Vasily Zaitsev

Vasily Zaitsev

Vasily Grigoryevich Zaytsev (Russian: Васи́лий Григо́рьевич За́йцев, IPA: [vɐˈsʲilʲɪj ɡrʲɪˈɡorʲjɪvʲɪtɕ ˈzajtsɨf]; 23 March 1915 – 15 December 1991) was a Soviet sniper during World War II. Prior to 10 November 1942, he killed 32 Axis soldiers with a standard-issue rifle. Between 10 November 1942 and 17 December 1942, during the Battle of Stalingrad, he killed 225 enemy soldiers, including 11 snipers.Zaytsev became a celebrated figure during the war and later a Hero of the Soviet Union, and he remains lauded for his skills as a sniper. His life and military career have been the subject of several books and films: his exploits, as detailed in William Craig's 1973 Enemy at the Gates: The Battle for Stalingrad, would serve as the lead figure for the 2001 film Enemy at the Gates, with Jude Law portraying Zaytsev. He is also featured in David L. Read more on Wikipedia

Since 2007, the English Wikipedia page of Vasily Zaitsev has received more than 67,113 page views. His biography is available in 45 different languages on Wikipedia making him the 44th most popular military personnel.