Vasily Chapayev

Vasily Ivanovich Chapayev or Chapaev (russian: link=no, Василий Иванович Чапаев; 5 September 1919) was a Russian soldier and Red Army commander during the Russian Civil War.

Biography

Chapayev was born into a poor peasant family in a village called Budayka, now part of Cheboksary. During World War I, he fought as a non-commissioned officer and was awarded the Cross of St. George three times. In September 1917, he joined the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (Bolsheviks). In December he was elected commander of the 138 Infantry Regiment by a vote of the regiment's soldiers. He later commanded the 2nd Nikolaev Division and the 25th Rifle Division.

On 5 September 1919, the divisional headquarters near Lbishchensk (now renamed Chapayev in his honour) were ambushed by White Army forces. According to official sources, Chapayev tried to escape by swimming across the Ural River, but was never again seen alive. "In 1919, a wounded Chapayev was shot and drowned in the Ural river". His body was never recovered, but the town where he died was later renamed Chapaev, and a museum was established in 1927.

Private life

In 1908 Chapayev became acquainted with Pelageya Metelina, who was 18. Although his father didn't approve of their relations, Vasily Ivanovich married her. They lived together for 6 years, and had three children, one of whom was Klavdia Chapayeva. Though there was no official divorce, in 1917 Chapayev started living with the widow of his deceased fellow-soldier Petr Kishkertsev. Curiously enough, her name was also Pelageya. Chapayev adopted both of her children. Currently the only relative that remains is his great-great-granddaughter Vasilisa Chapayeva, with her parents Yevgenia Chapayeva and Viktor Pecherin.

In Russian culture

After the Soviet Union had been established, Chapayev was immortalized by Soviet propaganda as a hero of the Russian Civil War. In 1923, a Russian writer, Dmitriy Furmanov, who served as a commissar in Chapayev's division wrote a popular novel entitled ''Chapaev''. Later, in 1934, it was made into a film ''Chapayev'' by the Vasilyev brothers. The movie became highly popular in the Soviet Union. The German actor and singer Ernst Busch also recorded the song ''Tschapajews Tod'', which talks about his death in the Ural.

More recently, he became one of the central characters in the novel ''Chapayev and Void'' by modern Russian writer Viktor Pelevin.

In November 1998, Red Comrades Save the Galaxy, a point-and-click graphic adventure game was developed by S.K.I.F. and published by Buka Entertainment (now 1C Company). The game's protagonist Vasily Ivanovich Chapaev, is inspired by Chapayev.

Chapayev, along with his aide Petka, became a recurring character in popular Russian jokes.

See also

*''Chapayev'', a board game named after Chapayev
*''Red Comrades Save the Galaxy'', a point-and-click graphic adventure game which features a main character inspired by Chapayev
*Chapayevsk
*, a group of cruisers built for the Soviet Navy
*Chapaev Battalion
*Chapaev Peak, a mountain in Kyrgyzstan named after Chapayev

References

External links

''Chapaev the novel'' a detailed summary at SovLit.net

Василий Иванович Чапаев
Biography in Russian.

"ГУЛЯЛ ПО УРАЛУ ЧАПАЕВ-ГЕРОЙ..."

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chapayev, Vasily Ivanovich
1887 births
1919 deaths
People from Cheboksary
People from Cheboksarsky Uyezd
Russian Social Democratic Labour Party members
Old Bolsheviks
Russian communists
Russian military personnel of World War I
Soviet military personnel of the Russian Civil War
Recipients of the Cross of St. George
Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner