The surname Chapaev is firmly embedded in the annals of Russian history. According to generally accepted information, the legendary commander of the Red Army participated in the First World War and the Civil War and was a holder of 3 St. George's Crosses and the Order of the Red Banner. However, some historians still doubt his merits to the fatherland, in addition, the circumstances of the death of the division commander are still shrouded in a veil of secrecy.
According to authoritative sources, Chapaev has repeatedly proved his courage and courage in the fight against the enemy. Having successfully participated in many military operations, including against Kolchak, Vasily Ivanovich developed interesting tactical moves, found the only correct solutions and fought desperately against the enemy. The life of the great military leader was cut short on the battlefield on September 5, 1919 in the city of Lbischensk (now the village of Chapaev in Kazakhstan) as a result of a sudden attack by Cossack detachments. From this point on, some confusion begins.
According to the main version, Chapaev, being wounded, tried to swim across the Ural River and drowned. This episode is also in the film "Chapaev". But there is also other information, according to which the seriously wounded division chief was transported across the river on a raft, he died on the way and was buried nearby on the shore. According to the stories of the Red Army men who were captured, Chapaev was able to stop the Reds who fled in panic to the Urals. He led them into a counterattack, in which he was fatally wounded in the stomach. Then he was transported on a raft and buried, but Chapaev's grave was not found at the indicated place, since that place was flooded due to a change in the river bed.
There is another version describing the events of that day. According to her, Chapaev did not die, but was captured, having crossed the river. Some time later, in captivity with the Cossacks, he fell ill with typhoid fever and lost his memory, after which he was killed by enemies.
Some authors (M. Weller, A. Burovsky) agree that the role of Chapaev in the historical events of the Civil War is greatly exaggerated. In their opinion, the name of Vasily Ivanovich should not be mentioned among the names of famous people of those times: S. G. Lazo, N. A. Shchorsa, G. I. Kotovsky. Others, on the contrary, believe that Chapaev's 25th division played a decisive role in the defense of large provincial centers: Ufa, Samara, Orenburg, Uralsk, Aktyubinsk.
Doubts about the authenticity of certain historical facts arise quite often. Many factors are to blame for this: the different, sometimes very subjective approach of analysts, the complexity of the situation being investigated, and most importantly, the time that mercilessly takes away eyewitnesses of certain events.
