Lyubov Shevtsova (; 8 September 1924 – 9 February 1943) was a

Soviet partisan Soviet partisans were members of resistance movements that fought a guerrilla war against Axis forces during World War II in the Soviet Union, the previously Soviet-occupied territories of interwar Poland in 1941–45 and eastern Finland. The ac ...

and a member of the Young Guard, an underground anti-Nazi organization in

Krasnodon Krasnodon () or Sorokyne (; ) is a city in Dovzhansk Raion (district) of Luhansk Oblast in Ukraine. Residence of Sorokyne urban hromada. Its population is approximately Krasnodon came under control of pro-Russian separatists in early 2014, ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Early life

Shevtsova was born in Izvaryne, Krasnodon District in 24 September 1924 to a working-class Russian family. Her father had fought in the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

and the

Russian Civil War The Russian Civil War () was a multi-party civil war in the former Russian Empire sparked by the 1917 overthrowing of the Russian Provisional Government in the October Revolution, as many factions vied to determine Russia's political future. I ...

on the side of the

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...

; her mother worked at a field hospital as a nurse. Her family moved within the limits of

city in 1927, where she graduated from the seventh grades of school before applying to a theater school in Rostov. However, the German invasion of the Soviet Union began shortly after she applied.

Partisan activities

Shortly after the start of the war Shevtsova attended brief nursing classes and tried to enlist as a nurse in the Red Army, but was rejected for being too young at the time. So she joined the Komsomol in February 1942 and upon the recommendation of the Voroshilovgrad District Committee she began training to become a

radio operator A radio operator (also, formerly, a wireless operator in British and Commonwealth English) is a person who is responsible for the operations of a radio system and the technicalities in broadcasting. The profession of radio operator has become l ...

for the Young Guard in April. After completing the course and swearing an oath of allegiance she began transmitting information collected by the partisans to the Red Army Intelligence Center. She also participated in spreading leaflets, helped Soviet prisoners of war hide from the Germans, and participated in burning down the Labour Exchange building, which contained documents with the names of people that were to be deported and forced into hard labour for Germany. On 8 January 1943 Shevtsova was arrested as a wireless operator. The members of the Young Guard had been betrayed and all of them were arrested as well. The

Gestapo The (, ), Syllabic abbreviation, abbreviated Gestapo (), was the official secret police of Nazi Germany and in German-occupied Europe. The force was created by Hermann Göring in 1933 by combining the various political police agencies of F ...

tortured her to find out the transmission codes, apparently without success, and shot her on 9 February, at the age of 18 years.

Recognition

On 13 September 1943, Shevtsova was posthumously declared a

Hero of the Soviet Union The title Hero of the Soviet Union () was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded together with the Order of Lenin personally or collectively for heroic feats in service to the Soviet state and society. The title was awarded both ...

. Young pioneer detachments, streets, and ships were named in her honor and memorials were dedicated to her memory.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shevtsova, Lyubov Heroes of the Soviet Union Soviet partisans in Ukraine Soviet military personnel killed in World War II Soviet female resistance members Resistance members killed by Nazi Germany 1924 births 1943 deaths People from Izvaryne Executed Soviet people from Ukraine Ukrainian people executed by Nazi Germany Executed Ukrainian women Recipients of the Order of Lenin People executed by Nazi Germany by firearm Executed Soviet women

Early life

Partisan activities

Recognition

See also

References