Rosa Shanina - beauty sniper from the Arkhangelsk region
03 April 1924 was born Roza Shanina in a small Soviet village called Edma in the Arkhangelsk Region, deserving several high awards and eternal memory of descendants for her short and heroic life. A beautiful, stately girl with blond wavy hair and huge blue eyes has become one of the most formidable lone snipers of the Great Patriotic War. Today we can judge her character from the memories of contemporaries and loved ones, as well as diary passages, which Shanin herself kept when she was at the front. She wrote letters from the front line, for the most part to her friend, the correspondent Molchanov, who published several works about this amazing brave northerner.
Rose was born in a large Soviet family. Her father, Egor Mikhailovich, worked in logging, and his mother, Anna Alexeevna, worked as a milkmaid at a local collective farm. The girl in the family was alone, four brothers Fyodor, Mikhail, Sergey and Marat were brought up with her. Of all the children, only Marat returned home from the war. At the age of fourteen, Rosa showed her strength of character and, despite the protests of her parents, went to study at the Pedagogical School in Arkhangelsk. According to biographers, one little girl walked the way to 200 km to realize her dream of studying. However, most likely, this is one of the many Soviet exaggerations that are so often present in the biographies of the characters. After graduation, Shanin was sent to work in a kindergarten, which she defended from fires during aerial bombardments. In Arkhangelsk, residents were on voluntary duty on rooftops, and they immediately tried to eliminate fires and destruction from German bombs. The actions of the townspeople saved Arkhangelsk from destruction, since the buildings in the city were mostly wooden. In one of the books devoted to Shanina, an episode is described with a ruined pastry shop in which the young tutor Rosa pleads to unhappy children not to eat melted sugar mixed with dirt and burning products.
The war began when the future girl sniper was just 17 years old, she immediately went to the draft board to go to the front line as a volunteer. However, the girl was not taken to the front because of her age. After insistent demands, tears and persuasion, Rosa was accepted into the All-Education Unit, and then she was trained in a sniper school in Podolsk. The character of Shanina can be judged by the reviews of her Arkhangelsk friend, Maria Makarova. Makarova recalls Rosa as a kind and sympathetic girl who, in her difficult years of hunger, gave her products of compassion. The young tutor rushed to the war, all actions were aimed only at achieving the goal. Shanina’s strong character allowed her to earn respect at the front. From the diary and letters published by a friend of Rosa by the correspondent Molchanov, one can understand how much this young and beautiful northerner was eager to fight. She called the battle with the Germans only revenge for the fallen and tortured compatriots.
2 April 1944 Rosa, who has reached the age of twenty, arrived in the 184 Infantry Division. The command assigned Shanin to a female sniper platoon, whose tasks were to search for and destroy individual enemy soldiers, as well as his snipers. For the first time, a sniper Rosa had to shoot at a live target on 5 on April 1944, the girl’s hand did not flinch, and the account of revenge for the fallen from the hand of the invaders was opened. The division then stood southeast of Vitebsk.
In the diaries of Roses, you can find entries dated to the mid-summer 1944 of the year. Before Shanina began to write down her thoughts and write letters to Molchanov, she already earned the respect of command of her art not only to shoot accurately, but also to find the position of the enemy. Ever since the time of the sniper school, it has become known for its double-shot or, as it was called at the front, doublet. Shanina made two accurate shots in one breath, instantly destroying two targets at once. The commanders spoke of her as the best sniper of the division, compared with the heroes. During the first month of “hunting,” as the girls called their assignments, there were already more than a dozen fascists killed on Shanina’s account; according to some information, their number was 17 people. The total number of destroyed fascists has not yet been established and varies from 54 to 75 (including German snipers 12). The fame of the girl sniper spread not only in the division, publications about Rosa were published even in the Moscow magazine Ogonyok. Posters and newspaper articles with patriotic slogans with photos of the northern beauty were published regularly.
18 Jun Shanina was awarded her first award - the Order of Glory 3-her degree. An interesting fact is that in the award list, erased by time and executed on an old typewriter found in one of the military archives, the middle name of the corporal Shanina is indicated as Georgievna. This contradiction is explained by the fact that in the 1940s, Egor and Georgy were considered to be paired and interchangeable in the Union. With the breakthrough of the fifth army of the German defense, the female sniper platoon is sent to rest in the rear, which anger Shanin. She annoyingly describes in her diaries about the forced removal from the battles, and then tries to get her sent to the battlefield. The value of such a skilled shooter for the army is quite understandable, so the behavior of the command was dictated by more expediency than pity for the girl.
Of particular interest are the records of unauthorized absenteeism on the front lines and the fight against commanders for the right to fight on the front lines on “legal” grounds. August 8 Shanina, returning from another unauthorized absenteeism, captured three healthy experienced Germans. Realizing how valuable Shanina was as a sniper, the commanders regularly reprimanded her for such attacks, but finally gave up. By 31 August, Rose’s personal account reached the 42s of the murdered fascists. September 22 Shanina assign Order of Glory 2-oh degree. Rose became the first girl to receive such an award immediately 2 and 3 degrees. Just a month before his death, Shanin was awarded a medal “For Courage”.
