Denis Davydov history. Interesting facts from the life of Denis Vasilievich Davydov

Childhood and youth

Denis Vasilievich Davydov was born into the family of foreman Vasily Denisovich Davydov (1747-1808), who served under the command of A.V. Suvorov, in Moscow. From an ancient noble family, tracing its history back to the Tatar Murza Minchak, who left for Moscow at the beginning of the 15th century. A significant part of his childhood was spent in a military situation in Little Russia and Slobozhanshchina, where his father served, commanding the Poltava light horse regiment, and was the homeland of his mother, the daughter of the Kharkov Governor-General E. Shcherbinin. Denis got involved in military affairs early and learned horse riding well. But he was constantly tormented by the fact that he was short, snub-nosed and ugly.

At the end of the 18th century, the glory of the great Suvorov thundered throughout Russia, for whom Denis treated with extraordinary respect. Once, when the boy was nine years old, he had a chance to see the famous commander, he came to their estate to visit. Alexander Vasilyevich, looking at the two sons of Vasily Denisovich, said that Denis, “this daring one, will be a military man, I will not die, and he will already win three battles,” and Evdokim will go into the civil service. Denis remembered this meeting for the rest of his life.

After the death of Catherine II and the accession to the throne of Paul I, who did not like Suvorov, the well-being of the Davydovs came to an end. An audit of the Poltava regiment, which my father commanded, discovered a shortage of 100 thousand rubles and Davydov Sr. was fired and ordered by court to pay this amount. Although his only fault was that he relied on the honesty of his quartermasters. I had to sell the estate. Over time, having gotten out of debt, my father bought a small village near Moscow, Borodino, near Mozhaisk. During the Battle of Borodino, the village, along with the manor's house, burned down. The father decided to assign his sons in accordance with the words of Suvorov - Denis to the cavalry guards, and his brother Evdokim to the archives of the Foreign Collegium.

Military career

In 1801, Davydov entered service in the Guards Cavalry Regiment, located in St. Petersburg, although when Denis first appeared to be assigned to the regiment, the officer on duty flatly refused to accept him because of his short stature. Nevertheless, Denis ensured that he was accepted: for his charm, wit and modesty, the officers of the regiment soon fell in love with him and formed his patronage. On September 28, 1801, he became an Estandard Junker. “Soon, through the efforts of Prince Boris Chetvertinsky, with whom Denis had become friends before, and other friends of Kakhovsky, the matter that concerned Denis so much was settled.” His appearance after putting on his uniform was, of course, very funny. Later in his autobiography, he himself will cheerfully describe himself at this significant hour (again speaking about himself in the third person): “Finally they tied our little fellow to a huge broadsword, lowered him into deep boots and covered the sanctuary of his poetic genius with flour and a triangular hat.” . Alexander Mikhailovich Kakhovsky took up the task of filling the gaps in Davydov’s education. He compiled a special curriculum for Denis, selected books on a wide variety of branches of knowledge - from foreign history, fortification and cartography to the economic theories of English economists and Russian literature. In September 1802, Davydov was promoted to cornet, and in November 1803 to lieutenant. At the same time, he began to write poetry and fables, and in his fables he began to very caustically ridicule the top officials of the state.

Because of the satirical poems, Denis was transferred from the guard to the Belarusian Hussar Regiment with a deployment in the Podolsk province in Ukraine and was renamed captains (the “old guard”, to which the Cavalry Guard Regiment belonged, had an advantage over the army by two ranks). This was done to cavalry guards very rarely and only for major offenses - cowardice in battle, embezzlement or cheating at cards. However, Denis liked the hussars. There he met the hero of his “desirable songs,” Lieutenant Burtsev. Dashing feasts, riotous jokes - he now sang all this in his “desirable songs”, leaving the writing of fables.

The only bad thing was that Denis Davydov almost missed the first war with Napoleon. The Guard took part in battles with the French, but his hussar regiment did not. The young cavalry officer, who dreamed of military exploits and glory, was forced to remain aloof from these events, while his brother Evdokim, having left civil service in the Foreign Collegium, entered the cavalry guard and managed to become famous at Austerlitz. Evdokim was seriously wounded (five saber wounds, one bullet wound and one bayonet wound) and was taken prisoner. Napoleon, visiting the infirmary where Evdokim was lying, had a conversation with him. This conversation was described in all European newspapers.

Denis decided to go to the front at any cost. In November 1806, Davydov at night penetrated Field Marshal M.F. Kamensky, who was appointed commander-in-chief of the Russian army at that time. Kamensky, a small, dry old man in a nightcap, almost died of fear when Denis appeared in front of him and demanded that he be sent to the front. But all this turned out to be in vain, since Kamensky commanded the army for only a week. He was removed because he lost his mind. He came out to the army in a hare sheepskin coat and a scarf and declared: “Brothers, save yourself as best you can...”. According to one version, he went crazy after Denis Davydov appeared in front of him at night.

But the fame of such a desperate hussar reached Maria Antonovna Naryshkina, the sovereign’s favorite. And she helped him in his desire to fight. At the beginning of 1807, he was appointed adjutant to General P. I. Bagration. At one time, Davydov made fun of Bagration’s long nose in one of his poems and therefore was a little afraid of his first meeting with him. Bagration, seeing Denis, said to the officers present: “here is the one who made fun of my nose.” To which Davydov, without being taken aback, replied that he wrote about his nose only out of envy, since he practically doesn’t have one himself. Bagration liked the joke. And he often, when it was reported to him that the enemy was “on the nose,” asked again: “On whose nose? If on mine, then we can still dine, and if on Denisov, then on the horses!”

Already on January 24, 1807, Denis Davydov took part in battles with the French. In the battle of Preussisch-Eylau, he was under Bagration, who appeared with his adjutant in the most dangerous and critical areas. One battle, according to Bagration, was won only thanks to Davydov. He single-handedly rushed at a detachment of French lancers and they, chasing him, were distracted and missed the moment of the appearance of the Russian hussars. For this battle, Denis received the Order of St. Vladimir IV degree, a cloak from Bagration and a trophy horse. In this and other battles, Davydov distinguished himself with exceptional courage, for which he was awarded orders and a golden saber.

At the very end of the campaign, Davydov had a chance to see Napoleon. At that time, peace was concluded in Tilsit between the French and Russian emperors, and many did not approve of it. Bagration said he was ill and sent Davydov in his place.

In the winter of 1808, he was in the Russian army operating in Finland, marched with Kulnev to Uleaborg, occupied Karloe Island with the Cossacks and, returning to the vanguard, retreated across the ice of the Gulf of Bothnia.

In 1809, being under Prince. Bagration, who commanded the troops in Moldova, Davydov participated in various military operations against the Turks, and then, when Bagration was replaced by c. Kamensky, entered the vanguard of the Moldavian army under the command of Kulnev.

At the beginning of the war of 1812, Davydov was a lieutenant colonel in the Akhtyrsky Hussar Regiment and was in the vanguard troops of the general. Vasilchikova. On August 21, 1812, in sight of the village of Borodino, where he grew up, where his parents’ house was already being hastily dismantled into fortifications, five days before the great battle, Denis Vasilyevich proposed to Bagration the idea of a partisan detachment. He borrowed this idea from the Guerillas (Spanish partisans). Napoleon could not cope with them until they united into a regular army. The logic was simple: Napoleon, hoping to defeat Russia in twenty days, took so much food with him. And if you take away carts, fodder and break bridges, this will create big problems for him.

