Kutuzov Mikhail Illarionovich. Soviet command plans

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AT THE HEAD OF THE ARMY OF SOVIET LATVIA In the life and service of I.I. Vatsetis there was a period when he, holding the post of Commander-in-Chief of the Republic, led the army of Soviet Latvia. These pages of his life are not fully illuminated, and we will try to partially fill this gap. The appointment of I.I.

Russo-Turkish wars

War with Napoleon 1805

War with Turkey in 1811

Patriotic War of 1812

Family and clan of Kutuzov

Military ranks and ranks

Monuments

Memorial plaques

In literature

Film incarnations

Mikhail Illarionovich Golenishchev-Kutuzov(since 1812 His Serene Highness Prince Golenishchev-Kutuzov-Smolensky; 1745-1813) - Russian field marshal general from the Golenishchev-Kutuzov family, commander-in-chief during the Patriotic War of 1812. The first full holder of the Order of St. George.

Start of service

Son of Lieutenant General (later Senator) Illarion Matveevich Golenishchev-Kutuzov (1717-1784) and his wife Anna Illarionovna, born in 1728. It was traditionally believed that Anna Larionovna belonged to the Beklemishev family, but surviving archival documents indicate that her father was the retired captain Bedrinsky.

Until recently, the year of Kutuzov’s birth was considered to be 1745, indicated on his grave. However, data contained in a number of formal lists of 1769, 1785, 1791 and private letters indicate the possibility of attributing his birth to 1747. It is 1747 that is indicated as the year of birth of M.I. Kutuzov in his later biographies.

From the age of seven, Mikhail was educated at home; in July 1759 he was sent to the Artillery and Engineering Noble School, where his father taught artillery sciences. Already in December of the same year, Kutuzov was given the rank of 1st class conductor with an oath of office and a salary. A capable young man is recruited to train officers.

In February 1761, Mikhail graduated from school and with the rank of ensign engineer was left with it to teach students mathematics. Five months later he became the aide-de-camp of the Revel Governor-General, Prince of Holstein-Beck.

Efficiently managing the office of Holstein-Beck, he quickly earned the rank of captain in 1762. In the same year, he was appointed company commander of the Astrakhan Infantry Regiment, which at that time was commanded by Colonel A.V. Suvorov.

Since 1764, he was at the disposal of the commander of the Russian troops in Poland, Lieutenant General I. I. Weimarn, and commanded small detachments operating against the Polish Confederates.

In 1767, he was brought in to work on the “Commission for the Drafting of a New Code,” an important legal and philosophical document of the 18th century that established the foundations of an “enlightened monarchy.” Apparently, Mikhail Kutuzov was involved as a secretary-translator, since his certificate states that he “speaks French and German and translates quite well, and understands the author’s Latin.”

In 1770, he was transferred to the 1st Army of Field Marshal P.A. Rumyantsev, located in the south, and took part in the war with Turkey that began in 1768.

Russo-Turkish wars

Of great importance in the formation of Kutuzov as a military leader was the combat experience he accumulated during the Russian-Turkish wars of the 2nd half of the 18th century under the leadership of commanders P. A. Rumyantsev and A. V. Suvorov. During the Russian-Turkish war of 1768-74. Kutuzov took part in the battles of Ryaba Mogila, Larga and Kagul. For his distinction in battles he was promoted to prime major. As chief quartermaster (chief of staff) of the corps, he was an assistant commander and for his successes in the battle of Popesty in December 1771 he received the rank of lieutenant colonel.

In 1772, an incident occurred that, according to contemporaries, had a great influence on the character of Kutuzov. In a close circle of comrades, 25-year-old Kutuzov, who knows how to imitate his demeanor, allowed himself to imitate Commander-in-Chief Rumyantsev. The field marshal found out about this, and Kutuzov was sent to the 2nd Crimean Army under the command of Prince Dolgoruky. From that time on, he developed restraint and caution, he learned to hide his thoughts and feelings, that is, he acquired those qualities that became characteristic of his future military leadership. According to another version, the reason for Kutuzov’s transfer to the 2nd Army was the words of Catherine II repeated by him about His Serene Highness Prince Potemkin, that the prince is brave not in his mind, but in his heart.

In July 1774, Devlet Giray landed with the Turkish troops in Alushta, but the Turks were not allowed to go deep into Crimea. On July 23, 1774, in a battle near the village of Shuma north of Alushta, a three-thousand-strong Russian detachment defeated the main forces of the Turkish landing. Kutuzov, who commanded the grenadier battalion of the Moscow Legion, was seriously wounded by a bullet that pierced his left temple and exited near his right eye, which was “squinted,” but his vision was preserved, contrary to popular belief. The Commander-in-Chief of the Crimean Army, Chief General V.M. Dolgorukov, in his report dated July 28, 1774, about the victory in that battle, wrote:

In memory of this injury, there is a monument in Crimea - the Kutuzov Fountain. The Empress awarded Kutuzov the Military Order of St. George, 4th class, and sent him to Austria for treatment, bearing all the expenses of the trip. Kutuzov used two years of treatment to complete his military education. During his stay in Regensburg in 1776, he joined the Masonic lodge “To the Three Keys”.

Upon returning to Russia in 1776, he again entered military service. At first he formed light cavalry units, in 1777 he was promoted to colonel and appointed commander of the Lugansk pikeman regiment, with which he was in Azov. He was transferred to Crimea in 1783 with the rank of brigadier and appointed commander of the Mariupol Light Horse Regiment.

In November 1784 he received the rank of major general after successfully suppressing the uprising in Crimea. From 1785 he was the commander of the Bug Jaeger Corps, which he himself formed. Commanding the corps and training the rangers, he developed new tactical fighting techniques for them and outlined them in special instructions. He covered the border along the Bug with the corps when the second war with Turkey broke out in 1787.

On October 1, 1787, under the command of Suvorov, he participated in the battle of Kinburn, when the 5,000-strong Turkish landing force was almost completely destroyed.

In the summer of 1788, with his corps, he took part in the siege of Ochakov, where in August 1788 he was seriously wounded in the head for the second time. This time the bullet passed almost through the old channel. Mikhail Illarionovich survived and in 1789 took over a separate corps, with which Akkerman occupied, fought near Kaushany and during the assault on Bendery.

In December 1790 he distinguished himself during the assault and capture of Izmail, where he commanded the 6th column that was going on the attack. Suvorov outlined the actions of General Kutuzov in his report:

According to legend, when Kutuzov sent a messenger to Suvorov with a report about the impossibility of holding on to the ramparts, he received an answer from Suvorov that a messenger had already been sent to St. Petersburg with news to Empress Catherine II about the capture of Izmail.

