David Chapkis Writer. Date of Birth: 09.12.1930 Country: Ukraine

Biography of David Chapkis

David Toyvovich Chapkis was born on December 9, 1930 in the city of Tiraspol, now known worldwide as the capital of the "unrecognized" Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic. The school building where he studied before the war was later transformed into a city prison, a clever way for the authorities to solve a significant social problem while suppressing education and freedom of thought. He fled with his parents from the advancing German forces, narrowly escaping capture. He spent three years during the war near Stalingrad, witnessing the bombings, bloodshed, and the sight of injured and killed people. Since then, he has developed a deep hatred for brute force and racism. He completed his secondary education in his hometown in 1948.

Driven by a romantic fascination with the sea, Chapkis enrolled in the Shipbuilding Faculty of the Odessa Institute of Marine Engineers. He graduated in 1954 and worked as a master at a ship repair plant in the city of Kiliya on the Danube until 1959. It was in Kiliya that his interest in history emerged, as the city is located on the ancient route from the Varangians to the Greeks. Being a fervent enthusiast of gas flame technology, he wrote his first book, "Operation and Repair of Kerosene Cutters" (Moscow, "Maritime Transport", 1958), which he presented instead of a thesis when applying for postgraduate studies at the Central Research Institute of the Navy in Leningrad. He studied in the postgraduate program until 1962 and defended his dissertation in 1964, which focused on the strength of worn-out ships and marked the beginning of a new scientific direction called "ship gerontology." He subsequently led a department at the institute where they developed laws for the technical operation of the Soviet fleet.

Chapkis wrote and published over 60 articles, as well as several books and brochures related to his scientific work. His book "Repairability of Maritime Vessels" (Leningrad: "Shipbuilding", 1978) gained the most attention due to its daring novelty and criticism of official doctrines. The turning point in his career came in 1986 when the passenger liner "Admiral Nakhimov," his youthful love, perished. His essay "Collision in the Bay" ("Science and Life", 1988, No. 12) served as a catalyst for his development as a professional writer. His scientific activities effectively came to an end. His many years of work culminated in the book "The Death of Admiral Nakhimov" (Rostov-on-Don, "Prof-Press", 1995), which quickly sold out its 20,000 copies.

In 1995, Chapkis prepared a series of radio programs for Petersburg Radio, where he discussed real-life problems with Tamara Petrovna Zakharova. The newspaper "Petersburg Rush Hour" published a series of articles under the heading "The ABC of Everyday Life," and the newspaper "Evening Petersburg" awarded Chapkis the first prize for the shortest and funniest love story. Since 1990, he has been engaged in hand forging together with his son Leonid.

Chapkis continues to write and speak. Oral storytelling is one of his favorite genres. He captivates audiences at "Paradise," a club for the creative intelligentsia in St. Petersburg, where he has been the director since 1999. Alongside his civilian life, he underwent serious naval training at sea and on the shore. He takes pride in his rank as a lieutenant and cherishes the memory of his comrades and the ships he sailed on.

Chapkis considers his parents, teachers, and friends to be the happiness of his life. "Without them, there would be no life itself, nor its beautiful fulfillment, like a sail filled with wind."