Vasily Semenchenko was born on March 12, 1912 in the village of Novo-Protsikov in the Don Army Region (now Morozovsky District of the Rostov Region) in a peasant family. Leader of a rifle platoon of the 111th Rifle Regiment (55th Rifle Division, 61st Army, Central Front). For courage and bravery during the crossing of the Dnieper River, by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of January 15, 1944, he was awarded the title of the Hero of the Soviet Union with the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star Medal (#2983).