Women's participation in the First World War

The First World War (July 28, 1914 - November 11, 1918) was the first military conflict on a global scale, in which 38 of the 59 independent states that existed at that time were involved. About 73.5 million people were mobilized; of these, 9.5 million were killed or died from wounds, more than 20 million were wounded, 3.5 million were left crippled. The causes of this bloody conflict were the aggravation of the global confrontation between the great powers, primarily England and Germany, and the beginning of the struggle for the redivision of the world.

On July 18, 1914, Emperor Nicholas II announced a general mobilization associated with the outbreak of the First World War. On August 1, 1914, Germany declared war on Russia. The next day in St. Petersburg, crowds of demonstrators, people of different ranks, titles and conditions, moved to the Winter Palace to receive the royal blessing for the holy war. The capital's workers, who stopped the strikes, took to the streets with royal portraits in their hands. On Palace Square, a kneeling crowd sang “God Save the Tsar” Ermolov V. Women and children in the battles of the First World War // History. 2003. No. 9. P. 24.. A witness to what happened that day, the Grand Duke and Admiral of the Russian Fleet, Mikhail Nikolaevich Romanov, wrote in his diary: “Probably, during the entire twenty years of his reign, he [Nicholas II] did not hear so many sincere cries of “hurray” as in these days” Ibid., p.35..

The desire to stand up for the honor of the homeland was almost universal. Women and girls en masse enrolled in nursing courses. Many women were already working in infirmaries and hospitals by that time.

The first private hospitals were located in the house of Prince Felix Yusupov on Liteiny Prospekt and in the house on Kamennoostrovsky Prospekt, which was rented by the famous ballerina Matilda Kshesinskaya as a hospital. In her memoirs, she writes: “In St. Petersburg, as soon as the danger of landing had passed, hospitals began to open due to the ever-increasing number of wounded, not only military, but also private. Then I also decided to set up my own infirmary, I found a wonderful apartment not far from me, on Kamennoostrovsky Prospekt, for a small infirmary, with only thirty beds, for soldiers. I spared no expense on its construction; it had two operating rooms and three wards for the wounded, each with ten beds. I attracted the best doctors who visited the infirmary every day. I was never present during operations or dressing changes, since I could not help in any way. But where I could be truly useful, I did everything in my power, trying to pamper the wounded as much as I could, in order to at least a little brighten up their life away from their own, to console them and cheer them up. I sent gifts to their families, asked them who I could help and what the family needed most. To entertain them, I once gave them a big party and danced in front of them... In the summer of 1915, in order to entertain my wounded a little and give them the opportunity to breathe fresh air after the confined hospital life, I brought them to my dacha in Strelna in batches. ten people, for this they gave me state-owned trucks... I was very happy that I could decorate their lives” Kshesinskaya M.F. Memories. M., 1992. P. 97.. These words are an example of the sincerity, kindness and huge heart of a representative of the aristocracy, caring for ordinary soldiers who selflessly fought for their native land.

The active army required not only weapons and ammunition, but also a huge amount of uniforms, boots, foot wraps, and underwear. The efforts of volunteers greatly contributed to the solution of this problem. So, for example, the artist of the Nezlobina Theater, Mrs. Vasilyeva, persuaded her colleagues to work for several hours a day in the trash, which was managed by the artist O.S. Ostrovskaya. The artists were engaged in sewing linen for the soldiers.

Soon, a shortage of dressing material began to be felt in Moscow infirmaries and hospitals. Women of all classes, from ordinary townswomen to aristocrats, began making bandages with unprecedented enthusiasm. The workshop at the Ilyinsky Gate alone produced up to 10 thousand dressing bags per day - the same amount as was produced by a well-equipped German factory Ermolov V. Women and children in the battles of the First World War // History. 2003. No. 9. S. 26..

Quite little is known about the activities of the sisters of mercy during the First World War, since most of the events of previous wars are described some time after their end. There was no time allowed for memories and detailed reports about the sisters of mercy during this war due to the outbreak of the revolution. The information that has reached us is incomplete and not very informative. It is known that by 1915 there were 115 communities in Russia that were under the jurisdiction of the Red Cross Society. In addition, the sisters were affiliated with three local departments and two Committees of the ROKK, the Evangelical Hospital and four foreign hospitals in Petrograd. The largest organization, numbering 1,603 people, was the community of St. George. The next largest ones were the Petrograd sisterhood named after Lieutenant General M.P. von Kaufman (952 people) and St. Eugenia (465 people) Posternak A.V. Essays on the history of communities of sisters of mercy. M., 2001. P. 234.. The Holy Trinity community at that time numbered 129 sisters, and the Exaltation of the Cross - 228. The Iverskaya and Alexandrovskaya (“Assuage my sorrows”) sisterhood organizations in Moscow consisted of 365 and 183 sisters, respectively. In total, there were seven communities operating in Moscow at the beginning of the war.

In 1916, according to official lists, 17,436 nurses were sent to the front, who served more than two thousand field and rear institutions of the Red Cross - 71 hospitals, designed for 44,600 people, stage and mobile hospitals, 11 ambulance trains, forward detachments, ambulance transports, nutritional and dressing stations, disinfection chambers, X-ray and flying surgical teams, two floating hospitals on the Black Sea, three bacteriological laboratories, six field warehouses. The means of transportation for non-stationary institutions were about 10 thousand horses and 800 cars Posternak A.V. Essays on the history of communities of sisters of mercy. M., 2001. P. 245..

Hospitals had to quickly look for premises, often not suitable for such purposes, since for the most part the only suitable buildings were buildings occupied by government and educational institutions. There were often delays in their deployment due to failure to receive responses from the relevant departments, so many hospitals stood idle for a long time in the carriages before their final placement at the final destination. The evacuation presented enormous difficulties due to a lack of transport means, and therefore the wounded were unevenly accommodated in hospitals. For example, from the city of Lodz to Warsaw at one time a day, eight and a half thousand wounded arrived, and each of the city’s hospitals worked at the limit, accepting a thousand people instead of the required 200, that is, five times more than their real capabilities. Therefore, in many cases, the functions of stationary hospitals were taken over by mobile and stage hospitals, which rarely worked with the regular number of wounded. On November 1, 1915, about 780 thousand people were treated in all these institutions. By this time, 28 sisters had died from infectious diseases, four died in accidents, five were murdered, and twelve committed suicide, unable to cope with wartime conditions and extreme despair. After the war, it was planned to publish the “Golden Book” with biographies of all the deceased sisters. This project was never realized. In Moscow, an attempt was made to create a kind of memorial on the site of the garden in the village of Vsesvyatsky in the form of an All-Russian Fraternal Cemetery, where, from August 1915, plots were specially allocated for sisters of mercy who died in the First World War Posternak A.V. Essays on the history of communities of sisters of mercy. M., 2001. P. 275.. The construction of a grandiose temple, architectural monuments and a military history museum was planned here. The cemetery was built up after the revolution, and only part of its territory remained free - the Serebryany Bor area on the banks of the Moscow River.

In 1915, three sisters of mercy were appointed to special commissions of the Red Cross, which inspected German concentration camps for Russian prisoners of war. A similar commission with three German sisters was sent to inspect Russian camps where German prisoners were kept. Russian nurses received survey cards. They indicated the general information of each prisoner, including his religion, the conditions under which he was captured, and his general state of health. The Red Cross allocated 60 thousand rubles to help these unfortunate people. In total, Russian sisters inspected 115 camps. One of them, E.A. Samsonova, left very tendentious notes in which the plight of the Russians in Germany was depicted in gloomy colors. Even if she wrote the truth, the publication of her diary at a time when the war was not yet over obviously played a propaganda role. For a similar purpose, other memoirs were published, for example, those of B. Radonich’s sister, who was captured by the Germans.

One of the few surviving, and therefore very valuable for us, evidence of the last war in which Russian nurses took part is the memoirs of Alexandra Lvovna Tolstoy, daughter of L.N. Tolstoy Ivanova Yu.N. The bravest of the beautiful: Russian women in wars. M., 2002. P. 135.. Her fate is to some extent typical of many women from intelligentsia families of the beginning of the century. Alexandra was not a member of the community and did not study at a medical institute. Having received a good education at home, she became her father's secretary, taking notes from his dictation. By 1914, having reached her thirtieth birthday, she did not even think about becoming a nurse, although she was interested in medicine and under the guidance of family doctor L.N. Tolstoy studied anatomy and physiology. With her assistance, an outpatient clinic was even set up in Yasnaya Polyana for peasants who flocked here from all over the area.

After Germany declared war on Russia, the country was swept by a wave of so-called “aggressive patriotism”, the desire to curb the enemy at any cost, to defend the Motherland with one’s chest. Many rushed to the front, including women who dreamed of getting to the front line and for this purpose joined the ranks of the sisters. “I wanted to forget myself, I wanted feats, heroic deeds...” Tolstaya A.L. Daughter. London, 1979. P. 77. - Tolstaya wrote many years later. Alexandra decided to become a sister against the wishes of her mother and friends of her deceased father. Since earlier in her outpatient clinic she had already learned how to prepare ointments, make bandages and injections, it was quite easy for her to pass the exam for the title of wartime nurse. However, work in the rear did not satisfy her, and in order to get to the front, she, using her position as the daughter of a famous writer, turned to Prince Lvov, the chairman of the All-Russian Zemstvo Union, which organized assistance to the wounded. He did not agree to take her to a responsible job, citing Alexandra’s inability to conduct business practically, in particular, when she once rented out an apple orchard, and the tenant deceived her. A few months later, Alexandra finally managed to get on the ambulance train of the North-Western Front as a commissioner of the All-Russian Zemstvo Union. This train transported the wounded from the battlefield to a mobile point in Bialystok, where they were bandaged and then evacuated further. In October 1914, Tolstaya was transferred to the Turkish Front, and again under the patronage, because the advanced detachments of the Zemstvo Union were staffed only from career Red Cross nurses. She voluntarily went in the direction of Erivan - Igdir and further, deep into Turkey. Igdyr turned out to be a small place at the foot of Ararat, on the banks of the stormy Euphrates River. “Biblical, but sad, swampy places with an incredible number of mosquitoes, carriers of one of the most severe forms of tropical malaria” Tolstaya A.L. Daughter. London, 1979. P.145.. It was here, in a former school, that the first dressing station of the All-Russian Zemstvo Union was organized. Soon Tolstaya was transferred to the operating room to the assistance of an experienced medical assistant-surgeon. “The wounds were severe, the Turks used “dum-dum” explosive bullets. It was difficult to get used to amputations. You hold your leg or arm and suddenly feel a dead heaviness. Part of the person remains in your hand” Ibid., p. 156.. Then the detachment moved to the village of Karakalis of Alashkert, where the wounded were placed in small, squalid houses. There were few of them, but most of them were infected with all three types of typhus: abdominal, typhoid and relapsing. There was not enough food in cases where the camel caravan, which was the main cargo transport in these parts, was delayed. “At night, the sisters took turns on duty. Four wards with 40-50 patients each. There is one orderly on duty for each ward, and one nurse for all wards. Almost all patients are typhoid. You spend the whole night running from one room to another. They moan, rush about, rave. You feel completely powerless to somehow alleviate or help. It becomes scary for minutes. Especially when the groans turn into wheezing... You run up, there is almost no breathing, the patient is quiet, there is no pulse. As soon as you have time to cross yourself and close your eyes, you die.” Ibid., p. 157.. Then Tolstaya received an appointment to the city of Van, where at that time there were many typhoid patients and where it was necessary to open a feeding station for captured Turks, mainly women, old people and children. And again the sister has to make long treks through the mountains. “Over the past months, I have completely lost the habit of civilization and did not pay any attention to my appearance. Yes, this was impossible during the hikes. I probably looked terrible. A face peeling from the sun and mountain air, a rough, greasy gray undershirt made of Caucasian cloth, soaked with horse sweat, trousers, boots, and a black lambskin hat with a white top on his head. They are worn here to protect against sunstroke. When we arrived in Van, some of the prisoners had already died. About 800 people remained. They organized food, heated water for washing people and washing clothes. Products were obtained from the military department. But there wasn't much. It was impossible to get soap. They used soda-salt sand from the lake; they could use it to wash clothes. They set up a primitive laundry.” Tolstaya A.L. Daughter. London, 1979. P. 177. Later, Tolstoy managed to achieve the transfer of prisoners from this contaminated area to another, with more favorable conditions.

