Yelizaveta Ivanovna Chaikina (russian: Елизавета Чайкина; 28 August 1918 – 23 November 1941) often referred to as Liza Chaikina, was the Secretary of the Kalinin
Komsomol
The All-Union Leninist Young Communist League (russian: link=no, Всесоюзный ленинский коммунистический союз молодёжи (ВЛКСМ), ), usually known as Komsomol (; russian: Комсомол, links=n ...
Penovsky underground committee, a Soviet partisan detachment organizer and posthumous Heroine of the Soviet Union.
Partisan activities
After joining the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in 1939 Chaikina was selected to be the secretary of the Penovskiy Komsomol committee. In June 1941 she was sent to the Kalinin regional party courses before leading a partisan detachment beginning on 14 October 1941. Under her leadership, the partisan group took control of small settlements, raided Axis strongholds, and gathered military intelligence from reconnaissance missions.
On 22 November 1941, Liza Chaikina was sent to Peno with the purpose of discovering the size of the enemy garrison. On the way to Peno, she came to the farm "Krasnoye Pokatishche" to visit her friend, the intelligence officer Marusya Kuporova, where she was seen by the
praepostor Praepostor (sometimes spelt Praepositor) is a term now used chiefly at English independent schools, such as Aldenham, Brentwood School, Clifton, Eton, Giggleswick, Harrow, Rugby, Shrewsbury, Tonbridge and Uppingham as well as at other schools such ...
who informed the Germans. The Germans broke into Kuporova's house, shooting the Kuporova family members and taking Chaikina prisoner. Chaikina was subsequently taken to Peno. Even under torture, she refused to give information about the whereabouts of the guerrilla squad and was
shot
Shot may refer to:
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* ''Shot'' (album), by The Jesus Lizard
*''Shot, Illusion, New God'', an EP by Gruntruck
*''Shot Rev 2.0'', a video album by The Sisters of Mercy
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on 23 November 1941.
Awards and recognition
Chaikina was posthumously declared a Hero of the Soviet Union on 6 March 1942 by decree of the
Presidium of the Supreme Soviet
The Presidium of the Supreme Soviet (russian: Президиум Верховного Совета, Prezidium Verkhovnogo Soveta) was a body of state power in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).
The German ship ''Heinrich Arp'' was renamed the '' SS Liza Chaikina'' in 1947. Later other ships of the Soviet Union and Russia were named also named in her honor.
The 630th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment of the Soviet Air Force named a squadron in her honor.
In philately, her portrait was featured on a 1969 Soviet postage stamp and a 1978 envelope. (both pictured)
In October 2002 the Chaikina street in
Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
's capital
Kyiv
Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the List of European cities by populat ...
was renamed to
Olena Stepaniv
Olena Ivanivna Stepaniv (; 7 December 1892 – 11 July 1963; also Olena Iwaniwna Stepaniw, Yelena Ivanovna Stepaniv, and Olena Stepaniw-Daschkewytsch) was an Austro-Hungarian and Ukrainian soldier, public figure and economist. She is popularly ...
street.
See also
*
List of Female Heroes of the Soviet Union
This is a list of female Heroes 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 wi ...