Nikolai Ilyin (sniper)

Nikolai Yakovlevich Ilyin (Russian: Николай Яковлевич Ильин; 25 June 1922 — 4 August 1943) was one of the top Soviet snipers of World War II. Awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union on 8 February 1943 for his first 216 kills, by the time he was killed in action later that year his tally reached 494.[1]

Nikolai Ilyin
Native name
Николай Яковлевич Ильин
Born25 June 1922
Chernukhino, Ukrainian SSR
(located in present-day Perevalsk Raion, Luhansk Oblast)
Died4 August 1943
Yastrebovo, Kursk Oblast, RSFSR, USSR
Buried
Mamayev Kurgan
AllegianceSoviet Union Soviet Union
Service/branchRed Army
Years of service1942—1943
RankStarshina
Battles/warsWorld War II
AwardsHero of the Soviet Union

Early life

Ilyin was born in Chornukhyne in present day Luhansk on 25 June 1922. After graduating from secondary school, he worked as a locksmith in present day Donetsk.

Military Career

Following the outbreak of WW2, he decided not to wait for the draft, but instead went to the draft board himself, where he was sent to the army in February 1942 in the 50th Guards Rifle Regiment.

He really made a name for himself during the Battle of Stalingrad, where he killed 216 enemy soldiers, 6 days later on 8 February 1943, he would receive the award Hero of the Soviet Union.

Death

On 4 August 1943, Ilyin was killed by a machine gun burst near the City of Yastrebovo, outside Belgorod. He finished with a tally of 494, making him one of the best snipers of WW2. He was buried in Nikolskoye in present day Belgorodsky District, Belgorod Oblast, before being moved to the Mamayev Kurgan.

References
  1. "Ильин Николай Яковлевич". soviet-aces-1936-53.ru. Retrieved 2021-11-03.
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