After the capture of Izmail, Kutuzov was promoted to lieutenant general, awarded George 3rd degree and appointed commandant of the fortress. Having repelled the attempts of the Turks to take possession of Izmail, on June 4 (16), 1791, he defeated a 23,000-strong Turkish army at Babadag with a sudden blow. In the Battle of Machinsky in June 1791, under the command of Prince Repnin, Kutuzov dealt a crushing blow to the right flank of the Turkish troops. For the victory at Machin, Kutuzov was awarded the Order of George, 2nd degree.

In 1792, Kutuzov, commanding a corps, took part in the Russian-Polish war and the following year was sent as ambassador extraordinary to Turkey, where he resolved a number of important issues in favor of Russia and significantly improved relations with it. While in Constantinople, he visited the Sultan's garden, visiting which was punishable by death for men. Sultan Selim III chose not to notice the insolence of the ambassador of the powerful Catherine II.

Upon returning to Russia, Kutuzov managed to flatter the all-powerful favorite at that time, Platon Zubov. Referring to the skills he acquired in Turkey, he came to Zubov an hour before he woke up to brew coffee for him in a special way, which he then took to his favorite, in front of many visitors. This tactic paid off. In 1795 he was appointed commander-in-chief of all ground forces, flotillas and fortresses in Finland and at the same time director of the Land Cadet Corps. He did a lot to improve officer training: he taught tactics, military history and other disciplines. Catherine II invited him to her company every day, and he spent the last evening with her before her death.

Unlike many other favorites of the empress, Kutuzov managed to hold out under the new Tsar Paul I and remained with him until the last day of his life (including having dinner with him on the eve of the murder). In 1798 he was promoted to infantry general. He successfully completed a diplomatic mission in Prussia: during his 2 months in Berlin he managed to win her over to the side of Russia in the fight against France. On September 27, 1799, Paul I appointed commander of the expeditionary force in Holland instead of infantry general I. I. German, who was defeated by the French at Bergen and taken prisoner. Awarded the Order of St. John of Jerusalem. On the way to Holland he was recalled back to Russia. He was a Lithuanian (1799-1801) and, upon the accession of Alexander I, was appointed military governor of St. Petersburg and Vyborg (1801-02), as well as the manager of the civil part in these provinces and an inspector of the Finnish Inspectorate.

In 1802, having fallen into disgrace with Tsar Alexander I, Kutuzov was removed from his post and lived on his estate in Goroshki (now Volodarsk-Volynsky, Ukraine, Zhitomir region), continuing to be listed in active military service as the chief of the Pskov Musketeer Regiment.

War with Napoleon 1805

In 1804, Russia entered into a coalition to fight Napoleon, and in 1805 the Russian government sent two armies to Austria; Kutuzov was appointed commander-in-chief of one of them. In August 1805, a 50,000-strong Russian army under his command moved to Austria. The Austrian army, which did not have time to unite with the Russian troops, was defeated by Napoleon in October 1805 near Ulm. Kutuzov's army found itself face to face with an enemy with significant superiority in strength.

Retaining his troops, Kutuzov in October 1805 made a retreat march-maneuver stretching 425 km from Braunau to Olmutz and, having defeated I. Murat near Amstetten and E. Mortier near Dürenstein, withdrew his troops from the looming threat of encirclement. This march went down in the history of military art as a wonderful example of strategic maneuver. From Olmutz (now Olomouc), Kutuzov proposed to withdraw the army to the Russian border so that, after the arrival of Russian reinforcements and the Austrian army from Northern Italy, go on a counter-offensive.

Contrary to the opinion of Kutuzov and at the insistence of Emperors Alexander I and Franz II of Austria, inspired by the slight numerical superiority over the French, the allied armies went on the offensive. On November 20 (December 2), 1805, the Battle of Austerlitz took place. The battle ended in the complete defeat of the Russians and Austrians. Kutuzov himself was wounded by a shrapnel in the cheek, and also lost his son-in-law, Count Tiesenhausen. Alexander, realizing his guilt, did not publicly blame Kutuzov and awarded him the Order of St. Vladimir, 1st degree, in February 1806, but never forgave him for the defeat, believing that Kutuzov deliberately framed the tsar. In a letter to his sister dated September 18, 1812, Alexander I expressed his true attitude towards the commander: “ according to the memory of what happened at Austerlitz due to the deceitful nature of Kutuzov».

In September 1806, Kutuzov was appointed military governor of Kyiv. In March 1808, Kutuzov was sent as a corps commander to the Moldavian Army, but due to disagreements regarding the further conduct of the war with the Commander-in-Chief, Field Marshal A. A. Prozorovsky, in June 1809, Kutuzov was appointed Lithuanian military governor.

War with Turkey in 1811

In 1811, when the war with Turkey reached a dead end and the foreign policy situation required effective action, Alexander I appointed Kutuzov as commander-in-chief of the Moldavian army instead of the deceased Kamensky. In early April 1811, Kutuzov arrived in Bucharest and took command of the army, weakened by the recall of divisions to defend the western border. He found less than thirty thousand troops throughout the conquered lands, with which he had to defeat one hundred thousand Turks located in the Balkan Mountains.

In the Battle of Rushchuk on June 22, 1811 (15-20 thousand Russian troops against 60 thousand Turks), he inflicted a crushing defeat on the enemy, which marked the beginning of the defeat of the Turkish army. Then Kutuzov deliberately withdrew his army to the left bank of the Danube, forcing the enemy to break away from their bases in pursuit. He blocked part of the Turkish army that crossed the Danube near Slobodzeya, and in early October he himself sent General Markov’s corps across the Danube in order to attack the Turks remaining on the southern bank. Markov attacked the enemy base, captured it and took the main camp of the Grand Vizier Ahmed Agha across the river under fire from captured Turkish cannons. Soon hunger and disease began in the surrounded camp, Ahmed Agha secretly left the army, leaving Pasha Chaban-oglu in his place. Even before the capitulation of the Turks, by a personal Highest decree of October 29 (November 10), 1811, the commander-in-chief of the army against the Turks, infantry general, Mikhail Illarionovich Golenishchev-Kutuzov was elevated, with his descendants, to the dignity of a count of the Russian Empire. November 23 (5 December) 1811 1811 Shepherd-oglu surrendered a 35,000-strong army with 56 guns to Count Golenishchev-Kutuzov. Türkiye was forced to enter into negotiations.

Concentrating his corps to the Russian borders, Napoleon hoped that the alliance with the Sultan, which he concluded in the spring of 1812, would bind the Russian forces in the south. But on May 4 (16), 1812 in Bucharest, Kutuzov concluded a peace under which Bessarabia and part of Moldova passed to Russia (Bucharest Peace Treaty of 1812). This was a major military and diplomatic victory, which shifted the strategic situation for Russia for the better at the beginning of the Patriotic War. After the conclusion of peace, the Danube Army was led by Admiral Chichagov, and Kutuzov was recalled to St. Petersburg, where, by decision of the Emergency Committee of Ministers, he was appointed commander of the troops for the defense of St. Petersburg.

