1218). Then, on May 15, 1944, another promotion in rank followed and Pavlichenko became a senior lieutenant. In general, the career was made and Pavlichenko’s reputation as the best sniper among women was firmly established...
Perhaps the oddities in Pavlichenko’s combat biography are an exception? Well, let’s remember that, as they write on the Internet, along with Pavlichenko, the 25th Chapaev Division included sniper Genya Golovataya, as they say, “originally from Odessa.” Now Genya Solomonovna (Samoilovna) under the surname Peretyatko lives in the United States of America. It is very interesting what they write about her on many Internet sites: “...Having gone to the front at the age of 18 as a professional sniper and taking part in fierce battles, Genya made an invaluable contribution to the victory of the Soviet people over Nazi Germany. During the war years, she destroyed one and a half hundred reptiles. Recipient of many orders. Now she is one of the most honored veterans of the Great Patriotic War in the Russian-speaking community of New York.” Although, we note, there are absolutely no documentary details about her combat activities in the battles for Odessa. And, most importantly, despite the 148 “bastards she killed,” which Genya likes to talk about in her numerous interviews, there are no award documents for the “holder of many orders” either. Apparently, this is why, as one of her fellow tribesmen in Brighton Beach writes, “at the end of the 70s, Genya Peretyatko left a not very grateful country” and moved to the States for permanent residence. She was probably offended that there were no award documents for her...
Many Internet sites also mention the mysterious female sniper Libo Rugo or Lyuba Rugova. Who is she, where did she come from, where did she fight, in what units? Nothing is known! There is only scanty information that she was only 20 years old, and she “destroyed” neither more nor less - 242 or as many as 275 fascists! However, it is in vain to look for her name among the Heroes of the Soviet Union, among those awarded orders or at least medals. And in numerous literature devoted to the events of the Great Patriotic War, a sniper with that name is also not mentioned. And all because this is an obvious myth, or someone’s outright lie.
No less mysterious are the female snipers Ekaterina Zhdanova and Tari Vutchinnik, who have exactly 155 “killed” each. As with Libo Rugo, there is absolutely no other information about them. So where did they come from? It turns out that these names were named by a certain Hasso G. Stakhov in his book “Tragedy on the Neva. An eyewitness account", published in Munich in 2001. Is it possible to believe the opus of this “eyewitness” “Herr Hasso G. Stakhov”, especially considering that among the thousands of books about the war published in our country, these names are not mentioned anywhere and, of course, no award documents for these female snipers either No?
We must honestly admit that serious doubts are raised not only by the successes of some famous female snipers, but also by male snipers. For example, the successes of the most successful Soviet sniper Mikhail Ilyich Surkov, who accounted for as many as 702 (!) killed fascists, but who, for some reason, was never awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. But this is a topic for a separate study...
100 years ago, on July 12, 1916, Lyudmila Pavlichenko was born - the most successful female sniper in world history, who had 309 confirmed fatal hits on enemy soldiers and officers, for which she received the nickname “Lady Death.”
Lyudmila Pavlichenko, the most prolific female sniper of World War II, had to face misunderstanding during a visit to the United States, where she was nicknamed “Lady Death.” But American reporters, greedy for sensation, expecting to see a “killing machine” in female form, discovered that in front of them was an ordinary young woman who had suffered terrible trials that failed to break her will.
She was so sweet and friendly. Looking at Lyudmila Pavlichenko, it was impossible to imagine that she was an experienced sniper, who had killed hundreds of Wehrmacht soldiers and officers...
Once on the front line, Lyudmila Pavlichenko could not bring herself to shoot a man. How is this even possible?! The first fight took away all the sentiment. The young neighbor, sitting nearby in the trench, suddenly jerked, spreading his arms, and fell on his back.
"He was a beautiful happy boy who was killed right in front of my eyes,- Lyudmila later recalled. - Now nothing could stop me."
Lyudmila Belova was born on July 12, 1916 in the city of Belaya Tserkov, Kyiv province of the Russian Empire. Pavlichenko's mother was an English teacher. Father is an NKVD major. Until the age of 14 she studied at secondary school No. 3 in the city of Bila Tserkva.
