Valery Chkalov Bashny.Net

110 years ago, on February 2, new style, near Nizhny Novgorod on light there was a man who was destined to become an idol for the whole Soviet Union. He was and still remains a legend. This is a test pilot Valery Chkalov. The captain of the aircraft, in 1937 made the first nonstop flight across the North Pole from Moscow to Vancouver (USA), whose length was 8504 kilometers. Fearless ace, author of the new aerobatics. The hero. A favorite of Stalin. A kind of state symbol. An example for young people. Masculine handsome - that the official retouched portraits that amateur photos. A man who lived in the sky and the sky. But even the gods can be a family. One of the related "wings" of the famous pilot we were lucky enough to meet the Belarusian Vitebsk.

Let pobyvvem visiting nephew, cousin of Valery Chkalov - its almost complete namesake. The only difference patronymic.





Vitebsk Chkalov even look anything like his famous relative, in whose honor and was named. The same article, bearing, thick eyebrows, confident look. It is noteworthy that he lives next to the street Chkalov.



In Chkalov Bush assembled an excellent home library. In a place of honor - portraits and old photos of relatives

Valery Borisovich proud history of his family. But without any arrogance, as is the case with some people who by hook or by crook tend to "cling" to the glory of a famous relative. On the contrary, my partner surprised recognition:
 - Out of my friends and colleagues, few people know what I come "pilot №1». In general, this question is rarely asked me. And I myself did not instigate a conversation. In general, our family always treated this kinship quietly. No it does not trump card, the more so in our village had a lot of Chkalov. So it's no surprise. But, of course, when I go around the city and proclaim: "Stop" Chkalov Street ", then I remember that too Chkalov - smiles the owner of this very ordinary apartment in a residential area of ​​Vitebsk.
Valery Chkalov Jr.
These people - a gift to a journalist. In the first place - a bright personality and a storehouse of valuable facts. Secondly, a wonderful conversationalist: speaks clearly, vividly and coherently.
In life, Valery Borisovich many interesting landmarks. After graduating from the Department of Chemistry of the Belarusian State University, he went to work at Polotsk Chemical Plant. But then fate bound him with Novopolotsk, where he was once the second secretary and then leader of the city organization of the Young Communist League. 40 years ago I moved to Vitebsk. There he worked as an instructor regional party committee, then - deputy chief of the political department of the Internal Affairs. He was sent to Afghanistan helped tsarandoyu, local militia.



In 1992, he retired. But no case could not sit. I engaged in local history, archival and museum work. Vitebsk write a history of the police, he gave a lot of time and effort, collecting documents and exhibits for several museums: the company "Vitebskenergo" Main Directorate of National Bank of Belarus, Vitebsk region, the history of the Young Communist League in Novopolotsk and soldiers-internationalists in the regional center.
 - Work in archives and libraries really attracts me. But of all the museums, the creation of which I was involved, most of all, perhaps, the treasure museum soldiers-internationalists, who gave 8 years - said Chkalov Jr. - We started from scratch. If the museums in the Union militia have been dozens, then this kind of project - first. It was created in a difficult period. Some said that the Afghans - great heroes, others - that is the killer, while others could not decide who it is. And so, while the others were defined, we created a memorial museum, which is one of the attractions of Vitebsk.
Pedigree. Father "Stalinist Falcon" was parohodchikom and uncle - self-taught artist
 - Rod Chkalov comes from Vysokovo village near Nizhny Novgorod. Now the village is already there, it was merged with the city. Birth certificate of the representative of the family, almost from the XVII century, began collecting a clergyman. It is known that kind of went from monastery peasants. The first mention Ivan Chkalov, supposedly in 1687 was born. Then Chkalov were Volga Boatmen. Each family was born many children. So our nation is very large - says Valery Borisovich.
And spreads his pedigree. Only a part of it, since the nineteenth century, occupies almost the entire table.



 - In Gregory's great-grandfather had 10 children, including sons, Paul (1866 year of birth) - the father of the legendary pilot, and Simon (1882 year of birth), my father's father Boris. If even easier, the Semen accounted Valery Chkalov's uncle, and me - his grandfather. All lived in Chkalov Vysokovo, and Paul drove off to the neighboring village of Vasilevo (now Chkalovsk). All official biographies Valery Pavlovich says that his father was a boilermaker in a simple state-owned shops. But it is not so. At one time he owned a river steamer "track." Own shipping business led with his brother Simeon.



Bottom row: Simon G. Chkalov, his children Anna, Nicholas and Boris, his wife Tatyana A.. Top row: daughter Maria and son Volodya. Photos from the family archive of Valery Chkalov Borisovich



My grandfather was a man of Semen-nugget. He knew the Volga like the five fingers and not being an artist and engineer, created paintings of ships that went to the river in the early twentieth century. And that 245 passengers and 77 tow! Each of the drawings accompanied by specifications. Fortunately, these are not unique evidence disappeared, and my aunt Anna Semyonovna gave them to the museum in Nizhny Novgorod.
The main feature of the members of our family - hard work. Grandfather, already for 80 years, began the day with a work - chopping wood or cleaning the yard of snow. Then I put the samovar. I do not drink or smoke. There was always quiet. The greatest curse word he had, "That the infection!"
The first on the left in the top row - Valery Chkalov Borisovich. Next to him, his father Boris Semenovich. Then - Alexey Pavlovich Chkalov, the brother of the famous aviator. The third from the right in the top row - Simon G. Chkalov.



