Lyudmila Pavlichenko
The Most Dangerous Woman Of The 20th Century
Lyudmila Pavlichenko was a skilled markswoman when she marched into the Red Army's recruiting office in Odessa in 1941. She asked to join the infantry. The recruiter scoffed at her, suggesting that she become a nurse. Pavlichenko persisted—and went on to become one of the most elite snipers in history.
A Markswoman Is Born
Mikhail Belov and his wife Elena were living in Bila Tserkva, a city in present-day Ukraine when they welcomed a daughter to their family. Born in 1916, Lyudmila Belov would become the stuff of legends—and a Woody Guthrie song.
A Competitive Tomboy
Pavlichenko was a self-described tomboy while growing up. She was keen to prove that girls could be just as good as—or even better than—boys, especially in athletics.
She Excelled At Marksmanship
When Pavlichenko was 14, her family moved to Kyiv. It was there that she took her first marksmanship class. Pavlichenko quickly earned a Voroshilov Sharpshooter Badge, indicative of an honorary civil title, and a marksmanship certificate in recognition of her skills.
She Married Young
In 1932, when Pavlichenko was still a young teenager, she married Alexei Pavlichenko, a Ukrainian doctor. Together they had a son, Rostislav. However, the marriage was short-lived.
