A young Soviet female traffic controller directs military vehicles through the ruined streets of Berlin on May 1, 1945, helping maintain order during the final days of the Battle of Berlin.
Keeping the Army Moving
This memorable photograph captures a young Soviet female traffic controller of the Red Army regulating military traffic in the shattered streets of Berlin on May 1, 1945. Taken by Soviet war photographer Yevgeny Tikhonov, the image reflects a side of military service that rarely receives the attention it deserves. While combat troops fought on the front line, thousands of soldiers worked behind the scenes to ensure that the army continued to move.
Traffic controllers—known in Russian as regulirovshchitsy—played a vital role during major operations. Standing for hours at busy intersections, often under enemy fire, they directed tanks, trucks, ambulances, artillery, and supply columns through damaged roads and crowded streets. A single traffic jam could delay reinforcements or interrupt the delivery of ammunition and fuel at a critical moment.
Women on the Front Lines of Logistics
Thousands of Soviet women served in road, communications, medical, engineering, and transport units throughout the war. Although they rarely appeared in dramatic combat photographs, their contribution was indispensable to the success of the Red Army's offensives. Military traffic regulation demanded discipline, endurance, and constant attention, particularly during the chaotic final assault on Berlin.
The calm posture of the young soldier contrasts sharply with the devastation surrounding her. As the battle drew to its close, her task symbolized the transition from fierce combat to the restoration of order in a city that had become one of the principal battlefields of the Second World War.
Technical photo data:
📝 Source of information: Soviet wartime archives
📍 Location: Berlin, Germany
📅 Date of photo: May 1, 1945
📷 Photographer: Yevgeny Tikhonov
Recommended literature:
- Anna Krylova — Soviet Women in Combat
- Roger R. Reese — Why Stalin's Soldiers Fought
- Antony Beevor — Berlin: The Downfall 1945
- Catherine Merridale — Ivan's War: Life and Death in the Red Army, 1939–1945
- Soviet women in WWII
- Female soldiers Red Army
- Berlin 1945
- Battle of Berlin aftermath
- Red Army traffic controller
- Military road service USSR
- Women in Soviet logistics WWII
- Battle of Berlin logistics
- Victory in Europe
- Berlin streets May 1945