Ordinary life was changed by first love, which ended in early marriage and the birth of a son, Rostislav, who was born when Lyuda was only 16 years old. Having met 25-year-old student Alexei Pavlichenko at a dance at the age of 15, the naive schoolgirl simply lost her head. And when the tall handsome man departed in an unknown direction, she still had no idea how this would turn out for her. My mother was the first to notice her rounded belly. That same evening, Lyuda confessed to her parents about her relationship with Pavlichenko. Finding him and forcing him to marry his deceived daughter was not difficult for NKVD Major Mikhail Belov. But you won’t be nice by force. Although Lyudmila married Alexei Pavlichenko in 1932, this did not save her from gossip. As a result, the family moved to Kyiv. Quarrels, reproaches, scandals - a short marriage led to mutual hatred, and then to divorce. Lyudmila returned to live with her parents. Having bore the surname Belova as a girl, after the divorce Lyudmila retained the surname Pavlichenko - it was under this name that, without exaggeration, the whole world recognized her.
The status of a single mother at such a tender age did not frighten Luda - after the ninth grade she began studying at evening school, while simultaneously working as a grinder at the Kiev Arsenal plant. Relatives and friends helped raise little Rostislav.
In 1937, Lyudmila Pavlichenko entered the history department of Taras Shevchenko Kyiv State University. Like most students of the anxious pre-war period, Lyuda was preparing, “if there was war tomorrow,” to fight for the Motherland. The girl was involved in gliding and shooting sports, showing very good results.
Historians and experts who have studied the military exploits of Lyudmila Pavlichenko are inclined to think that she owes her military victories to her amazing abilities. It is believed that the girl had a special eye structure that allowed her to see a little more than others.
In addition, Pavlichenko had a keen ear and amazing intuition; in some incomprehensible way she felt the forest, the wind, and the rain. She also knew ballistic tables from memory, with the help of which she calculated the distance to an object.
In the summer of 1941, fourth-year student Lyudmila Pavlichenko underwent pre-graduation internship at a scientific library in Odessa. The topic of the future diploma has already been chosen - the reunification of Ukraine with Russia. Eh, who then could have imagined that the paths of Russia and Ukraine would diverge?
When the war began, Lyuda immediately went to the military registration and enlistment office, presented documents about her rifle training, and asked to be sent to the front. According to the specialty she received, the girl was enlisted as a sniper in the 25th Rifle Division named after Chapaev. The soldiers, who had already sniffed the gunpowder, smiled bitterly: “It falls to us for nuts, why did they send a woman to such hell?”
The company commander was more restrained, but did not hide his skeptical attitude towards the newcomer. Especially when she was taken out of the trench in a state of shock after the German attack. He waited until the girl came to her senses, and then led her to the parapet and asked: “Do you see the Germans? There are two Romanians next to them - can you shoot them?!” Pavlichenko shot both of them, after which all the commander’s questions disappeared.
War is not the best place for love. But times don't choose. Lyuda Pavlichenko was 25 years old, and the thirst for life desperately argued with death triumphant around her. In war, when your nerves are strained to the limit, and the closest and dearest is the one who helps you survive, this happens. For Lyudmila, the commander, Junior Lieutenant Kitsenko, became such a person. In December 1941, Lyuda was wounded, and Kitsenko pulled her out from under fire. The report to the unit commander with a request to register the marriage was a logical continuation of the front-line romance. But life had other plans...
The profession of a sniper is full of dangers. Often after his shots, the enemy opened hurricane fire from cannons at the intended square. This is exactly how Kitsenko died in February 1942. His death happened before Lyudmila’s eyes. The lovers were sitting on a hill when artillery shelling suddenly began.
Shell fragments pierced the groom's back, and one cut off the hand with which he was hugging the bride. This is what saved the girl, because if not for her hand, the fragment would have broken her spine. Kitsenko’s arm was torn off, and now Lyuda pulled him out from under the fire. But the wounds turned out to be too severe - a few days later he died in the hospital in her arms.
The death of her beloved did not pass without a trace for Lyudmila. For some time she was in shock, her hands were shaking, there was no question of shooting. But then it was as if something died in this smiling girl. Now she went into the “green zone” in the dark and returned when dusk fell over the positions. Her personal count of destroyed Nazis grew at an unprecedented pace - one hundred, two hundred, three hundred...