I do a lot about my grandfather can remember, as a child a lot of contact with him, he and I actually brought up.
After the funeral, Valery Chkalov in 1938, my grandfather and my father were received by Stalin. And the "leader of the people," asked someone wants to be my father. Well, of course, the pilot! Stalin told Voroshilov contribute to the young man. But to link their lives with the sky father could not - for reasons of health. He enrolled in the tank school. After the war, he served in Germany. Officers then could not take the children with them, so that the first school years (and then at the beginning of the students at the Gorky University, before moving to Minsk), I lived with my grandfather seeds in Vysokovo in Chkalovsky family nest.
His uncle loved Seeds and Valery. When Chkalov flew for Gorky, then did a few laps on Vysokovo. It was a signal. As he reached the village by car, Simon G. stoked for her nephew bathhouse ... Sweating he adored. Then there was a family feast. But as my grandfather did not drink the glass of vodka, along with Valery raised my grandmother Tatiana Alekseevna. By the way, I like Chkalov's daughter Valeria, I disagree with the way the pilot and the person who presented the creators of the series "Chkalov". He was not drunk, and revelers whatever his show. Drink it certainly could. But the drunk would never have made the most difficult flight lasting 63 hours 16 minutes. I saw the plane on which the flight took place. For the three-man crew there is very little space. And if only this fact alone suggests that in which they were tense.
A copy of the magazine, which recorded all the details of the flight over the North Pole. It took place under difficult conditions (lack of visibility, ice, etc.)



In the house of his grandfather hanging panels with photos of Valery and the inscription "Great Pilot socialist countries." Simon G. and kept up the assault logbook flight over the North Pole, which the family gave the co-pilot crew George Bajdukov.
By the way, I have a family tree, but somehow do not have my brother Eugene and sister Tatiana. I added them as well as their own and their children and grandchildren, and gave it her aunt Anna Semyonovna 90 years. Our family friendly, we rewrite, try to see, I visit relatives in Nizhny Novgorod. However, the last trip was a few years ago, by today's prices for tickets to another country is not particularly impact.





Unknown Chkalov. "White spots" in the biography
About Chkalov written a lot, so we asked Valery Borisovich talk about any little-known facts of his biography.
 - Chkalov died very young, at 34 years. He is always, even in his youth, he looked older than his years. He worked as a blacksmith in the smithy, a stoker on a steamer on the Volga. He first saw the plane. And he went to a dream: 15 years in the army was a fitter aircraft. At age 17 he enrolled in Egorievskay military-theoretical school Air Force. And soon he married!
Wedding photo. Valery Chkalov with his first wife and mother-in Lydia. On the reverse side of the card - the signature, who is depicted on it. Photos from the family archive of Valery Chkalov Borisovich



Pictured highlighted Lidiya Krylova. Photo from the book "Unknown Chkalov"



Of the first marriage in his official biography says nothing. Chkalov have been acting ability. And in one of the classes in drama club he met Lydia Krylova. Soon they were married, but lived together for more than a year. Perhaps the divorce was due to the fact that the parents on both sides were against this marriage. Young wife slanders: why do you want this student? And he expostulated: Why so early got a family?
Five years later, in 1927, Chkalov married a Leningrad teacher Olga Walnut. With it, he also met in the theater circle. It was a great love, which is also much written.
Another "white spot". Life Chkalov painted almost to the day. But in 1926 it was a few months, during which time it is not known where he was. It turns out that he was in the school improvement Lipetsk flying skills, which is nowhere specified. Kinda - "spetskomandirovka nowhere & quot ;. According to the book "Unknown Chkalov", at this school we were trained not only Soviet, but also German experts. They differed sharply from residents of Lipetsk - Germans go on a city dandy. By the way, during the war, some downed Nazi fliers in your pocket portraits Chkalov - for them, too, he was an idol.

Valery Chkalov with his sister Sophia.
Photos from the family archive of Valery Chkalov Borisovich



In my opinion, the main feature of the famous test pilot was commitment. Chkalov set a goal and achieved it always. But always carefully weighed. Many people know that he flew under the Troitsky Bridge in Leningrad. But not everyone knows that before you do this, he studied the bridge and analyzed their future trick.
I was also surprised by his oratory. After Valery Pavlovich had no basic knowledge. As speechwriters. But he could speak so convincingly beautiful and heartfelt, it came to the heart. No wonder even the US President Roosevelt, when members of the crew, flew over the North Pole, were with him at the reception, standing in front of Chkalov, though he and his legs were paralyzed.
Who is to blame for the death of Chkalov?
Chkalov died December 15, 1938 during the first test flight of a new fighter. According to that pilot's daughter Valeria outlined in the movie TV project "The Searchers," "Hunting for Chkalov", in his death are guilty of the NKVD, Stalin and Beria.



This opinion is inclined relative Vitebsk and a legend:
 - It is known that Stalin personally Chkalov offered to take the post of the NKVD, but he refused. His last flight was getting ready in a hurry, in the aircraft revealed many defects. This led to the tragedy. In addition, according to the memoirs of his wife Olga Erazmovna recently before his death Chkalov slept with a gun. So it was something that he was very worried - says Valery Borisovich.
Unfortunately, the circumstances of the death are still the biggest "white spot" in the life of a great man.

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Source: news.tut.by