Patriotic War of 1812

At the beginning of the Patriotic War of 1812, General Kutuzov was elected in July as the head of the St. Petersburg and then the Moscow militia. At the initial stage of the Patriotic War, the 1st and 2nd Western Russian armies rolled back under the pressure of Napoleon's superior forces. The unsuccessful course of the war prompted the nobility to demand the appointment of a commander who would enjoy the trust of Russian society. Even before the Russian troops left Smolensk, Alexander I appointed infantry general Kutuzov as commander-in-chief of all Russian armies and militias. 10 days before the appointment, by personal Highest decree of July 29 (August 10), 1812, infantry general Count Mikhail Illarionovich Golenishchev-Kutuzov was elevated, with his descendants, to the princely dignity of the Russian Empire, with the title of lordship. The appointment of Kutuzov caused a patriotic upsurge in the army and the people. Kutuzov himself, as in 1805, was not in the mood for a decisive battle against Napoleon. According to one piece of evidence, he expressed himself this way about the methods he would use against the French: “ We will not defeat Napoleon. We will deceive him.“On August 17 (29), Kutuzov received an army from Barclay de Tolly in the village of Tsarevo-Zaimishche, Smolensk province.

The enemy's great superiority in forces and the lack of reserves forced Kutuzov to retreat deeper into the country, following the strategy of his predecessor Barclay de Tolly. Further withdrawal implied the surrender of Moscow without a fight, which was unacceptable from both a political and moral point of view. Having received minor reinforcements, Kutuzov decided to give Napoleon a general battle, the first and only one in the Patriotic War of 1812. The Battle of Borodino, one of the largest battles of the Napoleonic Wars era, took place on August 26 (September 7). During the day of the battle, the Russian army inflicted heavy losses on the French troops, but according to preliminary estimates, by the night of the same day it itself had lost almost half of the regular troops. The balance of power obviously did not shift in favor of Kutuzov. Kutuzov decided to withdraw from the Borodino position, and then, after a meeting in Fili (now a Moscow region), left Moscow. Nevertheless, the Russian army showed itself worthy under Borodino, for which Kutuzov was promoted to field marshal general on August 30 (September 11).

A.S. Pushkin
In front of the saint's tomb
I stand with my head bowed...
Everything is sleeping all around; some lamps
In the darkness of the temple they gild
Pillars of granite masses
And their banners are hanging in a row.
This ruler sleeps under them,
This idol of the northern squads,
The venerable guardian of the sovereign country,
Suppressor of all her enemies,
This rest of the glorious flock
Catherine's Eagles.
Delight lives in your coffin!
He gives us a Russian voice;
He keeps telling us about that time,
When the voice of the people's faith
Called to your holy gray hair:
“Go and save!” You stood up and saved...
Listen today to our faithful voice,
Rise up and save the king and us,
O terrible old man! For a moment
Appear at the door of the grave,
Appear, breathe in delight and zeal
To the shelves left by you!
Appear to your hand
Show us the leaders in the crowd,
Who is your heir, your chosen one!
But the temple is immersed in silence,
And the silence of your grave
Undisturbed, eternal sleep...

After leaving Moscow, Kutuzov secretly carried out the famous Tarutino flank maneuver, leading the army to the village of Tarutino by the beginning of October. Finding himself south and west of Napoleon, Kutuzov blocked his routes to the southern regions of the country.

Having failed in his attempts to make peace with Russia, Napoleon began to withdraw from Moscow on October 7 (19). He tried to lead the army to Smolensk by the southern route through Kaluga, where there were supplies of food and fodder, but on October 12 (24) in the battle for Maloyaroslavets he was stopped by Kutuzov and retreated along the devastated Smolensk road. Russian troops launched a counteroffensive, which Kutuzov organized so that Napoleon's army was under flank attacks by regular and partisan detachments, and Kutuzov avoided a frontal battle with large masses of troops.

Thanks to Kutuzov's strategy, Napoleonic's huge army was almost completely destroyed. It should be especially noted that the victory was achieved at the cost of moderate losses in the Russian army. Kutuzov in pre-Soviet and post-Soviet times was criticized for his reluctance to act more decisively and aggressively, for his preference for a certain victory at the expense of great glory. Prince Kutuzov, according to contemporaries and historians, did not share his plans with anyone; his words to the public often differed from his orders for the army, so the true motives for the actions of the famous commander give rise to different interpretations. But the final result of his activities is undeniable - the defeat of Napoleon in Russia, for which Kutuzov was awarded the Order of St. George, 1st degree, becoming the first full Knight of St. George in the history of the order. By a personal Highest decree of December 6 (18), 1812, Field Marshal General His Serene Highness Prince Mikhail Illarionovich Golenishchev-Kutuzov was granted the name Smolensky.

Napoleon often spoke contemptuously about the commanders opposing him, without mincing words. It is characteristic that he avoided giving public assessments of Kutuzov’s command in the Patriotic War, preferring to blame the “harsh Russian winter” for the complete destruction of his army. Napoleon's attitude towards Kutuzov can be seen in a personal letter written by Napoleon from Moscow on October 3, 1812 with the aim of starting peace negotiations:

In January 1813, Russian troops crossed the border and reached the Oder by the end of February. By April 1813, troops reached the Elbe. On April 5, the commander-in-chief caught a cold and fell ill in the small Silesian town of Bunzlau (Prussia, now the territory of Poland). According to legend, refuted by historians, Alexander I arrived to say goodbye to the very weakened field marshal. Behind the screens near the bed on which Kutuzov was lying was the official Krupennikov who was with him. Kutuzov’s last dialogue, allegedly overheard by Krupennikov and relayed by Chamberlain Tolstoy: “ Forgive me, Mikhail Illarionovich!» - « I forgive, sir, but Russia will never forgive you for this" The next day, April 16 (28), 1813, Prince Kutuzov passed away. His body was embalmed and sent to St. Petersburg, where it was buried in the Kazan Cathedral.

They say that the people pulled a cart with the remains of the national hero. The Emperor retained Kutuzov's wife's full maintenance of her husband, and in 1814 he ordered Finance Minister Guryev to issue more than 300 thousand rubles to pay off the debts of the commander's family.

Criticism

“In terms of his strategic and tactical talents... he is not equal to Suvorov and certainly not equal to Napoleon,” historian E. Tarle characterized Kutuzov. Kutuzov’s military talent was questioned after the Austerlitz defeat, and even during the War of 1812 he was accused of trying to build Napoleon a “golden bridge” to leave Russia with the remnants of the army. Critical reviews of Kutuzov the commander belong not only to his famous rival and ill-wisher Bennigsen, but also to other leaders of the Russian army in 1812 - N. N. Raevsky, A. P. Ermolov, P. I. Bagration. “This goose is also good, which is called both a prince and a leader! Now our leader will start having women’s gossip and intrigues,” - this is how Bagration reacted to the news of Kutuzov’s appointment as commander-in-chief. Kutuzov’s “cunctatorship” was a direct continuation of the strategic line chosen at the beginning of the war by Barclay de Tolly. “I brought the chariot up the mountain, and from the mountain it will roll down on its own with the slightest guidance,” Barclay himself said when leaving the army.

