Through her life, this girl personified a real example of fearlessness, courage and heroism. Rosa Shanina, a female sniper, fought for the Motherland to the last drop of blood and, without blinking an eye, gave her life for her.
Childhood and youth
April 3, 1924 in a simple rural family in the Vologda region was born Roza Egorovna Shanina. Her parents were peasants, there were six children in the family. Anna Alekseevna, the mother of Rosa, worked as a milkmaid in the village. The girl’s father, Yegor Mikhailovich, was the chairman of the commune. The name Rose was given in honor of the revolutionary Luxembourg, whom the family respected.
Life in the village was not easy. The elementary school was in their village, so the path to it was short. But the high school was located in another village. And Rosa had to make a journey of 13 kilometers daily to get to school. Children in those days were hardened not only physically, but also by the spirit, so no one complained.
Educational activities
At the end of high school, the girl chose the profession of a teacher. The pedagogical school was in Arkhangelsk, so Shanina had to move there. Student years were hungry and cold, but fun. Rosa loved Arkhangelsk with all her heart, speaking warmly about him in her memoirs.
In the pre-war period, tuition was paid, and many students had to earn extra money. The girl did not want to ask her parents for help, and she got a job as an assistant in a kindergarten. She was warmly welcomed in the kindergarten: the work team was so attached to her that he did not want to let go. By mutual agreement, it was decided to leave the girl at home. Thanks to her natural friendliness, Rosa managed to get along with everyone: her colleagues, children, parents. Perhaps she would have remained to work in kindergarten if the war had not started.
Sniper school
In 1942, the Soviet command actively recruited women snipers. The emphasis on women was dictated by logic. The calculation was this: the girls are more flexible, which allowed them to move silently, agile and stress-resistant.
In 1943, Rosa was called up for service. First, she was sent to a training school. There she successfully completed her studies. I met girls who later became her fighting friends - Alexandra Yakimova and Kaleria Petrova. Shanina was offered to remain an instructor and recruit recruits, but the girl was categorical. In no case did she want to sit out in the rear when compatriots gave their lives in battles. Persistently pursuing her own, Rose still managed to get a direction to the front.
In her memoirs, Rosa writes about the first shot, which still stood before her eyes for a long time. She pulled the trigger, and from the first accurate hit she killed the fascist. And then, shocked by what was happening, she rushed into the ravine and sat there for a long time, unable to move away from what had happened. The first shot was followed by a second, and then a third. The psychological bar was broken. Six months of war pulled the nerves to the limit and tightened character. The girl admitted in her diary that after a while she already shot people calmly, her hand no longer shook, and pity disappeared somewhere. Moreover, Rosa said that only in this she saw the meaning of her life.
Shanina was a professional in her field. In 1944, she, the only one of the girls, received the Order of Glory. The leadership noticed her outstanding combat abilities, and the girl was transferred to commanders. In June 1944, her name was mentioned in a newspaper.
Shanina’s track record included 18 killed Nazis. The command tried its best to protect Rosa from obvious death. But the girl was by nature a very courageous person, so she often asked for directions to the most dangerous tasks. From the surviving archives, it was known that the girl only returned home for three days to see her relatives and friends. The rest of the time she was in the service. She received the Order of Glory three times and a medal for courage. Of the girls, no one could boast of such successes.
First wound
At the end of 1944, Rosa was shot in the shoulder. The Germans considered it an honor to kill a Russian sniper. But this time their plan failed. The wound was not deep. The girl herself treated him with disdain, considering it a mere trifle. The command thought differently, and she was forcibly sent to the hospital. The brave Shanina was not accustomed to rest for a long time and, as soon as the wound healed a little, she again asked to the front.
Already in the winter of 1945, the girl was allowed to return to duty and continue to participate in the battles. Shanina went on an operation in East Prussia. The offensive was difficult, it took place under incessant fascist fire. The losses were colossal. The advantage was clearly not in favor of the Russian soldiers. The battalion was melting before our eyes. Of the 80 people, only six survived.
