Siberian divisions took part in defending Moscow in 1941 and they were also the participants of the largest battles of the war. Siberians made an invaluable contribution to the victory over the Nazis.
Olga Vasilievna Zhilina (1914 – 1944) - a sergeant of the guard, a nurse of the 22d division, a commander of 3 war orders and a medal.
Olga was born in the village Kolyvan not far from Novosibirsk. When she was a child, her parents died. In her last year at school she passed the GTO (Ready for Labor and Defence of the USSR) medical standarts. After leaving school she worked as an assistant at chemist’s. Olga was an active girl, she studied much and was good at shooting. In 1936 she was appointed an instructor in the regional party committee.
When the Great Patriotic War broke out, Olga was one of the first volunteers who decided to go to the battle-front. She participated in many intense battles for liberating Velikie Luki, Yelnya, Bely, Kalinin, Rudnya etc. Since 1942 a young slender girl had rescued 147 wounded from the battlefield! She also shot well and often took part in attacking fascists. She had been wounded 7 times: once it had happened trice for seven days!
In 1944 Olga’s Siberian division fought in the Baltics. Not far from Riga our warriors came under the wave of enemy mortar and artillery fire. The brave nurse was shot in the leg and face but didn’t leave. She had decided to use an old shed as a sick bay but fascists understood her idea and fired on it. Olga was taking out the wounded again and again: bleeding and having difficulty breathing in the smoke and the fire, but the final, eighth wound was fatal for her.
08.10.1944 - is the date of Olga Zhilina’s heroic death. She was awarded the Order of the Patriotic War posthumously. She was buried in Latvia and her name was engraved on the pylon of the Monument of Glory in her native city Novosibirsk. One of the city’s streets is named after her.