Moreover, among those killed were not only soldiers and officers, but also 36 fascist snipers. Quite soon, the German positions learned about the deadly Frau. She was even “given” a nickname - the Bolshevik Valkyrie. To neutralize it, an ace sniper arrived near Sevastopol at the beginning of 1942. The German used unexpected tactics for snipers.
Having discovered the target, he left cover, approached and shot, after which he disappeared. Pavlichenko had to work hard to win the sniper duel against him. When she opened the notebook of the shot enemy, she read the inscription - Dunkirk and his personal score - 500.
But death was constantly hovering next to Pavlichenko. Shortly before the fall of Sevastopol, in June 1942, Lyudmila Pavlichenko was seriously wounded. She was evacuated by sea. Thanks to this, she avoided the tragic fate of several tens of thousands of defenders of the city, who, deprived of the opportunity to evacuate, died or were captured after the capture of Sevastopol by the Nazis.
The legendary 25th Chapaev Division, in which Lyudmila Pavlichenko fought, died. Its last fighters sank the banners in the Black Sea so that they would not fall to the enemy.
By the time of the evacuation from Sevastopol, Lyudmila Pavlichenko had killed 309 enemy soldiers and officers. She achieved this stunning result in just a year of war.
Moscow decided that she had served her Motherland enough on the front line, and there was no point in throwing a repeatedly wounded, shell-shocked woman who had suffered personal losses into the heat again. Now she had a completely different mission ahead of her.
Lyudmila Pavlichenko and I. Maisky's wife at a reception at the Soviet embassy in Great Britain
Soon, Pavlichenko, as part of a delegation of Soviet youth, was sent on a business trip to the United States to convince the Americans to open a second front. Contrary to popular belief, Lyudmila did not know English, but her exploits spoke for themselves.
The news that a Russian woman who personally killed more than 300 fascists was coming to the United States caused a sensation. It’s unlikely that American journalists understood exactly what a Russian heroine should look like, but they certainly didn’t expect to see a pretty young woman whose photo could easily grace the covers of fashion magazines. Apparently, this is why the thoughts of the reporters at the first press conference with Pavlichenko’s participation went somewhere very far from the war.
What color underwear do you prefer? - one of the Americans blurted out.
Lyudmila, smiling sweetly, answered:
- For a similar question in our country you can get a slap in the face. Come on, come closer...
This answer captivated even the most “toothed sharks” of the American media. Admiring articles about the Russian sniper appeared in almost all American newspapers.
“Lady Death” - the Americans called her admiringly, and country singer Woody Guthrie wrote the song “Miss Pavlichenko” about her.
In the summer heat, cold snowy winter
In any weather you hunt down the enemy
The world will love your sweet face just like I do
After all, more than three hundred Nazi dogs died from your weapons...
Even the wife of the US President, Eleanor Roosevelt, could not resist the spontaneity of this girl: she invited her to live in the White House.
Later, Eleanor Roosevelt invited Lyudmila Pavlichenko on a trip around the country. Lyudmila spoke before the International Student Assembly in Washington, before the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO), and also in New York, but many people remember her speech in Chicago.
"Gentlemen, - a ringing voice rang out over the crowd of thousands of people gathered. — I am twenty five years old. At the front, I had already managed to destroy three hundred and nine fascist invaders. Don’t you think, gentlemen, that you’ve been hiding behind my back for too long?!”
The crowd froze for a minute, and then exploded into a frenzied roar of approval...
In America she was given a Colt, and in Canada a Winchester (displayed in the Central Museum of the Armed Forces).
In Canada, the Soviet military delegation was greeted by several thousand Canadians gathered at the Toronto Joint Station.
Lyudmila Pavlichenko among the workers of the small arms factory in Liverpool. 1942.
After returning, Major Pavlichenko served as an instructor at the Vystrel sniper school. After the war in 1945, Lyudmila Mikhailovna graduated from Kiev University. From 1945 to 1953 she was a research fellow at the General Staff of the Navy. Later she worked in the Soviet War Veterans Committee.
Her post-war personal life also turned out well - she got married, raised a son, and was involved in social activities. Lyudmila Mikhailovna died in October 1974, finding peace at the Novodevichy cemetery in Moscow.
Weapons with which Lyudmila Mikhailovna Pavlichenko fought:
Mosin rifle;
Tokarev-40 self-loading rifle.
