I whanau a Maresyev i Kamyshin ki nga maatua o Ruhia. Ko tona papa he kaimahi mohio i mate i muri tata mai i tana hokinga mai i te Pakanga Tuatahi o te Ao. I mua i tana urunga ki te ope i te tau 1937 i mahi a Maresyev hei turner, ka uru ki te hanganga o Komsomolsk-on-Amur. I te tau 1940 i puta ia i te Bataysk Military School of Aviation. I timata ia i ana rerenga hei paerata whawhai i te Akuhata 1941. I pupuhi ia i nga rererangi rererangi Tiamana e wha i te Maehe 1942, engari i te 4 o Aperira 1942 i pupuhi tana Polikarpov I-16 i tata atu ki Staraya Russa, tata tonu ki te kaiwhiwhi o te Knight's Cross me te tohunga 48-mate a Fw Peter Siegler.
4 Paengawhāwhā 1942