Maria Bochkareva: From Russian With Love

A portrait of Maria Bochkareva
https://www.flickr.com/photos/22155693@N04/12953241495 

Maria Bochkareva was born in 1889 into a peasant family, raised in the tumultuous Siberian region of the Russian Empire. Maria was the youngest of three daughters and ultimately was forced to leave her home at the age of fifteen to escape the abuse inflicted at the hands of her alcoholic father, but found herself in a pattern of abusive marriages. Bochkareva never resigned herself to a situation in which men could dominate her, working as a foreman that supervised 25 male laborers and performing demanding tasks on a steamship (1). Maria exercised independence in a professional setting, providing the means to leave two volatile husbands. In 1914, following the onset of World War I, Maria Bochkareva enlisted in the Russian Imperial Army as a combat soldier due to her strong patriotic feelings.

The Tsar personally approved Bochkareva's request to join the 25th Reserve Battalion, with male comrades initially perceiving her presence to be that of a prostitute masquerading as a soldier to support an illegal enterprise (1). Maria Bochkareva proved her value as a military hero and received three medals for bravery, bouncing back multiple times from wounds and verbal taunts from her male counterparts (2). A shaved head, stocky physique, and both physical and mental strength characterized her reputation and earned Bochkareva respect from fellow soldiers, suffragettes, and political leaders.

In 1917, following the abdication of the Tsar, Bochkareva petitioned Alexander Kerensky to form a Women's Battalion to follow along with the increasing presence of Russian Death Squads that attempted to prevent revolutionary uprisings. Maria advocated for the female civil military unit by encouraging women to transform into "tigresses" to protect their children and their country (1). Over 2,000 volunteers petitioned Bochkareva to be a member of the first Russian Women's Battalion of Death, but only around 300 were selected in order for the squadrons image to be the pinnacle of power. The Women's Battalion engaged in conflict and went over the top to face German troops, inspiring male units and introducing females to the realm of hazardous warfare. Bochkareva rose to the order of captain, an honor bestowed to only those at the peak of the military field, and was targeted by the Bolsheviks due to her commitment to the Russian Provisional Government (3).

Photograph of Bochkareva and the Women's Death Battalion
https://englishrussia.com/2012/03/19/womens-battalions-of-death/

Maria Bochkareva was executed by the Bolsheviks in 1920 following an attempt to establish a women's medical unit that would support their opposition. Maria had garnered the support of President Woodrow Wilson and King George V, publishing an autobiography that detailed her rise from an abused peasant to a leading captain within a male-dominated Russian regime. The emphasis placed on national pride surpassed the expectation that men are the only competent soldiers, resonating with a modern audience who currently face hazing in order to gain acceptance within military units. Maria created a space for women that enabled them to forge a presence within their national history at a time when female suffrage was limited. 

Works Cited

(1) Simkin, John. “Maria Bochkareva.” Spartacus Educational, Spartacus Educational, spartacus- educational.com/FWWbochkareva.htm.

(2) “Overlooked No More: Maria Bochkareva, Who Led Women Into Battle in WWI.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 26 Apr. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/04/25/obituaries/overlooked-maria-bochkareva.html.

(3) Hunt, David. “World War 1 History: Maria Bochkareva-Commander of 1st Russian Women's Battalion of Death.” Owlcation, Owlcation, 26 Sept. 2017, owlcation.com/humanities/WWI-Maria-Bochkareva-Commander-of-1st-Russian-Womens-Battalion-of-Death.