Vasily Grossman
Vasily Semyonovich Grossman (Russian: Васи́лий Семёнович Гро́ссман; 12 December [O.S. 29 November] 1905 – 14 September 1964) was a Soviet writer and journalist. Born to a Jewish family in Ukraine, then part of the Russian Empire, Grossman trained as a chemical engineer at Moscow State University, earning the nickname Vasya-khimik ("Vasya the Chemist") because of his diligence as a student.