Bagration's order to create a flying partisan detachment was one of his last before the Battle of Borodino, where he was mortally wounded. On the very first night, Davydov’s detachment of 50 hussars and 80 Cossacks was ambushed by peasants and Denis almost died. The peasants had little understanding of the details of military uniforms, which were similar among the French and Russians. Moreover, the officers usually spoke French. After this, Davydov put on a peasant’s caftan and grew a beard (in the portrait by A. Orlovsky (1814) Davydov is dressed in Caucasian fashion: a checkmen, a clearly non-Russian hat, a Circassian saber). With 50 hussars and 80 Cossacks in one of the forays, he managed to capture 370 French, while capturing 200 Russian prisoners, a cart with ammunition and nine carts with provisions. His detachment grew rapidly at the expense of peasants and freed prisoners.

His rapid successes convinced Kutuzov of the advisability of guerrilla warfare, and he was not slow to give it wider development and constantly sent reinforcements. The second time Davydov saw Napoleon was when he and his partisans were in ambush in the forest, and a dormez with Napoleon drove past him. But at that moment he had too little strength to attack Napoleon’s guards. Napoleon hated Davydov fiercely and ordered Denis to be shot on the spot during his arrest. For the sake of his capture, he allocated one of his best detachments of two thousand horsemen with eight chief officers and one staff officer. Davydov, who had half as many people, managed to drive the detachment into a trap and take him prisoner along with all the officers.

One of Davydov’s outstanding feats during this time was the case near Lyakhov, where he, along with other partisans, captured General Augereau’s two-thousand-strong detachment; then, near the city of Kopys, he destroyed the French cavalry depot, scattered the enemy detachment near Belynichi and, continuing the search to the Neman, occupied Grodno. Denis Davydov was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir, 3rd class, and St. George, 4th class - “Your Grace” ! While the Patriotic War continued, I considered it a sin to think about anything other than the extermination of the enemies of the Fatherland. Now I am abroad, I humbly ask your Lordship to send me Vladimir 3rd class and Georgy 4th class,” Davydov wrote to Field Marshal M. Kutuzov after crossing the border.

After crossing the border, Davydov was assigned to the corps of General Wintzingerode, participated in the defeat of the Saxons near Kalisz and, having entered Saxony with an advanced detachment, occupied Dresden. For which he was put under house arrest by General Wintzingerode, since he took the city without permission, without orders. Throughout Europe, legends were made about Davydov’s courage and luck. When Russian troops entered a city, all the residents went out into the street and asked about him in order to see him.

For the battle on the approach to Paris, when five horses were killed under him, but he, together with his Cossacks, still broke through the hussars of the Jacquinot brigade to the French artillery battery and, having chopped up the servants, decided the outcome of the battle - Davydov was awarded the rank of major general.

After the Patriotic War of 1812, Denis Davydov began to have troubles. At first he was sent to command the dragoon brigade, which was stationed near Kiev. Like any hussar, Denis despised dragoons. Then he was informed that the rank of major general had been assigned to him by mistake, and he was a colonel. And to top it all off, Colonel Davydov is transferred to serve in the Oryol province as commander of a horse-jaeger brigade. This was the last straw, since he had to lose his hussar mustache, his pride. Huntsmen were not allowed mustaches. He wrote a letter to the king saying that he could not carry out the order because of his mustache. Denis was expecting resignation and disgrace, but the tsar, when they reported to him, was in a good mood: “Well! Let him remain a hussar." And he appointed Denis to the hussar regiment with... the return of the rank of major general.

In 1814, Davydov, commanding the Akhtyrsky Hussar Regiment, was in Blucher’s army, participated with it in all major affairs and especially distinguished himself in the battle of La Rotier.

In 1815, Denis Davydov was elected a member of Arzamas with the nickname “Armenian”. Together with Pushkin and Vyazemsky, he represents a branch of the Arzamas circle in Moscow. After the collapse of Conversations, the controversy with the Shishkovists ended, and in 1818 Arzamas disbanded. In 1815, Davydov took the place of chief of staff, first in the 7th and then in the 3rd corps.

In 1827 he successfully acted against the Persians.

His last campaign was in 1831 - against Polish rebels. He fought well. “Davydov’s military merits were respected this time, as, perhaps, in no previous war. In addition to the Order of Anna, 1st class, awarded to him for the capture of Vladimir-Volynsky / although the Main Apartment presented him to Order of St. George, 3rd degree, but the new sovereign followed in the footsteps of the previous one and also considered it necessary to reduce the award to the partisan poet/, for a stubborn battle near the Budzinsky forest, where, by the way, he again had to cross arms with an enemy known back in 1812 - by the Polish General Turno, he received the rank of lieutenant general; “for excellent courage and stewardship” during the hot battle at the crossings on the Vistula, Davydov was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir, 2nd degree; and in addition to this, for the entire Polish campaign, a Polish insignia “ Virtuti militari" 2nd class." Leaving the army, Denis Vasilyevich knew for sure that he had finished his last campaign in his life. He had no intention of fighting anymore. Now only a mortal threat to his dear fatherland could force him to take up his tried and tested hussar saber again. However, such a threat did not seem to be foreseen in the foreseeable future, thank God.

Personal life

The first time Davydov fell in love with Aglaya Antonova. But she chose to marry his cousin, a tall dragoon colonel.

Then he fell in love with a young ballerina, Tatyana Ivanova. Despite the fact that Denis stood for hours under the windows of the ballet school, she married her choreographer. Davydov was very worried about this.

While serving near Kiev, Davydov fell in love once again. His chosen one was the Kiev niece of the Raevskys - Liza Zlotnitskaya. At the same time, the Society of Lovers of Russian Literature elected him as a full member. He was very proud, since he himself had not dared to call himself a poet before.

An indispensable condition of Lisa’s parents was that Denis would obtain a government estate for rent from the sovereign (this was a form of state support for people who were not rich but had distinguished themselves in the service). Davydov went to St. Petersburg to do some work. V. A. Zhukovsky, who simply adored Davydov, helped a lot. With his help, Davydov was quickly granted “in connection with his upcoming marriage” to rent the state-owned Balta estate, which brought in six thousand rubles a year.

But then he received a new blow. While he was busy in St. Petersburg, Lisa became interested in Prince Pyotr Golitsyn. The prince was a gambler and a reveler, and besides, he had recently been expelled from the guard for some dark deeds. But he was extraordinarily handsome. Davydov was refused. Moreover, Lisa did not even want to see him, conveying the refusal through her father.

Davydov took Lisa’s refusal very hard. All his friends began to save him and for this they arranged a meeting for him with the daughter of the late General Nikolai Chirkov, Sophia. At that time she was already at a mature age - 24 years old. But her friends vying with each other praised her. Pretty, modest, reasonable, kind, well-read. And he made up his mind. Moreover, he was already 35 years old. But the wedding was almost upset, as the bride’s mother, having learned about his “desirable songs,” ordered Davydov to be rejected as a drunkard, a dissolute person and a gambler. Friends of her late husband barely persuaded her, explaining that General Davydov does not play cards, drinks little - and these are only poems. After all, he is a poet!

In April 1819, Denis married Sophia.

