Kyra Petrovskaya: how Soviet snipers became a writer in the United States

Biography 28/01/20 Kyra Petrovskaya: how Soviet snipers became a writer in the USA

According to publicly available sources, Soviet sniper Kira Petrovskaya was born in 1918 in Yalta. It is known that her father — a veteran of the First world war pilot who fought against the Bolsheviks and laid down his life in the Civil war, when her daughter was not yet informed. Grandmother of Kira with her daughter and granddaughter moved to Leningrad as soon as it became possible. Obviously, the change of residence allowed to avoid reprisals, in any case, on the future of girls is not affected.

“Voroshilov sharpshooter” and artist

Life in Leningrad was not sugar: the first time was interrupted with bread and water, but nevertheless managed to establish a life, to find a decent job. From an early age Kira was dreaming about music and at the age of eight was able to go to music school for gifted children during the Academic choir of Leningrad. After high school, she was waiting for the Institute of theatrical arts, and after — beloved work on the stage.

At this time, Kiera was leading the life of an ordinary Soviet girl passed the standards TRP and learned to shoot a Mosin rifle, for which he received the icon “Voroshilov sharpshooter”. Her theatrical career was interrupted by war — the girl was taken to the front by a sniper. According to her, she was serving near his native Leningrad, where there is a mother and grandmother, and then being confrontational and was twice wounded.

She recalled that the first time to pull the trigger was hard, in its 23 years, Kira knew her shot would stop another person’s life, but she forced herself to shoot, remembering father, who is in her place sure would beat the enemies without an account.

After two serious injuries to return to the snipers did not give her, sent to study to be a nurse. After completing the course, Kira remained by the nurse at the hospital. For her the war ended in 1943, when the front moved to the West.

On the edge

To deep grief of a young woman, neither the mother nor the grandmother survived the siege of Leningrad — both died of hunger and cold. Kira was left alone. At this time, she was saved from the death of the boy-waif (later this child will be the hero of one of her books). The young woman was not discouraged: she came back on stage and began to work at the Leningrad theatre of satire, the married footballer Sazonov. Kira shone not only on stage but also at diplomatic receptions, where her name as the actress, the beautiful and the person who knew the languages.

the Career of the beautiful actress went up rapidly, but was almost cut off immediately after the Victory, when on the table the Soviet diplomat Andrei Vyshinsky Yanuarievich lay a note saying that an American diplomat, head of the Mission of the red cross, the United States, Mr. Scherk, struck up a romance with an actress in the Theater of satire Kyra Petrovskaya and therefore wishes to make the trip to Leningrad. It was assumed that he would find her husband Peter, to persuade him to divorce his wife and not to interfere with love Soviet artist and American. The yard was in December 1945, the US was still allies, and therefore to discourage the lovers of the Soviet bureaucratic machine was not.

In America

a novel by actress and diplomat ended in absolutely unprecedented — a wedding in an Orthodox Church, which was forced to be diplomats from both sides. After the wedding the couple left for the United States, and then for Kira came to a new life is not as rosy as she imagined. She survived all of the difficulties going through each dared to emigrate. For some time she remained without his beloved — these were hampered by her accent. Husband spur of the moment decided to buy a farm in Pennsylvania, apparently, dreaming of a quiet, peaceful rural life, but, unfortunately, little understood in agriculture. Kira had to start from scratch — to take elocution lessons to begin performing on local radio, at events in the state. After nine years she divorced her husband and moved to Los Angeles to conquer Americaku. Her Mature beauty, intelligence and charisma did the trick — she sings, writes poetry and books, acted in television, playing in performances. In 1960, Kira is married to the famous American psychiatrist George Wayne and finally finds happiness the couple have a son, they travel around the country and around the world, Kira is still being shot for television, writes.

Kyra Petrovskaya died June 3, 2018 at the age of 99 years in Kingston (Washington, USA), having survived her husband for 24 years. Three years before her death, she has released a book “no matter what”. During his life Peter wrote 14 books, including: “Kira”, “Secrets of Russian cooking,” and “Quest for Empire”.

All her life she was active in public work: was the founder and President of the program “Clean air” (Clean Air Program), led the American Association lung health, was President of the society of wives of medical professionals and a Committee member of the International school of music and arts. Of all his five grandchildren, she taught the Russian language.

Rumors that Kira did not fight, apparently based on the fact that her name is missing in all open lists of veterans of the great Patriotic war, while the names of other female snipers can be found. Even in her obituary it is written that the war she survived in Leningrad. On the other hand, a similar gap can be explained by the work forces of state security of the USSR, which, of course, accepted her marriage as a betrayal and could forever erase the name Kira from all available sources.

On a personal site of American writer there is a picture of two medals and the order of the red star, however, among the official list of knights of the order Petrovskaya also not listed. Whether we are dealing with injustice and forgetfulness? Hard to say. The answer, most likely, is in the archives of the FSB.

Maya Novik

Source:
© Russian Seven

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