Vasily Grigoryevich Zaitsev

Vasily Grigoryevich Zaitsev (Russian: ???????? ???????????? ???????) (March 23, 1915 in Yelino - December 15, 1991 in Kiev), was a Soviet sniper during World War II who between November 10 and December 17 1942 during the Battle of Stalingrad killed 225 soldiers and officers of the enemy, including 11 snipers (in Junior Lieutenant military rank). Prior to November 10 he had already killed 32 Germans with the ordinary Mosin rifle ("tryokhlineyka", three line rifle) http://www.warheroes.ru/hero/hero.asp?Hero_id=481. His popularity spread by word of mouth to the front boosting morale of the tired, hungry and ill-equipped Soviet Red Army. The highest scorer identified only as Zikan killed 224 Germans by November 20. It is estimated that the 28 snipers he had trained killed more than 3000 enemy soldiers. Zaitsev served until January 1943, when he suffered an injury to his eyes. Professor Filatov restored his sight. After that he returned to the front and finished the war on the Dniestr river with the military rank of Captain. After the war, Zaitsev managed a factory in Kiev. Zaitsev's actions during the Battle of Stalingrad are depicted in a fictionalized film, Enemy at the Gates.

External links

• Biography (in Russian), on the website dedicated to the Heroes of the Soviet Union/Russia.
• ??????? ?????? "?? ?????? ????? ??? ??? ?? ????.??????? ????????" — his book in Russian (zip archive).