At the age of 17, possessing extraordinary beauty, a young girl was recorded in her regiment’s roster as a sniper-scout-radio operator during the years of the Great Patriotic War. This was Ziba Khanum Ganiyeva, the Azerbaijani sniper who served during the Second World War.
Her father, Pasha Ganiyev, was Azerbaijani, while her mother was Uzbek. In 1940, she moved to Moscow and was admitted to the State Institute of Theatre Arts, Faculty of Acting. However, the outbreak of war shattered all her plans. In the very first days of the war, like hundreds of thousands of other students, Ziba applied to the military commissariat to be sent to the front. Just a few days later, her request was approved, and the young girl became a trainee at a marksmanship course. After completing her training, in 1941 she took part in the battles for Moscow.
She served in the battalion as a radio operator-scout. During the tense winter of 1941, she crossed enemy lines 16 times, transmitting vital information via radio and reporting on enemy movements. As a member of the 3rd Moscow Communist Rifle Regiment, Ziba Ganiyeva also took part in the famous parade held on Red Square on November 7, 1941. She later fought on the Leningrad and Northwestern fronts. During the Second World War, Ziba Ganiyeva killed 129 German soldiers.
In January 1942, the 130th Rifle Battalion was formed on the basis of the 3rd Moscow Communist Rifle Regiment. As a sniper-scout of the 151st Motorized Rifle Reconnaissance Battalion, Ziba Ganiyeva operated in the areas of Chernoye Ozhestye, Lunevo, and Dyagilyovo villages of the Leningrad region from April 12 to May 23, 1942. During this period, she eliminated 20 German soldiers, two of whom were officers. On May 23, 1942, she particularly distinguished herself in battles for Bolshoye Vragovo village of Molvotitsy district, Leningrad region.
For her heroism in these battles, sniper-scout Ziba Ganiyeva was awarded the Order of the Red Banner according to Order No. 0869 of the Northwestern Front troops dated July 16, 1942. Throughout the Great Patriotic War, she eliminated 129 enemy soldiers. For her bravery and courage, Ziba Ganiyeva was decorated with numerous state awards, including the Orders of the Red Banner and the Red Star, as well as the Medal “For the Defense of Moscow.”
Ziba Ganiyeva passed away in Moscow in 2010.