Donetsk, Apr 17 — DAN. The Donetsk People’s Republic postage stamp in honor of famous Red Army commander of the Civil War time in Russia Vasily Chapayev has replenished philatelic collections in Russia and Kazakhstan, the press service of the Donbass Post state unitary enterprise told the Donetsk News Agency.
The issue dedicated to Vasily Chapayev is kept in museum of Russia and Kazakhstan which have thematic “Chapayev” collections on display, the press service said.
Donbass Post issued the stamp on the occasion of Chapayev’s 135th birthdate in early 2022, with a print run of 3,000 copies.
The stamp features Chapayev’s portrait with a machine gun cart in the background (called “Tachanka” in Russian, which both warring sides actively used.) The miniature sheet background shows a fragment of the painting “Chapayev in battle” by artist Pyotr Vasilyev.
Vasily Chapayev was a Workers and Peasants Red Army commander during the civil war in Russia (1917-1922). He was born in the village of Budaika, Kazan Province on February 9, 1887. Chapayev began his military career on World War I frontlines where he was awarded three St George’s Crosses and one St George medal, IV Class. After the October Revolution, he worked as a district military commissar helping to form the first Red Army units. He commanded a division, led operations to suppress anti-Soviet uprisings, fought against White Army Cossacks for Uralsk, Ufa and Lbishchensk and clashed with Czech invaders. He was awarded the Order of Red Banner, the top military distinction of the Soviet Russia. In September 1919, he was wounded in a fight. He retreated to the river Ural with a group of fighters. According to the most popular versions, he either drowned as he was crossing the river or died of his wounds and was buried on the opposite bank of the Ural.*jk