Marie Ljalková
Encyclopedia
Marie Ljalková-Lastovecká (3 December 1920 – 7 November 2011) was a Czech sniper in the Soviet Army
during World War II
. Ljalková (born Petrušáková) was born in Horodenka
, Poland
(today in Ukraine
) to a family of Volhynia
n Czechs. She lost her parents at the age of 12; afterwards she lived with her aunt in Stanisławow (today Ivano-Frankivs'k, Ukraine). She met her first husband, Michal Ljalko, there.
as a volunteer in March 1942, aged 21, and graduated from a three-month sniper
school in Buzuluk
.
Her first combat experience came during the three-day Battle of Sokolovo
(March 8–11, 1943) when she was credited with killing seven German
soldiers, earning her immediate ace status. She later became a sniper instructor of the Czechoslovak and Soviet infantry, and was at some point an ambulance driver.
and the Czechoslovak War Cross
.
and in the Central Military Hospital in Prague
. After that she was moved to Brno hospital where she met her second husband, Václav Lastovecký.
She eventually attained the rank of colonel
, but due to health problems she left the Army and started to work as a tourist guide for Russian speaking tourists. She spent the rest of her life in Brno
.
On October 28. 2010 she received the Order of the White Lion II. class
, Czech second highest medal.
Soviet sniper
Snipers of the Soviet Union played an important role mainly on the Eastern Front of World War II, apart from other preceding and subsequent conflicts. In World War II, Soviet snipers used the 7.62x54R rifle cartridge with light, heavy, armour-piercing , armour-piercing-and-incendiary ,...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Ljalková (born Petrušáková) was born in Horodenka
Horodenka
Horodenka is a city located in the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, in western Ukraine. It is the administrative center of Horodenka Raion .The current estimated population is around 9,800 .-History:...
, Poland
Second Polish Republic
The Second Polish Republic, Second Commonwealth of Poland or interwar Poland refers to Poland between the two world wars; a period in Polish history in which Poland was restored as an independent state. Officially known as the Republic of Poland or the Commonwealth of Poland , the Polish state was...
(today in Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
) to a family of Volhynia
Volhynia
Volhynia, Volynia, or Volyn is a historic region in western Ukraine located between the rivers Prypiat and Southern Bug River, to the north of Galicia and Podolia; the region is named for the former city of Volyn or Velyn, said to have been located on the Southern Bug River, whose name may come...
n Czechs. She lost her parents at the age of 12; afterwards she lived with her aunt in Stanisławow (today Ivano-Frankivs'k, Ukraine). She met her first husband, Michal Ljalko, there.
World War II
After the Nazi attack on the USSR, Ljalková joined the First Czechoslovak Independent Field BattalionFirst Czechoslovak Independent Field Battalion
The First Czechoslovak Independent Field Battalion was a Czechoslovak government-in-exile military organization in World War II fighting alongside the Red Army on the East Front, notably in the battle of Sokolovo...
as a volunteer in March 1942, aged 21, and graduated from a three-month sniper
Sniper
A sniper is a marksman who shoots targets from concealed positions or distances exceeding the capabilities of regular personnel. Snipers typically have specialized training and distinct high-precision rifles....
school in Buzuluk
Buzuluk
Buzuluk is a town in Orenburg Oblast, Russia, located on the Samara, Buzuluk, and Domashka Rivers northwest of Orenburg. Population: It was founded in 1736 as the fortress of Buzulukskaya on the Samara River near the mouth of the Buzuluk River along Russia's southern frontier. It was later moved...
.
Her first combat experience came during the three-day Battle of Sokolovo
Battle of Sokolovo
The Battle of Sokolovo took place on March 8 and 9, 1943 near the town of Sokolovo near Kharkiv in Ukraine when the on-going attack of the Wehrmacht was halted by joint Soviet and Czechoslovak forces. It was the first time that a foreign military unit, the First Czechoslovak Independent Field...
(March 8–11, 1943) when she was credited with killing seven German
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
soldiers, earning her immediate ace status. She later became a sniper instructor of the Czechoslovak and Soviet infantry, and was at some point an ambulance driver.
Awards
She was credited with at least 30 confirmed kills during the war, and earned recognition with the Soviet Order of the Red StarOrder of the Red Star
Established on 6 April 1930, the Order of the Red Star was an order of the Soviet Union, given to Red Army and Soviet Navy personnel for "exceptional service in the cause of the defense of the Soviet Union in both war and peace". It was established by Resolution of the Presidium of the CEC of the...
and the Czechoslovak War Cross
Czechoslovak War Cross 1939-1945
The Czechoslovak War Cross 1939-1945 is a military decoration of the former state of Czechoslovakia which was issued for those who had provided great service the Czechoslovak state during the years of World War II.- Description :On December 20, 1940, the Czech government in exile in London ordered...
.
After World War II
After the war, she studied medicine, and worked as a military doctor in OlomoucOlomouc
Olomouc is a city in Moravia, in the east of the Czech Republic. The city is located on the Morava river and is the ecclesiastical metropolis and historical capital city of Moravia. Nowadays, it is an administrative centre of the Olomouc Region and sixth largest city in the Czech Republic...
and in the Central Military Hospital in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
. After that she was moved to Brno hospital where she met her second husband, Václav Lastovecký.
She eventually attained the rank of colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
, but due to health problems she left the Army and started to work as a tourist guide for Russian speaking tourists. She spent the rest of her life in Brno
Brno
Brno by population and area is the second largest city in the Czech Republic, the largest Moravian city, and the historical capital city of the Margraviate of Moravia. Brno is the administrative centre of the South Moravian Region where it forms a separate district Brno-City District...
.
On October 28. 2010 she received the Order of the White Lion II. class
Order of the White Lion
The Order of the White Lion is the highest order of the Czech Republic. It continues a Czechoslovak order of the same name created in 1922 as an award for foreigners....
, Czech second highest medal.