Kiril Chernov was a Soviet soldier. He was born in a village in Siberia in March 1, 1923. He was known to be distasteful of brutality against German POWs, but was not against fighting, even killing enemy soldiers in combat as he saw it was necessary.
History:[]
Early life:[]
Kiril Chernov was born in a small village in Siberia. His parents were farmers. Growing up, his family had a lot of pacifistic beliefs. They were against war, as they saw it to be against their religion. They thought that war was evil and sinful. Chernov then went to school, where he was taught to be a loyal communist and to be loyal to the Soviet Union. He gradually drifted away from his parents religion and beliefs against war, and became patriotic, though he still found a distaste for war.
He had a passion for writing, and wanted to become a writer, but then the war prevented him from realizing his dreams.
World War II:[]
After World War 2 started, he was drafted into the Red Army along with the other able-bodied men of military age in his village. He accepted his conscription as he heard reports of the brutality of the German invaders against the Soviet people, and thought that it was his patriotic duty towards his country to fight against the Germans. Chernov was quickly trained in the basics of maintaining his rifle and shooting. He was later assigned to Reznov's squad, where he would meet Viktor Reznov and Dimitri Petrenko. He was at first hesitant to kill enemy soldiers. During the Battle of Seelow Heights, he was disgusted at the brutality by other Soviet troops against wounded or surrendering German soldiers. He refused to kill any surrendering German soldiers. Chernov refused to participate in the violence against German prisoners of war. He saw that as completely unnecessary and cruel. He disapproved of Reznov's brutal ways, and Reznov thought he was cowardly. However, he found Petrenko to be courageous and honorable.
Chernov would then fight in the Battle of Berlin, where he was fatally wounded by a German soldier. While dying of his wounds, he gave Reznov his diary. This time, however, Reznov felt some sympathy for him. He agreed to take it, and said that it should be read and remembered. The diary was then read to Petrenko, shortly after Reznov and his squad entered the Reichstag.