Natalya Kovshova

Natalya Venediktovna Kovshova (; 26 November 1920 – 14 August 1942) was a Soviet female sniper who fought in World War II.

She fought with her friend Mariya Polivanova who acted as her spotter. Natalya fought bravely throughout the war; she was killed fighting German Wehrmacht forces near Novgorod in August 1942. She was posthumously awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union, the Soviet Union's highest award for bravery, on 14 February 1943.

World War II

When the German-Soviet War began in 1941, Kovshova joined a Narodnoe Opolcheniye (self-defence) unit in Moscow with Polivanova at age 21. These self-defense groups were started when German Luftwaffe aircraft began to bomb Russian cities and towns. Kovshova was put in charge of the observation and communication department. She spent many nights in the control tower. After her experience at the self-defense group, Kovshova attended sniper training in the 2nd Worker's Regiment of the 3rd Moscow Communist Rifle Division. After her training had been completed, in January 1942 the division was redesignated as the 130th Rifle Division, and she was sent to the front with the now-528th Rifle Regiment.

Kovshova expressed great hatred of the Germans during the war. She was inspired by the Soviet propaganda explaining how the Soviet soldiers were fighting for the liberation of the Motherland. She wrote to her mother in 1942: "You can hear horrible stories from local residents who have been in the hands of the fascist pigs. The women we live with had a guest come to visit said that the Germans shot her brother and four of her friends simply because they went outside after 4pm." Natalya found great delight in killing German soldiers. She wrote to her mother on 7 July 1942: "My dearest Mama!" "Please don't be angry that I didn't write to you about being wounded. But I didn't want to worry you for no reason, since nothing serious happened..." "I've been back with my unit 2nd June 1942. Now Mashenka [Mariya] and I are working with the young snipers. Their statistics are looking good. In the last two weeks of June our students took down 3 Fritzes. Not bad!"... "A few days ago five of us went on reconnaissance without saying anything to the company commander. We were right under the German's very noses and they had no clue!"

A Soviet fishing factory trawler was christened Natalya Kovshova in the 1960s.