Nikolai Yakovlevich Ilyin (Russian: Николай Яковлевич Ильин; 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.^[1]

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Nikolai Ilyin
Native name	Николай Яковлевич Ильин
Born	25 June 1922 Chernukhino, Ukrainian SSR (located in present-day Perevalsk Raion, Luhansk Oblast)
Died	4 August 1943 Yastrebovo, Kursk Oblast, RSFSR, USSR
Cause of death	Machine Gun Burst
Buried	Mamayev Kurgan
Allegiance	Soviet Union
Service/branch	Red Army
Years of service	1942—1943
Rank	Starshina
Battles/wars	World War II
Awards	Hero of the Soviet Union

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Ilyin was born to a Russian family in Chornukhyne village on 25 June 1922. After graduating from secondary school, he worked as a mechanic at the Debaltsevo-Sortirovochny depot in Donbass.^{[2] [3]}

He entered the Red Army in 1941 soon after the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union, and started off as a machine gunner before mastering his sniper skills. He fought in the intense battle of Stalingrad, and became a deputy political commissar in the 50th Guards Rifle Regiment.^[4] He showed himself to be a skilled sniper, killing 95 Nazis during eleven days of battle.^[5] He was awarded his first military award, the Order of the Red Banner on 29 September 1942,^[6] and on 8 February 1943 he was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union for killing a total of 216 Nazis, including 95 that he killed in the course of eleven days.^[5][7] For his work as a sniper he was awarded a personalized sniper rifle named after Hero of the Soviet Union Khusen Andrukhaev.^[8]

On 4 August 1943, Ilyin was killed by a machine gun burst near the City of Yastrebovo, outside Belgorod.^[9] He finished with a tally of 494,^{[lower-alpha 1]} making him one of the best snipers of World War II.^[11] His personal sniper rifle was given to sniper Afanasy Gordienko.^[12] He was buried in Nikolskoye in present day Belgorodsky District, Belgorod Oblast.^[8]