World War II PHOTOS by Soviet female photographer Olga Ignatovich

Olga Ignatovich (1905–1984) became interested in photography thanks to her older brother, Boris Ignatovich, who was already a well-known avant-garde photographer. Under his guidance, she began her professional career in the late 1920s at the ‘Bednota’ (literally ‘Poverty’) newspaper. Later, she became a photojournalist for leading Soviet newspapers.

Ignatovich also worked as a war photojournalist throughout World War II and helped liberate Europe alongside the Red Army. She captured soldiers both during combat and in moments of rest, all the while photographing destroyed cities and liberated concentration camps.

Here are some of her famous shots.

Being a woman at the front herself, Ignatovich paid great attention to the other women who helped the army both on the front line and on the home front. Pictured below are women preparing ammunition.

Ignatovich went straight from Moscow to the front with marching soldiers.

She also captured the defense of Moscow, the barricades on the city streets, as the city prepared for the worst.

Her photos show all the hardships and deprivations of war. In the photo below, a woman with a child have been left homeless.

The destroyed city of Rzhev after months of fighting.

It seems that no field conditions could frighten Ignatovich. Together with the soldiers, she walked through snow-covered forests to the front line.

She also documented soldiers crossing frozen rivers on sled dogs.

She captured them entering liberated cities. Pictured below is Kalinin (now Tver).

Ignatovich even photographed rare moments between battles, as pensive soldiers rested.

Or soldiers trying to cheer themselves up with songs.

Ignatovich walked with the Red Army through liberated Europe. In the photo below, the destroyed city of Glogau (now Głogów, Poland) is pictured.

She even captured the meeting of the allies. Marshal Ivan Konev, commander of the 1st Ukrainian Front and General Omar Bradley, commander of the U.S. 12th Army Group.

And she was present at the historic moment when Auschwitz was liberated.

Ignatovich was not afraid to find herself in the midst of fierce street fighting.

And she made it all the way to Germany, taking several truly iconic shots along the way. Pictured below: a Soviet traffic controller in the German city of Rosenberg.

And she captured Soviet soldiers entering Berlin.