After the events described, Alexandra received a new assignment to the Western Front as a representative of the Zemstvo Union to set up canteen schools and organize work with children from families remaining in the front line. Of the 200 teachers who wanted to go to set up schools, Tolstaya selected only sixty, after talking with each one individually. Then Tolstoy was ordered to organize a mobile sanitary detachment, which included eight doctors, thirty nurses, as well as orderlies, business and administrative personnel - about 250 people in total. Tolstoy’s detachment was divided into three “flying” units, that is, groups to provide prompt assistance to the wounded on the battlefield. In each, fairly strict discipline was introduced, drills were organized, so that the personnel were able to get ready and set out on a campaign within twenty minutes. “I earned the full trust of the team after I dispatched a sergeant major who hit one of the soldiers on the cheek. Discipline was necessary...” Ibid., p. 180.. Thanks to Tolstoy’s inexhaustible energy, in three days a hospital with four hundred beds was opened near Smorgon. In this area, he was periodically bombed by German airplanes, and Alexandra had to stop the orderlies, distraught with fear and fleeing from sick ones. “I will never believe that people are not afraid of shelling, bombs, gun attacks. Everyone is afraid. The whole question is in endurance, in the ability to control oneself and not show one’s fear.” Tolstaya A.L. Daughter. London, 1979. P. 197.. Alexandra miraculously escaped death by staying with the commissioner in Minsk when part of her house was bombed by a German shell, seven orderlies were killed, and three doctors were seriously wounded. Near Smorgon, the Germans began to use poisonous gases: nurses and doctors had to work in gas masks. “...The trees and grass from Smorgon to Molodechno, about 35 versts, turned yellow, as if from a fire... Fields of rye. Look, the rye is crushed in places. You're approaching. A man is lying down. The face is brown-red, breathing heavily. We pick it up and put it in the cart. He's still talking. They brought him to the camp - dead. We brought the first batch, we are going again... The detachment works day and night. The hospital is overcrowded. The poisoned are lying on the floor, in the yard... 1,200 people were buried in a mass grave. Many were evacuated... I have never experienced anything more terrible, inhumane in my life than the poisoning of hundreds, thousands of people with this deadly poison. There is nowhere to run. It penetrates everywhere, kills not only every living thing, but also every blade of grass. Why?.. What is the point in all these conferences, endless discussions about the world, if you do not accept the teachings of Christ and the commandment “thou shalt not kill” as the fundamental law... And until people understand the sin of killing one another, wars will continue. What about the results of the war? Decline of morals, revolutions” Ibid., p. 205.. “Everyone made speeches. Stands sprang up everywhere like mushrooms. Wherever you go, there are meetings everywhere. Strange people began to appear. They spoke more than anyone else, calling for them to abandon the front and not obey the officers. The officers, the sisters, everyone spoke.” Ibid., p. 207.. Tolstaya herself, in a patriotic outburst, spoke to the soldiers. However, the true essence of what was happening very quickly began to emerge. After the February events of 1917, discipline at the front fell sharply. They did not listen to the doctors, the soldiers were rude to them, discussed the orders of their superiors and often did not obey them. Tolstoy’s detachment created its own soldiers’ committee, which honorably escorted its leader, who decided to leave the front, to the rear. “...Later I found out that after my departure the same committee decided to arrest me as a potbelly stove and a counter-revolutionary, but I was already in Moscow” Tolstaya A.L. Daughter. London, 1979. P. 213..

The nurse of the infirmary of the Evgenievsky community of the city of Rovno, Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna, treated her duties equally responsibly. “Always dressed like a simple sister of mercy, sharing a modest room with another sister, she began her working day at 7 in the morning and often stayed up all night in a row when it was necessary to bandage the wounded. Sometimes the soldiers refused to believe that the sister who so patiently looked after them was the sovereign’s sister and the daughter of Emperor Alexander III.” Vyrubova A. Memoirs. M., 2012. P. 124.. Once during the morning round, Olga Alexandrovna saw a crying soldier. To the princess’s question, the wounded man replied that “the doctors don’t want to do the operation, they say I’ll die anyway.” Olga Alexandrovna managed to persuade the doctors, and the operation ended successfully. The wounded man proudly stated to the Birzhevye Vedomosti correspondent that “with wounds like his, one in a thousand survives. And that’s all the Grand Duchess” Ibid., p. 125..

On February 7 - 8, 1915, in East Prussia, the Russian army suffered a severe defeat. Our troops retreated, overwhelmed by the enemy's superiority in heavy artillery. On March 2, during a breakthrough from encirclement, the 20th Russian Corps alone lost 7,000 people killed. The flow of wounded increased sharply. On August 22, 1915, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna decided to organize an infirmary named after the heir, Tsarevich Alexei, in the halls of the Winter Palace. The Antechamber, Nikolaevsky, Great Field Marshal, Petrovsky, Armorial, Picket and Alexander Halls, as well as part of the second spare half of the palace from the Alexander Hall towards the Hermitage, were allocated for the infirmary. Special ramps were installed on the Jordan and Church stairs to make it easier to carry the seriously wounded. The maid of honor of the court, Anna Vyrubova, recalled: “They were brought from afar, always terribly dirty and bloody, suffering. We treated our hands with antiseptic and began to wash, clean, bandage these mangled bodies, disfigured faces, blinded eyes - all the indescribable injuries that in civilized language are called war” Vyrubova A. Memoirs. M., 2012. P. 147..

Rumors that the Germans and Austrians treated the Russian wounded captured inhumanely forced many doctors, paramedics, nurses and orderlies to go to regimental hospitals and to the front line. The large army of nurses and orderlies (6,554 people on September 1, 1914) was joined by more and more people wishing to help the front. The front line met the medics with artillery shelling and air bombing. The Germans and Austrians did not comply with the requirements of the Red Cross convention. Sister of Mercy I.D. Smirnova said: “The German troops spared neither the Red Cross, nor the sick, nor the wounded, nor doctors, nor nurses. For attempting to take away the wounded from the advancing Germans, the ambulance transport was subjected to brutal fire.” Sister-volunteer E.A. Girenkova spent about two and a half months in the trenches of the front line. For her courage in helping the wounded under German artillery fire, she was awarded the Order of St. George, 4th degree. Girenkova also testified to the inhumane attitude of the Germans towards our wounded. Entering the city after our advance detachment, she found our wounded and wounded Germans, and the Russian wounded were completely naked by the retreating enemy. But it was the end of September. In another place, Girenkova found Russian wounded, for whom the German doctors did not bandage at all Adashev N. The Great War and the Russian woman. M., 1979. P. 177.

Among the wounded who were admitted to the infirmaries and hospitals of the Southwestern Front, there were also Germans. Some of them behaved extremely hostile towards Russian doctors and nurses. In a Warsaw hospital, a wounded German spat in the face of a nurse, another kicked the nurse, and a third jabbed scissors in the stomach of a doctor who was doing a bandage.

From the very beginning of the war, information about the atrocities of German and Austrian soldiers and officers in Belgium, France and the western regions of Poland increasingly began to appear in the press. Mass robberies, shootings of hostages and violence against women became the norm of behavior of the conquerors. “The world did not yet know fascism, Auschwitz, Dachau, the Nazi genocide,” wrote the famous Soviet historian N.N. Yakovlev, - but even then, in August 1914, they knew well that the enemy was systematically violating the laws and customs of war. Torture and murder of prisoners in the hands of the Germans and Austrians were not the exception, but the rule.” Yakovlev N.N. September 1, 1914. M., 1974. P. 45.. German aggression prompted women to actively participate in the fight against the enemy. The Sisters of Mercy played a huge role during the First World War. For them, work in hospitals and infirmaries was not only a duty, but also a dictate of the heart, an internal need to serve one’s neighbor, love and mercy for the suffering.

Before the outbreak of the First World War, many women were confined to the home and their lives included nothing but family. Of course, some, for example, the suffragettes, hoped to make changes to the situation, however, in general everything was quite hopeless. With the outbreak of hostilities everything changed. The First World War forced men to go to the front, and women were able to replace them in the workplace. They began to appear in stores and offices. So the world gradually began to transform. Get to know this period of history better and find out exactly how this transformation took place.

Replacement for men

The wartime economy depended on women - they were the ones who kept industry going. But was the contribution consistent with working conditions and rights? And what happened when peace came? These are all very interesting historical questions worthy of study. More than a million women in Britain alone became substitutes for men going to war. From 1914 to 1918, women were the main workforce, and they worked in a variety of fields - from tram driving to postal service. This situation arose for the first time in human history.

Poor working conditions

During wartime, women also produced ammunition for the front. Photos showing the work process became known around the world. However, the working conditions were appalling. The reality behind the photographs was depressing. Statistics were published only to maintain morale, hiding the true figures - in fact, accidents were common. For example, in January 1917, an explosion occurred at a dynamite plant that killed seventy-three people. But this is just one of the cases! One can only try to imagine the true scale of the disaster in the workplace.

Negative features

In addition to working conditions, hazardous substances in the workplace also had a negative impact on women. For example, substances were used to produce explosives that made the skin of female workers yellow. The look was so characteristic and widespread that employees of arms factories were nicknamed “canaries.” Moreover, this work was poorly paid. Of course, the opportunity to work was valuable for women, but they received half as much as men doing exactly the same work. Often it was hard, monotonous work. Women were doomed to do work that was reduced to a series of simple tasks for an unskilled employee, such as making thousands of cartridges by hand.