As for Kutuzov’s personal qualities, during his lifetime he was criticized for his obsequiousness, manifested in his obsequious attitude towards the royal favorites, and for his excessive predilection for the female sex. They say that while the already seriously ill Kutuzov was in the Tarutino camp (October 1812), Chief of Staff Bennigsen reported to Alexander I that Kutuzov was not doing anything and was sleeping a lot, and not alone. He brought with him a Moldavian woman dressed as a Cossack, who “ warms his bed" The letter reached the War Department, where General Knorring imposed the following resolution on it: “ Rumyantsev carried them four at a time. It's none of our business. And what sleeps, let him sleep. Every hour [of sleep] of this old man inexorably brings us closer to victory».

Family and clan of Kutuzov

The noble family of Golenishchev-Kutuzov traces its origins to the Novgorodian Fyodor, nicknamed Kutuz (XV century), whose nephew Vasily had the nickname Golenishche. Vasily’s sons were in the royal service under the name “Golenishchev-Kutuzov”. M.I. Kutuzov’s grandfather only rose to the rank of captain, his father already became a lieutenant general, and Mikhail Illarionovich earned hereditary princely dignity.

Illarion Matveevich was buried in the village of Terebeni, Opochetsky district, in a special crypt. Currently, there is a church at the burial site, in the basement of which a crypt was discovered in the 20th century. The expedition of the TV project “Seekers” found out that Illarion Matveyevich’s body was mummified and thanks to this it was well preserved.

Kutuzov got married in the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in the village of Golenishchevo, Samoluksky volost, Loknyansky district, Pskov region. Nowadays, only ruins remain of this church.

Mikhail Illarionovich's wife, Ekaterina Ilyinichna (1754-1824), was the daughter of Lieutenant General Ilya Aleksandrovich Bibikov and the sister of A.I. Bibikov, a major statesman and military figure (marshal of the Legislative Commission, commander-in-chief in the fight against the Polish Confederates and in the suppression of the Pugachev rebellion , friend A. Suvorov). She married thirty-year-old Colonel Kutuzov in 1778 and gave birth to five daughters in a happy marriage (the only son, Nikolai, died of smallpox in infancy, was buried in Elisavetgrad (now Kirovograd) on the territory of the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary).

• Praskovya (1777-1844) - wife of Matvey Fedorovich Tolstoy (1772-1815);
• Anna (1782-1846) - wife of Nikolai Zakharovich Khitrovo (1779-1827);
• Elizabeth (1783-1839) - in her first marriage, the wife of Fyodor Ivanovich Tizenhausen (1782-1805); in the second - Nikolai Fedorovich Khitrovo (1771-1819);
• Catherine (1787-1826) - wife of Prince Nikolai Danilovich Kudashev (1786-1813); in the second - Ilya Stepanovich Sarochinsky (1788/89-1854);
• Daria (1788-1854) - wife of Fyodor Petrovich Opochinin (1779-1852).

Lisa’s first husband died fighting under the command of Kutuzov, Katya’s first husband also died in battle. Since the field marshal did not leave offspring in the male line, the surname Golenishchev-Kutuzov in 1859 was transferred to his grandson, Major General P. M. Tolstoy, the son of Praskovya.

Kutuzov also became related to the imperial house: his great-granddaughter Daria Konstantinovna Opochinina (1844-1870) became the wife of Evgeniy Maximilianovich of Leuchtenberg.

Military ranks and ranks

• Fourier at the School of Engineering (1759)
• Corporal (10/10/1759)
• Captainarmus (20.10.1759)
• Conductor engineer (12/10/1759)
• Engineer-ensign (01/01/1761)
• Captain (08/21/1762)
• Prime Major for Distinction at Large (07/07/1770)
• Lieutenant Colonel for distinction at Popesty (12/08/1771)
• Colonel (06/28/1777)
• Brigadier (06/28/1782)
• Major General (11/24/1784)
• Lieutenant General for the capture of Izmail (03/25/1791)
• General of Infantry (01/04/1798)
• Field Marshal General for distinction at Borodino 08/26/1812 (08/30/1812)

Awards

• M.I. Kutuzov became the first of 4 full St. George Knights in the entire history of the order.
• Order of St. George, 4th class. (11/26/1775, No. 222) - “ For courage and bravery shown during the attack of Turkish troops who landed on the Crimean shores near Alushta. Having been dispatched to take possession of the enemy's retangement, to which he led his battalion with such fearlessness that a large number of the enemy fled, where he received a very dangerous wound»
• Order of St. George, 3rd class. (25.03.1791, No. 77) - “ In honor of the diligent service and excellent courage shown during the capture of the city and fortress of Izmail by storm with the extermination of the Turkish army that was there»
• Order of St. George 2nd class. (18.03.1792, No. 28) - “ In honor of his diligent service, brave and courageous exploits, with which he distinguished himself in the battle of Machin and the defeat of the large Turkish army by Russian troops under the command of General Prince N.V. Repnin»
• Order of St. George 1st class. bol.kr. (12.12.1812, No. 10) - “ For the defeat and expulsion of the enemy from Russia in 1812»
• Order of St. Alexander Nevsky - for battles with the Turks (09/08/1790)
• Order of St. Vladimir, 2nd class. - for the successful formation of the corps (06.1789)
• Order of St. John of Jerusalem Grand Cross (04.10.1799)
• Order of St. Andrew the First-Called (06/19/1800)
• Order of St. Vladimir 1st class. - for battles with the French in 1805 (02/24/1806)
• Portrait of Emperor Alexander I with diamonds to be worn on the chest (07/18/1811)
• Golden sword with diamonds and laurels - for the battle of Tarutino (10/16/1812)
• Diamond signs for the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called (12/12/1812)

Foreign:

• Holstein Order of St. Anne - for the battle with the Turks near Ochakov (04/21/1789)
• Austrian Military Order of Maria Theresa 1st class. (02.11.1805)
• Prussian Order of the Red Eagle 1st class.
• Prussian Order of the Black Eagle (1813)

Memory

• During the Great Patriotic War, the Order of Kutuzov of the 1st, 2nd (July 29, 1942) and 3rd (February 8, 1943) degrees was established in the USSR. They were awarded to about 7 thousand people and entire military units.
• One of the Navy cruisers was named in honor of M.I. Kutuzov.
• Asteroid 2492 Kutuzov is named after M.I. Kutuzov.
• A. S. Pushkin in 1831 dedicated the poem “Before the Saint’s Tomb” to the commander, writing it in a letter to Kutuzov’s daughter Elizaveta. In honor of Kutuzov, G. R. Derzhavin, V. A. Zhukovsky and other poets wrote poems.
• The famous fabulist I. A. Krylov, during the life of the commander, composed the fable “The Wolf in the Kennel,” where he depicted Kutuzov’s struggle with Napoleon in an allegorical form.
• In Moscow there is Kutuzovsky Prospekt (laid in 1957-1963, included Novodorogomilovskaya Street, part of Mozhaiskoye Highway and Kutuzovskaya Sloboda Street), Kutuzovsky Lane and Kutuzovsky Proezd (named in 1912), Kutuzovo station (opened in 1908) of the Moscow District railway, metro station "Kutuzovskaya" (opened in 1958), Kutuzova Street (preserved from the former city of Kuntsev).
• In many cities of Russia, as well as in other former republics of the USSR (for example, in the Ukrainian Izmail, Moldavian Tiraspol) there are streets named in honor of M. I. Kutuzov.

