Maria Botchkareva

Have you ever heard of a battalion of women, fighting on the frontlines of World War I?

Meet Maria Botchkareva, also known as Yashka, one of the most fearless women in Russian history. Maria’s life wasn’t easy. Born into a poor family in 1889, she went through an abusive childhood and two violent marriages. But when war broke out in 1914, she wasn’t about to sit on the sidelines. 

 

Determined to fight, she sent an appeal to Tsar Nicholas II. To everyone’s surprise, she got granted permission to become a soldier. After months of intense training, Maria proved herself in battle, and rescued over fifty wounded soldiers from no-man’s land. In 1917, while Russia was falling apart, and men had lost the will to fight; Maria had a bold idea. She founded the first-ever Women’s Battalion of Death, with permission of the minister of war: Aleksandr Kerenski. Though several women’s battalions were formed, Maria’s was one of only two that actually fought at the frontlines. Around 300 charged into battle under her leadership, hoping to inspire the men to follow. 

 

But her story is one of both triumph and tragedy. After surviving numerous injuries, including having to relearn how to walk: Maria fought for Russia’s future during the February Revolution. Yet, when the Bolsheviks rose to power, Maria’s battalion was disbanded, and Maria was captured. She managed to escape to the U.S. and met notorious persons like president Wilson. Afterwards she returned to Russia, where Yashka tried to start a new Women’s Battalion. She failed and was arrested by the Bolsheviks. Maria got found guilty of being an enemy of the working class, which let to her execution in 1920. 

Maria Botchkareva’s bravery inspired women and men alike, but her story has faded into obscurity. While she was widely known in her own time, today she stands as a forgotten symbol of strength and bravery.

Maria Botchkareva is the third person from the left, sitting (source).

Video Sources:

Pictures Used:

1) https://dzen.ru/a/W6AXdukEhwCq2m1d 

2) Library of Congress (https://loc.gov/pictures/resource/ggbain.26866/) 

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6) https://helenrappaport.com/womens-history/mariya-bochkareva-womens-death-battalion/

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8) See 1

9) https://europebetweeneastandwest.wordpress.com/tag/smorgon-russian-empire/

10) https://girlswithguns.org/tag/russia/page/2/

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Text Sources: 

    - https://www.britannica.com/list/women-in-world-war-i-a-photo-gallery

    - https://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/article/womens-mobilization-for-war-russian-empire-2-0/ 

    - https://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/article/eastern-front/

    - https://journals-openedition-org.kuleuven.e-bronnen.be/pipss/4217

    - https://www.proquest.com/docview/222831843?accountid=17215&parentSessionId=T4aT8377N30jew7%2BWSQFtzvphxM35SNzYb%2Bvab8MzD8%3D&pq-origsite=primo&sourcetype=Scholarly%20Journals 

More Literature:

    - The Story Of "Yashka": Commander Of The Russian Women's Battalion Of Death, https://www.proquest.com/docview/222831843?accountid=17215&parentSessionId=T4aT8377N30jew7%2BWSQFtzvphxM35SNzYb%2Bvab8MzD8%3D&pq-origsite=primo&sourcetype=Scholarly%20Journals 

    - Yashka: My Life as a Peasant, Exile and Soldier; A Biography and History of Russia in WW1, and the Bolshevik Revolution -   Maria Botchkareva (edited by Isaac Don Levine). 

    - https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/25/obituaries/overlooked-maria-bochkareva.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&smid=tw-nytobits&smtyp=cur

    - A movie about the Women's Battalion of Death: 'Battalion' (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4187590/plotsummary/?ref_=tt_ov_pl)