Long working hours

Previously, a woman’s life consisted only of housekeeping, but with the beginning of the war it began to consist exclusively of work. Only productivity mattered, so it was impossible to strike any balance. To supply the required amount of weapons to the front, it was necessary to work twelve to thirteen hours without any break.

Lost opportunities

So, many women abandoned domestic work in favor of factory work. They hoped that good wages and some new life opportunities awaited them. At the same time, many quickly lost their jobs. The war was a source of vacancies, and when it ended, the situation changed. However, there were changes for the better - since 1919 it became illegal to prohibit women from working in many industries. Doors previously closed to educated middle-class women began to slowly open. Never-before-seen potential and new opportunities appeared on the horizon.

Economic crisis

The economic crisis spoiled the new prospects. After the soldiers returned from the war, many women found themselves unnecessary in the workplace. They were forced to leave their jobs and return to their old lives, because factories were moving from wartime mode to their previous level of production. It seemed that time had turned back - women had to forget about professional development and again turn into domestic servants, suitable only for taking care of their husbands and relatives. Thousands of women lost their jobs, especially in industry, and those who refused to quit angered others. Every woman who continued to work was pressured to return her to her previous conditions. It is not surprising that only a few were able to maintain their profession. At first glance, there has been a complete rollback to the past.

Lack of equality in elections

The suffragette movement finally gained recognition after the war. However, the victory was incomplete - only women over thirty could vote. As a result, the young men won in numbers. Only one woman was elected to Parliament in December 1918 in Great Britain. In short, despite their invaluable contribution during wartime, women did not play a special role and could not realize themselves.

Impact on the current situation

Despite the fact that the situation after the war cannot be called inspiring, those years still had a certain impact on the situation of women. The war changed the lives of many of them, and in some cases it was for the better. Women managed to show society that they are capable of working on an equal basis with men, that their intellectual development allows them to play a significant role in public life. Even though many of these achievements were no longer taken into account after the end of hostilities, even though many women lost their jobs, life was still never the same - it was easier for girls to go to university or take political office.

Major improvement

One of the most noticeable improvements in women's lives during World War I was the change in health care. Women began to live longer and get sick less, and the loss of a child in infancy became rare. In the post-war years, infant mortality fell by two-thirds. It is difficult to explain in detail the reason for this situation; in short, it is a matter of increasing living standards and improving nutrition. Earnings that outpaced price increases allowed many families to buy more food. In addition, the state policy of prohibiting alcohol helped. All of these criteria combined have led to incredible improvements in healthcare.

Obtaining full civil rights

At the end of the second decade of the twentieth century, women's lives changed in revolutionary ways. Men could vote from the age of twenty-one. Women were somewhat inferior to them in this, nevertheless, their voices could still influence public life for the first time in history. Post-war progress seems very limited, but in fact it is much larger. Politicians and society began to look at the situation differently. As a result, women gained full voting rights in 1928—a situation that finally began to resemble true equality. Moreover, education has become more accessible, as a result of which women began to acquire new skills and became more self-confident. The opportunity to study and work guaranteed them greater freedom, which began to manifest itself not only in the professional sphere, but also in their personal lives. All the opportunities that a modern woman has would not have been available without these revolutionary changes that occurred at the very beginning of the twentieth century, in the period after the First World War.

Gubsky Nikolai Ivanovich
Job title:
Educational institution: MBU DO "House of Children's Creativity" Abinsk
Locality: X. Olginsky, Krasnodar region
Name of material: article
Subject: Women in the First World War 1914 - 1918.
Publication date: 14.03.2018
Chapter: additional education

Russian women on the fronts of the First World War

(1914 – 1918)

Ivanovich

additional education teacher

MBU DO "House of Children's Creativity"

Abinsk.

X. Olginsky

1. Women's asceticism during the war.

During the Great War, women's asceticism and participation in hostilities for the first time in

history has become widespread. Only in the Russian army at the front were

more than 25 thousand women. What made all these representatives of the “weaker sex”

other women who were young, pretty, noble or rich, to plunge into

hard everyday life of war, filled with explosions, noise, death and bloodshed?

Retraction

army

bloody

contributed to a number of reasons. The main one is undoubtedly a patriotic impulse,

engulfed society with news of an enemy attack on the Fatherland

regardless of gender, age, profession. Sense of duty and patriotism, youthful

maximalism and heroic romanticism forced many girls to change their elegant

dresses for a nurse's uniform or military uniform.

Military service changed them

worldview.

Memories

documentation

preserved

events

hundred years ago, point to a whole range of reasons.

In her last letter to her parents, sister of mercy Rimma Ivanova wrote: “I

I hasten to tell you that I am happy! I finally realized who and what I owe

serve all your life! I must serve alone

my dear, my

to the great Russian people, and not at all to those whom I

still so naive, so

mistakenly considered this long-suffering people to be the masters. I met here on

front, people who helped me fully understand this truth, and now I

whatever blessings of the earth I will not renounce from it. I understand: I probably shouldn’t have written to you

all this... But I want you, my dears, to know about all this, if suddenly I

it won't. But if I return from the war, I will return as a completely different person.”

female heroines

was formed

Russian press. During the period of the “heaviest tragedy”, “world fire”, a woman

was considered an assistant to the Russian warrior. The images of nurses were actively formed,

who, to the best of their ability, tried to provide assistance to the wounded. At the same time

the press of that time was filled with various reports about new “cavalry-

girls" who fought at the front along with men (primarily

participated

quality

scouts).

attitude

ambiguous. On the one hand, their heroism and courage were emphasized (and thereby

the “weaker” sex was set as an example for the “strong” sex), on the other hand, it was often recognized that

Nevertheless, fighting is not a function characteristic of women.

Undoubtedly,

family

circumstances.

Some

went to the front after their husbands, others, having learned about the death of their husbands, went to fight to

avenge them.

equal rights with men. Women's desire for equal opportunities

areas

public

affected

aspiration

military service. In 1917, the Provisional Government provided all women with

having reached

electoral

guaranteed

occupy

government positions and equal pay to men.

To summarize the above, we note a number of reasons that influenced women’s participation in

Great War. The main one is, of course, the patriotic impulse that gripped

society upon receiving news of an enemy attack on the Fatherland.

Family circumstances played a big role. Some women went to

the front followed their husbands, others, having learned about the death of their husbands, went to fight to avenge

The rise of the women’s movement for women, which began at the beginning of the 20th century, also played a role.

equal rights with men.

2. Sisters of mercy.

women,

those who wanted

serve

To the Fatherland

had to

resort to disguise in the form of dressing up and short hair; but already in the 19th century

they got the opportunity to be on the combat fronts legally - in

as nurses. The first community of sisters of mercy in Russia, called St.

Trinity, was created in 1844 on the initiative of representatives of the imperial

dynasties. Later, the world's first institute for medical training appeared.

staff - Holy Cross Community of Sisters of Mercy. In 1867 Alexander

II approved the charter of the Society for the Care of Wounded and Sick Soldiers, intended

study

preparation

medical

organization

hospitals

collecting donations and providing material assistance to the wounded and sick. In 1879

year it was renamed the Russian Red Cross Society (ROSC). On

at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, the creation of communities of nurses became widespread

phenomenon.

fame

purchased

Iverskaya

community, Community named after Adjutant General M.P. Kaufman. In the autumn of 1914 at the theater

military operations, 476 doctors, 1196 nurses and

4398 orderlies. Despite the fact that the pre-war mobilization plan was carried out

completely, reports noted a shortage of medical institutions and nurses

Therefore, short-term courses were opened in the communities, after which

women were given the qualification of wartime nurses. Only

from August 1914 to February 1915, more than 11 thousand women completed such courses.

However, this number of medical personnel was not enough, and

Additional preparatory courses have opened in many cities. In 1916

The Red Cross united 2.5 thousand doctors, 20 thousand nurses, over

50 thousand nurses.

One of them, Tatyana Varnek, recalled that “all the sisters worked of their own free will,

ideologically, and gave all their strength and soul to the wounded... The hospital can be compared to

a perfectly tuned machine, and we were its particles...”

During the First World War, women from all classes contributed

to the rescue of the wounded. Representatives of the Romanov dynasty did not stand aside either.

Empress Alexandra Feodorovna organized a special evacuation point in

which included 85 hospitals for wounded soldiers in Tsarskoe Selo, Pavlovsk, Petersburg

Gofa, Sablina and other cities. The Empress and her eldest daughters, the Grand Duchesses

Tatyana, (see Appendix

graduated

mercy

military

time, which was taught to them by Princess Vera Ignatievna Gedroits, chief physician of Tsar -

Skoselsky Palace Hospital and an outstanding surgeon. Sister of Nicholas II the Great

Princess Olga Alexandrovna, using her own funds, opened an infirmary in Kyiv, in

where she cared for the wounded, employed those who, due to health reasons, were not

could return to the front. To raise funds for the Red Cross reproductions

works

Wonderful

drawing

watercolor,

were published

postal

postcards

works

the most famous

artists

Of course, other noble women could not stay away. Anna Fedorovna

Meyendorff, baroness from a noble Baltic noble family,

during the war there was

senior sister of mercy on the Russian-French hospital ship Krasny

The general's wives also contributed to the victory. For example, the wife of General V.I.

E.N. Gurko worked in a field hospital from the first days of the war.

declaration of war for two years, Ms. Gurko was always in positions, never once

going on vacation. In positions – in the literal sense of the word. She was offered to work at

well-equipped hospitals near the rear, in urban conditions and environments,

She refused. And during the Galician offensive and in the hot battles of Lodz, and

in other E.N. Gurko was always ahead, always bandaged the wounded under fire, and he

The medal bow that adorns her chest was awarded quite deservedly.

now E.N. lives in a tiny dugout with nowhere to turn. And two hundred steps away -

an excellent, well-maintained manor.

General Schrader suggested

Nikolaevna, move there, we will arrange such a cozy room for you. - Never! I

I shouldn’t, I can’t, I don’t want to differ in my everyday life from other sisters. How they live

they, so I will live! This harsh rhetoric runs like a red thread through everything.

the existence of Ms. Gurko in positions. The only thing she gave in on was dinner.

located

modest,

a nun. And this is not panache, not the peculiar coquetry of an intelligent society woman,

it's quite sincere.

In the slush and rain E.N., in high ankle boots,

sucked in

She personally administered 318 cholera vaccinations to soldiers. E.N. not only sister

mercy,

useful

assistant

medical specialists.

When the war began, Inna Vladimirovna Chagina, the daughter of General V.I., went to the front.

Chagina, who interrupted her studies at Oxford University to serve the Fatherland.

