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Maria BorovichenkoNurse, medical sergeant
Date of Birth: 21.10.1925
Country:  Ukraine |
Content:
The Life and Heroic Death of Maria Borovichenko
Maria Sergeevna Borovichenko, a medical service sergeant, heroically died in front of her unit's soldiers while saving a wounded officer. In the summer of 1943, intense battles were taking place near Oboyan. German tanks were relentlessly trying to break through to Kursk. The military unit where M.S. Borovichenko served continuously repelled the enemy attacks. In one of the battles, she destroyed an enemy tank with an anti-tank grenade. On July 14, 1943, she heroically sacrificed herself to shield the injured officer with her own body. Inspired by her act of bravery, the soldiers launched a counterattack and repelled the enemy. Maria S. Borovichenko was buried in the village of Orlovka, Ivnyansky District, Belgorod Oblast.
Biography of Maria Borovichenko
Maria Sergeevna Borovichenko was born on October 21, 1925, near Kiev in the village of Myshelovka, in a working-class family. In 1933, she started attending school in her village. Two years later, tragedy struck her family when her mother passed away. Maria was taken in by her aunt, Evdokia Andreevna Burlatskaya. In her memoirs, Burlatskaya writes, "After her mother's death, Maria grew up, studied, and was raised by me. I didn't have any children, so I devoted all my love and attention to her and raised her as my own daughter. Maria loved nature, music, singing, dancing, and sports. She actively participated in school amateur performances and dreamed of becoming a teacher or a doctor. She was obedient and affectionate."
In 1941, M.S. Borovichenko completed 8 grades of school and joined the Komsomol (Communist Union of Youth). When the war broke out, she enrolled in nursing courses. In early August, the Germans invaded the outskirts of Kiev and occupied the village of Myshelovka. Maria had to go into hiding, but she managed to cross the front line. She provided the command of the 5th Airborne Brigade with accurate information about the enemy's positions. Thanks to her information, our artillery destroyed many enemy guns and machine gun nests. At the request of Maria Borovichenko, the brigade's command allowed her to serve as a medic. In the first battles, Maria successfully fulfilled her duties. On August 13, while the brigade was fighting for an agricultural institute, she provided assistance to many wounded soldiers and evacuated eight severely wounded fighters and the battalion commander to safety. On September 4 and 5, 1941, during the battle near Konotop on the Seim River, Maria saved the lives of over 20 wounded soldiers. When the enemy appeared near the crossing, she helped the machine gunner open fire, preventing the enemy from advancing. The combat mission was successfully completed.
In late September 1941, M.S. Borovichenko participated in a dangerous raid with reconnaissance soldiers in the enemy's rear, in the area of the village of Gutrovo. During the night, they destroyed an enemy motorcade carrying fuel for tanks and almost the entire garrison. During the battle, Maria killed four German soldiers and provided assistance to several wounded fighters. More than a hundred enemy soldiers were killed in this battle, and a fuel truck was delivered to our forces. During the heroic battle for Stalingrad, Maria S. Borovichenko was on the front lines as part of the 13th Guards Rifle Division, commanded by Hero of the Soviet Union A.I. Rodimtsev. She fought selflessly against the enemy, exposing herself to deadly danger every minute. On February 14, 1943, she was awarded the Medal "For Combat Merit." She later lost her life in subsequent heavy battles.
Over 20 years have passed since the young Komsomol member's death. The veterans of the unit where M.S. Borovichenko served raised the issue of awarding her and perpetuating her memory. On May 6, 1965, by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, Sergeant Maria Sergeevna Borovichenko was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union "for exemplary fulfillment of combat missions assigned by the command on the front lines of the struggle against German fascist invaders during the Great Patriotic War, and for displaying courage and heroism...".
The workers' settlement of Myshelovka, located in the suburbs of Kiev, changed its appearance in the post-war years. The 122nd Secondary School, where Maria S. Borovichenko studied, bears her name. One of the streets in this settlement is named after her. The local community is preparing to unveil a monument to the heroine on the school grounds. Her father, Sergei Filippovich, passed away in 1957, and her brother, Mikhail Sergeevich, died on the front in 1943.
