What happened to Zaitsev??

[SAJ]

Can someone tell me what happened to the famed Zietsev? Did he survive the war? I heard he was blinded by a mine explosion at the end of Stalingrad. Is this true and if so did he regain his sight. What happened to him after the war if he survived? Thanks

[Yevgeniy B.]

I am not sure, but I always thought that he never existed.

It was just a story (folk) to keep up morale of comrades

Yev

[Lawrence]

I am not sure, but I always thought that he never existed.

It was just a story (folk) to keep up morale of comrades

Yev

No, Zaitsev did really exist. The controversy lies in the existence of his adversary, Major Erwin Koening (aka Heinz Thorwald), and their supposed duel which became the basis for the movie 'Enemy at the Gates'. Many people doubt that the German sniper really existed.

Anyway, the following info is taken from http://www.encyclopedia4u.com/v/vasily- ... itsev.html

Vasily Alexandrovich Zaitsev was a Soviet sniper, during World War II. Zaitsev's actions during the Battle of Stalingrad are depicted in a fictionalized film Enemy at the Gates. Zaitsev was officially credited with 242 kills. It is estimated that snipers he trained killed some 3000+ enemy soldiers. Zaitsev served until 1943, when he suffered an injury to his eyes. After the war, Zaitsev managed a factory in Kiev.

[Kim]

You may find this of interest regarding Zaitsev.
http://notesofasniper.com/index2.htm
Link originally posted by Oleg.
Kim

[Sucher Derzapfen]

He live and died fiew years ago in my hometown Kiev.
So in museum museum-crew told me that Zaytsev was not happy about movie.. too much love stores..

[Aswan_Raafat]

He live and died fiew years ago in my hometown Kiev.
So in museum museum-crew told me that Zaytsev was not happy about movie.. too much love stores..

Thanks v. much. Even if I read it 8 months after you posted the information, it is very interesting indeed - such informations are precious, because all those "real witnesses" of war are so quickly passing away... Soon there will be no more left.

I can add that you can see Zaytsev's rifle (or one of them) in Paris, in "Musée de l'Ordre de la Libération" at Invalides /it is a kind of Free-France-mixed-with-Résistance museum, very interesting/ : there's a room dedicated to Red Army, and the rifle's inside. I do not remember exactly, but I think it was offered to this ugly guy with big nose & piece-of-meat ears holding the general's képi (what's his name ?) as a gift by Soviet Union (maybe Nikita Kh.)