Countess Ekaterina Nikolaevna Ignatieva, the minister’s sister, also entered

public education of Count P.N. Ignatieva. After completing nursing courses

worked as a nurse on the Western Front, daughter of the Chairman of the Council of Ministers

I. L. Goremykina Alexandra Ivanovna Okhochinskaya

Elena Pavlovna Samsonova, daughter of a military engineer, who graduated with a gold medal

Bialystok gymnasium and Bestuzhev courses in St. Petersburg, began working as a sister

mercy in the military hospital in Warsaw, and then went to the 9th Army of the South-

Western Front, where she was enlisted as a driver (shortly before the war she graduated

driving courses in Warsaw. She served as a driver for about four months, and

Then due to illness she was sent to Moscow.

Lieutenant General I.N. Svechin (chief inspector of Petrograd hospitals) wrote in

their time: “The activities of the sisters of mercy, not to mention the sisters of permanent

composition of communities, but also that huge number of wartime sisters of mercy,

which are currently working is such that it cannot but be valued very highly as

by its qualities, and by the tireless energy that is invested in this work, and

cordiality,

manifests itself

overwhelming

absolutely

naturally

explainable by the mass of people who devoted themselves to caring for the sick and wounded

thanks to

unwanted

deplorable

exceptions in the composition of sisters of mercy, the undeserved falls completely in vain

a shadow on an unconditionally worthy and good element with an unblemished reputation. Between

Moreover, given that there are, for example, about 650 medical institutions in Petrograd - military,

Red Cross, land-wide and city-wide organizations - at least two

medicinal

establishments

function

proper and caring care for the wounded, if there were no nurses

military

empress

Alexandra

Fedorovna

direct

providing

disabled people,

those in dire need

front-line soldiers.

noble

actions found a response among Russian society. There are many in the literature

examples of the participation of women from various segments of the population in the Great War. In this we

convinced by working on the topic.

3. Women on the front lines.

Some women felt that the medical service did not contribute enough to the cause

victory and strived to get to the front as fighters. Widely known

acquired by Antonina Tikhonovna Palshina, who was promoted to non-commissioned officer and became

Knight of St. George. She was born in Sarapul in 1897 into a peasant family,

orphaned

profession

worked

peddler

sweets. When the war began, she bought a used soldier’s uniform at the market and

achieved

enrollment

Caucasian

cavalry

Tikhonovich Palshin. In the battle near the Turkish fortress Hasankala, Antonina was wounded

on, and in the hospital it turned out who was really hiding under the name of Anton.

Afraid of being dismissed from the army, after recovery Antonina decided to move to

another front - the Austrian - but was arrested at the station and sent to

Sarapul. After completing short-term courses for nurses, she was sent to

Southwestern Front. However, she did not stay in the hospital for long: after her death

one of the young soldiers, Antonina secretly changed into his clothes and went to

advanced. Soon she managed to enlist in the 75th Sevastopol Infantry Regiment, where

She went on reconnaissance and, together with another soldier, captured “tongue.” For heroic

actions during the assault on the heights on the Bystritsa River, Palshina was awarded the St. George

cross 3rd degree, promoted to corporal and appointed commander of a squad of 11

battle

Chernivtsi,

medical

wounded

to the company commander, she raised the company to attack, but was wounded. In the hospital I again discovered

the truth about the brave fighter lived, but Antonina was introduced to another George

Gievsky's cross.

Seventeen-year-old Olga Shidlovskaya, daughter of the Mogilev vice-governor, has been

the beginning of the war, she rushed to the front. Her older brother had already died, and her younger brother was seriously ill

shell-shocked,

resisted

aspiration.

configured

decisively

put

indispensable

condition

receiving

average

education - hoping that during this time the daughter’s warlike fervor will pass. However

graduation

additional

gymnasiums

changed

I had to

contact

resolution

Supreme

to the commander-in-chief. After receiving it, Olga under the name of Oleg Sergeevich

Shidlovsky was enrolled in the 4th Hussar Mariupol Regiment - in which

once served as a cavalry maiden Nadezhda Durova, who became a model for the girl

for imitation. Already in September 1915, Shidlovskaya was promoted to corporal, and

in 1916 - junior and then senior non-commissioned officers. She took part in all

regiment battles. For desperate bravery and zealous service during the war, Olga Serge-

Evna was awarded the St. George Medal and the St. George Cross of the 4th degree.

Elena Konstantinovna Tsebrzhinskaya (nee Khechinova), after her husband

was captured, took her sons to Batum to their parents, changed into military uniform and

went to the front under the name of paramedic Gleb Tsetnersky. In the ranks of the 186th

Aslanduz infantry regiment she went from Lublin to Częstochowa, participating in

intelligence

courageously

transferring

marching

the regiment's advance on the village of Zhurav (as stated in the order of the commander of the 4th

army of General A.E. Evert) “volunteer paramedic Tsetnersky, volunteering to hunt-

com, under heavy enemy shrapnel fire climbed a tree standing in front

chains, and, having observed the location of the enemy’s chains, machine guns and artillery, delivered

important and very accurate information about his forces and location, which contributed to

a quick attack and our occupation of this village.” Two days after this, when rendering

assistance to the wounded company commander, “paramedic Tsetnersky” was wounded, and in a bandage

At this point, his true gender was revealed. For courage shown on the front line

the rescue

"paramedic

Tsetnersky"

awarded

St. George's Cross, 4th degree.

belongs

Alexandra

Efimovna

Lagereva,

who, under the name of Alexander Efimovich Camp, entered the Cossack army as a scout

regiment. During the battles in the Suwalki province, a detachment of four Cossacks under the command

The camp officer encountered superior forces of the German lancers and was captured

connect

Cossacks,

lagging behind their unit. This small detachment is already almost at its positions

collided with 18 German lancers and... captured them. For this feat, Alexander

promoted to ensign, and for distinction in battles he was awarded two St. George's crosses.

ages

schoolgirls,

listeners

courses, went to the front as volunteers. In 1915, in one of the issues of Vestnik

to the front and fought in the Carpathians. In the very first battles, two of these schoolgirls

died, four were wounded. The soldiers treated the girls in a fatherly manner, they got

further,

shooting,

recorded

male

names as privates.

In the entire history of the Russian Imperial Army, only two women were

awarded

award

Great Martyr

Victorious George, 4th degree. This is the famous "cavalry maiden" Nadezhda

Andreevna

mercy

Mikhailovna

Almost every person, even those far from the military, has heard about the exploits of the first

history, then the heroic fate of Rimma Ivanova in our country is unknown.

graduated

Olginskaya

gymnasium

teacher

primary

Petrovsky

Blagodarinsky

Stavropol province. With the beginning of the Great War, Rimma Mikhailovna entered the

Sisters of Mercy courses. After graduation, she was awarded the title

mercy and before leaving for the front she served as a sister of mercy in the second zemstvo

"Diocesan

hospital"

Stavropol.

went with her brother, warrant officer Vladimir Mikhailovich

Ivanov,

infantry

Samursky

Georgievsky

gentleman. She was enrolled in the same regiment with him. But in the rear hospital she

I didn’t want to stay, but immediately went to the front line. Because of this, the first

for six months she was listed on the regiment’s lists as a volunteer orderly under a man’s name

Rimma Mikhailovich Ivanov. The sister's courage and dedication shown at

battlefield, could not go unnoticed by her fellow soldiers.

During his service in

Samursky

Mikhailovna

presented

Georgievsky

medals of the 3rd and 4th degrees. She received her first award in the Carpathians for taking out

Warrant Officer Gavrilov's area under fire. Medal 4th class - for evacuation

from under the fire of Warrant Officer Sokolov and restoration of the damaged communication line.

1915 Rimma in the 105th Orenburg Infantry Regiment, where her brother was transferred.

She did not serve there for long, but even in the new place she continued to heroically perform

her duty and was soon awarded another award - the St. George Cross, 4th degree.

She received it for rescuing a wounded regiment commander, colonel, from the battlefield.

Sventsyansky

offensive

Carpathian

Dobroslavka

currently - Brest region, north of the city of Pinsk). In the 1st company there were

the commander and officers were killed, the soldiers mixed up and began to retreat. At this moment before

a fragile female figure of a sister of mercy rose up among the retreating soldiers

Rimma Ivanova, who bandaged the wounded in the thick of the battle. She gathered around her

those who could still hold a weapon and shout “Forward! Follow me!” led the attack. Seeing

This, the soldiers were inspired, overthrew the enemy and took the line of enemy trenches.

However, during the attack, Rimma Mikhailovna herself was wounded by an explosive bullet and soon

died from loss of blood at the scene of her heroic deed.

Her outstanding

awarded

officer

award

Order of the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George, 4th degree. Her family was

hereditary nobility was granted. The fact that it was awarded to a woman

emphasizes the exclusivity of the feat accomplished by her.

delivered home. To meet the body of the Russian Joan of Arc, as the press dubbed her,

a mass of people gathered. From the station along Nikolaevsky Prospekt there were troops,

along which a white hearse drawn by four horses in white blankets carried

coffin strewn with flowers. At the front of the procession, awards were carried on velvet cushions.

Rimma Ivanova: Order of St. George, St. George's cross and medals. Rimma was buried

near the Church of St. Andrew the First-Called. The coffin was lowered into the ground to the sounds of gunfire.

fireworks Subsequently, the local clergy even raised the issue of attributing

entered

long-term

shocks.

St. George's

gentleman

Ivanova

church

was destroyed, and her name was forgotten for a long time. Today near the temple

St. Andrew the First-Called at the supposed burial site was installed a small

tombstone.

boarding school

Olginskaya

gymnasium)

strengthened

memorial

exposition,

dedicated

the only woman awarded the Order of St. George for military feat.

Kuban Cossack women also wrote their names in the annals of military history.

St. George's

gentlemen

mercy

Elizabeth Hospital, Kuban Cossack Matveeva, who is in only one fight

carried 30 wounded from the battlefield.” Appeared in Kuban combat units and

its own “cavalry maiden” of the First World War model - Elena Choba. Elena (1888-

1918), a Cossack woman from the village of Rogovskaya, who served as a nurse in the village’s emergency room.

At the beginning of World War I, her husband was drafted into the active army, where he soon

died. Elena decides to go to war. “She was pushed to this decision

news of the death of her husband. “Mikhail Choba died in battle... served the Tsar and the Fatherland...” -

read the terrible lines of the notice.”

Elena Choba equipped full Cossack uniform at her own expense and asked

village society send her to the front. Since the request came from a woman,

who was famous as a dashing rider (she constantly participated in equestrian sports

competitions - horse racing, overcoming obstacles, cutting vines, horse riding - and often

won prizes), everyone reacted to her statement with understanding. Dexterity, strength

and Elena's skill in using weapons aroused the respect of even experienced warriors.

