LIUDMYLA PAVLICHENKO

«Liudmyla Pavlichenko, sniper soviética.
Esta jovem, em Junho de 1941, estava no quarto ano da licenciatura em história na Universidade de Kiev. Quando a Alemanha nazi invade a URSS foi das primeiras em voluntariar-se para defender o país e foi alocada na 25ª Divisão de Infantaria do Exército Vermelho. Com uma particularidade: em vez da seringa da enfermagem, que era a opção mais comum, preferiu a Mosin-Nagant e tornou-se numa das primeiras 2000 franco-tiradoras soviéticas.

Depois de meses em combates entre a Moldávia e Odessa, os alemães conseguem finalmente controlar o porto e a unidade de Pavlichenko foi forçada a recuar até à península da Crimeia: Sebastopol. E foram mais oito meses de combates, nos quais às vezes permanecia imóvel por 18h seguidas. Em Junho de 1942 e com 25 anos já tinha abatido 309 nazis, incluindo 36 snipers e 100 oficiais. Depois dedicou-se à formação de franco-tiradores entre as fileiras da frente oriental, até ao final da guerra.

Lyudmila Mykhailivna Pavlichenko was born in the Ukrainian town of Belaya Tserkov on July 12th, 1916. She moved to Kiev with her family at the age of fourteen. There she joined a shooting club and developed into a sharpshooter, while working as a grinder at the Kiev Arsenal factory. In June 1941, 24-year old Pavlichenko was in her fourth year of studying history at the Kiev University when Nazi Germany began its invasion of the Soviet Union. Pavlichenko was among the first round of volunteers at the recruiting office, where she requested to join the infantry and subsequently she was assigned to the Red Army's 25th Rifle Division.

In one of the battles, Pavlichenko replaced the batallion commander killed during the fight and was later wounded but refused to leave the battlefield.

Lieutenant Pavlichenko participated in battles in Moldavia and Odessa. When the Germans gained control of Odessa, her unit was pulled to be sent to Sevastopol on the Crimean Peninsula, where she fought for more than 8 months. Her total confirmed kills during World War II was 309,including 36 enemy snipers. Besides, she became an instructor and trained Soviet snipers until the war's end.

Pavlichenko would "go hunting" either alone or with Leonid Kutsenko  - who joined the division together with her - everyday at dawn lying still for hours or days waiting for an enemy. She often emerged the victor fighting a duel with German snipers.

Once the two snipers were spotted by German officers who opened mortar fire. Leonid was badly wounded and Pavlichenko managed to evacuate him from the battlefield but he still didn't survive.

Since then, she would fight even more courageously taking vengeance on the enemy for her late friend.»
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