Incredible Photos of Soviet Women Snipers in World War II

Soviet women played an important role in World War II (whose Eastern Front was known as the Great Patriotic War in the Soviet Union). While most toiled in industry, transport, agriculture and other civilian roles, working double shifts to free up enlisted men to fight and increase military production, a sizable number of women served in the army.

Sniper Lyuba Makarova on the Kalinin front, 1943.

The Soviet Union deployed women as snipers and in a variety of infantry roles. Between 1941 and 1945, a total of 2,484 soviet female snipers were functioning in this role, of whom about 500 survived the war. Their combined tally of kill claims is at least 11,000. The most famous snipers during the war included Lyudmila Pavlichenko and Roza Shanina.

Women frequently served as medics and communication personnel, as well – in small numbers – as machine gunners, political officers, tank drivers, and in other parts of the infantry. Manshuk Mametova was a machine gunner from Kazakhstan and was the first Asian woman to receive the title Hero of the Soviet Union. Mariya Oktyabrskaya and Aleksandra Samusenko were tank drivers. Tatyana Kostyrina had over 120 kills and commanded an infantry battalion in 1943 following the death of her commander. Before its dissolution in 1944, the 1st Separate Women's Volunteer Rifle Brigade deployed thousands of women in a variety of combat roles.

A Soviet sniper in training, May 6, 1942.

Women crewed the majority of the anti-aircraft batteries employed in Stalingrad. Some batteries, including the 1077th Anti-Aircraft Regiment, also engaged in ground combat.

A sniper at Stalingrad, 1942.

Sniper Anastasya Stepanov during the battle of Stalingrad, 1942.

Pavlichenko during the battle for Sevastopol, June 1942.

Lyudmila Pavlichenko in combat at Sevastopol. With 309 confirmed kills, she was one the deadliest snipers in history, June 1942.

Lyudmila Pavlichenko in combat at Sevastopol, June 1942.

Pavlichenko during her visit to Washington, D.C., 1942.

Pavlichenko in Washington, D.C. with other Soviet delegates, 1942.

Snipers C. Bykova and R. Skrypnikova returning from a combat assignment, 1943.

Sniper Liza Mironova in combat, 1943.

Recruits in training grounds, 1943.

Red Army snipers assembling before heading to the front, 1943.

Pavlichenko visiting workers near Odessa, 1944.

Nina Lobovskaya, commander of a company of female snipers who fought in the battle for Berlin, 1944.

Snipers inspecting an East Prussian town recently captured by the Soviets, February 1945.