Noble

supported

old people,

stanitsa

governing body.

petition

to the boss

Kuban

Lieutenant M.P. Babych was escorted to Yekaterinodar by village residents.

cut my hair

dressed up

punishable

“Touched by her patriotism and courage, Babych kissed “Mikhail” in a fatherly way.

Elena Choba went to the front with a military train. Steadfastly enduring all hardships

war, Elena won universal respect with her courage, daring and kind heart.

She fought so bravely that few could have imagined that the young, mustacheless

seasoned

she could encourage a difficult moment, support a comrade, quickly and skillfully bandage

wound. And in the dashing battle, the Cossack woman was not the last. Once in the Carpathians a group of our

environment.

acting

broke through

raised and organized them. Artillerymen and infantrymen resolutely

rushed at

enemy and broke through the encirclement. For saving two batteries and a group of Russian soldiers, she

was awarded the St. George Cross. “In May 1915, in one of the battles, Elena received

bullet wound to the collarbone. After the infirmary she was sent to her home for treatment.

village. For courage and heroism shown in battles, she was awarded two St. George medals

crosses (3rd and 4th class) and three medals.” The courageous woman left them

with the regimental banner. “Cossack maiden” - that’s what they sometimes say about her... Of course, a Cossack!

And what a one! But the main thing is that she is a woman, loving and devoted. AND

Her feat is, first of all, a feat of love and fidelity. Died in the village of Rogovskaya

in 1918, artillery shell

exploded in the yard of her house. Given facts

testify

manifested

heroic

courageous

qualities

women on the war fronts. Without sparing themselves, at the cost of their own lives, they saved the soldiers

officers,

command of the soldiers to himself, replacing dead officers.

When conducting research on this topic, questions involuntarily arise that are not answered.

answers in the literature. A difficult question for a woman if she is part of a male

military unit. How long can you hide the fact that you are a woman? Life and personal

hygiene in the conditions of trench life, constant battles, weather conditions - all this is necessary

endure, survive. This is difficult for us to understand and imagine.

4. Women's “death battalions”.

In the summer of 1917, “death battalions” began to be created throughout the country, already

their name demonstrated the readiness of women to give their lives for the Fatherland and

raise the morale of the army by your example.

The idea of ​​​​creating women's military units was supported by the military and naval

Minister of the Provisional Government A.F. Kerensky. Dozens of

telegram

those who wanted

enrolled

battalions.

telegrams said: “Shocked by what happened, we, the women of free Russia,

We don’t want to be slaves of the Germans, to cover ourselves with shame... and therefore (decided.

ask you - make up of us women, squads that you will put in front

male troops, and we swear that when you tell us to advance, we will immediately and

fearlessly

offensive,

we'll die

homeland."

Kerensky

were heading

protocols

meetings

memos. In one of them, prepared by the organizing committee

women's marching detachments, we read: “The current position of the front is alarming in

the soul of every Russian person. It is a shame to be inactive in our difficult times.

Love for the Motherland and the desire to bring fresh, intelligent forces into the ranks of our,

The army, tired of a long war, calls on us to join the ranks of the defenders of Russia. We

Let's join the army, forming exclusively female units. We hope that our

With this performance we will be able to raise the fallen energy of the troops. We ask for our impulse,

guided

desire

leave

attention

appropriate permission to admit women into the army"

The Main Directorate of the General Staff (GUGSH) created a commission on women's

labor service, and at the headquarters of military districts work began to attract

women volunteers

majority

organizations

were created

spontaneously

Rinburg, Tashkent and other cities.

formation of military units from female volunteers", according to which

planned

individual

infantry

battalion

Petrograd and Moscow) and four separate teams for communication. Was approved

staffing table, according to which the battalion was supposed to consist of 19 officers

cers, 5 officials, 1083 combatants and 85 non-combatant lower ranks, 127 horses and 58

convoy carts.

In a note from the All-Russian Central Committee for the Organization of Volunteers,

army, the head of the mobilization department of the GUGSH noted that “women’s

volunteer movement, even if it does not represent a big battle

strength, then, in any case, will have great psychological strength and can

serve as an incentive for hesitant parts of the troops and that the defense of the Motherland in history

“The logical moment is the right of every citizen, including women.”

The first regular women's formation in Russia was a volunteer

battalion

command

Leontievna

Bochkareva-

a peasant woman by origin who voluntarily went to the front. She called herself

“Yashka”, and, distinguished by her courage, more than once raised soldiers with bayonets, for which she was

awarded two St. George crosses and two St. George medals. IN

1917, when decomposition began in the army, the section of the front where

Bochkareva,

chairman

State

Rodzianko.

invitation, Maria went to Petrograd to meet with deputies, during which,

"it dawned on me":

necessary

battalion,

consisting

exclusively of women, and make him "an example for the army to awaken in

soldiers

spirit".

Rodzianko

organized

general

Brusilov, who had just been appointed Supreme Commander-in-Chief, and then with

Kerensky.

supported

creation

battalions

gave Bochkareva the authority to form the first women's battalion

Danki, everyone who cherishes the freedom and happiness of Russia, hurry to join our ranks, hurry, bye

It’s not too late to stop the decomposition of our dear homeland. Direct participation in

military operations, not sparing life, we, citizens, must raise the spirit of the army and

through educational and propaganda work in its ranks to induce a reasonable understanding of duty

a free citizen before his homeland."

About two thousand women responded to Bochkareva’s call, but only 300 of them

They were selected and joined the ranks of the battalion. About 30 percent volunteer

turned out to be

students,

percent

education.

The “soldiers,” as Maria called them, were representatives of all classes. So,

adjutant

Bochkareva

Skrydlova

admiral,

received

beautiful

education

battalion

Strict discipline was established. The basic principles were proclaimed: “honor,

freedom and good of the motherland"; “firmness and steadfastness of spirit and faith”; "courage and

"accuracy,

accuracy,

perseverance

rapidity

performance

orders";

"impeccable

honesty

serious

attitude

d e l u ";

"cheerfulness,

politeness,

friendliness,

cleanliness

accuracy"; “respect for other people’s opinions, complete trust in each other and the desire to

nobility." Quarrels and personal scores were considered unacceptable and humiliating

human

dignity.

sending

battalion

took place

ceremonial farewell on St. Isaac's Square, where 28-year-old Bochkareva received from

hands of the archbishop, a banner on which her surname was embroidered in gold. General L.G.

Kornilov presented warrant officer Bochkareva with a revolver and a saber with gold commemorative

engraved plates on the hilt.

assigned to the 525th Infantry Regiment. Here he took part in the June offensive

despite

incessant

machine gun

Germans, the women's battalion repelled 14 attacks and went on the counter several times;

offensive

There were more than 100 killed and about 200 wounded, 8 women were missing. IN

The battalion participated in hostilities until October 1917. In one of

reports to the chief of staff of the 10th Army said: “According to a report from the commander of 525

to whom

temporarily

heroically, all the time on the front line serving along with the soldiers. Against

Germans, on their own initiative, the volunteers rushed as one into a counterattack, brought

cartridges, went into secrets, and some went into reconnaissance. The women's team's work

set an example of bravery, courage and calmness, raised the spirit of the soldiers and proved

that each of these female heroes is worthy of the title of warrior of the Russian army... Soldered

strong discipline, behave impeccably, serve themselves, fulfill

the most menial work and make no claims to improve their

provisions,

are content

exclusively

provided

the rest

soldiers."

In the spring - summer of 1917, the 1st Petrograd Women's Battalion was also created -

Lyon, 2nd Moscow Women's Death Battalion, 3rd Kuban Women's Shock Battalion

battalion and communications teams: two each in Petrograd, Moscow, Saratov and five in Kyiv. Not-

despite the decision to limit the number of women's groups to those already existing,

The spontaneous formation of women's groups continued.

Widely known

received the 1st Petrograd Women's Battalion. Its formation began in the summer of 1917-

in Petrograd, in the Engineering Castle; then the station became its location

Levashovo

Finnish

iron

Battalion

machine gun

scouts,

signalmen,

non-combatant units and convoys. In total, the battalion had a thousand volunteers, 12 officers and 3

non-commissioned officer. The battalion commander was Staff Captain A.V. Loskov.

In early November, instead of being sent to the Romanian Front, the 1st Petrograd

sent to Petrograd - “to protect the Provisional Government.” However, Loskov

decided not to interfere in the political struggle and withdrew the battalion from the city.

pretext

assistance

delivery

"Nobel"

the 2nd company was left in the amount of 137 people. Two platoons of this company were supposed to be 24

dilute

Nikolaevsky,

Palace

Casting

cut off

allow

unrest.

ahead of them, and the 2nd company of the 1st Petrograd

The women's battalion took up positions in the Winter Palace. The next day, after

signal shot from the cruiser "Aurora", a shootout took place in front of Zimny.

The women's company was surrounded and arrested by soldiers of the Pavlovsk Guards Reserve.

nogo regiment and is located in the Pavlovsk barracks. After the request of the English consul

about the immediate release of the women's company, it was sent in full force to

Levashovo. At the beginning of January 1918, the battalion ceased to exist: another 30

On November 1917, a decree was issued “On the disbandment of military units consisting of women.”

volunteers." In the explanatory note

Loskov regarding the liquidation of cases

battalion

disbandment,

noted:

coup

civil war, confusion was introduced into the directed life of the battalion, and that’s all

mixed up

mess,

volunteers,

influence

went away without handing over things; the other part of the volunteers did not want to give up under any circumstances

offensive

soldier."

some

remained

Moscow

female

battalion

Kubansky

women's shock battalion, but these units did not take part in hostilities.

change

position

Temporary

government

supported

Bochkareva

Leontievna

Creation

battalions

of death. The commander of the regiment in which the battalion fought gave a comprehensive

characteristics of women's participation in battles. “In general, all the authorities admitted

that, “in view of the moral influence exerted by women’s teams on the rest

military units, it is useful to attract them to the army.” True, “in a small number, because...

serious combat work, due to their physical weakness, they still “represent

can not". Yes, women wanted to help men fight, to raise morale, but this

naivety.

Stop

decomposition

reluctance

the self-sacrifice of women did not give the desired result. Change the situation to

At the front, women's battalions could not die.

Bibliography.

Romanishina

free

Germans..." // Rodina.-2014.- No. 11-p.21-26.

Ratushnyak

Kuban

historical

Little known

famous - Krasnodar. "Prospects for Education", 2008.

3. Ratushnyak V.N. Native Kuban. Pages of history. - Krasnodar. "Prospects

Education", 2004.

4. Trekhbratov B.A. Encyclopedic dictionary on the history of Kuban. - Krasnodar.

"Advi", 1997.

5. Chronicle of the Kuban Cossack Army: 1696-2006 / under. total ed. prof.

V.N. Ratushnyak. - Krasnodar. "Prospects for Education", 2000.

