In 2006 Vassili Zaitsev's remains were moved from Kiev to Volgograd where he wished to be buried with his fallen friends. Veterans of the Stalingrad battle came from all over Russia and Ukraine to pay their respects to sniper Vassili Zaitsev ,who gave them hope in the Soviet Unions darkest hours. One veteran commented"- I came from Vorenzh to bury Vasya. Captain Vassili Grigorevich Zaitsev (Russian: Василий Григорьевич Зайцев) (March 23, 1915December 15, 1991) was a Soviet sniper during World War II, notable particularly for his activities between October 1942 and and January 1943 during the Battle of Stalingrad. He killed 242 soldiers and officers of the Wehrmacht and other Axis armies, including 11 enemy snipers, but the real number may be much higher,some argue it might have been as many as 500. Prior to November 10, he had already killed 40 Axis soldiers with the standard-issue Mosin-Nagant rifle. His military rank at the time was Junior Lieutenant. Zaitsev was born in Yeleninskoye and grew up in the Ural Mountains. His surname Zaitsev has the same root as the word "hare" (zayats) in Russian. Before going to Stalingrad, he served in the Russian Navy as a clerk but upon reading about the brutality of the fighting in Stalingrad, he volunteered for front-line duty. Zaitsev served in the 1047th Rifle Regiment of the 284th Rifle Division of the 62nd Army. He is notable for having participated in the Battle of Stalingrad. There, Zaitsev set up a snipers' training school in ...

• published: 22 Jan 2009
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• author: SashaVedernikov