Thanks to history textbooks, we know great commanders, such as: A.V. Suvorov, M.I. Kutuzov, G.K. Zhukov and others. But among people who have devoted themselves to a military career, there are not only men, but also women. To reach the rank of general woman could not always. There are only one such person. Do you know who was awarded the title of General of Women?
Our history contains various cases of exploits committed by women. In World War I, the lieutenant became famous, and then officer Maria Bochkareva. She created the first women's battalion in Russia. Contemporaries noted that women on the battlefield fought heroically, and also made an immeasurable contribution to improving the fighting spirit of the Russian army. Before you talk about when a woman general appeared, it’s worth talking about outstanding officers in female uniforms.
Catherine Amazons
We can say that female generals appeared back in the years of the Russian Empire. Once, Catherine the Second, Prince Potemkin, reported that the Crimean Peninsula was inhabited by Greeks who fought with special courage and courage against the Turks. The prince told the empress that the Greeks would be useful to the state, since even Greek women took part in the fight against the Ottoman warriors. Catherine the Great decided to verify the reliability of these stories. And Potemkin had to give the order to the commander of the Balaklava regiment to make up an Amazon company of noble women in the amount of 100 persons. The wife of the senior officer Elena Shilyandskaya was chosen as the commander of the regiment. She became the first female officer in the Russian Empire.
Life and life of the Amazons
The training of a special regiment took several months. Women studied horseback riding, as well as the basics of military affairs. And in 1787, a female detachment was built on the parade ground for a meeting with the Empress. The Empress of Austria, Joseph II, accompanied the Empress on this trip. The Austrian was shocked to see a hundred women in extraordinary military uniforms, who were built according to all the canons of the military charter. And indeed, the sight was amazing. Each such Amazon was dressed in a chic military uniform, consisting of a velvet burgundy skirt with gold fringe. The jacket on it was green, which was also trimmed with gold. The head was decorated with a white turban with an ostrich feather. After some time, the beautiful regiment was disbanded. And only officer Elena Shilyandskaya was buried in Simferopol with all military honors in her 95th year of life.
Battalion of Maria Bochkareva
Real women generals appeared later, but in 1917, when the monarchy was destroyed in Russia, military discipline and the order of the now republican army fell into decay. Desertion reached a critical point. Deserters had to be destroyed on the spot. But this did not have the desired effect.
The Republican Army needed new methods of influence. Maria Bochkareva, already well-known at that time, proposed the founding of a combat detachment of women, which would set a moral example for male warriors. Officer Maria reasoned that a woman couldn’t do anything supernatural for her native country. But in its capabilities to become for the deserter an example of how to protect Russia. She said that the female gender should only attract the attention of men. The military leader Brusilov was already skeptical of this idea. Kerensky needed any measures to maintain order in the republican army. Thus, on June 19, 1917, an order was signed on the creation of a death row battalion led by Maria Bochkareva. 300 female volunteers were selected. In total, 2000 women took part in the show.
Women's squad life
Bochkareva's regiment was distinguished by strict discipline: women woke up at 5 in the morning, until 10 in the evening they trained. Sheared their hair. Their shoulder straps were black with a red stripe; their skull was decorated with two crossbones, which meant that women did not want to live in the event of the death of Russia. They underwent baptism of fire on July 5, 1917, 30 women died under shelling and machine gun fire, 70 were injured of varying severity, but the German fortifications were captured, as the battalion showed real heroism.
Despite the fact that the women successfully completed their combat mission, it was further recognized that it was not practical to use such a regiment. Their officer Maria Bochkareva was promoted. Her life was tragic. According to the first version, according to sources, she was shot because she collaborated with the White Guards in 1919. According to the second version, she went missing in 1920.
Heroism of the twentieth century
Women generals of Russia are amazing, they exist in our time. Russian cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova was the first of the women to go into space. It is Valentina Vladimirovna who is the only representative of the fair sex who single-handedly flew into outer space.
Valentina Tereshkova is the first female general in Russia. This title was awarded to her in 1995. In her first space flight, she set off on June 16, 1963. Today she is in advanced age. However, this does not prevent her from continuing to work actively. Since 1966, she was a deputy of the Supreme Council. Later, she participated in design and scientific projects on astronautics. In 2011, Valentina Vladimirovna became a deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation. In addition, she is actively involved in political and charitable activities.
Dizzying rise and bright fall
In 2009, print headlines, as well as other media outlets were replete with the dismissal of a female general. She was Natalya Borisovna Klimova. She was born in 1944. After graduation, she worked as a doctor. In 1999, the Government of the Russian Federation awarded her a prize for having developed and introduced the use of Imunofan. As a major general in 2009, she was fired into the reserve. She was the second female general in our country.
Her ascent through the ranks ceased in 2006. Klimova resigned, as she was suspected of an official crime. The general was convicted of numerous bribes. The investigation lasted three years. And in 2009, Natalya Borisovna and her accomplices were charged, and also sentenced to 9 years in prison.
Female General at Admiral's Club
The Admiral Club consists of 230 men with the rank of generals and admirals. But among them there is also a woman general - this is Zemskova Alexandra Vladimirovna. How did she end up at this club? She began her journey, like many other women generals of Russia, graduating from the university with a degree in law. At first she worked as an investigator, then she was promoted to senior investigator. A few years later, they were appointed to the post of chief inspector of the Main Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. There was a time when she replaced the head of the investigative department at Moscow Law University. Then she changed several more leadership positions. Since 2005, she was appointed head of the immigration control in the Russian Federation.
Conclusion
In the 21st century, a woman general is not uncommon. The fair sex does not lag behind men. They know how to drive a car, command troops, and they had to learn how to deal with weapons back in the twentieth century. A female police general is already a common thing. After all, Valentina Tereshkova became the aviation general. Even in astronautics and aircraft construction, women left their mark.