Vasily Ivanovich Zhilin (Russian: Василий Иванович Жилин) (20 August [O.S.

7 August] 1915 to a peasant family in the village of Upper Belozёrki in Stavropol Region of Samara province.

Only he and his mother Martha V. survived and they lived in abject poverty and the family is remembered as the poorest in the village.

[1] In his report on this action, the commander of the regiment Lieutenant Colonel Degtyarev wrote: In this battle comrade Zhilin, despite being wounded three times, remained in the ranks.

During an enemy counter-attack, he caught a Nazi grenade on the fly and flung it back, where its explosion killed five Nazis.For this heroic action, Zhilin was awarded the decoration of Hero of the Soviet Union.

After the war, Zhilin was discharged and returned to Stavrapol-on-Don (now Tolyatti), where his mother had moved after remarriage.