They write that in one of Stephen Hunter’s new books, Lyudmila Pavlyuchenko served as the prototype for the heroine. With all the rich imagination of the writer, it is unlikely that he could come up with something cooler than the real life of a female sniper who did not want to kill...
The Lyuda sniper rifle in the computer game Borderlands 2 is named after Lyudmila Pavlichenko. Also, in honor of Lyudmila Mikhailovna, the main character of the second season of the 2009 anime series “Darker than Black: Ryuusei no Gemini” bears the surname Pavlichenko.
The image of Pavlichenko is embodied in the film by Sergei Mokritsky “The Battle for Sevastopol / Nezlamna” (2015), in which the main role was played by Yulia Peresild.
The young Russian tennis player Anastasia Sergeevna Pavlyuchenkova (born 07/03/1991, Samara) was born into a family of athletes. Mom Marina was a swimmer, and dad Sergei was a rower. It is worth noting that the tennis player’s grandmother is a former basketball player. Grandfather was a referee in the elite group for this sport in the USSR. Anastasia’s older brother played tennis professionally for some time, but then began accompanying his sister on trips to tournaments.
Persistence and work
The parents decided to send the girl to tennis. And at the age of 6 they brought her to the shady court. Since then, Anastasia had no time for dolls and toys. Her day began and ended on the court. The tenacity and consistency with which she practiced surprised her coaches and parents. And here is the reward for hard work: among juniors at 15 years old.
The first training took place under the supervision of dad and mom. What the parents knew or were able to do, they all tried to pass on to their daughter. Over time, the older brother also began to help Anastasia in training. Alexander himself played professional tennis and shared with his sister all the subtleties and nuances of the game.
In 2006, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (Russian athlete) became a discovery in tennis. She won 3 junior Grand Slam tournaments alone and 5 as a pair. Constant training and an objective assessment of her game did not allow the young athlete to catch the “star” disease.
Having moved to the adult tennis team, she did not get lost among the athletes, as often happens. Successfully plays for the Russian national team. She is one of the 30 strongest world tennis players. At the moment, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova is the 25th racket in the world.
Sport means growing up fast
The transition from juniors to big-time sports is always difficult and painful. Junior tennis is soft and smooth, while adult tennis is more aggressive. After such a game, deep potholes from impacts remain on the field. The blows in tennis are stronger and the speed is enormous.
The constant presence of stars Dementieva and Kuznetsova mobilizes willpower. They force young people to strive for high achievements. The process of turning a caterpillar into a butterfly occurs very quickly. It's always difficult mentally.
And if physically the young star was well prepared, then moral adaptation is always difficult. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova tried to cope with this task. Constantly working on her mistakes, practicing strikes and various techniques distracted the girl from idle conversations and thoughts.
Since 2007, the tennis player's permanent coach has been Patrick Mouratoglo. Then there was a short collaboration with Gerald Bremont. Since 2013, Anastasia has been coached by the famous Swiss tennis player.
Strong rear
Parents try to always be there. Help her in everyday life, give practical advice, support her morally at competitions. So that their daughter could continue her studies at a tennis school abroad, they sold their car and moved to another apartment.
And it’s not even about the fees that Anastasia receives. They are only enough for flights, living abroad and studying. All this costs a considerable investment. They understand perfectly well that Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, tennis and big-time sports are connected together.
Anastasia's older brother is also trying to help his sister. He took upon himself all administrative, household, housing issues, organizing flights and much more. If an athlete deals with everyday issues, she will not have enough strength for training and competitions. In a foreign country, a close and dear person is like a breath of clean air. Therefore, a strong and reliable shoulder is simply necessary.
Personal life
Now Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova lives in France. There he trains at the Tennis Academy. He speaks good English and is learning French along the way. Likes to watch comedies, loves Johnny Japp and Ven Stiller, listens to hip-hop.
He prefers Japanese cuisine and likes pizza. In your free time, you don’t mind lying on the couch with a book in your hands, especially if it’s The Atlantis Code. Likes to sit with good friends in a cafe over a cup of coffee or tea.
Active recreation comes first. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova enjoys figure skating, dancing, and snowboarding in the winter. She is unmarried, height - 176 cm, weight 70 kg.