Mariya Limanskaya | |
|---|---|
 Yevgeny Khaldei's famous photograph of Limanskaya, with his inscription from 1984 | |
| Native name | Мария Филипповна Лиманская |
| Born | 12 April 1924 Staraya Poltavka, Volga German ASSR, RSFSR, USSR |
| Allegiance |  Soviet Union |
| Service | Red Army |
| Years of service | 1942–1945 |
| Rank | Corporal |
| Awards | Order of the Patriotic War, 2nd class Medal of Zhukov |
Mariya Filippovna Limanskaya (Russian: Мария Филипповна Лиманская; born 12 April 1924) is a former military traffic guard - a female member of Red Army traffic control units, serving for three years during World War II. She became known as one of the Russian women who directed traffic at the Brandenburg Gate in 1945 after the Battle of Berlin. She has since become a symbol of the Allied victory over Germany, but she is often confused with Lydia Spivak (many online photos of Limanskaya are actually Spivak).[1]