As soon as Sophia began to give birth to his children, Denis lost the desire to pull the military burden. He wanted to be at home, near his wife. Davydov called in sick every now and then and went on vacations of many months. Even the Caucasian war, where he was sent under the command of General Ermolov, did not captivate him. He stayed in the active army for only two months, and then asked Yermolov for a six-week leave to improve his health. Having stopped for a view of the mineral waters, having sent out several letters about his illness (including to Walter Scott) for persuasiveness, he rushed to the Arbat in Moscow, where at that time his three sons and Sophia, who was once again pregnant, were already waiting for him. In total, nine children were born in the marriage of Denis and Sophia.

After the Polish company, when he was 47 years old and all he could think about was peace, they finally left him behind. True, he was never allowed to resign, but they did not touch him and his entire service was limited to wearing a lieutenant general’s uniform.

D.V. Davydov spent the last years of his life in the village of Verkhnyaya Maza, which belonged to the poet’s wife, Sofya Nikolaevna Chirkova. Here he continued to engage in creativity, conducted extensive correspondence with A.F. Voeikov, M.N. Zagoskin, A.S. Pushkin, V.A. Zhukovsky, other writers and publishers. I visited my neighbors - the Yazykovs, Ivashevs, A.V. Bestuzhev, N.I. Polivanov. Visited Simbirsk. He ordered books from abroad. I was hunting. He wrote military-historical notes. He was involved in raising children and running the household: he built a distillery, set up a pond, etc. In a word, he lived for his own pleasure.

But in 1831 he went to visit a colleague in Penza and fell madly in love with his niece, 23-year-old Evgenia Zolotareva. He was 27 years older than her. Despite the fact that he loved his family very much, he could not help himself. I couldn't hide it either. This passionate affair lasted three years. Then Evgenia married the first groom she came across, and Denis, having let his beloved go this time easily, without pain, returned to the family.

On April 22, 1839, at about 7 o’clock in the morning, at the 55th year of his life, Denis Vasilyevich suddenly died of apoplexy on his estate Verkhnyaya Maza. His ashes were transported to Moscow and buried in the cemetery of the Novodevichy Convent. His wife Sofya Nikolaevna outlived Denis by more than 40 years.

Zhukovsky responded to this sad news with sincere sad verses:

And the fighter is the son of Apollo,
He imagined Bagration's coffin
Conduct in Borodino, -
That reward was not given:

In an instant, Davydov was gone!
How many famous people disappeared with him?
Battle legends to us!
How sorry he is for his friend!..

As a person, Davydov enjoyed great sympathy in friendly circles. According to Prince P. A. Vyazemsky, Davydov retained an amazing youth of heart and disposition until his death. His gaiety was infectious and exciting; he was the soul of friendly conversations.

Relatives

Grandfather (mother’s father) is “Catherine’s” general-in-chief Evdokim Shcherbinin.
Father - Vasily Denisovich Davydov - actual state councilor.
Mother - Elena Evdokimovna Davydova, née Shcherbinina.
Sister - Alexandra Vasilievna Begicheva, née Davydova.
Brother - Davydov Evdokim Vasilievich /1786-1842/ major general since 1820
Brother - Davydov Lev Vasilievich /1792-1848/ second lieutenant of the Cavalry Regiment in 1812.

Cousins

the legendary infantry general Alexey Petrovich Ermolov, who conquered the Caucasus;
Vasily Lvovich Davydov - Decembrist, a prominent figure in Southern society, convicted in 1825 and sentenced to 20 years of hard labor;
Evgraf Vladimirovich Davydov - Colonel of the Life Guards Hussar Regiment, later Major General. His portrait of work

From an early age, he saw his true calling in military affairs, while poetry was inextricably linked with the elements of war. “...A peaceful and calm life never inspires anything in me, I need moral shocks, and strong shocks, and then I was only a poet,” Denis Davydov wrote to his cousin.

There are legends about how Davydov managed to get into the thick of the fighting. According to one of them, a young hussar, bored in the Podolsk province, at night infiltrated Field Marshal Mikhail Kamensky, who was appointed commander-in-chief of the Russian army at that time, demanding that he be released to the front. Davydov’s efforts would have been in vain, since Kamensky was soon removed from his post, but his “feat” was learned at court, and the hussar became an adjutant to Prince Pyotr Ivanovich Bagration. Davydov himself describes this story somewhat differently.

“In 1806, having been transferred to the Life Hussar Regiment as a lieutenant, Davydov came to St. Petersburg. Soon the war with the French broke out, and the famous Prince Bagration elected him as his adjutant. Davydov rode into the army, rode into the vanguard, threw himself into the battle, was almost captured, but was saved by the Cossacks.”
From the autobiography “Some features from the life of Denis Vasilyevich Davydov”

Bagration became Denis Davydov’s favorite boss, senior friend and mentor. There is a famous anecdote about the prince and his adjutant; it is known to historians in two versions thanks to the diaries of Alexander Pushkin. According to the first edition, Davydov, having appeared to General Beningsen, said: “Prince Bagration sent me to report that the enemy is on our nose.” To which he replied: “Denis Vasilyevich, if it’s on yours, then it’s already close, if it’s on Prince Bagration’s nose, then we’ll still have time to dine.” According to the second option, Bagration himself made a sarcastic comment about the nose, having once been offended by Davydov for an epigram ridiculing his profile. Obviously, both of these stories come from Davydov himself, who was known as a wit and an amazing storyteller, and emphasize not only the external characteristics of the heroes of the joke, but also the friendliness of their relationship.

Together with Bagration, Davydov took part in a number of important battles, after one of which he received the Order of St. Vladimir, IV degree. In 1812, it was to him that the poet turned with the idea of creating a partisan detachment. Bagration signed the order for the formation of this unit, which played such a serious role in the victory over Napoleon, on the eve of the Battle of Borodino, in which he was mortally wounded. As for Davydov’s flying detachment, during the war he became famous for his unprecedented exploits, here are just a few of them: with 50 hussars and 80 Cossacks in one of the raids, Davydov managed to capture 370 French prisoners, while repelling 200 Russian prisoners, a cart with cartridges and nine carts with provisions; near Lyakhovo, together with other partisans, he captured General Augereau’s two-thousand-strong detachment; When approaching Paris, he and the Cossacks broke through the hussars of General Jacquinot's brigade to the French artillery battery and, having destroyed the servants, decided the outcome of the battle.

After 1812, without exaggeration, the whole world knew about Davydov and his incredible courage. Engraving by English artist Denis Dighton with the signature “Denis Davydov. Black Captain" was kept in the office of Walter Scott, with whom the poet corresponded and to whom he showed some of his poems. It is unlikely that the English novelist was able to appreciate the talent of the hussar poet, but in Russia there were many admirers of his work. Among others - Pushkin, Yazykov, Zhukovsky. Davydov was a member of the Arzamas literary society, and, according to the other residents of the circle, it was impossible to imitate his cheerful, cheerful texts.

Less well known are the prose texts of Denis Davydov, including such articles as “Meeting with the great Suvorov”, “Meeting with Field Marshal Count Kamensky”, “Memories of the Battle of Preussisch-Eylau”, “Tilsit in 1807”, “Diaries of Partisan Actions” and “Notes on the Polish Campaign of 1831.” Based on the value of the data reported, these military memoirs still remain important sources for the history of the war of that era.

After the end of World War II, Davydov’s career did not develop in the best way. For the government, he forever remained a freethinker, which means a person who cannot be involved in serious campaigns. And although Denis Davydov took part in hostilities until 1831, he considered himself a person deprived of service.

