The biography of General Pepeliaev Anatoly Nikolaevich still attracts the attention of researchers and enthusiasts studying domestic history. One of the many but vivid episodes in the string of nightmare that any civil war always brings with it is the famous Yakut campaign of General Pepelyaev. The rebellion showed the courage and tragedy of the people of the former Great Russian Empire, becoming a formidable reminder to descendants of what the collapse and split of society lead to for the sake of various political forces, ready even with arms to prove their right to power.
Youth and formation of the Russian officer Pepelyaev
The personality and biography of General Pepelyaev, unfortunately, are little known to a wide circle of people. He was undeservedly forgotten and tried not to be mentioned in Soviet times. But history does exist in order not only to remember, but also to draw lessons.
Born in the family of a Russian officer, the boy knew from childhood that he would devote his life to serving the Fatherland. He was born in Tomsk on July 15, 1891. The family was big: two sisters and five brothers. Father, Lieutenant General Nikolai Pepelyaev, sent his son to study in the Omsk Cadet Corps. Teachers found Anatoly kind, quick-tempered, proud, stubborn, but truthful. Cases of manifestation of insolence in relation to teachers were noted. But everything showed that the boy liked cadetism. However, all sons, with the exception of the eldest, received an excellent military education.
The year 1908 came and Anatoly entered the Pavlovsk Military School in St. Petersburg. He was completely absorbed by his studies: tactics, military history, foreign languages, chemistry, military topography - this is not the whole list of subjects studied. At school, he became more serious about learning, but discipline was still lame.
The future general managed to get 16 penalties in two years. Judging by the characteristics that the teachers left, it turns out that the cadet Pepelyaev very easily fell under the influence of notorious comrades. At the same time, the young man handled small arms well and was physically developed and strong, and his nature required intense activity.
Even with flaws in discipline, he managed to graduate from college with the rank of second lieutenant. That is, he was a graduate of the 1st category. And for this, a prerequisite was to score at least 8 points out of 10 possible in military disciplines, and in knowledge of the military service to get at least 10 points. Studying at the school took 2 years and the young lieutenant Anatoly Nikolayevich Pepelyaev returned with triumph to his native Tomsk in 1910.
The beginning of a military career
He was sent to serve in the machine gun team. This unit of the company level in the tsarist army consisted of 99 people, there was a commander, 3 chief officers. And one of them was older, and two younger ones. One of these junior chief officers began his career as lieutenant Anatoly Nikolayevich Pepelyaev.
Such a unit was armed with 9 machine guns and was fully or partially related to companies or battalions. Therefore, great importance was given to issues of interaction. Two years after the beginning of service in the 42nd Siberian Rifle Regiment, Lieutenant Pepelyaev was married together with Nina Ivanovna Gavronskaya. But the impending First World War prevented happiness.
Shortly before the beginning of this monstrous tragedy, Pepelyaev was promoted to the rank of lieutenant and a new position was taken by the head of the reconnaissance team. Three weeks after the declaration of war, his regiment was sent to the North-Western Front.
Pepeliaev at the First World War
Scouts under the command of Lieutenant Pepelyaev showed themselves in the first months of arrival at the front. Several successful raids were carried out in the area of ​​the town Graevo, the town of Markrabovo. For this he was awarded the Orders of St. Anne of 4, 3 and 2 degrees, the Order of St. Stanislav of 3 degrees. The scouts were lucky, and they were proud of their commander. But 1915 was rich in events that test the strength, power and fortitude of the Russian tsarist army. It is a six-day battle of Prasnysh.
On July 30, 1915, German troops advanced, having almost double superiority in the sector of the front that the Siberians defended. The 11th Siberian Rifle Division, in which Lieutenant Pepelyaev served, numbered 14,500 bayonets. By the evening of combat-ready fighters there were no more than 5000 left.
Fighters, showing miracles of courage, felt the strength of the main blow of the Germans, but did not flinch and remained faithful to the oath and military duty to the end. They had to retreat, but the plan of the fascist command was frustrated: they failed to encircle the Russian group in Poland.
Fate kept the future Major General Pepelyaev from a bayonet and a bullet, but did not save it from a fragment. After the operation, he was eager for battle. All persuasions about evacuation Pepelyaev categorically rejected. He felt how his soldiers and comrades needed him. And to abandon everyone because of the “light”, in his opinion, wounding is not possible for the honor of a Russian officer.
The hardships and deprivations of the First World War. The beginning of the collapse of the army
Not having had time to properly move away from the wound, the lieutenant again rushes into battle, and the command raises him to the rank of headquarters captain. He continues to command his Siberian scouts and display miracles of heroism.
