Vasily Ivanovich Pipchuk

Vasily Ivanovich Pipchuk was born on October 14, 1924 in the village of Asenkritovka , Taranovsky district, Kostanay region. He graduated from the 8th grade. He worked on a collective farm.

In August 1942, he was drafted into the Red Army and sent to the 2nd Tyumen Infantry School. But the cadets did not have to finish the training program, in the spring of 1943 he was sent to the front.

In May 1943, the Red Army soldier Pipchuk arrived in the 66th Guards Rifle Division, which was being reformed after the battles near Stalingrad. As part of this division, he participated in the battles on the Kursk Bulge, fought on the Voronezh, South-Western fronts. After the first battles, he was enrolled in a reconnaissance company, then a divisional reconnaissance. In September, during the offensive battles in Ukraine, he was wounded and spent almost three months in the hospital.

He returned to the front at the end of December, when the fighting was already on the Right-Bank Ukraine. He was enlisted in the 53rd Rifle Division, in the 27th separate reconnaissance company (II Ukrainian Front). He served in this company until the end of the war.

He returned to the front at the end of December, when the fighting was already on the Right-Bank Ukraine. He was enlisted in the 53rd Rifle Division, in the 27th separate reconnaissance company (II Ukrainian Front). He served in this company until the end of the war.

On April 1, 1944, as part of a reconnaissance group, the Red Army soldier Pipchuk penetrated the enemy’s location in the area of the Stepnaya farm (Odessa region, Ukraine). Acting in the capture group, he was the first to break into a house on the outskirts of the farm and captured prisoners. Chasing the fascists who ran out of other houses, he destroyed three of them with fire from his machine gun. The scouts returned to their own without losses and brought four «tongues».

On August 23, 1944, during a search in the deep rear of the enemy in the area of the city of Piatra Neamc (Romania), a reconnaissance group was discovered. In a fight with the enemy, Junior Sergeant Pipchuk personally destroyed 4 enemy soldiers, captured the «tongue». By the evening, the group returned to the location of its unit without losses and brought 6 prisoners.

On August 25, in the area of the city of Targu Frumos (Romania), he went on a reconnaissance search with three scouts. The scouts collected valuable data, but they needed a control «language». Taking advantage of the darkness and inclement weather, the scouts fell in behind the enemy column walking along the highway, and captured 2 stragglers of infantry. They gave valuable information about the organization of the enemy’s defense in this sector of the front.

By the order for the troops of the 7th Guards Army of September 8, 1944, Junior Sergeant Pipchuk Vasily Ivanovich was awarded the Order of Glory of the II degree for courage and bravery.

In October 1944, a group of scouts led by Sergeant Pipchuk penetrated into the deep enemy rear near the Sarmashel station (Hungary) and collected valuable information about the enemy. On the night of November 7 to 8, 1944, Pipchuk with a group of scouts again crossed the front line of the enemy’s defense, scouted its defensive structures and fire means in the area of the settlement of Paijeni (Hungary). Personally destroyed 2 enemy soldiers. The task was completed. For his courage, he was presented for the award of the Order of Glory of the I-th degree. So he became a full knight of the Order of Glory

While the award documents were going through the authorities, the battles continued. Scout Pipchuk participated in the battles for the liberation of Czechoslovakia. In 1944, he joined the CPSU.

He celebrated Victory Day in the Austrian city of Galabrun. In June 1945, as part of the consolidated regiment of the II Ukrainian Front, he participated in the Victory Parade. In August 1945, he wrote a report with a request to send him to study at a military school.

In 1947, he graduated from the Ivanovo Military-Political School. He served in the political department of one of the aviation formations in the group of Soviet troops in Germany. Then he was sent to work in the state security agencies, graduated from the KGB school in Novosibirsk. He served as an employee of the special department in the GSVG, in the KGB bodies in Ivanovo, in Vichug.

In 1955, he was dismissed to the reserve due to the reduction of the Armed Forces. He returned to his homeland, then moved to the Kuibyshev (Samara) region, to his wife’s homeland. For seven years he lived in the city of Sergievsk, now the Samara region. He worked as a journalist in the local newspaper «Leninets».

In 1962, he moved to Ivanovo city. From that time until his retirement, he worked in correctional labor institutions of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Since 1975, he has been a reserve colonel, a personal pensioner of the union significance.

He lived in Ivanovo, actively participated in public life. He was often published in the regional newspaper, the author of the stories «Notes of a scout», «Steps of courage», «Tonina’s path of war», «Scout School», «Control » language», «Operation Bridge». He was a member of the Union of Journalists of the USSR. He conducted active patriotic work, met with schoolchildren, students, gave lectures. One of the rooms of his apartment became a museum (after his death it was moved to the city of Sergievsk). In 1985, 1990 and 1995, he participated in the anniversary parades on Red Square.

He died on December 24, 1996. He was buried in the city of Ivanovo at the Balino cemetery.