*Zelinsky did not patent the gas mask he invented, believing that one should not profit from human misfortunes, and Russia transferred the right to produce it to the Allies.
*The only surviving copy of the first gas mask is in Zelinsky's apartment.
*During an internship in Germany before the start of the war, Zelinsky synthesized chloropicrin for the first time, and became the first person to experience its toxic effects. Later, chloropicrin, discovered by Zelinsky, was widely used as a chemical warfare agent.