The famous partisan and poet died on April 22 (May 4 according to the Gregorian calendar), 1839, at the age of 55. His ashes were transported to Moscow and buried in the cemetery

DAVYDOV Denis Vasilievich (07/16/1784-04/22/1839), hero of the Patriotic War of 1812, military history writer and poet.

From the nobles. In military service since 1801. In 1807 he took part in the Franco-Russian War, showing exceptional courage. In the Patriotic War of 1812 he was the initiator of the partisan movement. The raids of Davydov's detachment caused significant damage to the French invaders. Davydov believed that the partisan movement was capable of turning a “military war into a people’s war.” He was the first in Russian literature to speak out against the version of frost as the main reason for the defeat of the French army. He refused to join the Masonic lodge - the secret society of the Decembrists, although he was familiar with M.F. Orlov, A.I. Yakubovich, A.A. Bestuzhev, V.L. Davydov and others. Military-historical memoirs and articles by Davydov are an important source for studying the emergence of the partisan movement in Russia in 1812. The most interesting works of Davydov are: “An experience in the theory of partisan action” (1821), “Meeting with the great Suvorov” (1835), “ Did frost destroy the French army in 1812? (1835), “Diary of Partisan Actions” (ed. 1860). Davydov’s notes contain rich factual material, interesting characteristics of A.V. Suvorova, M.I. Kutuzova, A.P. Ermolova, P.I. Bagration and others. Davydov’s poetry is marked by free-thinking motifs. Davydov served as a prototype for one of the heroes of “War and Peace” L.N. Tolstoy - Denisov.

Davydov Denis Vasilyevich (1784, Moscow - 1839, village of Verkhnyaya Maza, Simbirsk province) - hero of the Patriotic War of 1812, poet. Genus. in an old noble family. Received home education. A meeting with A.V. Suvorov in 1793, when the commander prophesied a military fate for Davydov, strengthened the boy’s desire to become a military man. In 1801, not without difficulty due to his small stature, Davydov joined the Cavalry Guard Regiment as a standard cadet, but his successful service was interrupted due to some satirical poems that reached his superiors, and Davydov, with a reputation as an unreliable person, was sent to the outback, to the army hussars regiment. The troubles of influential friends brought him back to the capital. He fought in 1806 - 1807 with the French in Prussia, in 1809 with the Swedes in Finland, in 1809-1810 with the Turks in Moldova and the Balkans, showing exceptional courage. Later Davydov wrote: “My name sticks out in all wars like a Cossack pike.” But most of all, Davydov became famous in the Patriotic War of 1812. He suggested M.I. Kutuzov to use partisan actions against French transports and soldiers. Successfully operating with his detachment, he armed the peasants with weapons captured from the enemy, contributing to the development of the people's war. Davydov’s experience was used by the partisan detachments of A.N. Seslavina, A.S. Figner and others. Davydov participated in foreign campaigns of 1813 - 1814. Upon returning to Russia, he wrote poetry and was published in the best magazines and almanacs, becoming a member of the literature. society "Arzamas" and being on friendly terms with A.S. Pushkin, V.A. Zhukovsky, P.A. Vyazemsky and others V.G. Belinsky ranked Davydov among “the brightest luminaries of the second magnitude in the horizon of Russian poetry.” Being friendly with many Decembrists, he did not join their organizations, believing that Russia had not matured enough to have a constitution, and remained a supporter of monarchical rule. He was proud of his participation in the suppression of the Polish uprising of 1831. In 1832, with the rank of lieutenant general, he retired and lived on his estate, raising 9 children, farming, and writing military-historical memoirs and articles.

Book materials used: Shikman A.P. Figures of Russian history. Biographical reference book. Moscow, 1997

DAVYDOV Denis Vasilievich(1784 - 1839), poet, prose writer. Born on July 16 (27 NS) in Moscow into a noble family.

One of the most vivid impressions of childhood was the meeting of a nine-year-old boy with the legendary A. Suvorov, who prophesied his fate for Davydov: “This will be a military man...”

Davydov spent most of his life serving in the army, retiring in 1832 with the rank of lieutenant general. He bravely fought in 1806 - 07 with the French in Prussia, in 1809 - with the Swedes in Finland, in 1809 - 10 with the Turks in Moldova and the Balkans, in 1812 - 14 he crushed the French in Russia and drove them all the way to Paris.

In popular memory, the name of Denis Davydov is inseparable from the Patriotic War of 1812 as the name of one of the leaders of the army partisan movement, which played an important role in the victory over Napoleon.

He was a multi-talented person. Davydov’s first literary experiments date back to 1803-05, when his political poems (the fables “Head and Legs”, “The River and the Mirror”, the satire “The Dream”, etc.) were widely circulated in manuscripts.

Davydov was associated with many Decembrists who valued his poetry, but he refused the offer to join the secret society. He entered the history of Russian literature as the creator of the genre of “hussar lyrics”, the hero of which is a lover of riotous life, at the same time a free-thinking person, an opponent of violence against the individual (“Hussar Feast”, “Song of the Old Hussar”, “Half-Soldier”, “Borodin Field” ". The last poem, written in 1829, is considered one of the best historical elegies of Russian romantic poetry).

A significant phenomenon in the literature of the 1830s was Davydov’s military prose - his memories of A. Suvorov, N. Raevsky, M. Kamensky. The poetry of Denis Davydov was highly appreciated by A. Pushkin, with whom he had a long-term friendship.

In recent years, he had long sought to transfer Bagration’s ashes to the Borodino field and eventually achieved this, but he himself was not able to participate in the ceremony. On April 22 (May 4 n.s.) he died suddenly.

Materials used from the book: Russian writers and poets. Brief biographical dictionary. Moscow, 2000.

Davydov Denis Vasilievich - famous partisan, poet, military historian and theorist. Born into an old noble family, in Moscow, July 16, 1784; Having been educated at home, he entered the cavalry regiment, but was soon transferred to the army for satirical poetry, to the Belarusian Hussar Regiment (1804), from there he transferred to the Hussar Life Guards (1806) and participated in campaigns against Napoleon (1807), the Swedish (1808) ), Turkish (1809). He achieved wide popularity in 1812 as the head of a partisan detachment, organized on his own initiative. At first, the higher authorities reacted to Davydov’s idea with some skepticism, but the partisan actions turned out to be very useful and brought a lot of harm to the French. Davydov had imitators - Figner, Seslavin and others. On the great Smolensk road, Davydov more than once managed to recapture military supplies and food from the enemy, intercept correspondence, thereby instilling fear in the French and raising the spirit of the Russian troops and society. Davydov used his experience for a wonderful book: “The Experience of the Theory of Guerrilla Action.” In 1814, Davydov was promoted to general; was chief of staff of the 7th and 8th army corps (1818 - 1819); In 1823 he retired, in 1826 he returned to service, participated in the Persian campaign (1826 - 1827) and in the suppression of the Polish uprising (1831). In 1832, he finally left service with the rank of lieutenant general and settled on his Simbirsk estate, where he died on April 22, 1839. - The most lasting mark left by Davydov in literature is his lyrics. Pushkin highly valued his originality, his unique manner of “twisting verse.” A.V. Druzhinin saw in him a writer “truly original, precious for understanding the era that gave birth to him.” Davydov himself says about himself in his autobiography: “he never belonged to any literary guild; he was a poet not by rhymes and footsteps, but by feeling; as for his exercise in poetry, this exercise, or, better to say, the impulses of it they consoled him like a bottle of champagne "... "I am not a poet, but a partisan, a Cossack, I sometimes visited Pinda, but in a hurry, and carefree, somehow, I set up my independent bivouac in front of the Kastal current." This self-assessment is consistent with the assessment given to Davydov by Belinsky: “he was a poet at heart, for him life was poetry, and poetry was life, and he poeticized everything he touched... His wild revelry turns into a daring, but noble prank; rudeness - into the frankness of a warrior; the desperate courage of another expression, which is no less surprised than the reader to see itself in print, although sometimes hidden under dots, becomes an energetic outburst of a powerful feeling. .. Passionate by nature, he sometimes rose to the purest ideality in his poetic visions... Of particular value should be those poems by Davydov, the subject of which is love, and in which his personality is so chivalrous... As a poet, Davydov decisively belongs to the most bright luminaries of the second magnitude in the firmament of Russian poetry... As a prose writer, Davydov has every right to stand alongside the best prose writers of Russian literature. epigrams and the famous "Modern Song", with proverbial caustic remarks about the Russian Mirabeau and Lafayette. - Davydov's works were published six times (the last edition, edited by A. O. Krugly, St. Petersburg, 1893); the best edition - 4th, Moscow, 1860. His “Notes” were published in 1863. The bibliography is listed in Vengerov, “Sources of the Dictionary of Russian Writers”, volume II.

