Maria
Bochkareva, the
third daughter of a peasant family, was born in Tomsk, Siberia
in 1889. Badly beaten by her alcoholic father, she left home at
fifteen to marry Afansi Bochkareva.
The couple moved to Tomsk, Siberia where they worked as labourers
on a construction site. A good organiser, Maria eventually became
foreman of a team of 25 male workers.
Physically abused by her husband, Maria left him and found work
on a steamship. Later she married a second man, Yakov
Buk, but he was also violent towards
her and and in 1914 she left him and joined the 25th Reserve Battalion
of the Russian Army.
Maria
Bochkareva
1.
Was highly critical of Nicholas
II
and the autocracy.
2.
Wanted Russia to have universal suffrage.
3. Wanted the
Russian government to allow freedom of expression and an end to
political censorship of newspapers and books.
4.
Thought Russia should support Serbia against the Triple
Alliance.
5.
Thought Russia should honour its obligations and support the Triple
Entente against the Triple Alliance.
6. As
the
Russian Army was the largest army in
the world she was convinced that Russia would defeat Austria-Hungary
and Germany
in a war.
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