Monuments

In memory of the glorious victories of Russian weapons over Napoleon’s army, monuments were erected to M. I. Kutuzov:

• 1815 - in Bunzlau, on the orders of the King of Prussia.
• 1824 - Kutuzov Fountain - a fountain-monument to M.I. Kutuzov is located not far from Alushta. Built in 1804 with the permission of the Tauride governor D.B. Mertvago, the son of the Turkish officer Ismail-Aga, who died in the Battle of Shumsky, in memory of his father. Renamed Kutuzovsky during the construction of the road to the South Coast (1824-1826) in memory of the victory of Russian troops in the last battle of the Russian-Turkish war of 1768-1774.
• 1837 - in St. Petersburg, in front of the Kazan Cathedral, sculptor B.I. Orlovsky.
• 1862 - in Veliky Novgorod on the Monument “1000th Anniversary of Russia”, among the 129 figures of the most outstanding personalities in Russian history, there is the figure of M. I. Kutuzov.
• 1912 - obelisk on the Borodino field, near the village of Gorki, architect P. A. Vorontsov-Velyamov.
• 1953 - in Kaliningrad, sculptor Y. Lukashevich (in 1997 moved to Pravdinsk (formerly Friedland), Kaliningrad region); in 1995, a new monument to M. I. Kutuzov by sculptor M. Anikushin was erected in Kaliningrad.
• 1954 - in Smolensk, at the foot of the Cathedral Hill; authors: sculptor G. I. Motovilov, architect L. M. Polyakov.
• 1964 - in the rural settlement of Borodino near the State Borodino Military-Historical Museum-Reserve;
• 1973 - in Moscow near the Battle of Borodino panorama museum, sculptor N.V. Tomsky.
• 1997 - in Tiraspol, on Borodino Square in front of the House of Officers of the Russian Army.
• 2009 - in Bendery, on the territory of the Bendery fortress, in the capture of which Kutuzov took part in 1770 and 1789.
• In memory of the reflection by the Russian detachment under the command of M. I. Kutuzov of the Turkish landing near Alushta (Crimea) in 1774, near the place where Kutuzov was wounded (the village of Shumy), a memorial sign in the form of a fountain was built in 1824-1826.
• A small monument to Kutuzov was erected in 1959 in the village of Volodarsk-Volynsky (Zhitomir region, Ukraine), where Kutuzov’s estate was located. In Kutuzov’s time the village was called Goroshki, in 1912-1921 - Kutuzovka, then renamed in honor of the Bolshevik Volodarsky. The ancient park in which the monument is located also bears the name of M. I. Kutuzov.
• There is a small monument to Kutuzov in the city of Brody. Lviv region Ukraine, during Euromaidan it was, by decision of the local city council, dismantled and moved to a utility yard.

Memorial plaques

• On November 3, 2012, a memorial plaque to M. I. Kutuzov (Governor General of Kyiv 1806-1810) was installed in Kyiv.

In literature

• The novel “War and Peace” - author L. N. Tolstoy
• Novel “Kutuzov” (1960) - author L. I. Rakovsky

Film incarnations

The most textbook image of Kutuzov on the silver screen was created by I. Ilyinsky in the film “The Hussar Ballad,” filmed for the 150th anniversary of the Patriotic War. After this film, the idea arose that Kutuzov wore a patch over his right eye, although this was not the case. The field marshal was also played by other actors:

• ?? (Suvorov, 1940)
• Alexey Dikiy (Kutuzov, 1943)
• Oscar Homolka (War and Peace) USA-Italy, 1956.
• Polikarp Pavlov (Battle of Austerlitz, 1960)
• Boris Zakhava (War and Peace), USSR, 1967.
• Frank Middlemass (War and Peace, 1972)
• Evgeny Lebedev (Squadron of Flying Hussars, 1980)
• Mikhail Kuznetsov (Bagration, 1985)
• Dmitry Suponin (Adjutants of Love, 2005)
• Alexander Novikov (Favorite, 2005)
• Vladimir Ilyin (War and Peace, 2007)
• Vladimir Simonov (Rzhevsky against Napoleon, 2012)
• Sergey Zhuravel (Ulan Ballad, 2012)

In Crimea, on the way to Alushta, many of you probably saw a monument-fountain, looking at which we remember the serious injury of the future Prince of Smolensk.

In July 1774, the Turkish landing force advanced deep into the Crimea. Near the village of Shumy, a Russian detachment of three thousand stopped and defeated the enemy. Kutuzov commanded a grenadier battalion, fought bravely and was seriously wounded.

« Lieutenant Colonel Golenishchev-Kutuzov of the Moscow Legion, who led his battalion, consisting of new young people, to such perfection that in dealing with the enemy he was superior to the old soldiers. This staff officer received a wound from a bullet, which, having hit him between the eye and temple, came out in the same place on the other side of his face."- General Dolgorukov wrote to the empress after the battle.

Catherine treated Kutuzov cordially and took care of his treatment. She highly appreciated the fact that this enlightened, witty officer turned out to be brave. Kutuzov received George 4th class and was sent for treatment to Austria. At the expense of the treasury.

2. Ishmael. “He was my right hand!”

You can decide on such an assault only once in your life... Everyone - from privates to generals - took a mortal risk.

During the assault on the impregnable fortress, Major General Kutuzov commanded the 6th column, which was supposed to break into Izmail through the Kiliya Gate. According to Suvorov's plan, the Kutuzov column started a battle on the rampart.

When the Turks began to push back the attackers, Kutuzov asked Suvorov for reinforcements. The commander’s response was cunning: “Ishmael has been captured. And Major General Kutuzov was appointed its commandant.”

Mikhailo Illarionovich cast aside doubts and sent reserves into battle. The fortress fell, and the Kutuzov column distinguished itself in battle.

« Major General and Cavalier Golenishchev-Kutuzov showed new experiments in his art and courage, overcoming all difficulties under strong enemy fire, climbed the rampart, took possession of the bastion, and when the excellent enemy forced him to stop, he, serving as an example of courage, held the place, prevailed strong enemy, established himself in the fortress... He walked on the left flank, but was my right hand“- wrote Suvorov, who appreciated not only the soldier’s courage, but also the diplomatic cunning of the witty general.

