The Central Women's Sniper Training School (russian: Центральная женская школа снайперской подготовки, italic=yes) was a Soviet military school for training female snipers for battle in the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, more commonly referred to as the

Great Patriotic War The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of conflict between the European Axis powers against the Soviet Union (USSR), Poland and other Allies, which encompassed Central Europe, Eastern Europe, Northeast Europe (Baltics), and Sout ...

among Soviet Troops. Throughout the war the school trained 1061 snipers and 407 sniper instructors. The school yielded several highly successful snipers who became decorated veterans, and two graduates were posthumously awarded the title

Hero of the Soviet Union The title Hero of the Soviet Union (russian: Герой Советского Союза, translit=Geroy Sovietskogo Soyuza) was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded together with the Order of Lenin personally or collectively for ...

History

The school was established in

Veshnyaki Veshnyaki (russian: Вешняки) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, rural locality (a Village#Russia, village) in Nikolo-Ramenskoye Rural Settlement, Cherepovetsky District, Vologda Oblast, Russia. The population was 98 as of 2002. ...

, Moscow Oblast after an order issued on 20 March 1942 by the People's Commissariat of Defence to establish the school. Potential students had to be at least 20 years old, physically fit, graduated at least seven of their secondary school classes, and pass the initial 4-day Vsevobuch program. After a parade and swearing upon an oath the school was officially opened on 3 May. In February 1943 students of the school donated 69,260

roubles The ruble (American English) or rouble (Commonwealth English) (; rus, рубль, p=rublʲ) is the currency unit of Belarus and Russia. Historically, it was the currency of the Russian Empire and of the Soviet Union. , currencies named ''rub ...

of their combined savings to kickstart further rifle manufacturing. That same month a practice shooting range was opened in Kosino. In May the school officially became the Central Women's Sniper Training School. On 25 June the school was ordered to form two battalions and a unit of sniper instructors after 50 graduates were sent to the Kalinin Front and another 54 sent to the

Northwestern Front The Northwestern Front (Russian: ''Северо-Западный фронт'') was a military formation of the Red Army during the Winter War and World War II. It was operational with the 7th and 13th Armies during the Winter War. It was re-cre ...

among the first batch of cadets. In July a second set of cadets swore their military oath and began their training. Cadets who passed the Moscow Higher Military Command School exam in addition to graduating achieved the rank of

junior lieutenant Junior lieutenant is a junior officer rank in several countries, equivalent to Sub-lieutenant. Germany In the National People's Army, the rank of () was introduced in 1956. Eastern Europe In many Eastern European countries, the rank of junior l ...

. Of the March 1944 graduating class, 150 were sent to the Northwestern Front, 75 to the

2nd Baltic Front The 2nd Baltic Front (russian: 2-й Прибалтийский фронт) was a major formation of the Red Army during the Second World War. History The 2nd Baltic Front was formed on October 20, 1943 as a result of the renaming of the Baltic ...

, 200 to the

Western Front Western Front or West Front may refer to: Military frontiers *Western Front (World War I), a military frontier to the west of Germany *Western Front (World War II), a military frontier to the west of Germany *Western Front (Russian Empire), a majo ...

, 75 to the

1st Baltic Front The First Baltic Front (Russian language, Russian: Пéрвый Прибалтийский фронт) was a Front (military formation), major formation of the Red Army during the Second World War. It was commanded by Army General Andrey Yeryomenk ...

, and 85 to the

1st Belorussian Front The 1st Belorussian Front (Russian: Пéрвый Белорусский фронт, ''Perviy Belorusskiy front'', also romanized " Byelorussian") was a major formation of the Soviet Army during World War II, being equivalent to a Western army ...

. In May 1944 the third batch of cadets took their oath and began training. On 25 November 1944, 559 of the women left the academy for active duty before the rest of the remaining 411 students of their graduating class were deployed to the warfront in February. Those students included 95 sent to the 1st Belorussian Front, 87 sent to the

2nd Belorussian Front The 2nd Belorussian Front (Russian: Второй Белорусский фронт, alternative spellings are 2nd Byelorussian Front) was a military formation, of Army group size, of the Soviet Army during the Second World War. Soviet army g ...

, 110 sent to the

1st Ukrainian Front The 1st Ukrainian Front (Russian: Пéрвый Украи́нский фронт), previously the Voronezh Front (Russian: Воронежский Фронт) was a major formation of the Soviet Army during World War II, being equivalent to a ...

, and 119 were sent to the

4th Ukrainian Front The 4th Ukrainian Front (Russian: Четвёртый Украинский фронт) was the name of two distinct Red Army strategic army groups that fought on the Eastern Front in World War II. The front was first formed on 20 October 1943, by ...

. The school was disbanded from 15 March to 10 May 1945 while personnel were transferred to the Moscow Higher Military Command School.

Notable graduates

* Hero of the Soviet Union

Aliya Moldagulova Aliya Nurmuhametqyzy Moldagulova (Russian: Алия Нурмухамбетовна Молдагулова, Kazakh: Әлия Нұрмұхамедқызы Молдағұлова/Äliia Nūrmūhamedqyzy Moldağūlova; 25 October 1925 – 14 January 19 ...

– ~30 kills * Hero of the Soviet Union

Tatyana Baramzina Tatyana Nikolayevna Baramzina (russian: Татья́на Никола́евна Барамзина́; 19 December 1919 – 5 July 1944) was a Soviet sniper and telephone operator in World War II who was posthumously awarded the title of the Hero o ...

– 36 kills * Olga Bordashevskaya – ~108 kills *

Nina Lobkovskaya Nina Alexeyevna Lobkovskaya (russian: Нина Алексеевна Лобковская; born 8 March 1925) served as a sniper for the Red Army and attained the rank of Lieutenant in a separate sniper unit of the 3rd Shock Army during World War I ...

– 89 kills *Aleksandra Vinogradova – 82 kills * Aleksandra Shlyakhova – 69 kills * Roza Shanina – 59 kills

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Central Women's Sniper Training School 1942 establishments in the Soviet Union 1945 disestablishments in the Soviet Union Educational institutions disestablished in 1945 Educational institutions established in 1942 Military academies of the Soviet Union