Denis Vasilievich Davydov 1784-1839 Lieutenant General. Denis Davydov was known throughout Russia. This man had special glory. The dashing hussar, who became a partisan commander and earned wide fame in the Patriotic War of 1812, was at the same time a romantic, poet, and military writer. Denis Davydov’s fighting talents were highly valued by Kutuzov and Bagration, and N-Yazykov wrote about his poetic gift: “Your mighty, memorably alive, intoxicatingly ebullient and militantly volatile, and riotously young verse will not die.”

Davydov was born into the family of the commander of the Poltava Light Horse Regiment. He spent his childhood in Moscow, and although he rarely saw his father, who was busy with service, from a young age Denis was attracted to military affairs. This attraction intensified when in 1793 he attracted the attention of Suvorov himself, who, while inspecting the Poltava Light Horse Regiment, noticed a playful boy and blessed him, saying: “You will win three battles.” Having received a home education, Davydov began serving as an estardt cadet in the Cavalry Regiment in 1801 and a year later was promoted to the first officer rank. He eagerly studied military science, was fond of military history and, together with I. Dibich (future field marshal), took lessons in military art from Major Torrey, who had previously been on the French general staff.

Poetry became another passion of the young cavalry officer; his first poems were well received in literary circles. At the same time, at court, his satirical fables “Head and Legs” and “River and Mirror” (or “Despot”) were considered “outrageous” and brought upon him the displeasure of his superiors. Davydov was expelled from the guard to the Belarusian Hussar Regiment. There he quickly got used to his new environment and continued to write poems in which he sang the delights of the daring hussar life and which contributed to the growth of his popularity. The wildly daring character of his poetry was reflected in the poems “The Hussar Feast”, “Call for Punch”, etc. The reputation of a “reveler” and a “tear off the head”, however, was more external: in his soul Davydov remained, first of all, a military man, an honest An officer, he was a good family man, loved nature and knew how to sing its praises.

In 1806, Davydov was allowed to return to the guard, which had just returned to St. Petersburg after a campaign in the Russian-Austro-French War of 1805. Denis Vasilyevich recalled those days: “I smelled of milk, the guard smelled of gunpowder.” The officer, who dreamed of exploits, decided on a bold act: at night, “in order to forestall a new column of relatives” who were taking care of their loved ones, he entered the hotel where Field Marshal M. Kamensky, appointed commander-in-chief in the new campaign against Napoleon, was staying, and asked to be included in the active army. Davydov's persistence was rewarded, and he eventually achieved the position of adjutant under General Bagration. His first impressions of the war were difficult: he saw piles of killed and mutilated bodies; by his own admission, he could not sleep the first nights. In January 1807 he received baptism of fire at Wolsdorf; being in the advanced chain, Davydov boldly led it into the attack and, carried away by the offensive, almost fell into captivity. For his courageous actions, he received his first order - St. Vladimir, 4th degree. Then Denis Vasilyevich took part in the battles of Preussisch-Eylau, Gutstadt, Deppen, Heilsberg (Order of St. Anne, 2nd degree) and Friedland (saber with the inscription: “For bravery”).

In 1808, Davydov, together with Bagration, who commanded the division, went to the Russian-Swedish war, as part of the vanguard detachment of Y. Kulneva, he took part in a campaign to the north of Finland, then in the famous transition across the ice of the Gulf of Bothnia to the Aland Islands to the shores of Sweden. In 1809, when Bagration was appointed commander-in-chief of the Russian army in the war against Turkey, Davydov went with him to the banks of the Danube, participated in the capture of Machin, in the battle of Rassevat and in the siege of Silistria. The following year, already under the command of Count N. Kamensky (the son of a field marshal), he acted excellently near Shumla, and for his bravery he was awarded diamond pendants to the Order of St. Anne, 2nd degree.

By the beginning of the Patriotic War of 1812, Denis Vasilyevich, with the rank of lieutenant colonel, commanded a battalion of the Akhtyrsky Hussar Regiment in Bagration’s 2nd Western Army. After Napoleon's invasion of Russia, he took part in heated defensive battles, and together with the commander he passionately experienced the protracted retreat. Shortly before the Battle of Borodino, Davydov turned to Bagration with a request, given the fragility of communications of the French army, to allow him to organize partisan raids on the enemy’s rear with the support of the population. It was, in essence, a people's war project. Davydov asked to give him one thousand people (cavalrymen), but “for experience” he was given only fifty hussars and eighty Cossacks.

On his first raid, September 1, when the French were preparing to enter Moscow, Davydov and his detachment defeated one of the enemy’s rear groups on the Smolensk road, near Tsarev Zaymishche, repelling a convoy with property looted from residents and a transport with military equipment, taking more than two hundred people were captured. The success was impressive. The captured weapons were distributed to the peasants here.

Davydov’s guerrilla tactics consisted of avoiding open attacks, attacking by surprise, changing the direction of attacks, probing the enemy’s weak spots. The partisan hussar was helped by his close connection with the population: the peasants served him as scouts, guides, and themselves took part in the extermination of French foragers. Since the uniform of the Russian and French hussars was very similar, at first residents often mistook Davydov’s cavalrymen for the French, and then he dressed his subordinates in caftans, he himself also dressed in peasant clothes, grew a beard, and hung the image of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker on his chest. Knowing that some people were laughing at the new appearance of the hussar commander and that this angered Davydov, Kutuzov, on occasion, calmed him down with a smile, saying: “In a people’s war this is necessary. Act as you act. There is a time for everything, and you will be in your shoes.” shuffle at court balls."

With Davydov’s successes, his squad also grew. Denis Vasilyevich was given two Cossack regiments, in addition, the detachment was constantly replenished with volunteers and soldiers repulsed from captivity. The actions of military partisans took on a particularly wide scale during Napoleon’s retreat from Russia. Day and night they gave the enemy no rest. At the end of October 1812, Davydov decided on a bold undertaking: uniting with the partisan detachments of Figner, Seslavin and Orlov, which were formed following his example. Denisov, on the 28th, near Lyakhov, he attacked the two-thousand-strong column of General Augereau. The surrounded French surrendered. “This victory is famous,” Kutuzov noted, “because for the first time in the continuation of the current campaign, the enemy corps laid down weapons in front of us.”

On November 4, near Krasnoye, Davydov captured generals Almeron and Byurt, many other prisoners and a large convoy. On November 9 near Kopys and November 14 near Belynichi he also celebrated victories. On December 9 he forced the Austrian general Fröhlich to surrender Grodno to him. Davydov was not distinguished by cruelty and did not execute prisoners, as Figner did, for example; on the contrary, he restrained others from arbitrary reprisals and demanded a humane attitude towards surrendered enemies. For the campaign of 1812, he received the Order of St. George, 4th class, and St. Vladimir, 3rd class, as well as the rank of colonel.

In 1813, Davydov’s detachment became part of the corps of Adjutant General Winzengerode and participated with him on February 1 in the battle of Kalisz. Always distinguished by his initiative, the dashing hussar launched a raid on Dresden without permission from Winzengerode. He managed to achieve the surrender of the garrison, but the corps commander removed Davydov from his post for arbitrariness and even wanted to put him on trial. The intercession of friends and the friendly attitude of Alexander 1 towards him allowed Denis Vasilyevich to return to the army after some time. Having received two Cossack regiments under his command, he took part in the campaign to the Rhine, in the “Battle of the Nations” near Leipzig. At the beginning of the 1814 campaign, Denis Davydov commanded the Akhtyrsky Hussar Regiment, was in the vanguard of Blucher's Silesian Army, and was promoted to major general for excellent performance in the battle of Brienne. He entered Paris at the head of a hussar brigade.

In 1815, Davydov was appointed brigade commander of the 1st Dragoon Division, but this upset him: “Having served all my life in an easy job, why was I appointed to this reptile army?” - he complained. Then he was given the 2nd Cavalry Jaeger Division, which also did not make him happy: he never wanted to part with the “beauty of nature” - the mustache, which was then only allowed for hussars. Having changed several more positions and getting bored with routine service, Denis Vasilyevich asked for a long leave, and in 1823 he retired. During this period, he published a number of works that became famous: “An Experience in the Theory of Partisan Actions,” “Diary of Partisan Actions in 1812,” “Analysis of Three Articles in Napoleon’s Notes.” At the same time, Davydov did not give up poetry, wrote poetry, and became friends with Pushkin, Vyazemsky, Yazykov, Baratynsky. Pushkin made fun of the general-poet: “The military thinks that he is an excellent writer, and the writers are sure that he is an excellent general.”

Upon the accession of Nicholas 1 to the throne, Davydov returned to military service and went to General Ermolov in the Caucasus. With the outbreak of the Russian-Iranian War (1826), he took part in the hostilities. After Ermolov’s resignation and his replacement by Paskevich, who was unfriendly towards the general-poet, Denis Vasilyevich left the Caucasus and lived in his village for several years, “broken morally and physically.” The Polish uprising of 1831 again called him to military activity. He was entrusted with a detachment with the task of preventing unrest in the region between the Vistula and Bug. In April 1831, for the capture of Vladimir-Volynsky, Davydov received the Order of St. Anne, 1st degree; for subsequent actions, he was awarded the rank of lieutenant general and the Order of St. Vladimir, 2nd degree.

At the end of the Polish campaign, Davydov, having retired, settled on his estate - the village of Verkhnyaya Maza, Simbirsk province. There he engaged exclusively in literary work, only occasionally visiting Moscow and St. Petersburg. He wrote memoirs and fought against censorship, which cut down his articles. In 1839, when, in connection with the 25th anniversary of the victory over Napoleon, the grand opening of the monument on the Borodino field was being prepared, Denis Davydov proposed moving Bagration’s ashes there. This proposal was accepted, and he was supposed to accompany the commander’s coffin, but was unable to do so due to health reasons. The disease sapped his strength, and on April 22, Davydov died at the age of 54. He was buried on his estate.

Book materials used: Kovalevsky N.F. History of Russian Goverment. Biographies of famous military figures of the 18th - early 20th centuries. M. 1997

DAVYDOV Denis Vasilievich (16.7.1784, Moscow -22.4.1839, village of Verkhnyaya Myza, Syzran district, Simbirsk province), lieutenant general (2.12.1831). From an ancient noble family, tracing its history back to the Tatar Murza Minchak, who left for Moscow at the beginning of the 15th century. The foreman's son. He began his service in 1801 as an estandard cadet of the Cavalry Guard Regiment. In 1802 he was promoted to cornet. He became known as a poet, the author of “anti-government” poems, and the creator of a special poetic style - “hussar lyrics”. In 1804, for satirical fables, he was transferred to the Belorussian Hussar Regiment as a lieutenant. The poems, which became widely known, created D.'s fame as a “drunkard reveler”, “rip off the heads”, “shirt-guy”. In 1806 he enlisted in the Life Guards Hussar Regiment and was appointed adjutant to the general. Prince P.I. Bagration. He took part in the battles of Guttstadt, Deppen, and Kilsberg. He distinguished himself in the battle of Friedland. Participant in the Russian-Turkish War of 1806-12 and the Russian-Swedish War of 1808-09. In April 1812 transferred as lieutenant colonel and battalion commander to the Akhtyrsky Hussar Regiment. Participated in the battles of Romanov, Saltanovka, Smolensk. Aug 22 (Sept. 3) when the army approached Borodino (which belonged to the Davydovs), he received from Kutuzov a detachment (50 hussars and 80 Cossacks) for raids behind enemy lines. He attracted peasants to the partisan movement, armed them and led one of the largest partisan detachments in the rear of the Great Army. After a series of successes, 2 Cossack regiments were transferred to D.’s subordination; in addition, his detachment was constantly replenished by Russian soldiers and volunteers who had escaped from captivity. Then D. received another Cossack regiment. Having united with the partisan detachments of A.S. Figner, A.N. Seslavin and V.V. Orlova-Denisova, D. near Lyakhov 28 Oct. (November 9) attacked the brigade of General. J. Augereau from the division of general. L. Barage d'Ilie and forced him to capitulate (including 2 generals and 60 officers were captured). On November 4, near Krasnoye, he captured generals Almeron and Burt, a large convoy and many prisoners. On November 9, he defeated under Kopys, a cavalry depot, which was guarded by 3 thousand people, occupied Grodno on December 9. For his distinction, he was awarded the Order of St. George, 4th degree. In 1813, Detachment D. became part of the corps of General F. F. Wintzingerode. initiative, carried out a raid on Dresden and concluded an agreement on the surrender of the French garrison. For this, Wintzingerode removed D. from command, disbanded his detachment and demanded that D. be brought to trial. However, Alexander I returned D. to the army, but he never received an appointment. Only in the autumn of 1813 D. received command of 2 Cossack regiments. Participant in the battles of Kalisz, Bautzen, Reichenbach, Leipzig, Kassel. Since 1814, commander of the Akhtyrsky Hussar Regiment in the vanguard of the Silesian Army. He distinguished himself in the battles of La Rotière and Brienne. On January 20, 1814 he was promoted to major general, but due to confusion he received the rank only on December 21, 1815. In 1815, commander of the 1st Dragoon brigade, from 1816 of the 2nd Hussar Division. In 1818 he was the chief of staff of the 7th, and from 1819 - the 3rd infantry corps. In 1820 he was sent on long leave, and after he was not allowed to take the post of chief of staff of the Separate Caucasian Corps (which General A.P. Ermolov also asked for), D. retired in 1823. In 1826 he returned to service. During the Russian-Persian War in the Mirok tract on September 21, 1826, he defeated 4 thousand. enemy squad. He commanded a detachment during the suppression of the Polish uprising of 1830-31. In 1832 he retired. He became famous as a “partisan poet”, “singer of wine, love and glory.”

