Antonina Makarova: Soviet Nurse Turned Nazi Executioner

Antonina Makarova was one of the most notorious collaborators of World War II, a former Soviet nurse who became an executioner for the Nazi-backed Lokot Autonomy in occupied Russia. Her actions earned her the nickname “Tonka the Machine-Gun Girl” and made her one of the most infamous female perpetrators on the Eastern Front.Born on 1 March 1920 in the Soviet Union, Makarova served in the Red Army during the early stages of the German invasion. Captured amid the chaos of Operation Barbarossa, she eventually found herself in the Lokot Autonomy, a collaborationist regime established under German occupation in western Russia.There, Makarova volunteered for service with the local auxiliary police. Armed with a Maxim machine gun, she carried out mass executions of Soviet partisans, Jews, prisoners, and civilians accused of opposing the occupation. Historians estimate that she personally participated in the killing of approximately 1,500 people. Victims were often executed in groups, while their clothing and belongings were confiscated afterward.Unlike many collaborators who later claimed coercion, Makarova showed little evidence of resistance to her role. She received payment for executions and lived comfortably while thousands suffered under occupation. Her reputation for brutality became widely known throughout the region.In 1943, illness removed her from the area before advancing Soviet forces could capture her. After the war, she adopted a new identity, married a Jewish Red Army veteran, and lived undetected for decades. She was even regarded locally as a respected war veteran.A lengthy KGB investigation eventually uncovered her true identity. Arrested in 1978, she was tried for war crimes and convicted of numerous murders. In August 1979, Antonina Makarova was executed by firing squad, becoming one of the last women executed in the Soviet Union.This documentary examines Antonina Makarova's life, the Lokot Autonomy, collaboration in occupied Soviet territory, and the extraordinary investigation that finally brought one of the war's most notorious female executioners to justice.This episode is part of the series Fascist Collaborators.Watch the full documentary and explore hundreds of historical films at:WorldHistory.tv