3. Machin. “Vivat, Lieutenant General Kutuzov!”

June 1791. This was one of the largest battles of the Russian-Turkish war. The Ottomans sought to prevent the Russians from crossing the Danube and concentrated an 80,000-strong army in the area of ​​the city of Macina.

The Russian troops were commanded by Nikolai Vasilyevich Repnin - he planned to launch a pre-emptive strike against the main enemy forces. Kutuzov's corps crushed the right flank of the Turkish troops and broke into the Machinsky camp. Kutuzov also distinguished himself in pursuing the retreating Turks. He acted efficiently and quickly.

For the victory at Machin, the future field marshal was awarded the Order of George, 2nd degree.

4. Family. “I am writing to you, my friend...”

Kutuzov was a woman-loving man, like few of our outstanding commanders. And yet (unlike Rumyantsev, Suvorov, Potemkin, Miloradovich, Ermolov, Skobelev...) Kutuzov created a real family and loved his Ekaterina Ilyinichna to the death. Free morals did not shake their union. His wife gave him a son and five daughters, whose upbringing he was not indifferent to.

He wrote to her from all his campaigns. I felt a strong need for frank correspondence with my wife. She sometimes learned about military events before the emperor... Prince Smolensky was already dictating the last letter in a weakening voice. It ended with the words: “Forgive me, my friend...”.

5. Mission in Berlin. “Smart, smart! Cunning, cunning!

Under Paul the First, Kutuzov escaped disgrace, although he did not escape the highest beatings. The emperor trusted him and considered him, among other things, a resourceful negotiator.

At the beginning of 1798, Kutuzov arrived in Berlin. Shortly before this, the Prussian throne was occupied by a new king, Frederick William III. In Prussia, Kutuzov had to not only greet the new king and get to know him, but also prepare the ground for an anti-French alliance.

At the court of the Prussian king, Kutuzov was received as a hero. His wounds inspired respect. In private conversations with the monarch, Mikhailo Illarionovich skillfully persuaded him to an alliance with Russia. He carried out his diplomatic mission brilliantly.

6. Amstetten

Rivalry with Napoleon was considered madness in those days. In the fall of 1805, after the surrender of the Austrian General Mack, the Russian army under the command of Kutuzov was forced to retreat. On November 5, the troops of Marshal Murat - the vanguard of the Great Army - attacked the Russian rearguard, commanded by General Bagration. Despite the significant numerical superiority of the French, Bagration's troops withstood the blow.

Kutuzov sent Miloradovich's corps to help him. The grenadiers of the Absheron and Smolensk regiments overthrew the French infantry. While the battle was going on, in which the Russian troops showed their best side, the main forces, according to Kutuzov’s plan, calmly retreated, crossing the Ibs River. They managed to break away from Napoleon by a considerable distance.

As often happened in Kutuzov’s biography, the question of the winner remains open. Murat argued: the Russians continued their retreat! Kutuzov retorted: but we intended to retreat, and the French failed to break the rearguard and overtake Kutuzov’s main forces.

Kutuzov accepts the army

7. Rushchuk. Count's dignity

Under the command of Kutuzov was a small army with powerful artillery. For a long time he slyly demonstrated his inaction to the Turks. He lured Ahmet Pasha and forced him to come close to the fortress. The main forces of the Russians stood not far from Rushchuk.

The Turks had a large but not very organized army. Kutuzov gave the Ottomans another idea: to cut off the Russian army from the fortress with a rush of cavalry and press it to the river. But a powerful counterattack, as well as unexpected attacks from the fortress, broke the Turks. Having lost 5 thousand soldiers, the Turks retreated. Wonderful Victoria in Kutuzov’s style!

Soon Kutuzov's army will finish off the enemy near Slobodzeya. For these important victories, achieved with minimal losses, Kutuzov was elevated to the rank of count.

8. Borodino. Ambiguous Glory

We will remember this battle more than once. Conflicting interpretations of its course will always intrigue history buffs. Until the Great Patriotic War, the Battle of Borodino remained the largest in scale among the battles that took place on the territory of indigenous Russia.

Two great forces collided near Moscow. They showed unattainable valor. There were no losers. The French won a tactical victory. There is no doubt that after the Battle of Borodino they continued to move to the East and soon occupied Moscow. Kutuzov did not give them a second general battle at the walls of Belokamennaya; he preferred to concentrate.

Mikhailo Illarionovich himself always considered the battle victorious. The Emperor hardly trusted his optimism, but was forced to reward Kutuzov, if only for propaganda purposes, in order to strengthen the morale of the army. Three days after the Battle of Borodino, Kutuzov was promoted to field marshal... However, he earned the baton a long time ago.

The end of the Battle of Borodino. Artist V.Vereshchagin

9. Maloyaroslavets

After the Battle of Borodino, this battle was the most important in the campaign of 1812. The Great Army first retreated from Moscow along the Old Kaluga Road. But then Napoleon ordered to turn to Novaya. Seslavin's partisans noticed the advance of the main forces of the Great Army towards Maloyaroslavets.

On October 23, when Napoleon spent the night in ancient Borovsk, Kutuzov’s main forces left the Tarutino camp to block the New Kaluga Road. On the morning of the 24th, the battle began in Maloyaroslavets, in which small formations initially took part. But more and more units were drawn into the vortex of the battle. The task of the Russian army is to make it impossible for the French to advance to the south of Russia, which would save Napoleon.

On the 25th, Kutuzov ordered his troops to retreat and strengthen themselves in a convenient position. An unexpected attack by Platov’s Cossacks almost ended in Napoleon’s capture. As a result, Bonaparte was forced to continue his retreat to the West along the devastated Smolensk road. This was the path to destruction.

10. The defeat of Napoleon. “We will not win, but we will deceive!”

Kutuzov entered the War of 1812 with an aphoristic program: “We will not defeat Napoleon. We will deceive him." General Bogdan Knorring joked aphoristically: “Every hour of sleep of this old man brings us inexorably closer to victory.”

The aging Kutuzov managed to lead the French army to the western border of the Russian Empire and expelled the remnants of the Great Army. Of course, the Russian army also suffered losses - mainly not combat, but medical.

Mikhail Illarionovich

Battles and victories

Great Russian commander. Count, His Serene Highness Prince of Smolensk. Field Marshal General. Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Army during the Patriotic War of 1812.

His life was spent in battles. His personal bravery earned him not only many awards, but also two wounds to the head - both considered fatal. The fact that he survived both times and returned to duty seemed a sign: Golenishchev-Kutuzov was destined for something great. The answer to the expectations of his contemporaries was the victory over Napoleon, the glorification of which by descendants raised the figure of the commander to epic proportions.

