Background
Arkady Yegorovich Chepelev was born on January 11, 1915, in Voronezh, Russian Federation.
Arkady Yegorovich Chepelev
Sergeant major Red Army Starshina
Arkady Yegorovich Chepelev was born on January 11, 1915, in Voronezh, Russian Federation.
After Arkady Yegorovich completed four years of primary school, Chepelev's family moved to Voronezh. He then worked at a factory there.
In April 1942, Arkady Yegorovich was drafted into the Red Army. He was sent to the 180th Separate Sapper Battalion of the 167th Rifle Division in April 1943. The division fought in the Battle of Kursk.
By September 1943, Arkady Yegorovich was a senior sergeant commanding a sapper squad in the battalion. On 12 September, he was awarded the Order of the Red Star. He fought in the Battle of the Dnieper. On 26 September, Arkady Yegorovich and his squad cleared lanes in German minefields near Vyshhorod, enabling the advance of infantry units.
On 10 January 1944, Arkady Yegorovich was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union and the Order of Lenin. He joined the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in 1944. Arkady Yegorovich continued to fight with the 167th Rifle Division. In the summer, he fought in the Lvov-Sandomierz Offensive. During the fall, Arkady Yegorovich participated in the Battle of the Dukla Pass. On 8 December, he was awarded the Order of the Patriotic War 2nd class. In January 1945, he fought in the Western Carpathian Offensive. During April, Arkady Yegorovich fought in the Moravian-Ostrava Offensive.
After the end of the war in 1945, Arkady Yegorovich demobilized with the rank of sergeant major or Starshina and returned to Voronezh. He worked as a factory mechanic at the Voronezh Aircraft Production Association. On 11 March 1985, he was awarded the Order of the Patriotic War 1st class on the 40th anniversary of the end of World War II.
Arkady Yegorovich died on 31 July 1985 and was buried in the city's Southwestern Cemetery.
