Lady Death

The memoir of Lyudmila Pavlichenko, the Russian woman who was WWII’s most accomplished sniper—and a friend of Eleanor Roosevelt.

In June 1941, when Hitler launched Operation Barbarossa, Lyudmila Pavlichenko left her university studies, ignored the offer of a position as a nurse, and became one of Soviet Russia’s two thousand female snipers. Less than a year later, she had 309 recorded kills, including 29 enemy sniper kills. By the time she was withdrawn from active duty due to injury, she was regarded as a key heroic figure for the war effort.

To continue serving the war effort, Pavlichenko spoke at rallies in Canada and the United States. She toured the White House with FDR, and the folk singer Woody Guthrie wrote a song, “Miss Pavlichenko,” about her exploits. An advocate for women’s rights, she befriended Eleanor Roosevelt and toured England to raise money for the Red Army.

Never returning to combat, Pavlichenko trained other snipers. After the war, she finished her education at Kiev University and began a career as a historian. Today, she remains a revered hero in Russia, where the 2015 film, Battle for Sevastopol, was made about her life.