Soviet snipers were active on all fronts of the Great Patriotic War and sometimes played a huge difference in the outcome of the battle. Was dangerous and heavy sniper work. The kids had to lie for hours if not days in constant tension and full combat readiness in the most different areas. It does not matter that it was a field, swamp or snow. this post will be dedicated to Soviet soldiers - snipers and heavy Burden. Glory to the heroes! As I recall, about ten years ago at the "round table" of the popular television program a former student of Central School female sniper training A. Shilin told me: "I was already an experienced fighter who had 25 on account of the Nazis, when the Germans started up" cuckoo. " Every day, two or three of our soldiers not. Yes shoot something aptly: the first cartridge - in the forehead or temple. Caused a pair of snipers - did not help. On any bait goes. Ordered us what you like, but must destroy. We Tossia, the best friend of mine, dug in - place, remember, marshy, round bumps, small bushes. Began to conduct surveillance. Day lay wasted another. On the third Tosya says: "Let's take. Stay alive Do not - do not care. Soldiers of something falling ... " She was shorter than me growth. A shallow trench. Takes the rifle, bayonet attaches, it puts on a helmet and starts to crawl, run, crawl again. Well, I look out for. Voltage huge. And for her, that I experience, and the sniper can not be missed. See bushes in one place like a slightly parted. He! Immediately took him on sight. He shot, I immediately. Hear with advanced shouting girls, cheers to you! Crawled to Tosya, look - blood. The bullet pierced his helmet and ricocheted grazed her neck. Here podospel platoon. Raised it - and in the infirmary. Cost ... And at night our scouts pulled this sniper. Mother had about a hundred of our soldiers killed ... " In practice combat Soviet snipers examples there are of course abruptly. But I started with the fact, which told Frontovichka Shilina not accidental. In the previous decade, with the filing of the Belarusian writer Svetlana Aleksievich some commentators and researchers in Russia are trying to assert in public perception that the sniper - too inhumane frontline specialty, making no distinction between those who set a goal to destroy half the world's population, and those who opposed this purpose . But who can blame Alexander Shilin in fact resulted in the beginning of the essay? Yes, the Soviet snipers face to face converged soldiers and officers of the Wehrmacht on the front, sending a bullet in them. And what else? By the way, the German aces fire opened their account much earlier Soviet. By June 1941, many of them destroyed several hundred soldiers and officers - the Poles, the French, the English. ... In the spring of 1942, when there were fierce battles for Sevastopol, a sniper of the 54th Infantry Regiment of the 25th Division of the Maritime Army Lyudmila Paulichenka was invited into the next part where Hitler brought many troubles arrows. It entered into a duel with the German ace and won it. When seeing a sniper book, it turned out that he had destroyed 400 French and English, as well as about 100 Soviet soldiers. Was extremely humane shot Lyudmila. How many bullets she has kept a nazi! Vladimir Pchelintcev Fedor Okhlopkov Maxim Passard ... During the Great Patriotic these and other names snipers were widely known in the army. But who won the right to be called an ace-sniper number one? Central Museum of the Armed Forces of Russia, among many other items stored sniper rifle Mosin sample 1891/30 years. (Number KE-1729) "Name of Heroes of the Soviet Union and Andruhaeva Ilina." Initiator sniper movement of the 136th Infantry Division of the Southern Front politruk Husen Andruhaev died heroically in the heavy fighting for Rostov. In his memory, established a sniper rifle in his name. In the days of the legendary defense of Stalingrad, it reeks of the enemy of the best sniper Guard Petty Officer Nikolai Ilyin. In a short time he and the Nazis murdered 115 extend their lead to 494 and becomes the best Soviet sniper during the Great Patriotic War. In August 1943 near Belgorod in melee with the enemy Ilyin died. Rifle, now the name of two characters (Nikolai Ilyin was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union, February 8, 1943-go), in the tradition of the best sniper handed Sergeant Athanasius Gordienko. He brought his score to 417 of her murdered Nazis. This honorary weapon out of action only when it got a shell fragment. A total of this rifle affect about 1,000 soldiers and officers. Nikolai Ilyin made ​​her 379 accurate shots. What was characteristic of this twenty sniper of Luhansk region? He knew how to outwit the enemy. Nicholas once stalked enemy arrow all day. Felt around: a few hundred meters away lay a seasoned professional. How to take the German "cuckoo"? Of his jacket and helmet he made ​​stuffed and slowly raise it. No sooner had the helmet up and half, almost simultaneously as two shots rang out: Hitlerite flashed bullet stuffed and Ilyin - enemy. When it became known that the front near Stalingrad profit sniper school graduates Berlin, Nikolai Ilyin told colleagues that the Germans - pedants certainly studied classical methods. Need to show them the Russian mind and take care of baptism Berlin beginners. Every morning under artillery fire, he crept under bombardment