Nikolai Ilyin (sniper)
Nikolai Yakovlevich Ilyin (; 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. 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 

1922 births
1943 deaths
Heroes of the Soviet Union
Recipients of the Order of Lenin
Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner
Soviet military snipers
Soviet military personnel killed in World War II