Last Soviet WWII Veteran Maria Matushina Celebrates 100th Birthday in Kazakhstan

From secret military training to the Finnish front, her story bridges war and peace. Now, a nation honors its final living link to WWII's Soviet heroes.

, and Administrator

2026 March 16 . 1:02 PM

1 min read

The image shows a stamp from the Soviet Union depicting a group of men running with rifles, with... — The image shows a stamp from the Soviet Union depicting a group of men running with rifles, with the text "World War II" and the number "10" printed on it. The stamp is a reminder of the sacrifices made by those who fought in World War II.

Last Soviet WWII Veteran Maria Matushina Celebrates 100th Birthday in Kazakhstan

Maria Matushina, a World War II veteran, has marked her 100th birthday in Kazakhstan's Pavlodar region. She stands among the last surviving soldiers of her generation, with few centenarian veterans from the Soviet era still alive today. Local officials gathered to honour her wartime service and lifelong contributions.

Born in 1926 in Russia's Tula region, Matushina secretly volunteered for military camouflage training in 1942. By early 1943, she was stationed at the front, constructing defensive lines alongside male soldiers. Her unit pushed forward to Vitebsk before redeploying to Petrozavodsk in the Murmansk region, where she met Victory Day on the Finnish border.

After demobilisation in 1945, she married and later relocated to Kazakhstan in 1955 as part of the Virgin Lands campaign. There, she and her husband raised four children—three sons and a daughter. Her wartime bravery earned her the Order of the Patriotic War (2nd Class), the Zhukov Medal, and other commemorative honours. At her birthday celebration, representatives from the regional defence department, the Pavlodar district administration, and the local *Veterans of the Armed Forces of Kazakhstan* branch paid tribute. She received a commemorative letter from the defence minister, recognising her courage, selflessness, and role in the Victory.

Matushina's milestone comes as one of the final known centenarian veterans from the Soviet Union's World War II efforts. With nearly all her peers now gone, her recognition highlights a fading chapter of history. The ceremony underscored her enduring legacy in both wartime service and post-war life.