AND Book materials used: Zalessky K.A. Napoleonic Wars 1799-1815. Biographical Encyclopedic Dictionary, Moscow, 2003

Belyaev Yu. “The poet crowned by the muse...” // Pages of the past: Ist. journalism. - M.: Sov. writer, 1991. - P. 293 - 322.

Davydov D.V. War notes. - M.: Voenizdat, 1982. - 351 p.: ill.

Davydov D.V. Essays. - M.: Goslitizdat, 1962. -611 p.

Gervais V.V., “Partisan-poet Davydov” (St. Petersburg, 1913);

Zadonsky N.A. Denis Davydov: East. chronicle. Book 1 and 2. - M.; Mol. Guard, 1962.

Zadonsky N.A. The last years of Denis Davydov: East. chronicle. - Voronezh: Book. publishing house, 1959. - 346 pp.: ill.

Mamyshev V.N. Biographies of Russian military leaders. T. 1. - St. Petersburg: type. V. Berezovsky, 1885. - Issue. 4.- P. 3-202.

Orlov V.N. Denis Davydov. - M.: Military Publishing House, 1940.-55 p.

Popov M.Ya. Denis Davydov. - M.: Education, 1971.-128 p.: ill.

Pukhov V.V. Denis Davydov. - M.: Sovremennik, 1984. - 216 p. - (B-ka "For lovers of Russian literature").

Rassadin S.B. Partisan // Rassadin S.B. Satellites. - M.: Sov. writer, 1983.-S. 129-190.

Sadovsky B., "Russian Kamena" (Moscow, 1910);

Serebryakov G.V. Denis Davydov. - M.: Mol. Guard, 1985. - 446 p. - (Life of remarkable people. Ser. biogr.; Issue 14 (661)).

Soviet literature

Denis Vasilievich Davydov

Biography

Davydov Denis Vasilievich

Partisan of the Patriotic War of 1812, military writer, poet, lieutenant general (1831). Commanding a partisan detachment of hussars and Cossacks, he successfully operated in the rear of the French army. He was close to the Decembrists and A.S. Pushkin. Military historical works, theoretical works on partisan actions. In the lyrics (“hussar” songs, love elegies, satirical poems) there is a new type of hero - a patriotic warrior, an active, freedom-loving, open person.

Biography

One of the most vivid impressions of childhood was the meeting of a nine-year-old boy with the legendary A. Suvorov, who prophesied his fate for Davydov: “This will be a military man...”

Davydov spent most of his life serving in the army, retiring in 1832 with the rank of lieutenant general. He fought bravely in 1806 - 1807 with the French in Prussia, in 1809 - with the Swedes in Finland, in 1809? with the Turks in Moldova and the Balkans, in 1812 - 1814 he crushed the French in Russia and drove them all the way to Paris.

He was a multi-talented person. Davydov’s first literary experiments date back to 1803 - 1805, when his political poems (the fables “Head and Legs”, “The River and the Mirror”, the satire “The Dream”, etc.) were widely circulated in manuscripts.

Davydov was associated with many Decembrists who valued his poetry, but he refused the offer to join the secret society.

He entered the history of Russian literature as the creator of the genre of “hussar lyrics”, the hero of which is a lover of wild life, at the same time a free-thinking person, an opponent of violence against the individual (“Hussar Feast”, “Song of the Old Hussar”, “Half-Soldier”, “Borodin Field”. The latter, written in 1829, is considered one of the best historical elegies of Russian romantic poetry).

Denis Vasilievich Davydov was born on July 27, 1784 in Moscow. The predictions of the great commander Suvorov about the military future became prophetic for nine-year-old Denis. Davydov devoted almost his entire life to military service. He experienced all the hardships of four military companies (in Prussia, Finland, Moldova and the Balkans, the Russian-French war).

The victory over Napoleon was largely possible thanks to the activities of the partisan movement under the leadership of Denis Vasilyevich. At the age of 48 he retired, having risen to the rank of lieutenant general.

But Davydov is known to the general public not only for his military exploits. He was a talented poet and military playwright. The first samples of Davydov's pen date back to 1803-1805. as a political poet who published the fables “Head and Legs”, “River and Mirror”, etc. His merits include the creation of a new literary direction “hussar lyrics” and introducing readers to the image of a patriotic warrior. The main characters of his works (for the most part) are brave, honest, strong individuals with a slightly absurd character and wild life.

The author's Russian romantic poetry (among which the main place is occupied by the poem "Borodin Field") has been deservedly recognized by many critics as the best manifestation of the historical elegy of its time. Pushkin highly appreciated the works of his long-time friend. In the 1830s, Davydov tried his hand at a completely new direction for himself - military prose. In particular, these are memoirs about meeting A. Suvorov, N. Raevsky, M. Kamensky. After more than 20 years of military service and a short peaceful life, Denis Vasilyevich Davydov died on May 4, 1839, without seeing the ceremony of transferring Bagration’s ashes to the Borodino field, which became possible only thanks to his efforts.

Writing about Denis Vasilyevich Davydov, like about any other general with a rich literary and memoir heritage, is extremely difficult. This is due not least to the fact that in his biography numerous anecdotes of varying degrees of reliability are firmly intertwined, purely biographical facts and what philologists call “literary behavior” - in other words, you have to deal with three Davydovs at once: the mythical hussar and a partisan, a real officer and nobleman, as well as a famous poet and writer. Much has been written about each of these three, and each of them is good in its own way, but the first and last often outshine the average. This is what we will try to look at in more detail.

Portrait of Denis Vasilievich Davydov, J.Dow workshop

Denis Vasilyevich was born into the family of an Old Moscow nobleman, commander of the Poltava Light Horse Regiment, Brigadier Vasily Denisovich, one of A.V.’s good friends. Suvorov. The good-natured father of his regiment managed the affairs of the regiment somehow, completely trusting his quartermasters. Denis himself was destined for military service from childhood and only dreamed of it, but his short stature and rather puny physique did not foretell a quick promotion for him.

With the accession of Emperor Paul I, as often happens at the beginning of a new reign in Russia, audits began in all regiments. One of these checks reached the Poltava regiment, where, unfortunately for Vasily Denisovich, a shortage of 100 thousand rubles was discovered, which, according to the court, the brigadier who was dismissed from service had to pay at that very moment. The family had to sell the estate and wander without a home for some time, until, having got out of debt, Vasily Denisovich bought a “wonderful place”... the village of Borodino near Mozhaisk.

Meanwhile, Denis Davydov, with great difficulty, entered service in the Guards Cavalry Regiment. The fact is that because of his small stature, the officer on duty did not want to accept him, because this was simply contrary to the regulations. However, Denis Vasilyevich was not at a loss and, putting pressure on the commander through the patronage of his father’s friends, finally achieved his enrollment in the regiment. Then he will ironically talk about this story: “Finally, they tied our little fellow to a huge broadsword, lowered him into deep boots and covered the sanctuary of his poetic genius with flour and a triangular hat.”

