Pavlichenko fought in the Siege of Sevastopol for eight months, where intense fighting resulted in immense Soviet casualties. In October 1941, when the Romanian Army gained control of Odessa, Pavlichenko and her unit withdrew to Sevastopol to defend the city. While at Odessa, she recorded 187 kills and received a promotion to Senior Sergeant. She became one of the 2,000 female Soviet snipers to serve, of which only 500 survived the war.įor about two and a half months, Pavlichenko fought on the frontlines during the Siege of Odessa. After proving her skills by taking out two Romanian collaborators from a Soviet-defended hill, Pavlichenko was enrolled into the Red Army’s 25th Rifle Division as a sniper. Registrars pushed Pavlichenko to become a nurse, but her mind was set on joining the Soviet infantry. Once she learned of the invasion, Pavlichenko quickly made her way to the Odessa recruiting office to enlist. At the time, Pavlichenko was 24 years old and in her fourth year of study. In June 1941, Hitler launched Operation Barbarossa, and the Wehrmacht began its invasion of the Soviet Union. She competed on the university track team, and kept up with her marksmanship by taking courses at a sniper school. Pavlichenko took an interest in history and was intent on becoming a teacher. She took a job at a local arms plant and in 1937 enrolled herself at Kiev University. While in Kiev, she enrolled in a sharpshooter class where she earned her Voroshilov Sharpshooter Badge, a type of civil decoration and a marksman certificate. At age 14, Pavlichenko relocated to Kiev with her family. Especially ambitious against boys, she enjoyed proving that girls could be just as good-if not better. As a child, Pavlichenko described herself as a tomboy and enjoyed being competitive in various activities. Lyudmila Pavlichenko was born in 1916 in Belaya Tserkov, a large Ukranian city south of Kiev.
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