Nina Starceva Member of the underground organization 'Young Guard'. Date of Birth: 08.08.1925 Country: Ukraine

1. Biography of Nina Startseva
2. Member of the underground organization "Young Guard"
3. Arrest and Death
4. Posthumous Honors

Biography of Nina Startseva

Nina Ilarionovna Startseva was born on August 8, 1925, in the village of Berezno in the Gorodoksky district of the Vitebsk region, in a peasant family. In 1932, she moved with her parents to the city of Kadiyevka in the Voroshilovgrad region, where her father, Illarion Nesterovich, a participant in the Civil War, worked in a mine. It was here that Nina began her education at school. From childhood, she loved listening to her father's stories about the Civil War, about the feats of people devoted to the revolutionary cause. Since 1937, the Startsev family has lived in the settlement of Krasnodon, where the girl continued her studies at School No. 22. She was passionate about music and played the guitar well. According to her mother's memories, Anna Andreevna, Nina could spend hours sitting by the radio, listening to music. She also enjoyed needlework. Blouses and towels embroidered by her in the style of Ukrainian ornaments are exhibited at the "Young Guard" museum. But her favorite activity was reading fiction. She read Anton Chekhov's story "The Old Woman Izergil" several times. And then, when she became a pioneer leader and visited fifth graders, she told them about Danko, who gave his heart to the people.

Member of the underground organization "Young Guard"

At the beginning of 1941, Nina Startseva joined the ranks of the Lenin Komsomol. She was one of the first to join the "Young Guard." On orders from the headquarters, she went to work at the mine and told the miners about the situation on the front, urging them to disrupt the plans of the fascists and rise up in the fight. Together with her comrades, she wrote and distributed leaflets throughout the city and district, burned the bread that the fascists were trying to take to Germany.

Arrest and Death

In November 1942, Nina Startseva, together with her friend Zhenya Kiykova, cut the enemy's telephone wire, connecting important communications. On January 12, 1943, at 9 o'clock in the evening, Nina Startseva was arrested by the fascists. She was initially held in the police station of the settlement and then transferred to the city of Krasnodon. During interrogations, Nina behaved courageously. On January 16, she was thrown into a mine shaft at Mine No. 5. She was buried in a mass grave of the Young Guards on the central square of Krasnodon.

Posthumous Honors

Nina Ilarionovna Startseva was posthumously awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, 1st Class, and the Medal "Partisan of the Patriotic War," 1st Class.