On September 18, 1915, a dangerous situation arose in the battle near the village of Borovaya. Pepelyaev’s detachment guarded the right flank and carried out reconnaissance of the combat section of the 11th Siberian Rifle Division. The Germans, having fourfold superiority, almost came close to the positions of our troops, and if they had mastered them, they would have created extremely unpleasant conditions for the defense of an entire division. There was no time for reflection. The headquarters captain personally led the counterattack of his scouts, and the Siberians did not flush. They not only threw the invading enemy back, but also regained their positions. In this battle, over a hundred Germans were destroyed, while they themselves lost two soldiers.
We can continue to list no less glorious episodes in the biography of General Pepelyaev, however, alarming trends that have occurred in the Russian army have already been outlined. People began to slowly but surely get tired of the military confusion and the meaninglessness of what was happening. Only the Pepelyaev intelligence detachment did not have time for sadness and general gloom. The sequence of events in that terrible meat grinder was too bright. But the command appreciated the rich combat experience of the brave officer, and sent him to the front-line school.
The losses of the Russian army were colossal. Society was increasingly asking questions about the advisability of continuing such a war. To this can be added the agitation that the Bolsheviks successfully launched on the fronts. All these and many other reasons caused confusion and vacillation, giving rise to the question in the soul of a simple Russian soldier: “Why should I die?”
Brest-Litovsk peace - a slap in the face for a Russian soldier
According to the memoirs of Major General Pepelyaev, he met the revolution at the front. The collapse of the army and the loss of its fighting ability was influenced by many factors. At the same time, everything old was destroyed, a new one appeared - incomprehensible. For example, the election of commanders, democratization in the armed forces. How this affected the power of the army is not worth explaining. In the military environment, not without reason, in what was happening, the incompetent Nicholas II and his government were considered guilty, so many met the February Revolution and the Tsar’s abdication from the throne was absolutely calm.
Russian patriots still hoped for victory, but every day this hope was melting. The October Revolution and the signed separate Brest-Litovsk peace - the ground was getting out from under my feet. Everything that the Russian patriots believed in collapsed before our eyes. Pepelyaev could not change the situation, but he was not going to put up with her either. He needed time to think carefully about everything. And he headed to his native Tomsk.
The fight against the Bolsheviks as a remedy for depression
Returning from the war, Pepelyaev did not forgive the Bolsheviks for their treacherous blow to the back. He, like many White Guards, dreamed of a revenge. Anatoly Nikolayevich Pepelyaev, general of the White Army, considered himself, judging by the recollections, a “populist”. Those contradictions that arose in the society of the former Russian Empire could not be resolved peacefully.
A bloody fratricidal war loomed ahead, eclipsing even the First World War in its cruelty and stupidity. Western states condemned the separate world and were happy to support the rebellious white movement for the sake of fat profits.
May 31, 1918 his hometown was cleared of the Bolsheviks. Now Pepelyaev and his comrades-in-arms could go out of the underground and form their own corps to repulse the "red plague", which this group did. The Central Siberian Corps was formed, and the results were not long in coming. Alternately, the liberation of Krasnoyarsk, Irkutsk, Verkhneudinsk. The military career continued its dizzying take-off. He is awarded the title of Major General.
Anatoly Pepelyaev, the general of the "white" movement, received his title at the age of 27. But with all the talents and phenomenal luck, he had some features in behavior that guarded experienced military men. He fundamentally refused to wear epaulettes, believing that power should be transferred to the peasantry and the village. He not only despised the old regime, but also fiercely hated it, ready even with arms in hand to prevent it from returning.
His views and some actions indicate, rather, the exaltation and immaturity of the individual. He was proud that he had never given an order for execution. But this did not mean that terror was not gaining momentum on both sides. Being in his illusory world, he refused to understand that civil war is a qualitatively new level of confrontation. Young General A.N. Pepelyaev piously believed in his ideals, and this subsequently would play a cruel joke with him and with those who went with him on the famous Yakut campaign. As a soldier, he could not accept and come to terms with the barbaric inhuman cruelty that the war carries in itself.
The capture of Perm
General Pepelyaev and his troops arrived in the Urals. They rushed to Perm, but in front of them stood the 3rd Army of the Red Army. This is not to say that the “red” situation was stable. There were problems with the supply and morale of the fighters. In addition, a significant number of people who sympathized with the "white" movement served in the ranks of the Bolsheviks. Another significant factor influencing the course of the general battle was that the planning of operations was spontaneous, and the level of training of officers left much to be desired.
The “White” General Pepeliaev and his troops favorably differed from their opponents: they were better trained and had excellent combat experience. In addition, they had agents at the headquarters of the 3rd Army. General Pepeliaev recognized Kolchak's supremacy and acted in obedience to his orders.
