Vasilij Kvachantiradze
Wikimedia CommonsVasilij Kvachantiradze
Born into peasant life, Vasilij Kvachantiradze worked on his parents’ small farm and dreamt of starting his own business in Moscow. But the onset of the war drove him to join the Red Army instead in 1941.
Proving himself an excellent marksman, he joined the Soviet snipers of the 259th Infantry Regiment. They paired him with another deadly sniper, Fyodor Okhlopkov.
Together, they became a highly-feared sniper team, with a total of 644 kills between them. In his four years as a sniper, Kvachantiradze was personally responsible for 534 kills.
His specialty was creating traps and ambushes, which prevented his capture and confused the enemy. During the Soviet offensive at Vitebsk, these tactics proved successful in holding back the enemy.
The German infantry failed to capture the village of Shumilino, which was deemed important in creating their defensive line. The Soviets defeated the Germans here by breaking their encirclement.
Kvachantiradze’s numerous medals and accolades include Hero of the Soviet Union, Order of Lenin gold star medal, Order of the Red Banner, Order of the Patriotic War, and the Order of the Red Star.
After his retirement, he worked within the Soviet government as a chairman for the Kolkhoz, a collective farming association. In 1950, he died at the young age of 43.
Enjoy this article on Russian snipers? Check out these classic Soviet propaganda posters. Then read about the fall of the Soviet Union.