13 December Rosa was hit by a bullet in the shoulder, in her diary she told that she practically did not feel pain and was annoyed at the need to leave the front line. Shanin's fame was very reserved, as can be seen from her reasoning. For example, in a record from December 13, she is perplexed by the exaggerations and attention to her person in the collection of army snipers. She considers her merits only the share of participation that every citizen of the country should put into liberation from invaders. Rosa did not recognize herself as a hero, although she considered her dead and wounded friends as such.
In January, the 1945's diary entries acquire a sad tinge, in one of the last letters Shanina asks to send what was written to the mother in the event of her death. At this time, she participates in fierce battles in the territory of East Prussia, and sees how battered fascists of Russian soldiers are mowed down by battalions. The premonition did not deceive the brave northerner, the enemy bullet overtook her 28 January 1945, the third kilometer from the village of Ilmsfdorf. Still alive, the girl was taken to the hospital, but the injury turned out to be fatal; she died before reaching her friend Molchanov's correspondence.
The lines of the diary convey not only an amazing desire to avenge their native land, there are also truly feminine thoughts and experiences. For example, the record from October 10 sounds somehow especially girlish. Rose complains about her lack of a close friend, talks about strange dreams haunting her lately. In the future, the diary mentions the name of a certain Nikolai, although Shanina soon wrote about parting with this person. Judging by the rare remarks of the girl, no relationship with this guy has not been established. Rosa herself admits in her letters that she wanted to love, she was looking for only that one, but did not have time to find him.
At home, they were proud of Rosa and her front-line successes; her picture was hung on the board of honor of the Arkhangelsk Regional Committee of the Komsomol. Ease of communication, a lively sparkle in her eyes and an open smile made Shanina much more beautiful than the images in the photo that remained after her death. A young girl from the northern village has become a symbol of World War II. Her name is associated with many stories and legends that inspired new heroes for glorious exploits. Such works as “I Will Return After a Battle” by the author Zhuravlev and Molchanov’s “Thirst for a Battle”, as well as their joint creative work called “Snowdrops in a minefield” are dedicated to the memory of Rosa Shanina. In the works there are inaccuracies, many of the characters are collective and carry the features of several prototypes at once. Nevertheless, the general information about the fate and characters of Rosa Shanina translates the works of these authors quite accurately.
Senior Sergeant Shanin was first buried on the bank of the river called Love, in the fifth grave in the direction of Novobobruisk (formerly Ilmsfdorf). Later, the remains of Rosa Shanina were reburied in the village of Znamensk, Kaliningrad region.
Rose was born in a large Soviet family. Her father, Egor Mikhailovich, worked in logging, and his mother, Anna Alexeevna, worked as a milkmaid at a local collective farm. The girl in the family was alone, four brothers Fyodor, Mikhail, Sergey and Marat were brought up with her. Of all the children, only Marat returned home from the war. At the age of fourteen, Rosa showed her strength of character and, despite the protests of her parents, went to study at the Pedagogical School in Arkhangelsk. According to biographers, one little girl walked the way to 200 km to realize her dream of studying. However, most likely, this is one of the many Soviet exaggerations that are so often present in the biographies of the characters. After graduation, Shanin was sent to work in a kindergarten, which she defended from fires during aerial bombardments. In Arkhangelsk, residents were on voluntary duty on rooftops, and they immediately tried to eliminate fires and destruction from German bombs. The actions of the townspeople saved Arkhangelsk from destruction, since the buildings in the city were mostly wooden. In one of the books devoted to Shanina, an episode is described with a ruined pastry shop in which the young tutor Rosa pleads to unhappy children not to eat melted sugar mixed with dirt and burning products.
The war began when the future girl sniper was just 17 years old, she immediately went to the draft board to go to the front line as a volunteer. However, the girl was not taken to the front because of her age. After insistent demands, tears and persuasion, Rosa was accepted into the All-Education Unit, and then she was trained in a sniper school in Podolsk. The character of Shanina can be judged by the reviews of her Arkhangelsk friend, Maria Makarova. Makarova recalls Rosa as a kind and sympathetic girl who, in her difficult years of hunger, gave her products of compassion. The young tutor rushed to the war, all actions were aimed only at achieving the goal. Shanina’s strong character allowed her to earn respect at the front. From the diary and letters published by a friend of Rosa by the correspondent Molchanov, one can understand how much this young and beautiful northerner was eager to fight. She called the battle with the Germans only revenge for the fallen and tortured compatriots.
