World War II in Ukraine:

Ukrainian Women at War

by
Andrew Gregorovich


Ukrainian Women at War

During the war Ukrainian women fought on the frontlines in battles with the men. The most famous sniper of the war was Major Ludmila Pavlychenko who was brought to Canada and the USA in 1942 for a visit because of her skill in shooting 309 German soldiers. Women in Ukraine also helped dig anti-tank traps and assisted in all aspects of the war. They suffered in the war as much as the men although Ukraine's population for over four decades after the war had a shortage of men due to the heavy losses of them in the war.

Grief Stricken Women
A grief stricken Ukrainian woman in the Black Sea port of Odessa in Ukraine, 1941.
Searching the Dead
A famous war photo of women searching for the bodies of their husbands and sons near Kerch (Ukraine). All the men in the village were shot by the German army before they retreated.

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Copyright © 1995 Andrew Gregorovich

Reprinted from FORUM Ukrainian Review No. 92, Spring 1995


since March 1st 1997