“These elite shooters helped tip the balance, especially in urban environments where stealth and precision mattered most.”

By Joseph Coleman

THE NAME Lyudmila Pavlichenko may not be one of the most recognizable from the Second World War, but the Ukrainian native is remembered as one of the deadliest snipers to fight in the conflict. 

Nicknamed “Lady Death,” Pavilichenko amassed an amazing 309 confirmed kills—more than any other Allied sniper, male or female. What’s more she did so in a single year on the frontlines. 

But while Pavlichenko has earned her rightful place in wartime lore, she was far from alone. During the Second World War, the Soviet Union deployed nearly 2,500 female snipers—many of them barely out of their teens—who would strike fear into the hearts of German troops and leave a lasting mark on the Eastern Front.

Women at War: The Soviet Model

The Soviet Union was unique among the major belligerents in WWII for its outsized reliance on women in combat roles. Faced with staggering losses in the early years of the war, the Moscow opened up nearly every branch of its military to females—pilots, medics, machine gunners, and yes, snipers.

Drawing from rifle clubs, youth organizations like the Komsomol, and even universities, the Red Army trained thousands of women in sharpshooting, deploying them to some of the war’s fiercest battlefields.

Unlike the United States or Britain, where women were largely relegated to support roles, the Soviets had no qualms about putting women directly in harm’s way. The state-run propaganda machine hailed these female warriors as heroes of socialism—symbols of Soviet resilience and gender equality.

School for Snipers

Most of these young women received their training at specialized sniper schools such as the Central Women’s Sniper Training School, located near Moscow. Recruits underwent rigorous physical and mental conditioning, learned camouflage techniques, terrain navigation, and the art of the perfect shot. The training emphasized patience, stealth, and precision—the very qualities that made many female soldiers particularly suited to the sniper’s deadly trade.

Upon graduation, recruits were issued the Mosin–Nagant Model 1891/30 sniper rifle—an iconic Soviet bolt-action weapon fitted with a PU scope. Known for its rugged reliability and deadly accuracy, the 91/30 was chambered in 7.62×54mmR and had an effective range of around 800 meters. Soviet snipers became adept at modifying their rifles for their personal preferences—tuning the trigger, adjusting optics, and mastering the subtleties of ballistics in ever-changing battlefield conditions.

After training, snipers were assigned to rifle divisions and embedded within Red Army infantry units. Often paired in two-woman teams—one acting as shooter, the other as spotter—they were deployed along the front lines from Leningrad to the Caucuses and fought with the Red Army all the way to the Battle of Berlin.

“Lady Death”

Lyudmila Pavlichenko is perhaps the most famous female sniper of all time.

Born in Ukraine in 1916, she joined a local shooting club as a teenager and proved to be a natural marksman. When the Germans invaded the Soviet Union in 1941, Pavlichenko was already studying history at Kyiv University. She quickly volunteered for the Red Army and was assigned to the 25th Rifle Division.

In just 12 months on the front lines in Odessa and Sevastopol, Pavlichenko notched 309 confirmed kills into her rifle butt—including 36 enemy snipers. Her skill with the Mosin–Nagant earned her the nickname “Lady Death” and the respect of her comrades and commanders alike.

Wounded in 1942, she was pulled from combat and sent on a goodwill tour of the United States and Canada, where she famously met Eleanor Roosevelt and gave press conferences urging the Allies to open a second front in Europe.

Pavlichenko’s legacy goes beyond her kill count. She became a powerful symbol of Soviet tenacity and female empowerment—gracing posters, newsreels, and even postage stamps. Her memoirs, published after the war, helped shape the mythos around the Soviet sniper corps.

More Than One Heroine

While Pavlichenko may be the best-known, she was far from the only deadly woman in the Red Army’s sniper ranks. Consider Roza Shanina, a young woman from Arkhangelsk who volunteered in 1941 after the death of her brother. Known for her icy focus and unflinching nerve, Shanina tallied at least 59 confirmed kills during her time with the 184th Rifle Division. She often favored open terrain engagements and was one of the few women documented to have performed double kills—taking out two enemy soldiers with near-simultaneous shots.

Her diary, published posthumously after her death in battle in 1945, offers a rare, poignant glimpse into the mind of a young woman at war—torn between duty, fear, and a longing for a future that never came. Dubbed the “Unseen Terror of East Prussia” she was just 20 when she was killed by an artillery shell.

Then there’s Nina Lobkovskaya, who led a platoon of female snipers during the brutal Battle of Berlin. Having survived the carnage of Stalingrad, Lobkovskaya fought her way into the heart of Nazi Germany and even stood among the Soviet troops who stormed the Reichstag. Her experiences highlight the grim endurance and skill these women carried through some of the most vicious fighting of the war.

Strategic Impact

Though their numbers were relatively small, female snipers had an outsized impact on the battlefield. They were often tasked with counter-sniper missions, eliminating enemy marksmen who threatened Soviet troops. Their presence also had a psychological effect—German soldiers were unnerved by the idea that death could come silently, from a woman concealed in the trees, patient and unblinking.

Soviet sniper teams were credited with eliminating thousands of Axis troops. In close-fought battles like those at Sevastopol, Leningrad, and later during the drive into Germany, these elite shooters helped tip the balance, especially in urban environments where stealth and precision mattered most.

Legacy

After the war, most of these women returned home to lives of relative obscurity. Some struggled with trauma; others quietly resumed civilian lives as teachers, doctors, or factory workers. Yet their contribution to the Soviet war effort—and to history—remains undeniable.

Today, their stories are slowly being rediscovered, their names resurfacing in documentaries, biographies, and digital archives. They were warriors, patriots, and pioneers—not just for their aim, but for daring to take their shot in a man’s world, one silent kill at a time.

Joseph Coleman earned a B.A. in Philosophy and Classics from the University of South Florida, and an M.A. in History from Slippery Rock University, specializing in twentieth century geopolitics. He has written numerous academic papers on modern Germany. He works as a history educator in St. Petersburg, FL.