Women-scouts in the Great Patriotic war

May 6, 2011
Reconnaissance men have added many bright pages to the history of our people’s struggle against fascist invaders. It has become historically established that reconnaissance was mostly a men’s case. Though, in reality, a lot of women were related to reconnaissance and intelligence, too; and their great services rendered to the Motherland are not less important, than the men’s ones. Each of those women was unique – only the best were selected to serve in reconnaissance 

The woman and the war… One can’t talk about this without agitation. In the fierce years of wars, someone's mother, beloved wife, sister or darling resolutely and boldly defended their Motherland along with men.   

Women were at war. They fought against the enemy which brutally attacked our land, burned and ruined houses; destroyed every living thing they met on their way.  

According to historians, more than 2 million women from the former USSR republics participated in the Great Patriotic war; 800 thousand of them were straight at the front.

One of the women, who had reached Berlin, wrote on the Reichstag’s wall: “I am Sofia Kuntsevych; I came to Berlin to eliminate the war”.   

It is impossible to tell about all the women who fought against fascism, but it would be really worthy to remember the names of, at least, several of our women-compatriots who, thanks to their courage and unconditional love, using all the strengths and even at the cost of their own lives, brought closer the Victory Day.


Hero of the Soviet Union Nina Hnylytska 


She was born on August 1, 1916, in the worker’s family in the village of Kniahynivka, Luhansk region. Nina worked at the mine.  

She entered the Red Army in 1941, and since that time, has served in the acting army.

On the night of November 5, Nina Hnylytska, the scout of 465 separate reconnaissance company, 383 rifle division (18th army, the Southern front) led a reconnaissance group to the occupied native village Kniahynivka, where she killed the watchman and managed to destroy 10 Hitlerites by the grenade. After that, the scouts seized important documents, weapons, and captured a prisoner for interrogation. 

On December 10, 1941, the reconnaissance group with Nina Hnylytska was entrapped; and she died in the encirclement. She is buried in the common grave in Vakhrushevo, Krasnolutskyi district, Luhansk region.

According to the Decree of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR from March 31, 1943, Nina Hnylytska was awarded the Title of the Hero of the Soviet Union posthumously for irreproachable service, courage and heroism shown during battles against fascist invaders. 

There is a monument to this courageous scout in the town of Krasnyi Luch. Some streets in Donetsk and Krasnyi Luch carry the name of the woman-scout.

 

Maria Fortus 


She was born in 1900 in Kherson region. During the revolution in 1917, Maria participated in the underground activity. In 1930s, she lived in Spain with her Spanish husband, but carried out tasks of the Soviet intelligence. After the tragic death of her husband, Maria Fortus has illegally lived in Spain for some time. During the civil war, she worked as interpreter for the Soviet representatives, while continuing to perform intelligence duties. After return to the Motherland, Maria finished Frunze Military Academy.

During the Great Patriotic war, she was executive officer of the wing commanded by the famous aviatress Marina Raskova. After that, Maria was a member of Dmitri Medvedev’s partisan detachment, where she served together with the Soviet scout Mykola Kuznetsov. Being a member of the 3rd Ukrainian front headquarters reconnaissance section, she prepared reconnaissance groups to be infiltrated to the enemy’s rear. In addition to that, in order to carry out special command tasks, she has many times been air dropped herself on the territory of Romania and Hungary. 

After the end of war, she continued her service in intelligence units. Maria Fortus was awarded two Orders of Lenin, two Orders of Red Banner, Order Red Star and many other decorations of the USSR and foreign countries. She died in 1980.


Maria Bobyreva


She was born in 1918 in Krementschuh. Maria Bobyreva finished Kharkiv foreign languages institute. 

Being a 17-year old technical school student, Maria, German language teacher, came to school to her first lesson. Then, she studied at the institute, taught children and got to the war. Each day of that war was a complicated exam for the woman-scout.

The first and the most dangerous Maria’s task was secretary work in the German headquarters in Vinnitsa. Excellent German, communication skills and beauty were among the main weapons of the young reconnaissance woman. She dealt with secret information which she afterwards passed to partisans and undergrounders. Before the fascists’ retreat, Maria had managed to obtain and hide important papers, which later saved lives and good reputation of many Vinnitsa citizens. 

The new Maria’s mission was abroad. In order to help Polish people, Maria Bobyreva as a member of reconnaissance and sabotage group was air landed near Krakiv. The undergrounders blew up trains, roads, bridges and took prisoners for interrogation. To take the scouts alive, the Hitlerites used huge forces against them. The group’s commander blew himself up by the grenade. Maria Bobyreva survived and tried to cross the border with the Czech Republic. 

On November 6, 1944, Maria was captured, while crossing the border. She went through threats, interrogations, beating and a one-man cell. She was sentenced to capital punishment. But she got lucky – guerrillas saved her. But Maria continued unwomanly service.   

After the end of war, she taught foreign languages and became the first Ukrainian woman to receive doctor’s degree in Romanic languages. She is a holder of 28 orders and medals of the former USSR. She is an honorary citizen of the Czech Republic and Poland. 


Asia Zhukova


She was born on December 21, 1924, in Dniepropetrovsk region.  

Since 1941 till 1943 she has lived on the occupied territory. In October 1943, Asia joined the Red Army; and in 1944 was involved to reconnaissance activity. After radio school in Horkyi, she was at the command of the 1st Ukrainian front headquarters reconnaissance section chief officer.  

In August 1944, Asia was air dropped to the enemy’s rear near Krakiv as the radio operator of the “Holos” reconnaissance group. She has worked illegally, and acted successfully till January 1954. Thanks to her good skills and actions, a lot of reconnaissance data about the enemy’s state and numbers reached the front’s headquarters through other scouts and Polish partisans. After the second group’s radio operator had been arrested, she was directed to the partisan’s detachment and, still, maintained communication with the command.  

During reconnaissance missions in the deep enemy’s rare, Asia Zhukova showed courage and bravery, excellent knowledge of equipment, persistence and endurance.  

After the end of war, she graduated from the medical institute and worked as a doctor in Yalta polyclinic.  

Asia Zhukova was awarded Order Red Star and many other decorations.