The assault on the city began on December 24, 1918 in a 30-degree frost. The resistance of the "red" managed to suppress during the day. The remaining Red Army men hurried across the Kama River. The film tells about the events of those troubled years. It describes the Civil War, the capture of Perm and General Pepelyaev. The film at the box office is known as Contribution.
Unsuccessful trip to Vyatka
Perm was taken, but it was necessary to continue the offensive, and General Pepelyaev continued his campaign to the west. Frosts intensified, and the promotion stalled. The offensive continued only in March. He stubbornly advanced to Vyatka.
All the other commanders of the “white” movement were much less fortunate: their offensive attempts were repulsed by the Red Army and there was even a situation that threatened the entire Kolchak group. Their retreat was not organized and was more like fleeing.
The army of Anatoly Nikolayevich Pepelyaev covered the withdrawal of Kapel and Wojciechowski. Despite heroic efforts, an end was inevitable. His army was completely destroyed, and the general himself fell ill with typhus. But fate wished that he survived. This was a different person: he was disappointed in the “white” movement, and with the “reds” he was clearly out of the way, so he decided to emigrate.
Harbin. Life in exile
Former General Anatoly Pepelyaev courageously met all the hardships and hardships in a foreign land. He mastered the profession of a carpenter, fisherman. Interrupted by other odd jobs. It was necessary to learn how to live without war and become a breadwinner. And he did it. He was an active person and therefore he soon founded the cooperatives of movers, carpenters.
But the past did not want to let him go. Unconquered from the defeated army of Kolchak constantly appealed to him for help. Everyone dreamed of returning to their native Russia. General Anatoly Pepelyaev himself dreamed about it, otherwise than to explain that he allowed himself to be persuaded again to a clear adventure.
There was a campaign in Yakutia to support the rebels. How to explain such a decision is a great topic for numerous disputes and disputes. And there was funding for this obviously crazy idea. Dealers quickly realized that it would be possible to organize a clearly uncontrolled fishery there and, comparing all the risks, reluctantly allocated funds. General A.N. Pepelyaev was ready to support 750 people. With 2 machine guns and about 10,000 light machine guns, the detachment was ready to advance into the inhospitable wastelands of Yakutia.
Yakut campaign of General Pepelyaev
At the beginning of September 1922, fighters of the Siberian Volunteer Team landed in Okhotsk and Ayan. The Tungus greeted warmly, considering their deliverers, and transferred about 300 deer - the main draft force in those places. Despite this, it became obvious to the SDD participants that the campaign was poorly prepared, but soon they received reinforcements by people and food.
By the beginning of 1923, the Red Army had successfully defeated all the forces of the "white" movement, and therefore a fateful decision was made to advance to Yakutsk. Winter road of General A.N. Pepelyaeva became a serious test for the soldiers of the Russian people. But even worse were the fighting in those conditions.
The meeting with the Red Army detachment I. Stroda prevented the plans of the Siberian Volunteer Team. General Pepelyaev suddenly decided to break up this unit of the Red Army at all costs. But his wards were doomed. They fought back to Ayan, where they surrendered.
Court. Life in custody
Pepeliaev and Strod were noble people, without meanness in the soul. Strod defended him in every way in court. The testimony indicated that his recent opponent, General Pepeliaev, did not use atrocities and executions. The former "white" general stopped them and Strod considers him a humane person. But the court was implacable.
General Anatoly Nikolayevich Pepelyaev was sent to serve his sentence in the Yaroslavl political isolator. Years in solitary confinement, and then he was graciously allowed to write letters to his wife. July 6, 1936 Pepelyaev was released. But that was not for long. The terrible 1937 was approaching, and already in August he was again returned to prison. In Novosibirsk in January 1938 he was read the death sentence. This is the answer to the question of how General Pepelyaev died.
However, he repeated the fate of millions in Russia. Historians and researchers will return more than once to the tragic fate of this great Russian officer. He knew the ups and downs, but continued to love Russia and tried to help her because of his strength and understanding. General Pepeliaev is a fragment of the past and a symbol of the real Russian officer.
Reading some excerpts from his diary, one is involuntarily horrified by the suicidal melancholy that settled in his soul during the famous Yakut campaign. And it remains only to be amazed at how he found the strength in himself to continue the struggle with people and with himself.
By all indications, he was in the deepest depression. Pepelyaev darted between the desire to shoot himself or to run wherever his eyes looked. What is it? The onset of a serious illness as a result of living in stress over the past few years? Or the realization came that Russia, which he knew, had changed completely and irrevocably, and Pepelyaev could not save her. One can only guess. But surrendering without a fight to the Red Army leaves a vile sense of shame and confirms the rule: war is not a place for romantics. This is a work that incinerates the soul, cruel and bloody, where there is no place for sentiment and knightly strife.