In the military history of Russia, perhaps, there is no such commander whose posthumous glory covered his lifetime deeds as much as Mikhail Illarionovich Golenishchev-Kutuzov. Immediately after the death of the field marshal, his contemporary and subordinate A.P. Ermolov said:

Our benefit makes everyone imagine it beyond the ordinary. The history of the world will place him among the heroes of the chronicle of the Fatherland - among the deliverers.

The scale of the events in which Kutuzov was a participant left their mark on the figure of the commander, raising him to epic proportions. Meanwhile, Mikhail Illarionovich represented a personality very characteristic of the heroic time of the second half of the 18th - early 19th centuries. There was practically not a single military campaign in which he would not take part, there was not such a delicate assignment that he would not carry out. Feeling great on the battlefield and at the negotiating table, M.I. Golenishchev-Kutuzov remained a mystery for posterity, which has not yet been fully resolved.

Monument to Field Marshal Kutuzov Smolensky in St. Petersburg
Sculptor B.I. Orlovsky

The future Field Marshal General and Prince Smolensky was born in St. Petersburg into the family of Illarion Matveevich Golenishchev-Kutuzov, a famous military and political figure from the times of Elizabeth Petrovna and Catherine II, a representative of an old boyar family whose roots go back to the 13th century. The father of the future commander was known as the builder of the Catherine Canal, a participant in the Russian-Turkish War of 1768-1774, who distinguished himself in the battles of Ryaba Mogila, Larga and Kagul, and became a senator after his resignation. Mikhail Illarionovich’s mother came from the ancient Beklemishev family, one of whose representatives was the mother of Prince Dmitry Pozharsky.

Having been widowed early and not remarried, little Mikhail’s father raised his son together with his cousin Ivan Loginovich Golenishchev-Kutuzov, admiral, future mentor of Tsarevich Pavel Petrovich and president of the Admiralty College. Ivan Loginovich was known throughout St. Petersburg for his famous library, within the walls of which his nephew loved to spend all his free time. It was his uncle who instilled in young Mikhail a love of reading and science, which was rare for the nobility of that era. Also, Ivan Loginovich, using his connections and influence, assigned his nephew to study at the Artillery and Engineering School in St. Petersburg, determining the future career of Mikhail Illarionovich. At school, Mikhail studied in the artillery department from October 1759 to February 1761, successfully completing the course.

It is interesting to note that the curator of the school at that time was General-in-Chief Abram Petrovich Hannibal, the famous “Arap of Peter the Great,” great-grandfather of A.S. Pushkin on the maternal side. He noticed a talented cadet and, when Kutuzov was promoted to the first officer rank, engineer-ensign introduced him to the court of Emperor Peter III. This step also had a great influence on the fate of the future military leader. Kutuzov becomes not only a commander, but also a courtier - a typical phenomenon for a Russian aristocrat of the second half of the 18th century.

Emperor Peter appoints a 16-year-old ensign as adjutant to Field Marshal Prince P.A. F. Holstein-Beck. During his short service at court from 1761 to 1762, Kutuzov managed to attract the attention of the emperor’s young wife Ekaterina Alekseevna, the future Empress Catherine II, who appreciated the young officer’s intelligence, education and diligence. Immediately upon her accession to the throne, she promoted Kutuzov to captain and transferred him to serve in the Astrakhan Musketeer Regiment, stationed near St. Petersburg. Around the same time, the regiment was headed by A.V. Suvorov. This is how the life paths of two great commanders crossed for the first time. However, a month later, Suvorov was transferred as commander to the Suzdal regiment and our heroes parted for 24 long years.

As for Captain Kutuzov, in addition to his routine service, he also carried out important assignments. So, from 1764 to 1765. he was sent to Poland, where he gained experience in commanding individual detachments and baptism of fire, fighting against the troops of the “Bar Confederation”, which did not recognize the election of Stanislaw-August Poniatowski, a supporter of Russia, to the throne of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Then, from 1767 to 1768, Kutuzov took part in the work of the Legislative Commission, which, by decree of the empress, was supposed to prepare a new, after 1649, unified set of laws of the empire. The Astrakhan regiment carried internal guard during the meeting of the Commission, and Kutuzov himself worked in the secretariats. Here he had the opportunity to learn the basic mechanisms of government and get acquainted with outstanding government and military figures of that era: G.A. Potemkin, Z.G. Chernyshov, P.I. Panin, A.G. Orlov. It is significant that A.I. was elected chairman of the “Laid Commission”. Bibikov is the brother of M.I.’s future wife. Kutuzova.

However, in 1769, due to the outbreak of the Russian-Turkish War (1768-1774), the work of the Commission was curtailed, and the captain of the Astrakhan regiment M.I. Kutuzov was sent to the 1st Army under Chief General P.A. Rumyantseva. Under the leadership of this famous commander, Kutuzov distinguished himself in the battles of Ryaba Mogila, Larga and in the famous battle on the Cahul River on July 21, 1770. After these victories, P.A. Rumyantsev was promoted to field marshal general and awarded the title of count with an honorary prefix to the surname “Zadunaisky”. Captain Kutuzov was not left without awards either. For his bravery in military operations, he was promoted by Rumyantsev to “chief quartermaster of the rank of prime major,” that is, having jumped over the rank of major, he was appointed to the headquarters of the 1st Army. Already in September 1770, sent to the 2nd Army P.I. Panin, who was besieging Bendery, Kutuzov distinguishes himself during the storming of the fortress and is confirmed in the premiership. A year later, for success and distinction in affairs against the enemy, he received the rank of lieutenant colonel.

Service under the command of the famous P.A. Rumyantsev was a good school for the future commander. Kutuzov gained invaluable experience in commanding military detachments and staff work. Mikhail Illarionovich also gained another sad, but no less valuable experience. The fact is that from a young age Kutuzov was distinguished by his ability to parody people. Often during officer feasts and get-togethers, his colleagues asked him to portray a nobleman or a general. Once, unable to resist, Kutuzov parodied his boss, P.A. Rumyantseva. Thanks to one well-wishing person, the careless joke became known to the Field Marshal. Having just received the title of count, Rumyantsev was angry and ordered the joker to be transferred to the Crimean Army. From that time on, still cheerful and sociable, Kutuzov began to restrain the impulses of his wit and remarkable mind, to hide his feelings under the guise of courtesy to everyone. Contemporaries began to call him cunning, secretive and distrustful. Oddly enough, it was precisely these qualities that later helped Kutuzov out more than once and became one of the reasons for the success of the commander-in-chief in the wars with the best commander in Europe - Napoleon Bonaparte.

