Vasily Chapayev

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Vasily Ivanovich Chapayev

Vasily Ivanovich Chapayev (Russian: Василий Иванович Чапаев; February 9 [O.S. January 28] 1887 – September 5, 1919) was a celebrated Russian soldier and Red Army commander during the Russian Civil War.

Chapayev was born into a poor peasant family in a village called Budayki, 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 Bolshevik party and in December was elected the 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 September 5, 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. His body was never recovered.

There is also some speculation telling that the real death occurred to Chapayev a couple of days after the escape in Gadyukino, a small Soviet village. He died of artrothrombosis while taking a hot dry bath after consuming high amounts of alcohol.

After the Soviet Union had been established, Chapayev was immortalized as a hero of the Bolshevik Revolution in a popular book by Dmitri Furmanov and a 1934 movie. In later years he became a recurring character in numerous Russian jokes. More recently Chapayev became one of the central characters in the novel Chapayev and Void by modern Russian writer Viktor Pelevin.