Lyudmila Pavlichenko was destined for a quiet career as a history teacher, but fate has decided otherwise. He propelled her into the greatest conflict of history and made her an icon.
When the Nazis invaded the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941, Lyudmila Pavlichenko, like millions of other citizens, engaged in the war effort. She has a skill that is diametrically opposed to her university studies: she was trained as an elite sharpshooter. At first, few people thought that this 25-year-old elegant woman knew how to handle a weapon. But she quickly proved to them that they were wrong. In the space of two and a half months, she kills 187 enemy soldiers. During the battle of Sevastopol, she sows an incredible mess with a simple rifle of the army. For almost a whole day, she stalked an enemy sniper tirelessly to finally kill him, thanks to his patience and accuracy. It turns out that he was responsible for the death of 400 Allied soldiers in Dunkirk.
Being a sniper requires special skills. You must often wait and watch for prey for 18 hours without moving before she gets out of hiding. It's a real game of the cat and the mouse, with death in the key, in which there is only one winner. Despite hunger, cold and wounds, Lyudmila Pavlichenko tirelessly fights the Nazi war machine. In Sevastopol, on mountainous and dangerous terrain, she and her fellow snipers reportedly killed 10,000 German soldiers, almost an entire division. Soon, Pavlichenko's exploits spread beyond the front. The history teacher becomes a heroine, and her story is inspiring for the whole country. When evacuated after being seriously injured, she has 309 soldiers killed, including 36 enemy snipers.
Far from the front, Lyudmila Pavlichenko becomes a big media celebrity. Russia, grateful, awarded him many medals and distinctions. She becomes the symbol of pride and unity, and she is decorated as a "hero of the Soviet Union". She travels the country to tell her story, but it does not stop there. Soon, the whole world hears about this shy student in history at the sight infallible and firm hand. Lyudmila Pavlichenko is invited to the United States; she is the first Soviet citizen to be received at the White House. The stars line up to be photographed with him. And in Toronto, when she arrived at Union Station, she was acclaimed by thousands of people and even got a Winchester rifle with a precision bezel, of course.
At the end of the war, Lyudmila Pavlichenko returns to her first passion. But the war will never really leave his mind. As a historian, she writes a book on the role of her division in the defense of Sevastopol. She climbed the Soviet political ladder and remained an international star until her death in 1974, at the age of 58.The Soviet Union has become Russia, and this conflict, which took place more than 60 years ago, seems far away in the eyes of the new generation. But the courage of Lyudmila Pavlichenko is still remembered, as many schools and hospitals, and even a trawler, bear her name. The teacher will remain a legend forever.
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