Vasily Zaitsev: biography, display in the cinema

Vasily Zaitsev - Hero of the Soviet Union, a famous sniper of the Second World War. His name is called the street, most people of the post-Soviet space know about him. History has remembered Vasily as one of the most effective shooters.

Vasyl Zaitsev: biography

Vasily was born on March 23, 1915 in the village of Yeleninka, Orenburg region (now - Chelyabinsk) in an ordinary peasant family. He studied at a rural school, where he graduated from 7 classes. At the age of 15 he was already graduated from the construction technical school, where he studied at the fixture.

Since childhood, the grandfather of Basil - Andrew, often took him and his brother to go hunting. Already at the age of 12 the future sniper had a gun. Grandfather taught his grandchildren the subtleties of hunting, shadowing, patience and a small flicker. Perhaps, these lessons predetermined the future of Basil.

In 1937, Vasily Zaitsev is serving as clerk in the Pacific Fleet. Then he studies accounting and continues to serve as the head of the financial department. With the outbreak of the war, he asked the command to send him to the front. After 5 reports get good. And the 27-year-old Vasily is sent to the zone of the most fierce and bloody battles - to Stalingrad. Later in the city on the Volga, where the Nazi invasion was stopped, he would say his famous phrase: "There is no earth beyond the Volga for us." We stood and will stand to death! "

Sniper of the 62nd Army

Before the front, Vasily went through a little training. From the first days he showed himself as an extremely accurate shooter, killing from an ordinary rifle 3 Nazis from a distance of almost a kilometer. The command transferred him to a group of snipers. There he received a Mosin sniper rifle - weapons of mass production, quite simple. From it Zaitsev managed to destroy 32 invaders. After that, the sniper-novice acquires fame among the whole group of troops.

Hunt for a hunter

Almost for one month, Vasili kills 225 fascists. Rumors about him are creeping all over the country and even all over the world. In the partially occupied and almost completely destroyed Stalingrad, Zaitsev's name is of particular importance. He becomes a real hero, one of the symbols of resistance. Leaflets with new achievements of the arrow are regularly distributed among the population and personnel of the Red Army.

Rumors of Vasiliy Zaitsev reach the Nazi leadership. They understand its importance in the propaganda plan, therefore they send their best sniper-ace with the task of killing the Soviet shooter. This ace was Major Koenig (according to other sources - Heinz Torvald, perhaps, Koenig - callsign). He trained snipers in a special school and was a real professional. Immediately upon arrival, he wounded one Red Army arrow and fell into the arms of another. Conventional sniper rifles approach 3-4 times, because working with a large increase is already difficult for the shooter. The increase on the rifle of the Nazi major was tenfold! This indicates the professionalism and virtuosity of Koenig.

Fight with the Major

Upon learning of the arrival of the super-sniper in the city, the Soviet leadership orders to destroy him personally Zaitsev, later this fight will be considered legendary. It reflected not only the battles of two snipers, but also the battle of two peoples, two ideologies.

After a long time tracking, Basil discovered the position of Koenig. A long wait was justified: the ray of the sun for a moment was reflected from the optics of the German. This was enough for Vasily, in a second the Nazi fell dead. Soviet propaganda joyfully informed the people: Vasili Zaitsev defeated. The hero of the Soviet Union will later describe this duel in detail .

After the war, he remained in Kiev. He worked as a manager at a garment factory. He died in 1991. After 15 years he was re-buried with honors in Stalingrad, as he bequeathed.

Vasily Zaitsev: the film

The figure of the Soviet sniper was widely reflected in the culture: many documentaries were shot and a considerable number of works were written. The most famous feature film about Basil Zaitsev is "The Enemy at the Gate" of American production. In the role of Zaitsev - Jude Law.

The main storyline revolves around Vasily Zaitsev's fight with Koenig. Also in parallel is the love line with the girl-sniper and friend Vasily. Filmed in 2001, the film can boast great visual effects. The scene of the crossing of the Volga and the landing of Soviet troops in Stalingrad turned out to be extremely colorful and catchy. It shows the heavy losses of the Soviet troops: everywhere the blood, the dead lie next to the living, pain, screams, panic. The scenery of Stalingrad itself also turned out to be quite good: ruin, a concrete desert - it all looks very atmospheric. Large extras allow you to assess the scale of the battles.

But the film was filmed by the Americans, so without propaganda there was not. The Soviet leadership is shown entirely cowards, bloodthirsty killers, tyrants. The scene, when only the newly arrived recruits go to a frontal attack on a tank with one rifle for two, and then more commanders shoot their own in the back, makes you think. There are also a number of inconsistencies. For example, the commander of Zaitsev and the entire Stalingrad Front was Khrushchev, who in reality there was not even close. Simply colorful figure of Nikita Sergeyevich is very familiar to American inhabitants.

"Enemy at the gate" is a good movie from a purely technical point of view, but spoiled by propaganda. However, if you drop the obvious American component, then you can look with pleasure.