War is always a tragic page in human history. But it is precisely in times of difficult trials that the true spirit of the people, patriotism, perseverance in the struggle, and loyalty to duty are manifested. The moral uplift of the nation gives rise to mercy and compassion for people in distress both on the home front and in war.

The exploits of Russian women have repeatedly surprised and delighted us. Women have always sought to help men in difficult times. They also sought to participate in hostilities. Initially these were sisters of mercy. Then women began to master military specialties: pilots, anti-aircraft gunners, snipers, signalmen, intelligence officers and others. There were many of them at the front. They heroically fought the enemy in the attacking chains, accurately hitting the Nazis with sniper rifles. Often they took the place of murdered husbands and brothers. And now they live among us - these are quiet, inconspicuous women of advanced age, whom we remember on the holiday - Victory Day.

Particular attention should be paid to female military doctors. It was thanks to their selfless work, care and attention that more than half of the wounded soldiers returned to duty. The humane activities of the sisters of mercy of women's communities in Russia had a great influence on the development of military medicine throughout the world.

Comparing the First and Second World Wars, I found that women and girls en masse enrolled in nursing courses. By hook or by crook they made their way to the front. This suggests that they were ready to stand up for their Motherland, they were ready to give their lives for it.

The beginning of a glorious journey.

This epic will leave great traces in Russia for a long time.

Sevastopol, whose hero was the Russian people.

L. N. Tolstoy

In one of the halls of the Sevastopol Defense Museum, next to the portraits of Vice Admirals V.A. Kornilov and P.S. Nakhimov, there is a bust of Russia’s first military nurse, who went down in Russian history under the name of Dasha of Sevastopol.

Today we know her real name - Daria Lavrentievna Mikhailova. We know very little about the life and fate of this wonderful woman.

Years of birth and death are unknown. The Mikhailov family lived in the village of Sukhaya Belka, near Sevastopol. The girl lost her mother early. My father, being a sailor, took part in many naval battles.

When she was 13 years old, in the Battle of Sinop in November 1853. father died. And the girl remained an orphan. She experienced a lot of grief, wandering in search of work and a piece of bread.

When troops reached the Alma River past her dilapidated house, she, without hesitation for a long time, sold all her simple goods at half price. With the money raised, she bought a horse and cart and went to the battle site.

Doctor Ulrichson, a participant in the Crimean campaign, recalled later: “When our troops, having lost the battle on September 8, returned after a long and stubborn battle back to Sevastopol exhausted, physically and mentally exhausted, with many wounded and mutilated, bleeding, Daria turned to a nurse and began help those who are suffering free of charge. Fortunately, in her cart there was vinegar and some rags, which she used to bandage her wounds. Thus, Dasha’s cart was the first dressing station when the enemy arrived in Crimea, and she herself was the first sister of mercy.”

The baton of Dasha Sevastopol’s feat was taken up by the sisters of mercy of the Holy Cross community. A little background: in 1844, the Holy Trinity community of sisters of mercy was created in St. Petersburg, and in 1855 - the Exaltation of the Cross, the founder of which was Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna. It was she who convinced the sovereign of the need to call on women to help the suffering soldiers - the defenders of Sevastopol, the defenders of the Fatherland. Thus, for the first time, Russian women left the sphere of domestic life for public service.

Years and centuries pass, new heroes appear, and the life and feat of the glorious Russian woman Daria Lavrentievna Mikhailova continues to attract our attention. Concluding the story about D. L. Mikhailova, let us recall the words of one of the writers and historians of the Crimean War, A. F. Pogossky: “There will be a time when all Russian women, with their zeal, will build a cross on the site of Daria’s first feat, and our children will proudly read on this cross: “To our first soldier’s sister of mercy, Daria.”

Women in the battles of the First World War.

August 1, 1914 Germany declared war on Russia. The desire to stand up for the honor of the homeland was almost universal. The patriotic upsurge swept the entire country, and it did not spare women.

People rushed to the front from the cities, villages and villages of vast Russia. The number of women who wanted to fight the enemy numbered in the hundreds.

Hospitals and infirmaries were quickly set up in almost every provincial and district city; The press called on rich people to provide dachas and estates for infirmaries, hospitals, and sanatoriums for the recovering wounded.

Women and girls en masse enrolled in nursing courses.

The active army required not only weapons and ammunition, but also a huge amount of uniforms, boots, foot wraps, and underwear. The efforts of volunteers greatly contributed to the solution of this problem.

Soon, a shortage of dressing material began to be felt in Moscow infirmaries and hospitals. Women of all classes, from ordinary townswomen to aristocrats, began making bandages with unprecedented enthusiasm.

Women, accustomed to mental work, replaced men who had gone to the front and worked as saleswomen in stores, newspaper carriers, switchmen on railway tracks, and tram conductors.

Many women worked in infirmaries and hospitals.

An example of true, and not ostentatious, service was set by Empress Alexandra Feodorovna herself. After completing the Red Cross courses, she and her two daughters, Olga Nikolaevna and Tatyana Nikolaevna, cared for the wounded.

The nurse of the infirmary of the Evgenievsk community of the city of Rivne, Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna, took her duties equally responsibly

Rumors that the Germans and Austrians treated the Russian wounded captured inhumanely forced many doctors, paramedics, nurses and orderlies to go to regimental hospitals and to the front line. The large army of nurses and orderlies (6554 people on September 1, 1914) was joined by more and more people wishing to help the front.

The front line met the medics with artillery shelling and air bombing.

Sister and volunteer E. A. Girenkova spent about two and a half months in the trenches of the front line. For her courage in helping the wounded under German artillery fire, she was awarded the Order of St. George, 4th degree.

They did not stay away from the battles. In their desire to get to the front line, the girls showed enviable persistence and ingenuity. Those who certainly wanted to lie behind machine guns or go into mounted attacks also went to the front. Cossack women who were accustomed to horseback riding often asked to join the cavalry. Many sought the consent of the regiment commanders.

At first, they tried to assign women at the front to non-combatant units or to keep them at headquarters, but volunteers persistently demanded to send them to the trenches. This desire of untrained and unprepared women for battle soon became a real nightmare for the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian armies, Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich the Elder. In the end, he issued an order prohibiting the appearance of women in the disposition of units.

But the officers of the marching companies often did not comply with this clear instruction of the commander-in-chief - if we were talking about relatives or cousins, other relatives of their comrades.

The famous athlete Kudasheva, who traveled all over Siberia and Asia Minor on horseback, came to the front line on her own horse and was enrolled in equestrian reconnaissance. They also accepted the Kuban Cossack Elena Chuba, who was not only a dashing horsewoman, but also an excellent master of cold steel.

The athlete Maria Isaakova was an excellent horsewoman, fencing on espadrons, and at the same time possessed great physical strength for a woman. At the beginning of the war, Isaakova ordered a well-trained Cossack horse from Novocherkassk and turned to the commander of one of the Cossack regiments stationed in Moscow with a request to enlist, but was refused. Then she bought a military uniform and weapons with her own money and followed the regiment, which she caught up with in Suwalki. Stubborn was enlisted in the regiment's mounted reconnaissance.

The daughter of a Ural military foreman, Natalya Komarova, who mastered horse riding perfectly, was literally delirious about battles from the very first days of the war. With the money her father set aside for the dowry, Natalya bought a horse and all the Cossack ammunition. She found the regiment in which her brother served in a place near the border with East Prussia. The commander silently listened to the volunteer’s biography and her request to enlist in the regiment.

The war became protracted and more and more resembled a meat grinder in which human destinies were ground, but this did not stop the women. They began to master military professions that were then rare even for men.

Princess Shakhovskaya passed the exam on the material part of the airplane and piloting techniques and became a military pilot.

Meanwhile, in the rear, a patriotic campaign was gaining momentum, the participants of which called on women to enroll in marching companies and death battalions and master military specialties. The press published letters from women from the provinces asking to be included in these battalions.

An active role in the organization of female units was played by military intelligence officer, Ufa peasant woman, junior non-commissioned officer and Knight of St. George M. L. Bochkareva.

The Civil War split society into reds and whites. The sisters of mercy found themselves on both sides of a new bloody massacre.

Some fought fiercely for the return of their usual way of life - and they were right in their own way. Others also felt that they were defending Russia's interests, saving it from foreign intervention. In case of defeat, neither one nor the other had any means of retreat, which made the Civil War especially merciless.

However, the overwhelming majority of nurses and doctors did not divide the wounded into friends and foes. For them they remained Russian people.

The female face of the Great Victory.

“If it were possible to gather the flowers of the whole world and lay them at your feet, then even with this we would not be able to express our admiration for you.” This is what the French pilots from the Normandy-Niemen regiment said when addressing our front-line women. And at that time, more than once I heard the common statement that war does not have a female face. It would seem that there is no dispute here: war is contrary to the very essence of women - war brings death, and a woman gives life, protects it, and the purpose of a woman was initially to continue the human race, preserve the home, raise children, and pacify men. However, in times of severe military trials, the women of Russia more than once took up arms themselves and joined the ranks of the defenders of the Fatherland. This was especially evident during the Great Patriotic War - the most difficult in the history of the country and all mankind. In it, our victory was “brought closer as best we could” from 600 thousand to 1 million. women in uniform, 80 thousand of them were officers. Almost 100 thousand patriots fought in partisan detachments and fought underground. Marshal of the Soviet Union A. Eremenko noted: “There is hardly a military specialty that our brave women could not cope with as well as their fathers, brothers and husbands.”

Over 300 thousand women served in the air defense forces, which made up almost a quarter of the personnel of these troops. They staunchly and courageously repelled fascist air raids on Moscow, Leningrad, Stalingrad, blocked the path of fascist tanks with the fire of their guns, covered the battle formations and rear of the troops, while Often they themselves died under enemy bombs.

Tens of thousands of women joined the ranks of sixteen divisions of the Moscow People's Militia. More than 700 women served in the 3rd Moscow Communist Division alone. Among them were famous snipers, future Heroes of the Soviet Union N. Kovshova and M. Polivanova, whose names the streets of the capital bear today. In the very first days of the war in Leningrad, 32 thousand women joined the ranks of the people's militia to defend their hometown. In Tula, two fighter battalions, numbering over 1000 fighters, were formed from women and fought well.

For the first time in history, during the Great Patriotic War, purely female formations appeared in our country: the 1st separate women's volunteer rifle brigade, the 1st separate women's reserve rifle regiment, the Central Women's Sniper Training School. The school trained 1,061 snipers and 407 sniper instructors. Its graduates destroyed 11,280 fascist soldiers and officers on the fronts.

