Rank: Sergeant _x000D_ Branch of troops: Aviation _x000D_ Division: 17th Long-Range Aviation Division _x000D_ _x000D_ In the fall and winter in 1941, Sophia worked in the trenches beyond the city of Gorky. She walked in bast shoes, was freezing. They felled the forest. At the end of March she came home and in May, where got a job in workshop No. 2 at a factory. She was making wads for guns. She worked for twelve hours at the machine equipment. After work, I was sent to build a club. They dragged the sand. A beautiful club was built. _x000D_ She had worked for eight months and volunteered for the front. April 30 saw off. May 1 was in Gorky. They summoned the Komsomol district committee and began campaigning for the front. She was thinking, I am alone, there will be nobody to cry over me, my fatehr has another family. Although Sonya had aт exemption from active duty, she was taken at first to the naval fleet to berth No. 3. _x000D_ The captain came from Moscow, made a selection for the courses. We received a ration and, not knowing where, went in the direction of Moscow. He brought us to the Zvenigorod district to the Dubrovsky Estate. There were four stone houses. Two women battalions were formed to study to be cooks and junior commanders. Sonya ended up in 1st Battalion. The girls pitched tents on both sides of the alley in the Dubrovsky estate. The house was burned down. She studied for six months: combat, chemical preparation, shooting, quite good grades. _x000D_ She had passed the exams and was given given the rank Sergeant (three stripes). _x000D_ They sent her to the front through Moscow, and there was a salute. Sonya received food ration for five days. She was appointed to 17th Air Force. _x000D_ The Red Army had already driven the Germans to Ukraine. In the train to Kramatorsk when she came under bombing in the town of Valuyki. 4 pilots were traveling with them. It turned out they were going to the same army. The pilots said: «Jump, some into the forest, some under the bridge.»_x000D_ Sonya got under the car ... _x000D_ She spent the night in the woods in the woman’s hut. This woman could not wake them up and the next bombing slept like dead. The windows were broken, they heard nothing. They were not allowed to Kupinsk. They stopped the train and bombed again. The entire train burned down. Two carriages of soldiers were bombed, the heads and hands were found around. _x000D_ Only then Sonya got scared. She didn't know what to say or do. The pilots took them to the Commander. In the evening she continued with a different team. _x000D_ She had finally reached the 17th Air Force. We gave the papaers and were waiting. It was August. Then they were called in and distributed them to military units. I had mail number 64392-RAO-385. _x000D_ She arrived at 50 km from Kramatorsk to the Battalion headquarters. Sonya was left in the Battalion 10 km from the Headquarters. She left with the soldiers from the food base. Captain Ignatenko was at the headquarters. He appointed Sonya to the autocompany. The starshina gave a day of rest. She bathed in the river, washed, dried laundary on the branches of the trees. _x000D_ Suddenly, the starshina said: "They are taking you away from us. Beyond the river there is a separate unit, an airfield construction company." _x000D_ At tha time, Alexey Ivanovich Sharygin was leavng the headquarters. He came up and asked: "Are you coming to our company?" "Yes, to you." "Are you a Komsomol member?" "Yes, I am a Komsomol member." "Come to our headquarters and register." _x000D_ Later he became her husband. She served as a gunsmith, refueling aircraft machine guns. In 1945 she was demobilized.