BACKGROUND: Zaitsev Vasily Ivanovich was born on May 7, 1927 in the village of Verkhnyaya Grunya, Korenevsky district, Kursk region. His parents were Ivan Alypovich Zaitsev and Alexandra Tikhonovna Zaitseva. Four children were brought up in the family. Father worked as a collective farm chairman from the moment of establishment of the collective farm until he was drafted to the front in June 1941. Father did not return from the war and died near Leningrad in 1943. The mother worked at the farm. The war began when Vasiliy was only 14 years old. He had to sow, plough and work like an adult. In 1941, in the autumn the Germans came to the village. Life immediately changed. The Nazis forced people to work for thems, robbed civilians, and mocked children and old people. The liberation of Upper Growne by Soviet troops on March 8, 1943 became a great joy. But the family had to evacuate, because a grand battle was being prepared in the area. The villagers were moved to the village of Dyakovka. They were there until the fall, when the Battle of Kursk ended. They went home by themselves, how ever they could. In 1944, an early draft was announced and 17-year-old Vasily Ivanovich was drafted into the army in the 42nd Artillery Reserve Regiment. In March, the reserve artillery regiment was sent to the front. They spent 27 days driving to the Far East. Zaitsev V.I. got into a separate reconnaissance artillery division. At night he was raised on the alarm and sent to Japan, in the direction of Sopka Camels. That was where Vasily Zaitsev served. On August 23, we declared war on Japan and then fierce battles began. Sopka Pyramid, the city of Mulin, the city of Mudojian... Japan surrendered. The young soldier served as an artillery soldier, he had to conduct and restore communication in the most difficult conditions. Then the regiment was transferred to his homeland, the Primorsky Krai, Hasansky district, Slavyanka village. Vasily Ivanovich gets to the sergeants' school. After graduating from school, he received the post of commander of the communications department. Vasily Ivanovich had to serve 3 years on early draft and 4 years on urgent draft. In 1949, he became the foreman of the economic unit until demobilization. After returning home, he had to work hard, it was necessary to restore the economy destroyed by the war.