by the Germans on the right shot and destroyed them without a miss. Stalingrad Ilina expense increased to 400 killed soldiers and officers. Kursk was then and there he again flashed ingenuity and wit. Asom number two can be considered Smolyanina, Assistant Chief of Staff in 1122 Infantry Regiment 334th Division (1st Baltic Front) Captain Ivan Sidorenko, destroyed about 500 soldiers and officers opponents and prepare for the front about 250 snipers. In the lulls he hunted Nazis, taking with him to "hunt" students. third in the list of the most effective Soviet aces sniper sniper is the 59th Guards Rifle Regiment, 21 th Division (2nd Baltic Front) Guard Sergeant Michael Budenkov, Immediately 437 Nazi soldiers and officers. That's what he told me about one of the fights in Latvia: "Towards the offensive proved some countryside. There entrenched German machine gunners. It was necessary to destroy them. Short dashes I managed to reach the top height and kill Nazis. Before I could catch my breath, I see - in front of me on the farm runs a German machine gun. Shot - and Hitlerite fell. After some time after the second run with a machine gun box. It suffered the same fate. It took another few minutes from the village ran a hundred and fifty of the Nazis. This time they fled to other, more distant from me the way. I shot several times, but I realized that many of them will still be hidden. Quickly ran to the gunners killed, machine gun was defective, and I opened fire on the Nazis from their own weapons. Then we counted about a hundred dead Nazis. " Amazing courage, endurance and resourcefulness, and other distinguished Soviet snipers. For example, Nanai Sergeant Maxim Passard (117th Infantry Regiment of the 23rd Infantry Division, Stalingrad Front), which account for 237 murdered Nazi soldiers and officers.Chasing the enemy sniper killed and he pretended all day lay-man's-land in an open field among the dead. From this position, he sent a bullet in the fascist Arrow, who was under the embankment in the pipe for water drainage. Only in the evening Passard was able to crawl to her. 10 aces first Soviet sniper killed more than 4,200 soldiers and officers, the first 20 - more than 7,500 Americans wrote: "Russian snipers showed great skill on the German front. They led the Germans to manufacture on a large scale optical sights and training of snipers. " Of course, we can not say how the recorded results of Soviet snipers. Here it is appropriate to apply to materials meeting held in the summer of 1943, the Deputy Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars KE Voroshilov. According to his ace sniper Vladimir Pchelintseva present at the meeting suggested the introduction of a single, strict accounting treatment results combat operation, common to all "personal book sniper", and in infantry regiment and company of - "Logs of combat activity snipers." basis for regard to the number of destroyed Nazi soldiers and officers of the report should serve as a sniper, eyewitnesses confirmed (company and platoon commanders observers, artillery and mortar spotters, scouts, officers of all ranks, commanders of units, etc.). When calculating the Nazis murdered every officer equate to three soldiers.practice mainly accounting and kept. Was not observed, perhaps, the last paragraph. Separately should be said about women snipers. In the Russian army they appeared during the First World War, most often it was the widow of Russian officers killed in the war. They were eager to take revenge on the enemy for their husbands. And already in the first months of the Great Patriotic worldwide became known the names of female snipers Ludmila Paulichenka Natalia Screener, Mary Polivanova. yudmila in battles for Odessa and Sevastopol destroyed 309 Nazi soldiers and officers (which is the highest result among women snipers). Natalya and Maria, which account for more than 300 Nazis and glorify their names unparalleled courage August 14, 1942. On that day, near the village of days (Novgorod region) Kovshova Natasha and Masha Polivanova, beating the onslaught of the Nazis, were surrounded. Last grenade they blew themselves up and surrounded them German infantrymen.One of them was 22 years old, the other 20 years. As Lyudmila Paulichenka they were awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union. Following their example, many of the girls decided to master sniper skills to engage in fights with weapons in their hands.They trained sverhmetkoy shooting directly into military units and formations. In May of 1943 to create a central female sniper training school. Wall of her left over 1,300 female snipers. During the fighting destroyed pupils over 11,800 Nazi soldiers and officers. ... On the front of Soviet soldiers called them "privates without a miss," as, for example, Nikolai Ilyin in the beginning of his "career sniper." Or - "sergeants without fail," as Theodore Okhlopkova ... Here is an excerpt from the letters of Wehrmacht soldiers that they wrote to their relatives. "Russian sniper - it's something horrible. You can not hide from it anywhere! In the trenches can not raise his head. A moment of inattention - and immediately get a bullet between the eyes ... " "Snipers often lie for hours in one place in an ambush and taking aim at anyone who seems. Only in the dark can feel safe. " "In our trenches hanging banners:" Beware! Russian sniper shoots! "