The life and myths of Lyudmila Pavlichenko, Soviet Russia's deadliest sniper

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The life and myths of Lyudmila Pavlichenko, Soviet Russia's deadliest sniper

Lyudmila Pavlichenko, history’s deadliest female sniper, is considered to be a Soviet propaganda myth by some, including some people in Russia. The divorced teenage mother from the tiny Ukrainian town of Bila Tserkva is credited with killing at least 309 Nazis — she simply sounds too good to be true.

Pavlichenko was certainly used in the Soviet propaganda effort to get the United States involved in the war effort in Europe in 1942. While on a tour of the States, she frequently surprised American reporters by not attempting to be traditionally feminine or smartly dressed.

By 1942, however, Pavlichenko had been wounded four times and was, by Soviet accounts, suffering from severe post-traumatic stress disorder, even as she forced herself to put her game face on for the sake of the war effort. A man she loved had also recently died of his war wounds — after Pavlichenko had valiantly tried to save him by dragging him back from the field of battle. Impressing American men and living up to their retrograde notions of femininity was likely the furthest thing from Pavlichenko’s mind.

Read more at: https://www.pri.org/stories/2018-03-09/life-and-myths-lyudmila-pavlichenko-soviet-russias-deadliest-sniper