Zinaida Mikhailovna Tushnolobova was a Soviet nurse during World War II. Born in 1920 in Belarus, she moved to Leninsk-Kuznetsky with her family before the war. After her father's death, she worked as a laboratory assistant and met her future husband, Joseph Marchenko. When Joseph went to the front, Zinaida volunteered as a nurse and was sent to the active army. She became an instructor in the 303rd Infantry Division and participated in battles, saving over 40 lives. In 1943, during a battle, she was severely wounded, and her right arm and leg were amputated. Despite her injuries, she continued to write letters to soldiers and encouraged them to fight. Her story inspired the production of 5 T-34 tanks, which were named after her. After the war, she was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union in 1957. She passed away on May 20, 1980.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. Zinaida Mikhailovna Tushnolobovo was born in 1920 in Belarus.
2. She moved to Leninsk-Kuznetsky, Kemerovo region, with her family before the Great Patriotic War.
3. Her father died, and she had to get a job as a laboratory assistant to support her family.
4. She met her future husband, Joseph Marchenko, at work, but they never got married due to the war.
5. Joseph went to defend the homeland, and Zinaida followed him to the front as a volunteer in 1942.
6. She completed a course and became a field nurse, serving in the 303rd Infantry Division on the Voronezh front.
7. Zinaida saved over 40 lives in three days and was nominated for the Order of the Red Star.
8. She was wounded in battle and lost her right arm and leg due to frostbite and gangrene.
9. Zinaida was transported to Sverdlovsk for medical treatment and underwent several surgeries.
10. She lost her right leg to the knee, half of her left foot, and the hand of her left arm.
11. Zinaida wrote letters to soldiers at the front, asking them to avenge her and those who died or were crippled in the war.
12. She received over 3,000 letters from soldiers and answered almost all of them.
13. Zinaida's story was published in a newspaper, and her appeal was replicated throughout the Red Army.
14. She was taken to a prosthetic institute in Moscow, where she received prosthetics and learned to walk again.
15. Zinaida continued to write to the front and received answers during her stay at the institute.
16. She married Joseph Petrovich after the war and had two sons, but both died due to an infectious disease.
17. A new son, Nina, was born, and Zinaida managed the household and did social work.
18. Zinaida was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union on December 6, 1957.
19. She passed away on May 20, 1980.