2 April 1944 Rosa, who has reached the age of twenty, arrived in the 184 Infantry Division. The command assigned Shanin to a female sniper platoon, whose tasks were to search for and destroy individual enemy soldiers, as well as his snipers. For the first time, a sniper Rosa had to shoot at a live target on 5 on April 1944, the girl’s hand did not flinch, and the account of revenge for the fallen from the hand of the invaders was opened. The division then stood southeast of Vitebsk. In the diaries of Roses, you can find entries dated to the mid-summer 1944 of the year. Before Shanina began to write down her thoughts and write letters to Molchanov, she already earned the respect of command of her art not only to shoot accurately, but also to find the position of the enemy. Ever since the time of the sniper school, it has become known for its double-shot or, as it was called at the front, doublet. Shanina made two accurate shots in one breath, instantly destroying two targets at once. The commanders spoke of her as the best sniper of the division, compared with the heroes. During the first month of “hunting,” as the girls called their assignments, there were already more than a dozen fascists killed on Shanina’s account; according to some information, their number was 17 people. The total number of destroyed fascists has not yet been established and varies from 54 to 75 (including German snipers 12). The fame of the girl sniper spread not only in the division, publications about Rosa were published even in the Moscow magazine Ogonyok. Posters and newspaper articles with patriotic slogans with photos of the northern beauty were published regularly.
18 Jun Shanina was awarded her first award - the Order of Glory 3-her degree. An interesting fact is that in the award list, erased by time and executed on an old typewriter found in one of the military archives, the middle name of the corporal Shanina is indicated as Georgievna. This contradiction is explained by the fact that in the 1940s, Egor and Georgy were considered to be paired and interchangeable in the Union. With the breakthrough of the fifth army of the German defense, the female sniper platoon is sent to rest in the rear, which anger Shanin. She annoyingly describes in her diaries about the forced removal from the battles, and then tries to get her sent to the battlefield. The value of such a skilled shooter for the army is quite understandable, so the behavior of the command was dictated by more expediency than pity for the girl.
Of particular interest are the records of unauthorized absenteeism on the front lines and the fight against commanders for the right to fight on the front lines on “legal” grounds. August 8 Shanina, returning from another unauthorized absenteeism, captured three healthy experienced Germans. Realizing how valuable Shanina was as a sniper, the commanders regularly reprimanded her for such attacks, but finally gave up. By 31 August, Rose’s personal account reached the 42s of the murdered fascists. September 22 Shanina assign Order of Glory 2-oh degree. Rose became the first girl to receive such an award immediately 2 and 3 degrees. Just a month before his death, Shanin was awarded a medal “For Courage”.
13 December Rosa was hit by a bullet in the shoulder, in her diary she told that she practically did not feel pain and was annoyed at the need to leave the front line. Shanin's fame was very reserved, as can be seen from her reasoning. For example, in a record from December 13, she is perplexed by the exaggerations and attention to her person in the collection of army snipers. She considers her merits only the share of participation that every citizen of the country should put into liberation from invaders. Rosa did not recognize herself as a hero, although she considered her dead and wounded friends as such.In January, the 1945's diary entries acquire a sad tinge, in one of the last letters Shanina asks to send what was written to the mother in the event of her death. At this time, she participates in fierce battles in the territory of East Prussia, and sees how battered fascists of Russian soldiers are mowed down by battalions. The premonition did not deceive the brave northerner, the enemy bullet overtook her 28 January 1945, the third kilometer from the village of Ilmsfdorf. Still alive, the girl was taken to the hospital, but the injury turned out to be fatal; she died before reaching her friend Molchanov's correspondence.
The lines of the diary convey not only an amazing desire to avenge their native land, there are also truly feminine thoughts and experiences. For example, the record from October 10 sounds somehow especially girlish. Rose complains about her lack of a close friend, talks about strange dreams haunting her lately. In the future, the diary mentions the name of a certain Nikolai, although Shanina soon wrote about parting with this person. Judging by the rare remarks of the girl, no relationship with this guy has not been established. Rosa herself admits in her letters that she wanted to love, she was looking for only that one, but did not have time to find him.
At home, they were proud of Rosa and her front-line successes; her picture was hung on the board of honor of the Arkhangelsk Regional Committee of the Komsomol. Ease of communication, a lively sparkle in her eyes and an open smile made Shanina much more beautiful than the images in the photo that remained after her death. A young girl from the northern village has become a symbol of World War II. Her name is associated with many stories and legends that inspired new heroes for glorious exploits. Such works as “I Will Return After a Battle” by the author Zhuravlev and Molchanov’s “Thirst for a Battle”, as well as their joint creative work called “Snowdrops in a minefield” are dedicated to the memory of Rosa Shanina. In the works there are inaccuracies, many of the characters are collective and carry the features of several prototypes at once. Nevertheless, the general information about the fate and characters of Rosa Shanina translates the works of these authors quite accurately.
Senior Sergeant Shanin was first buried on the bank of the river called Love, in the fifth grave in the direction of Novobobruisk (formerly Ilmsfdorf). Later, the remains of Rosa Shanina were reburied in the village of Znamensk, Kaliningrad region.
Information