In Russia, it is often said that a woman can stop a horse in full gallop and enter a burning house. An example of such bravery is Cossack Alexandra Yefimovna Lagereva, who became famous during World War I. From childhood, she was mischievous and restless, and one day, having forged documents in the name of Alexander Yefimovich Lager, she enlisted in a Cossack regiment disguised as a young man. Alexandra proved herself to be an excellent scout and quickly earned the respect of her comrades. However, luck eventually abandoned her.

During one of the battles, she and three of her comrades were captured. They were locked up for the night in a church, left under the guard of a sentry. This turned out to be a fatal mistake for the Germans. Lagereva suggested escaping. The Cossacks broke the bars on the window and helped Alexandra get out. She quietly approached the sentry and killed him with a stone. Then the Cossacks seized the horses and headed back to their own. On the way, they encountered three cavalrymen who warned them about a large group of German uhlans ahead. Alexandra proposed setting an ambush and quickly devised a plan for the attack.

The assault was so daring and swift that the enemy believed they were being attacked by the main detachment of Russian forces. As a result, 18 cavalrymen surrendered to a small group of Cossacks without a single shot being fired. As trophies, they captured a machine gun and numerous secret documents. For this, Alexandra was awarded the Order of St. George. She received her second award for the battle near the Polish town of Tarnów. Despite a severe wound to her arm, she continued the attack and drove the enemy from their positions. After that, she was sent for treatment in a hospital, where it was discovered that a girl had been hiding under the guise of a cavalryman. After this, Lagereva was delicately refused further service and was sent home with honors. Unfortunately, further information about her is lost.