Military rank is Red Navy man. Branch of troops is Shore defense and Air defense Artillery, shore units, aviation of Red Army and Navy forces of NKVD frontier troops. Vasily Gavrilovich Kovalev was born on June 30, 1921 in the village of Makashevka in Borisoglebsky district of the Voronezh region. Not much time passed, and the boy was already reading, counting, and writing fluently. And when it was time to go to school, the teachers examined Vasya Kovalev. He started learning from the 4th form. Not everyone is given this. After all, one needs to have a lot of willpower to learn your own primary education in those difficult times and to achieve these results. And, of course, that talent was not overlooked. Vasya Kovalev was raised in an orphanage. There was a lot missing - clothes, food, but even more so, the children experienced the cold indoors when they were ravaging the Siberian frost. The children’s home was in the care of the collective farm «Bolshevik», which neglected its duties and did not provide the children with fuel, so the children with the sled had to follow the firewood into the forest in order not to freeze. March 17, 1925, a note appeared in the Peskov district newspaper “Kolkhozny Truda” under the heading "Waiting for help". This was Vasya Kovalev's first publication. This article gave birth to the boy's love for the newspaper, the confidence that it will always help to find a justice. This publication was brought to the attention of Pavel Kuprianovich Satin, who was the editor of the newspaper at the time. It was he who saw in this talented boy the future newspaperman. This is what Pavel Kuprianovich remembered: "In the summer of 1937, after graduating from Junior high school, we invited Vasily Kovalev to work in the editorial office of the district newspaper. I had a desire to teach him newspaper genres, to give sprouts the opportunity to sprout and put down roots. However, I had to endure the ridicule that was spread in the editorial office of "kindergarten". But then I somehow believed that he would make a good newspaperman. And I was not mistaken." The years passed. And the little boy Vasya Kovalev has turned into an active freelance correspondent, behind whose shoulders a huge, interesting wa, a large and vital professional experience. He learned to use a pen, find interesting twists, themes and details. Vasily Gavrilovich, like no other, easily found a common language with his respondents and devoted his entire life to public work. Very often, fellow countrymen themselves suggested to him relevant and interesting topics for essays and articles. When his 50th anniversary was celebrated from the moment when his first publication appeared in the press, Vasily Gavrilovich was interviewed, in which he noted that the work is very interesting, exciting, but so difficult that sometimes you have to worry after the publication of critical material. His plans included searching for new heroes, discovering interesting events, and honoring his work! For colleagues, Vasily Gavrilovich remained the first true friend who forever devoted himself to the difficult but grateful profession of a journalist. “We are glad that you are with us again, And your style is beautiful and clean. You go against the wind again, still arguing with fate. Live to strengthen the Motherland, Write to be proud of you. Your fellow countrymen and colleagues in spirit, paper, pen...” These lines are from Vasily Gavrilovich's certificate of honor from 15.03.1985. V. G. Kovalev was a local historian. Local history was the main business of his life. He wrote the book "Povorino, my Povorino", where he gave an interesting and detailed account of the history of the villages of the Povorinsky district. Kovalev spent many years studying the history of his native land. He selflessly served the Motherland. Participated in the Great Patriotic War, fought in the Northern fleet, was a mechanic on a ship. For military services, he was awarded orders and medals. All that he did, we will never forget, fellow countrymen are proud of such a man patriot. In conclusion, we can say that Vasily Gavrilovich was not only a local historian, the best correspondent, but also attentive, responsive, determined, but at the same time – a simple man, a good family man. The main thing in the work of the journalist Vasily Gavrilovich Kovalev was to look for new heroes, discover new names, find interesting events, and honor people for their work. And Kovalev's biography is worthy of being known and proud of not only his countrymen. As long as we remember him, Vasily Gavrilovich will be alive.