WOMEN IN THE SOVIET ARMED FORCES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A000100590004-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 6, 2009
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: March 30, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2009/02/06: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA000100590004-5
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
SECRET
SECURITY INFORMATION
COUNTRY USSR
SUBJECT Women; in the Soviet Armed Forces
PLACE ACQUIRED
This Document contains information affecting the Na-
tional Defense of the United States, within the mean-
ing of Title 18, Sections 793 and 794, of the U.B. Code, as
amended. Its transmission or revelation of its contents
to or receipt by an unauthorized person is prohibited
by law. The reproduction of this form is prohibited.
REPORT
DATE DISTR.
NO. OF PAGES
REQUIREMENT NO. RD
REFERENCES
THE SOURCE EVALUATIONS IN THIS REPORT ARE DEFINITIVE.
THE APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE.
(FOR KEY SEE REVERSE)
25 YEAR
RE-REVIEW
1.
Women were mobilized in the Soviet Armed Forces on a large scale during WW II,
although before the war there were very few female military personnel in service,
and these were, for the most part, medical personnel. After the war began, large-
scale mobilization of women commenced, and so-called administrative battalions
(khozyaystve.;?iniye bataloni) were organized. Women served as medics, signal
personnel, machinists, staff personnel, cooks, cleaners, maids, and laundry per-
sonnel? Some women were even employed as snipers and scouts. After the end of
the war, these women were, generally, demobilized, receiving a separation card
(voyennyy bilet), which declared their liability to recall to service in case of
national emergency. Under these conditions, women so demobilized could be re-
called at any time.
2. Since 1950 there has been a large number of women in the Soviet Army; there has
also been a strong recruiting drive to induce women to enlist. Women obtained
through these drives were being considered as "hired" (volnonayomniye). A
proclamation was recently issued by the Military Commissariat calling for the
voluntary conscription of women in the army for a period of three years. In
general, this was not officially a draft. Those women who served during WW II
.received special training and after demobilization became reservists, subject
to recall. Also since 1950, specialist military training has been emphasized
in medical institutions- personnel co leting training at these institutions
were being retained. women were also being prepared for
positions as signal personnel, transport personnel, etc, and even for such jobs
as machine gunners. Many were said to be working in secret coding sections.
ARMY NAVY
AIR FBI AEC
30 March .1953
Approved For Release 2009/02/06: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA000100590004-5
 Approved For Release 2009/02/06: CIA-RDP80-00810A000100590004-5
SECRET/SECURITY INFORMATION 25X1
After the end Of WW II the organization known as the,Osoaviakhim
(.Ob hohestvo" Sodeyrstviya Aviatsii i K imii) was reorganized into`
thtee departments. the Doseflot, Dosav, and. Dosarm (Dobrovolnoye
Obshchestvo Sodeystviy& 1TOyennomorskomu Flotu, Dobrovoltoye.
Obehahe.aty?Sodestviya Aviatsii, and Dobrovoinoye Obshchestvo-
odeystvyaArmi.i, respectively). Branches of these'three departments
ere in Astrakhan. Women in all three organizations were' trained in
~t
afti-aircraft def ensse . Attached, to the regional Dosarm committee in
Astra]khhan' was an organization engaged in the tr .ining of.,dogs for
military duties. Another sub-organization of theDosarm was on
?Ili`cha Street. The regional committee of the Dosav was on
ChalOTona Street;.the' president of the committee was Batashev 1:(fnu) .
Attached to the Dosav was an aeroc~ub, whose leader was major (fun)
takeyev:,"'Pilots, gliderists, parachutists, aviation mechanics, and
ach es eta were being trained in this unit.. All *members of .thin
group were from 18 to. 23 years of age and had finished the 10th class
of the , seeoudary (sredniy) school. All training in 'the club was
conducted without interference with working hours.
The Doaflot was also located on Ilicha Street; the leader of this
group was Captain Third Rank (fnu) Garanin. Subordinate committees
Of' the Dosflot were; navigation-piloting (n avigatsionno-
shturmanekiy), artillery-mine (artilleriysko.-minnyy), ship (korabelj),
signal (evyazi i . sigasalizatssii), and mechanic (mekhanicheskiy)
committees.' Attached to these organizations of the Doaflot; were
so-called.' cells (Yacheyki), which were the. Reyd`anker and Volga-,
''anker steamship companies, the Volga-Caspian State Fishing Trust,
'Chief Directorate of Caspian Fish Industries,.. Astrakh' a High
School Itechnieal) for Fisheries, Astrakhan's Navigation School,.
Astrakhan'"s River Transport School., Astrakhan's ship repair yards,
as: follows: meni Tenth 'Anniversary of October Revolut"idn, t:neni.
Third International, t ieni Stalina, inieni Lenina, imeni Art; -
Sergeyeva,, lmeni Uritekogo,,: and Ship Repair Yard #55; also `Wharf imeni..
Kirova, Maritime Wharf, Astrakhan's River Port, Astrakhan''s Sea Port, the Chief Directorate of ; ReydTekhFlot, Plant t.meni Kar]iMarj assusssad
Astrakhasn's Administration of Maritime Register,. All of these
factories and institutions had primary Doaflot committees, and many
women were 'members of these organizations. as many an 25X1
25 peath:ent of the entire membership of the Dos o was made up of
women. Emphasis in training was on signalists (agvyazi i eignalizateii)
Personnel trained as much as four hours a week in these various
groups, after finishing work at the factories. For the first year,
traifeee were considered pupils; and, after they completed an ?examina-
tion, they received a title, Women had the right to decline member
.hip in the Dosflot, but men were obligated to give some of their
spare time to this work. Women were not trained in ship artillery,
only in sisal work.
SECRET
Approved For Release 2009/02/06: CIA-RDP80-00810A000100590004-5