Three aviation regiments were staffed by women—two bomber regiments and one fighter regiment. The latter carried out combat service in the country's air defense system. His pilot, Muscovite Valeria Khomyakova, was the first woman to shoot down an enemy plane in a night air battle on the night of September 24-25, 1942. Both bomber regiments fought at the front and were awarded the Guards title, honorary titles and state awards. At the same time, the pilots of the 125th Guards Bap fought on Pe-2 dive bombers, and the 46th Guards Night Bap fought on U-2 aircraft.

Many women also fought in the so-called male regiments. Among them is the flight commander of the 73rd Guards Stalingrad-Vienna Fighter Aviation Regiment, Lieutenant L. Litvyak. Having been at the front since June 1942, before her death on August 1, 1943, she made 268 combat missions, shot down 11 enemy aircraft personally and 3 in a group, and destroyed an enemy spotter balloon. No other female pilot in the world had such results in combat work.

Senior Lieutenant E. Budanova also served in the same regiment - the only woman among the fighter pilots who were given the right to free “aerial hunting” over enemy territory. She died in an air battle on July 19, 1943, having managed to shoot down 10 enemy aircraft by that time. Awarded the title of Hero of the Russian Federation (posthumously).

Among our pilots who, “trampling death by death,” went to ram, there are two women: senior lieutenant E. Zelenko shot down an Me-109 with a ramming strike, and sergeant A. Polyakova from the glorious aviation city of Borisoglebsk brought down a burning plane onto an enemy train.

Many women fought in other branches of the military. Hero of the Soviet Union Maria Oktyabrskaya fought on her own T-34 “Battle Friend” tank. She died in one of the battles in 1944, but her tank walked through the streets of defeated Berlin.

Hero of the Soviet Union, Major Lyudmila Pavlichenko was a sniper, a master of super-accurate fire. She alone destroyed more than 300 enemy soldiers and officers, including 36 enemy snipers - aces, including a certain Dunckert.

Many women held command positions in the troops. So, senior lieutenant Valentina Chudakova, at the age of 18, excellently commanded a machine gun company, Lieutenant N. Lobkovskaya - a separate sniper company formed in the Moscow Military District of the 3rd Shock Army, T. Sycheva was the commander of an artillery platoon, today one of its cannons stands at the entrance to the Central Museum Armed forces. In the Marine Corps, Lieutenant E. Zavaliy commanded a platoon of machine gunners.

Many women carried out difficult military service in the positions of engineers, technicians, sappers, signalmen, as well as in many other military specialties.

It should be noted that during the war, women did not lag behind men not only in combat skill, courage and heroism, but also in career growth. Thus, E. Bershanskaya, M. Raskova and V. Kazarinova were commanders of aviation regiments, and Hero of the Soviet Union V. Grizodubova commanded the 101st Guards Long-Range Aviation Regiment, in which all the pilots except her were men.

The history of the nation-wide struggle against fascism is inscribed in golden letters with the names of the glorious daughters of the Motherland - partisans and underground women. This is Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya, the first woman awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union during the Great Patriotic War.

Particular attention should be paid to women military doctors. The fact is that during the war years in our army women made up 41% of doctors, 43% of paramedics, and 100% of nurses and orderlies. It was thanks to their dedicated work, care and attention that the medical service of the Red Army achieved outstanding results during the war: over 72% of the wounded and about 90% of sick soldiers returned to duty. This work was extremely highly appreciated by the state - 43 military doctors were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, over 115 thousand were awarded orders.

Many women worked in the press, the role of which was extremely important in those days, because there was no television then, and radio was not so widespread.

For distinction in battles with the Nazi invaders, over 150 thousand women were awarded military orders and medals, 90 were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, 4 women became Heroes of the Russian Federation for their exploits in that war, 200 received the 2nd and 3rd Orders of Glory degrees, 4 - full holders of this highest soldier's award, which cannot be received for any other merits other than feat on the battlefield.

After the war, women actively participated in the restoration and development of the national economy, culture, art and other branches of knowledge, raising children.

Conclusion.

Woman and war - these two words are seemingly incompatible. But life dictates the opposite. A woman cannot remain aloof in times of difficult trials. A woman who gives life always strives to protect it. We can give a lot of examples from the history of World Wars I and II. Any war places a heavy burden on the shoulders of the “weaker” sex, both at the front and in the rear.

While studying the literature on this topic, we noticed that with each new war the number of women participating in them constantly increased. This was also due to the patriotic upsurge that covered the population of the country and to the policy of the state, which sought to use all available resources to achieve victory.

Society always celebrated the end of the war by erecting monuments to its heroes. Today we have the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and a statue of the Mother Motherland, a monument to generals and marshals of the Soviet Union, girls - partisans and underground fighters, but so far there is no general monument to all women who have ever participated in any wars.

The common assertion that war does not have a feminine face has been refuted by women themselves. The exploits of women in the rear and at the front give every reason to assert that victory in war has the face of a woman - a warrior and worker, worthy of all the colors of victory.

Russian women participated in the First World War both as sisters of mercy (the most common option), and fought dressed in men's clothing, as once upon a time at the beginning of the 19th century during the wars with Napoleon, the cavalry maiden Nadezhda Durova.

Igor Sofronov. Cavalry ladies of Russia

Establishing the Military Order of the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George in November 1769, Catherine II, by right of monarch, assumed its grand master's insignia. Rumor claims that at the same time, the empress, clearly flirting, feignedly complained that, they say, she would forever remain the only woman with this award. The great ruler had the right to think so: the award was intended for officers, and it was supposed to be awarded exclusively for merit on the battlefield.

It could never have occurred to the Empress that among Russian women there would be those who would risk facing bullets on an equal basis with men.
But they were found, and there were a lot of them!
During the era of the Napoleonic wars, Nadezhda Durova, the legendary “cavalry maiden”, who was awarded the Insignia of the Military Order of the 4th degree for saving a wounded officer, flashed her courage. During the Russo-Japanese War, four brave Russian women were awarded soldiers' St. George's Crosses.
When the First World War broke out, their number went into the dozens...

Russian Joan of Arc

To be fair, it is worth noting that Catherine II’s prediction practically came true: over the almost century-and-a-half history of the order, more than 10 thousand men were awarded it. And just one (!) woman. The name of this heroine is Rimma Ivanova.

She was born in Stavropol on June 15, 1894 in the family of the treasurer of the Stavropol spiritual consistory. In 1913, she graduated from the Olginskaya gymnasium, where she was one of the best, and went to work as a teacher in the zemstvo school in the village of Petrovskoye, Blagodarnensky district.
When the war began, Rimma returned to Stavropol, enrolled in nursing courses and at the same time got a job at the local diocesan infirmary, where the first wounded and shell-shocked soldiers had already begun to arrive. But the girl constantly felt that she could bring even more benefit to the warring Fatherland. And, despite the protests and pleas of her parents, at the end of January 1915 she volunteered to go to the front as a medical orderly of the 83rd Samur Infantry Regiment.

Women at that time could only serve as nurses in field hospitals or military hospitals. Therefore, in order to be directly on the front line, Rimma, as her compatriots had done before, had to disguise herself as a man, calling herself Ivan Mikhailov. Naturally, the deception was soon exposed. But the regimental, divisional and corps authorities were sympathetic to the patriotic feelings of the young lady, allowing her to perform the duties of a company orderly in her, so to speak, natural guise.

And soon soldiers’ rumors began to spread stories about the deeds of “Saint Rimma” from trench to trench, from dugout to dugout. There were plenty of reasons for this. Over three months of brutal fighting, the girl carried almost 600 wounded colleagues out of the fire. For saving the platoon commander, warrant officer Sokolov, she was awarded the St. George Medal “For Bravery”, 4th degree, and for carrying the wounded company commander, Lieutenant Gavrilov, from the battlefield and restoring the communication line - the same award, 3rd degree. And after, during one of the counterattacks, Rimma dragged the bleeding regiment commander, Colonel A. A. Graube, into her trenches, she was awarded the soldier’s St. George Cross, 4th degree.
The Moloch war continued to gain momentum. Rimma received permission to transfer to the 105th Orenburg Infantry Regiment, where her brother Vladimir served as a doctor. The rumor about her and her exploits ran ahead of the brave girl, and her new colleagues happily accepted the sister of mercy into their fighting family.

On September 9, 1915, Orenburg residents attacked enemy positions near the Carpathian village of Dobroslavka. In the 10th company, where Rimma served as a medical orderly, all the officers were killed.
Mixed together under destructive fire, the battalion wavered and began to retreat. And, probably, he returned to his trenches, if suddenly, among the explosions and shots, a woman’s voice had not sounded hysterically: “Where are you going, there are wounded here!” Rimma rose from the crater, around whom two dozen soldiers immediately huddled. The fear and confusion in the girl’s gaze gave way to determination. And she rushed forward, dragging the chains with her spirit.

The attack turned into hand-to-hand combat, ending in Russian victory. But the girl no longer saw this: she fell several tens of meters before the enemy trenches, mowed down by a machine-gun burst, along with several soldiers running nearby...
On September 17, by the highest order of Emperor Nicholas II, Rimma Mikhailovna Ivanova was posthumously awarded the Order of St. George, 4th degree, which could only be awarded to officers.
But in this case, the sovereign considered it possible to violate the statute of the most honorable military award.
And hardly anyone condemned him for this.

Blue blood is hot too

The laurels of the first Russian female officer, Nadezhda Durova, haunted Russian noblewomen. Therefore, as soon as the thunder of war thundered again, many of them wanted to put on a military uniform. Vitebsk high school student Olga Shidlovskaya turned out to be braver than others. In the first days of the war, she sent a letter to the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich, asking him to allow her to volunteer in the Mariupol Hussar Regiment, in which Nadezhda Andreevna Durova served 100 years ago.

The army leadership immediately realized that the propaganda campaign would really be strong: a hereditary noblewoman, the sister of two military officers fighting at the front, herself goes into battle for the Fatherland. And they gave the go-ahead. With only one caveat: Olga had to go to serve not as an officer, but as a private. But Shidlovskaya agreed to this too.
Two months after the start of her service, she was promoted to corporal for bravery, and a month later she became a non-commissioned officer. On December 11, 1915, the St. George Medal of the 4th degree sparkled on her tunic, and in the summer of 1916 - the St. George Cross of the 4th degree.
Even more surprising is the fate of the noblewoman Elena Konstantinovna Tsebrzhinskaya. The daughter of a naval officer, she graduated from a women's gymnasium in Batumi and married a military doctor there. In St. Petersburg, where my husband was transferred for service, she completed obstetric courses. At the beginning of the war, Vladislav Bronislavovich Tsebrzhinsky was assigned to the 141st Mozhaisk Infantry Regiment, with which he participated in an unsuccessful offensive in East Prussia, where he was captured.
Having received news of the sad fate of her husband, Elena Konstantinovna left her sons - six-year-old Victor and three-year-old Arseny - in the care of their grandfather, and she, dressed in a man's suit, signed up under the name of paramedic Evdokim Tsetnersky in one of the marching companies heading to the front. Upon arrival at the front line, she was assigned to the 186th Aslanduz Infantry Regiment, in which she fought almost the entire fall of 1914, managing to accomplish many glorious deeds in a short time.

