Mariya Karpovna Bayda (russian: Мария Карповна Байда; February 1, 1922 – August 30, 2002) was a medical orderly in the 514th Infantry Regiment during World War II who fought in

Crimea Crimea, crh, Къырым, Qırım, grc, Κιμμερία / Ταυρική, translit=Kimmería / Taurikḗ ( ) is a peninsula in Ukraine, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, that has been occupied by Russia since 2014. It has a pop ...

. When she was surrounded by

Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previous ...

submachine gunners, she fought a heated gun battle against them, killing fifteen, wounding several more, and routing the rest, escaping wounded. For her wartime exploits, Bayda was awarded the honorary title of

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 ...

in 1942.

Early life

Bayda was born in 1922 to a Russian family in the

Krasnoperekopsk Raion Krasnoperekopsk Raion ( uk, Красноперекопський район, russian: Красноперекопский район, crh, Krasnoperekopsk rayonı) is one of the 25 regions of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, a territory recognize ...

of Crimea. After her parents died when she was young she was raised by her grandparents. In 1936, she dropped out of the school in Dzankoy without completing her studies. She worked on a state run farm, in a hospital, and then in a cooperative society in of the village of Voinka. After the house she lived in was bombed she began working at a train station to help civilians evacuate the city.

Military career

In 1941, she joined the

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, after ...

and was assigned as a

nurse Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health c ...

in the 3rd Battalion of 514th Rifle Regiment, 172nd Rifle Division of the Red Army of the North Caucasian

front Front may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''The Front'' (1943 film), a 1943 Soviet drama film * ''The Front'', 1976 film Music * The Front (band), an American rock band signed to Columbia Records and active in the 1980s and e ...

; she held the rank of senior sergeant and was deployed to the front lines that same year. In addition to providing first aid she dug trenches and captured German soldiers to be interrogated. In the autumn of 1941 she was transferred to a naval infantry battalion. Due to the unit's inadequate weaponry the Germans managed to takeover a hill they had been defending, but after orders from the company commander they managed to retake control. After the regiment was later withdrawn Bayda was reassigned to the medical division of a reconnaissance unit. On 7 June 1942 she earned the nickname "fearless Marusia" after she killed 16 enemy combatants, one of whom was an officer, with her submachine gun and attacked four more German soldiers by hitting them on the head with the butt of her rifle in order to rescue her commander and eight other soldiers who were captured by the Germans. For her actions that day she was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union on 20 June 1942. On 12 July 1942, after being severely wounded in battle, Bayda was taken prisoner and sent to

Slavuta Slavuta (, russian: link=no, Славу́та, , ) is a city in Shepetivka Raion, Khmelnytskyi Oblast (province) of western Ukraine, located on the Horyn River. The city is located approximately 80 km from the oblast capital, Khmelnytskyi, ...

concentration camp 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 ...

and later Ravensbruck after she was held in Simferopol. She was released from captivity by the American forces on 8 May 1945.

Later life

After the war, she was discharged from military service. For many years, she headed the

Sevastopol Sevastopol (; uk, Севасто́поль, Sevastópolʹ, ; gkm, Σεβαστούπολις, Sevastoúpolis, ; crh, Акъя́р, Aqyár, ), sometimes written Sebastopol, is the largest city in Crimea, and a major port on the Black Sea ...

city department of civil registration, and she was repeatedly selected the deputy of city council. In 1976, she was recognized as an Honourable Citizen of

Awards

(20 June 1942) *

Order of Lenin The Order of Lenin (russian: Орден Ленина, Orden Lenina, ), named after the leader of the Russian October Revolution, was established by the Central Executive Committee on April 6, 1930. The order was the highest civilian decoration b ...

(20 June 1942) *

Order of the Patriotic War The Order of the Patriotic War (russian: Орден Отечественной войны, Orden Otechestvennoy voiny) is a Soviet military decoration that was awarded to all soldiers in the Soviet armed forces, security troops, and to partisan ...

1st class (11 March 1985) * campaign and jubilee medals

References

Bibliography