Anatoliy Pepelyaev White Guard general. Country: Russia

1. Anatoly Nikolaevich Pepelev - White Army General
2. Anatoly Nikolaevich Pepelev was executed on January 14, 1938.

Anatoly Nikolaevich Pepelev - White Army General

Anatoly Nikolaevich Pepelev was born on August 3 (15), 1891, in Tomsk, Russia. He came from a family of military officers and completed his education at the Pavlovsk Military School in 1910. Pepelev served as a colonel during World War I and distinguished himself in several successful operations.

In May 1918, Pepelev led an anti-Soviet uprising in Tomsk, which was supported by White Army forces. From August 1918, he commanded the Middle Siberian Corps, operating on the Perm Front. Pepelev's leadership and personal qualities gained him popularity and recognition among his soldiers.

Pepelev was the only general who did not introduce epaulettes in his troops and was considered sympathetic to the Socialist Revolutionary Party, although he did not officially join the party. He played a key role in the successful uprising against the Soviet government in Tomsk on May 28, 1918.

In July 1918, Pepelev, as a lieutenant colonel, achieved a significant victory over the Red Army forces near Irkutsk. He later formed a corps and led it to the Perm Front. In December 1918, Pepelev captured the city of Perm, where significant trophies were seized. He repeatedly called for the convening of the "Zemsky Sobor" in Siberia.

Pepelev's career took a turn in December 1919 when his army was defeated during the capture of Tomsk by the Red Army. Despite distancing himself from Aleksandr Kolchak, the Supreme Ruler of Russia, Pepelev continued to oppose the Bolsheviks. He was associated with the Socialist Revolutionaries and anarchists from December 1919 to 1921.

In early 1920, Pepelev, who was suffering from typhoid fever, arrived in Chita as part of a Czechoslovakian train. He then moved to Harbin, China, where he strongly criticized Semenov, including through the official "Russian Army" publication. In July 1922, Pepelev established contact with the Diterikhs government and formed the Siberian Volunteer Detachment.

In September 1922, Pepelev arrived in Yakutia with his 700-strong "Siberian Detachment" to support the anti-Soviet forces. By this time, the main rebel forces had suffered defeat, and Pepelev's army was eventually betrayed and captured on June 18, 1923, in Ayana. He was taken by sea to Primorye, where a fire broke out on the ship during the journey. Pepelev participated in extinguishing the fire, causing panic among the Red Army escort.

Pepelev was sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Tribunal of the 5th Red Army in Chita in 1924 but had his sentence commuted to ten years in prison. Under pressure from the communists, he eventually appealed to his former comrades to lay down their arms and cease fighting the Soviet government. Pepelev served his sentence in the Yaroslavl prison until his release in 1936.

During his imprisonment, Pepelev sought permission for his family to return to the USSR, but his wife and child refused to go back. He resided in Vorkuta and was arrested again in January 1938, allegedly for attempting to cross the state border or based on testimonies from former officers of Kolchak's army who claimed to have been involved in planning an uprising.

Anatoly Nikolaevich Pepelev was executed on January 14, 1938.