Yashka: My Life as Peasant, Exile and Soldier is the extraordinary autobiography of Maria Bochkareva, a woman who defied the rigid social roles of early twentieth-century Russia. Born into poverty in a remote peasant village, Maria endured abuse, forced marriages, and exile in Siberia, yet developed a fierce determination to control her own destiny. When World War I broke out, she resolved not to serve as a nurse—as was expected of women—but to fight as a soldier. After appealing personally to Tsar Nicholas II, she was granted permission to enlist.

On the front lines she proved her courage under fire, earning the respect of hardened male soldiers and decorations for bravery. Frustrated by declining morale and desertions

Maria Leontievna Bochkareva (1889–1920), known as "Yashka," was a Russian peasant who became a decorated soldier and founder of the Women's Battalion of Death in World War I. She traveled abroad to seek support for Russia, returned during the civil war, and was executed by the Bolsheviks for her anti-Bolshevik stance.