As noted in the order signed on June 10, 1915 by Infantry General Evert, “all this time, the volunteer paramedic, being with the 7th company, carried out his special duties with the utmost conscientiousness both on the campaign and in battle, and not only in the company to which he was assigned, but also wherever he learned that medical assistance was needed. He bore all the hardships of marching combat life on an equal basis with the lower ranks of the combat ranks, often setting an example of endurance, composure and good spirits.”

Next came a long list of specific military merits of the valiant warrior, ending with a description of how on the evening of November 4, 1914, in a battle near the village of Zhurav, a paramedic who was bandaging a wounded company commander was himself wounded by a fragment of a heavy shell, “but continued the bandaging he had started and only after finishing bandaged himself; after which, under heavy enemy artillery fire, forgetting his own wound, he carried the officer out of the battle line.”

The real identity of paramedic Tsetnersky became known in the 12th advanced detachment of the Red Cross, where Elena was taken for surgery. There was a smell of scandal, the matter came to the attention of the sovereign. But he, once again showing the royal mercy, ordered not to punish, but to reward. And at the beginning of the summer of 1915, Elena Konstantinovna was awarded the St. George Cross of the 4th degree for No. 51023. True, she was nevertheless removed from the warring regiment: Tsebrzhinskaya’s further service took place on the Caucasian Front, where she was transferred to the post of paramedic of the 3rd forward detachment of the Red Army Cross.

During the war, the ascetic activity of the widow of an officer of the Life Guards Cavalry Regiment, Vera Vladimirovna Chicherina, was awarded the Cross of St. George, 4th degree. After the death of her husband, she created and equipped a sanitary detachment with her own funds, with which she went to the front. This medical unit has literally saved thousands of warriors. Later, already in exile, Vera Vladimirovna opened the first nursing home in France for Russian emigrants, to which she transferred all her funds and where she worked until the end of her days.
The youngest daughter of one of the leaders of the Russian forestry department, Natalya Aleksandrovna Fok, managed to become a cavalry lady and, obviously, the youngest of the sisters of mercy awarded the soldier's George 4th degree. While carrying wounded soldiers out from under fire, the girl died in the summer of 1917, when she was barely 21 years old...

Chest in crosses

Among the “Russian Amazons” there were also those who were able to earn two St. George’s Crosses with their courage and valor. The most famous among them is Antonina Palshina, born in the remote village of Shevyryalovo, Sarapul district, Vyatka province.
When the baby turned eight years old, she was left an orphan, suddenly losing both her parents and her home: everything was lost in a fire. Distant relatives sheltered the girl and took her to Sarapul. There Antonina worked as a dressmaker in a small factory until 1913, when she decided to move to warmer climes - to go to work in Baku. On the shores of the Caspian Sea she was caught by the news of the beginning of the First World War.
Having bought a worn soldier's uniform at the Baku bazaar, cutting off her hair, the girl showed up at the recruiting station, where the registration of volunteers for the Caucasian Army was in full swing. So in September 1914, instead of the girl Antonina, Private Anton Palshin was born, sent to one of the cavalry regiments.

She accomplished her first feat in a battle near the Turkish fortress of Hasankala. When a machine gun burst knocked the squadron commander out of the saddle, Antonina carried away the hesitating hundreds and brought them to the enemy trenches. And when the dashing, merciless and unrestrained cutting had already begun, it fell into the hands of the cavalrymen who arrived in time with a shot through the shoulder.
At the hospital, the secret of “Private Palshin” was quickly revealed. The brave rider, despite all her merits, faced expulsion from the ranks of the glorious Russian cavalrymen: a woman was not supposed to serve in combat units at that time.

At the beginning of 1915, Antonina, who had recovered from her wound, was forcibly escorted, under the supervision of police officials, to the place of residence of her relatives - to Sarapul. There, in the blink of an eye and unexpectedly for herself, she became a celebrity. And all thanks to the efforts of journalists: on February 7, 1915, a large article was published in the newspaper “Prikamskaya Zhizn” telling about her military affairs. In honor of the “Vyatka Amazon,” local merchants and industrialists organized endless balls and banquets. But Palshina herself saw herself only at the front!

After graduating from the nurses' courses, in April 1915 she went to a military hospital located in Lvov. There, during one of Antonina’s duties, a young soldier died from his wounds in her arms. And Palshina, taking the documents and uniform of the deceased, left the hospital buildings that same night.

She walked towards the front for more than a day until she joined the convoy of the 75th Sevastopol Infantry Regiment of the 8th Army of the Southwestern Front. Antonina's secondary imposture was revealed a few days later - during confession. According to the tradition established in the Russian army, the regimental priest absolved the sins of the Christ-loving army before a major offensive. And to the priest’s question: “Have you sinned in anything, son?” - “Private Palshin”, standing on the left flank of the company, blushing deeply, confessed everything.

The embarrassment reached the front commander, General Brusilov. But he, under his own responsibility, not only allowed Antonina to remain in the ranks, but also began to closely monitor the fate and military career of his “goddaughter.”

In the autumn of the same year, for crossing the Bystritsa River and storming a fortified height, “Anton Tikhonov Palshin (aka Antonina Tikhonovna Palshina) is awarded the St. George Cross of the 4th degree and the St. George Silver Medal,” read order No. 861 of November 12, 1915 to the 8th Army of the Southwestern Front. That same month, Antonina received corporal stripes and was placed in charge of an infantry squad.

In the summer of 1916, during the famous Brusilov breakthrough in the battle near Chernivtsi, Palshina, as once on the Caucasian front, replaced the deceased officer during the attack. Under the command of the intrepid corporal, the Sevastopol residents broke into the first line of Austrian trenches and repulsed the second in a bayonet attack. When the infantry chains rose to assault the third, a heavy shell exploded not far from Antonina.

She woke up only a few days later in a field hospital, just in time for the arrival of her patron, General Brusilov. Among other wounded, the front commander personally presented Antonina Palshina with the St. George Cross of the 3rd degree and a silver St. George medal with a bow - the next soldier’s awards according to the statute. The promotion to the next rank was not delayed either: the corporal became a junior non-commissioned officer.

But the St. George “cavalier” still had to part with military service: Antonina’s numerous shrapnel wounds and severe concussion turned out to be very serious, and until the summer of 1917 she was being treated in the Kiev military hospital.
Three more Russian women who fought in the infantry became holders of the 4th and 3rd degree St. George Crosses - Lyudmila Chernousova, Kira Bashkirova and Alexandra Danilova.

Lyudmila got to the front using the documents of her twin brother. She received her first award for capturing an Austrian officer, and her second for leading an infantry company in a bayonet charge that captured two lines of enemy trenches. In that attack, Chernousova was seriously wounded and almost lost her leg.
For similar feats, she became the owner of the St. George Cross and Alexander Danilov, with the only difference that she was awarded the 4th degree award after capturing two Austrian machine guns. And Kira Bashkirova, a fighter in a platoon of mounted reconnaissance infantry brigades that fought on the North-Western Front, earned both of her “Georges” for the valuable information obtained behind enemy lines.

Warriors are a sight to behold

Representatives of all classes - noblewomen, bourgeois women, and peasant women - who wanted to join combat military units at the front, were forced to “turn” into men. The only ones who did not experience difficulties in this matter were the Cossack women: those of them who, from childhood, were accustomed to ride in a saddle, shoot from a carbine, wield a saber and a dagger, easily obtained permission from regiment commanders to serve on an equal basis with men. And they showed miracles of courage.

For example, Natalya Komarova fled to the front, where her father and older brother, a military sergeant major (lieutenant colonel) and a centurion of the Ural Cossack Army, had already fought, respectively. She ran away, buying a horse and all the Cossack ammunition with the money set aside for the purchase of a dowry.

The regiment commander, to whom the officers brought their “unlucky” daughter and sister, who had found them in East Prussia, in response to a request to allow Natalya to stay in the unit, replied: “I don’t allow it... But I don’t forbid it either.”

From that day on, a strange-looking fighter appeared in one of the hundreds, whose “nose was slightly turned up, his sparkling gray eyes looked open and direct. Black trousers at the waist were intercepted by a wide leather belt, to which a long dagger in a silver sheath was attached on one side, and a holster with a revolver on the other. A dark blue Circassian beshmet, trimmed with silver braid, fitted a slender figure, and a light Cossack carbine hung over his shoulders. The regiment officers openly admired this pretty girl, who, however, was in a very militant mood.” This is how a war correspondent for one of the Russian newspapers who arrived at the regiment saw Natalya.

But Komarova did not strive to go to the front in order to collect admiring glances. She came to fight. And she succeeded.
Natalya received her first “George” for saving the banner of an infantry regiment. During the oncoming battle, a German soldier jumped up to the slain Russian standard-bearer, snatched the broken banner from his dead hands and, covered by his comrades, quickly ran to the rear, clutching a valuable trophy. Seeing this, Komarova set her horse into a gallop, broke through the German chains, caught up with the fugitive, and knocked him down with a well-aimed shot. After which, picking up the banner from the ground and spreading it in the wind, she led two battalions of Russian infantry into the attack. This is truly a picture worthy of the brush of some great artist!
Natalya was awarded the Cross of St. George, 3rd degree, in the hospital: during hand-to-hand combat with the Bavarian infantry, she did not allow a wounded officer to be dragged into captivity, jumping straight from the saddle onto the heads of six grenadiers. In that fight, the girl herself was stabbed in the chest with a bayonet. And the rescued officer was her brother Peter...
In the cavalry units of the Southwestern Front, already by the winter of 1914, there were many legends about the brave and successful intelligence officer Lager. And few people knew that a nineteen-year-old Kuban Cossack girl, Alexandra Efimovna Lagereva, was fighting under this name.
During the battles near Suwalki, the patrol of four Cossacks she led was suddenly attacked by 18 German lancers. Two Kuban residents died, two more, along with a police officer, were captured. But they stayed in it only until dark: at night Alexandra organized the escape of her colleagues and four other soldiers who were kept in the same barn with them. They managed not only to reach the Russian trenches unharmed, but also destroyed the German picket, bringing a heavy machine gun as a trophy. For this feat, Lagereva was awarded the St. George Cross, 4th degree. She received the second cross after a dashing cavalry attack at Tarnov, during which she was wounded by a bullet in the arm.

And the Cossack Maria Smirnova, who went to the front in place of her consumptive husband, managed to earn as many as three St. George’s Crosses by the summer of 1917: they were awarded to her for carrying a wounded officer from the battlefield, after capturing an Austrian gun and two machine guns, as well as for valuable information about the location of enemy captured during night reconnaissance...
Truly, a country that has such women is invincible!