Vasiliy Zaitsev

Vasiliy Zaitsev

Sniper of the 62nd Army of the Stalingrad Front, Hero of the Soviet Union.
Date of Birth: 23.03.1915
Country: Ukraine

Content:
  1. Biography of Vasily Zaytsev
  2. Sniper in World War II
  3. Recognition and Post-War Life
  4. Legacy

Biography of Vasily Zaytsev

Early Life and Career

Vasily Grigoryevich Zaytsev was born on March 23, 1915, in the village of Yelino, which is now part of the Agapovsky district of the Chelyabinsk region. He came from a peasant family and was of Russian descent. Zaytsev joined the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in 1943 and completed his education at the construction technical school in Magnitogorsk. He then served in the Red Army's Naval Infantry from 1936, graduating from the Military Economic School.

Sniper in World War II

When World War II broke out, Zaytsev was serving as the head of the finance department in the Pacific Fleet, stationed at Preobrazhenie Bay. In September 1942, he participated in the Great Patriotic War and received a sniper rifle from his commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Metelev, along with the "For Courage" medal. By that time, Zaytsev had already killed 32 enemy soldiers with a standard Mosin-Nagant rifle.

During the Battle of Stalingrad from November 10 to December 17, 1942, Zaytsev achieved remarkable success as a sniper, eliminating 225 enemy soldiers and officers, including 11 snipers, one of whom was Heinz Thorvald. He also trained 28 snipers and provided sniper instruction to his fellow soldiers on the front lines. In January 1943, Zaytsev was severely wounded and received medical treatment in a Moscow hospital, where his vision was saved by Professor Filatov.

Recognition and Post-War Life

On February 22, 1943, Vasily Zaytsev was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, accompanied by the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal. After receiving this prestigious honor in the Kremlin, Zaytsev returned to the front and continued fighting. He ended the war with the rank of captain on the Dniester River.

Zaytsev's contributions to the war effort were not limited to his combat skills. He wrote two manuals for snipers and invented the sniper hunting technique known as the "sixes," where three pairs of snipers (a shooter and an observer) cover the same combat zone with their fire. After the war, Zaytsev was demobilized and worked as the director of the Kiev Machine-Building Plant. He passed away on December 15, 1991.

Legacy

Vasily Zaytsev was honored with numerous awards, including the Order of Lenin, two Orders of the Red Banner, and the Order of the Patriotic War 1st Class, along with various medals. His name lives on through the Zaytsev steamship that operates on the Dnieper River. His legendary duel with Heinz Thorvald has been depicted in two films: "The Death Angels" (1992) directed by Yu. N. Ozerov, starring Fyodor Bondarchuk, and "Enemy at the Gates" (2001) directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud, with Jude Law portraying Zaytsev.

© BIOGRAPHS