Nevertheless, Denis Vasilyevich was loved in the regiment for his wit and meekness, to which he was partially obliged to intercede for himself when enlisting in the regiment, and one of the senior officers, A.M. Kakhovsky even took up the education of Denis, compiling several lists of military, fiction and scientific literature for him. Denis Vasilyevich himself will later remember his service in the Cavalry Regiment with great warmth.

Naturally, finding himself in such a brilliant society, the young officer, who had a very strong craving for literature, began to “write” poetry, which at first was not very good, but extremely caustic. For a couple of such “critical” poems that reached someone’s high-ranking hands, the young officer was transferred from the guard to the Belarusian Hussar Regiment with the rank of captain. However, contrary to the traditional understanding of people of that era, Denis Davydov liked the punishment, and in general he did not really regret his transfer. Moreover, many were talking about the coming war, which the young hussar so longed for.

However, Denis Vasilyevich was not able to take part in the campaign of 1805, since his regiment, as luck would have it, remained in its own Belarus and no one gave even a hint that he would have to go somewhere. Added to this was the news that Denis’s younger brother, Evdokim, who had been destined from childhood to make a career at the Foreign Collegium, had voluntarily joined the cavalry guards and, having received 5 saber wounds, one bullet and one bayonet wound at Austerlitz, was captured, where in the hospital he spoke with Napoleon, about which all European newspapers wrote. Denis could no longer stand this and went to the commander-in-chief to ask to be sent to the front. Having found nothing better than to get to old man M.F. Kamensky to his house to ask for a transfer, he scared him so much that he definitely couldn’t count on this channel. The mistress of Emperor Alexander, M.A., helped Denis with joining the troops. Naryshkina, who stood up for the young man before the sovereign.

Postage stamp of the USSR - 150 years of the Patriotic War of 1812, 1962

As a result, in 1807 he nevertheless received an appointment in the army as an adjutant to Prince Bagration. And everything would have been fine, but due to his youth, Davydov also managed to ridicule the Georgian nose of this commander, which the prince himself remembered very well, so at headquarters he was not greeted in a very friendly manner, and Bagration himself, at the first meeting, recalled this insolence to him, to which Davydov replied: “I repent, your Excellency. I did this solely out of envy, since I myself have almost no part of my face. Apart from this button.” The general liked the joke, and Denis became one of Bagration’s favorite officers for a long time.

At the end of the 1807 campaign, having earned the personal praise of the prince, a burka, his first order and a bunch of gray hair, Denis managed to fulfill another of his cherished dreams - to see Napoleon. This happened during peace negotiations in Tilsit, where Bagration sent him in his place. Davydov later recalled with pleasure that during the meeting he withstood Napoleon’s long, arrogant gaze, and was also surprised that the ruler of half the world turned out to be half a head shorter than even the very short Denis.

After the Austrian campaign, Davydov participated in the Swedish and Turkish wars, where he showed himself first-class and received a number of promotions, and just before the war of 1812 he asked to join the Akhtyrsky Hussar Regiment, with which he went through the entire first half of the campaign.

Davydov rides on horseback in a Cossack and yarmulke; behind him are two hussars; the camp is visible on the left. Hood. A. Orlovsky, 1814

Shortly before the Battle of Borodino, Denis Vasilyevich submitted a note to Prince Bagration with a proposal to create partisan detachments following the Spanish example, and received the approval of first Peter Ivanovich, and then M.I. himself. Kutuzova. The first partisan detachments were very small and did not yet know the principles of camouflage, and they were not really familiar with the people. As a result, Davydov’s detachment was almost destroyed by the peasants for their shaved face and habit of speaking French. After this incident, Denis grew a beard and traveled exclusively in a Cossack costume.

The “invention” of partisan detachments and their tactics of interrupting enemy communications led to the creation of a very tense situation in the French rear and became one of the reasons for the catastrophic retreat of the Great Army from Moscow, which, thanks to the actions of Denis Vasilyevich, was deprived of its main supplies.

Rubicon. Crossing the river by Denis Davydov's detachment. Hood. S.L. Kozhin. 1812 Canvas, oil.

During the foreign campaign of the Russian army, Davydov once again showed his extreme impatience and, contrary to orders, during the Saxon operation he arbitrarily occupied Dresden, for which he was put under house arrest. However, the fame of Davydov spread so much throughout Europe that it was impossible to keep him out of business for a long time. Soon, Denis Vasilyevich atoned for his previous guilt, breaking through to the battery with his Cossacks near Paris and thereby deciding the outcome of the battle. For this feat, Davydov was awarded the rank of major general. By the way, they will try to take away this rank from Davydov, as it was given by mistake, but the intercession of the emperor will allow Denis Vasilyevich to defend his rights.

After the war, Davydov led an extremely active literary and political life: he was friends with the Karamzinists and future Decembrists, wrote his memoirs, and published collections of poetry. In 1820, Denis Vasilyevich went on vacation, and in 1823, he retired with the right to wear a uniform. During this period he published all his main works.

In 1826, Davydov again entered active military service, fought in Persia, participated in the suppression of the Polish uprising, for which he received the rank of lieutenant general. However, in 1831 he finally decided to leave the service and devote himself to literature.

The last years of D.V.’s life Davydov is trying to transfer the ashes of his teacher P.I. Bagration, however, dies shortly before, never seeing his request fulfilled.

Grave of D.V. Davydov at Novodevichy Cemetery

At the death of Davydov, his friend P.A. Vyazemsky will write a poem:

EPERNAY(To Denis Vasilievich Davydov)

So from a distant foreign land
My poem was looking for you, Denis!
And the constant was waiting for you
Not grapes, but cypress.

I was looking for a friend on the day of return,
But the day of return was sad!
And drinking buddy and brother
One I sadly hugged the shadow.

The poet's light cup has cooled,
The partisan sword also cooled down;
Among the incense bowls and pipes
There is no longer any lively speech.

They don't fall from her like stars,
Lights and flashes of sharp words,
And the rider’s speech is attacks
Does not commit on fools.

The stream does not flow forever new
Bivvy tales story
About the harsh ice of Finland,
About the fire-breathing Caucasus,

About a year sealed in blood,
When under the glow of the Kremlin,
Burning with revenge and love,
The Russian land has risen,

When, having brought unconditionally
All sacrifices are on the native altar,
Unanimously, without exception
The people went into mortal combat.

They were listening to your folk story,
A moving story
Shadows came out of the coffin,
And their shine blinded our eyes.

Bagration—Achilles in soul,
Kutuzov - wise Odysseus,
Seslavin, Kulnev - with simplicity
And the valor of the man of ancient days!

Bogatyrs of the strong era,
Glorious era, you are no longer here!
And so he descended into the darkness of the grave
Your colleague, your poet!

Death has crushed our glory,
And we look with a tear of longing
On overturned bowls,
On the abolished wreaths.

I’m calling, - the seasoned chorus is silent;
I am looking for you, but your house is empty;
My belated verse will not meet
Smiles from cold lips.

But my song, the legend of my soul
About bright, irrevocable days,
Take it, Denis, like a libation
To your ashes, dear ashes to your heart!