Zoya Anatolyevna Kosmodemyanskaya was born in the Tambov Region into the family of an office worker. In 1930 the family moved to Moscow. In October, 1941 the Komsomol member Zoya Kosmodemyansky volunteered to join a special guerrilla troop, which operated on the instructions of the headquarters of the Western front in Mozhaisk direction. She went to the enemy's rear twice. In the end of November 1941 while on her second operational task near Petrishchevo's Village in the Moscow Region she was captured by fascists. Despite cruel tortures she never gave out the military secret nor told her name. On November 29 she was hung up by fascists. Her dedication to the Motherland, courage and self-sacrifice became an enthusiastic example in fight against the enemy. On February 6, 1942 the rank of the Hero of the Soviet Union was posthumously conferred on her.