How a fragile 18-year-old girl managed to destroy almost 80 fascists: Sniper Aliya Moldagulova

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

There are many cities in Russia that have Moldagulova Street. The name is well-known, but not everyone knows who she is - Aliya Moldagulova, whose memory is immortalized in different parts of the country. Meanwhile, this is a heroic sniper girl. A fragile 18-year-old girl who managed to shoot 78 fascists during the Great Patriotic War.

Difficult childhood

In the memory of her contemporaries - fellow countrymen and fellow soldiers - the Kazakh woman Aliya remained a miniature beautiful girl with a stylish, as they say in our time, haircut. And also - as a person desperate, brave and even reckless in some way. However, it was thanks to such young and fearless people that we won the war.

To understand the character of the girl who laid down dozens of fascists in cold blood, it is worth learning about her childhood. Aliya's father belonged to a noble Kazakh family, he was a descendant of a rich bai, and therefore, after the revolution, he hid from the persecution of the Bolsheviks. Only occasionally did he visit his family. The mother pulled the children herself. To feed the little ones, she secretly dragged potatoes and grain from the collective farm fields. Once, on such a sortie, she was shot by a local watchman. Now it seems unheard of cruelty, but in the Soviet years the theft of "people's property" was regarded as one of the most terrible crimes.

Alia's brother soon fell ill with measles and died. And then my father already had a different family. Apparently, the tragic events that happened in the early years hardened the girl's character, having taught herself to rely only on herself in everything and not be distracted by "sentiments."

At the age of eight, Aliya was brought up by her mother's brother, Aubakir Moldagulov, two years later, together with her uncle, the girl moved to Moscow, and after a while, her uncle was transferred to work in Leningrad.

The family lived in cramped conditions, there was not enough money, so when the girl turned 14, she was transferred to a boarding school. Aliya became an activist at the school. She received only fives and became one of the first Kazakh girls who were awarded a ticket to Artek.

When the Great Patriotic War began, the schoolgirl's relatives were evacuated, but Aliya decided to stay in the boarding school. During the day she worked on the construction of defensive fortifications, and at night she put out "lighters" on the roofs of buildings in besieged Leningrad.

When the boarding school was evacuated to the Yaroslavl region in the spring of 1942, Aliya went with everyone. Soon she entered the Rybinsk Aviation Technical School, but instead of the prospect of becoming a pilot, she was disappointed: the girl was assigned to a group for metal processing. From the very first days of her studies, Aliya began to rush to the front. She applied several times, but invariably received a refusal: too small. Having learned that a school of female snipers was opening in the Moscow region, Moldagulova succeeded in being included in the group.

In the sniper school, Aliya was one of the smallest in stature and looked just like a child. However, she studied persistently and fanatically: she trained 15 hours a day. As a result, she became one of the best shooters. When it came to graduation, she was even offered to stay at the school as an instructor, but she refused because she wanted to go to the front. When she graduated from school, Aliya received a personalized rifle “For Excellent Shooting”.

After graduating from the school of snipers, in the winter of 1943, corporal Moldagulova took the oath, and in the summer she was sent to the North-Western Front. Already in the fall, the 18-year-old girl was in the army. At first, the commander was afraid to send such a young soldier to the front line, but this fragile girl shot too well.

Fighting friends recalled that Aliya was a very temperamental person, and when it was necessary to wait patiently, guarding the target, she could hardly restrain herself so as not to shout: "Fritz, show yourself!" Sometimes, all the same, emotions took up and she did it.

It happened that the girl was sent on reconnaissance. Once, on such a mission, she infiltrated the location of enemies and took a fascist prisoner. And when the fighting was going on, the sniper carried the wounded out from under the fire.

According to the recollections of comrades, during these months of service, Aliya shot three dozen fascists.

A series of feats before death

Alas, the life of a young girl was cut short too early. On that day, January 14, 1944, Soviet troops had to repel an enemy attack several times near the town of Novosokolniki (Pskov region). And then the company commander fell in battle …

To inspire the soldiers, the sniper Moldagulova stood up and shouted in Kazakh: “Kazaktar alga! (), and then in Russian: "Brothers soldiers, follow me!" And the first rushed to the attack. The fighters followed her example.

During that day, Aliya killed several dozen more fascists in battle. In total, according to her fellow soldiers, she shot 78 enemies. They also recalled that, having noticed a German mortar, she threw grenades at it, freeing the approach to the railway station for Soviet fighters.

How Aliya died was later recalled in his memoirs by the political instructor of the 4th battalion, in which the girl served. He wrote that the fighters burst into the trench of the fascists, and Aliya was the first. Then a mine exploded, and one of the fragments hit the girl in the hand. However, as if not feeling pain, she continued to hold the machine gun and entered into a battle with the German officer. He shot her in the chest, and the wound was fatal. However, the last shot was left for the girl: losing consciousness, she managed to point the barrel at the fascist and kill him.

Alia, bleeding to death, was carried away from the battlefield by her comrades. She died in the medical unit that same night. As the nurse recalled, in her delirium, Aliya spoke Kazakh. And a few minutes before her death, she came to her senses and asked to bring a pencil and paper. And dictated a farewell letter to her younger sister.

In June 1944, Aliya Moldagulova was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. A memorial complex was later erected at the site of the tragic events during which the sniper girl died.

Not only Moldagulova, but also some other heroes of the Great Patriotic War undeservedly remained in the shadows. For example, not everyone knows For which he received the award for the oldest Hero of the Soviet Union, a monument to which stands in the metro.