In Crimea, Kutuzov is given the task of storming the fortified village of Shumy, near Alushta. When, during the attack, the Russian detachment faltered under enemy fire, Lieutenant Colonel Golenishchev-Kutuzov, with a banner in his hand, led the soldiers into the attack. He managed to drive the enemy out of the village, but the brave officer was seriously wounded. The bullet, “hitting him between the eye and temple, exited in the same place on the other side of the face,” the doctors wrote in official documents. It seemed that after such a wound it was no longer possible to survive, but Kutuzov miraculously not only did not lose his eye, but also survived. For his feat near the village of Shumy, Kutuzov was awarded the Order of St. George, 4th degree, and received a year's leave for treatment.

Kutuzov must be taken care of, he will be a great general for me.

- said Empress Catherine II.

Until 1777, Kutuzov underwent treatment abroad, after which he was promoted to colonel and appointed to command the Lugansk pike regiment. In peacetime between the two Turkish wars, he received the ranks of brigadier (1784) and major general (1784). During the famous maneuvers near Poltava (1786), during which the troops restored the course of the famous battle of 1709, Catherine II, addressing Kutuzov, said: “Thank you, Mr. General. From now on, you are considered among the best people among the most excellent generals.”

With the beginning of the 2nd Russian-Turkish War of 1787-1791. Major General M.I. Golenishchev-Kutuzov, at the head of a detachment of two light cavalry regiments and three Jaeger battalions, is sent to the disposal of A.V. Suvorov to defend the Kinburn fortress. Here, on October 1, 1787, he took part in the famous battle, during which a 5,000-strong Turkish landing force was destroyed. Then, under the command of Suvorov, General Kutuzov is among the army of G.A. Potemkin, besieging the Turkish fortress of Ochakov (1788). On August 18, while repelling an attack by the Turkish garrison, Major General Kutuzov was again wounded by a bullet in the head. The Austrian prince Charles de Ligne, who was at the headquarters of the Russian army, wrote about this to his master Joseph II: “This general received a wound in the head again yesterday, and if not today, then he will probably die tomorrow.”

The chief surgeon of the Russian army, Masso, who operated on Kutuzov, exclaimed:

It must be assumed that fate appoints Kutuzov to something great, for he remained alive after two wounds, fatal according to all the rules of medical science.

After a secondary wound to the head, Kutuzov’s right eye was damaged and his vision became even worse, which gave contemporaries a reason to call Mikhail Illarionovich “one-eyed.” This is where the legend came from that Kutuzov wore a bandage on his wounded eye. Meanwhile, in all lifetime and first posthumous images, Kutuzov is drawn with both eyes, although all portraits are made in the left profile - after being wounded, Kutuzov tried not to turn to his interlocutors and artists with his right side. For his distinction during the siege of Ochakov, Kutuzov was awarded the Order of St. Anne, 1st degree, and then the Order of St. Vladimir, 2nd degree.

Upon recovery, in May 1789, Kutuzov took command of a separate corps, with which he participated in the battle of Kaushany and in the capture of Akkerman and Bender. In 1790, General Golenishchev-Kutuzov took part in the famous assault on the Turkish fortress of Izmail under the command of A.V. Suvorov, where he first showed the best qualities of a military leader. Appointed head of the sixth assault column, he led an attack on the bastion at the Kilia Gate of the fortress. The column reached the ramparts and settled in it under fierce Turkish fire. Kutuzov sent a report to Suvorov about the need to retreat, but received in response an order to appoint Izmail as commandant. Having gathered a reserve, Kutuzov takes possession of the bastion, tears off the gates of the fortress and scatters the enemy with bayonet attacks. “I won’t see such a battle for a century,” the general wrote to his wife after the assault, “my hair stands on end. I don’t ask anyone in the camp who either died or is dying. My heart bled and burst into tears.”

When, after the victory, having assumed the position of commandant, Izmail Kutuzov asked Suvorov what his order about the position meant long before the capture of the fortress. "Nothing! - was the answer of the famous commander. - Golenishchev-Kutuzov knows Suvorov, and Suvorov knows Golenishchev-Kutuzov. If Izmail had not been taken, Suvorov would have died under its walls, and Golenishchev-Kutuzov too!” At the suggestion of Suvorov, Kutuzov was awarded the insignia of the Order of St. George, 3rd degree, for his distinction under Izmail.

The next year, 1791 - the last year in the war - brought new distinctions to Kutuzov. On June 4, commanding a detachment in the army of Chief General Prince N.V. Repnin, Kutuzov defeated the 22,000-strong Turkish corps of serasker Reshid Ahmed Pasha at Babadag, for which he was awarded the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky. On June 28, 1791, the brilliant actions of Kutuzov’s corps ensured the Russian army’s victory over the 80,000-strong army of Vizier Yusuf Pasha in the Battle of Machina. In a report to the Empress, Commander Prince Repnin noted: “The efficiency and intelligence of General Kutuzov surpasses all my praise.” This assessment served as the reason for awarding Golenishchev-Kutuzov the Order of St. George, 2nd degree.

Kutuzov greets the end of the Turkish campaign with the holder of six Russian orders with the rank of lieutenant general and with the reputation of one of the best military generals of the Russian army. However, assignments awaiting him are not only of a military nature.

In the spring of 1793, he was appointed ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to the Ottoman Empire. He is given the difficult diplomatic task of strengthening Russian influence in Istanbul and persuading the Turks to enter into an alliance with Russia and other European countries against France, where the revolution took place. Here the general’s qualities, which those around him noticed in him, came in handy. It was thanks to Kutuzov’s cunning, secrecy, courtesy and caution necessary when conducting diplomatic affairs that it was possible to achieve the eviction of French subjects from the Ottoman Empire, and Sultan Selim III not only remained neutral to the second partition of Poland (1793), but also inclined to join into a European anti-French alliance.

With the Sultan in friendship, i.e. In any case, he allows me praise and compliments... I made him happy. At the audience, he ordered me to show courtesy, which no ambassador had ever seen.

Letter from Kutuzov to his wife from Constantinople, 1793

When in 1798-1799 Türkiye will open passage through the straits for ships of the Russian squadron of Admiral F.F. Ushakov and will join the second anti-French coalition, this will be the undoubted merit of M.I. Kutuzova. This time, the general’s reward for the success of his diplomatic mission will be the award of nine farms and over 2 thousand serfs on the lands of the former Poland.

Catherine II highly valued Kutuzov. She was able to discern in him not only the talents of a commander and diplomat, but also his pedagogical talents. In 1794, Kutuzov was appointed director of the oldest military educational institution - the Land Noble Corps. While in this position during the reign of two monarchs, the general showed himself to be a talented leader and teacher. He improved the corps' finances, updated the curriculum, and personally taught the cadets tactics and military history. During Kutuzov's directorship, future heroes of the wars with Napoleon emerged from the walls of the Land Noble Corps - generals K.F. Tol, A.A. Pisarev, M.E. Khrapovitsky, Ya.N. Sazonov and the future “first militia of 1812” S.N. Glinka.

On November 6, 1796, Empress Catherine II died, and her son Pavel Petrovich ascended the Russian throne. Usually the reign of this monarch is painted in rather gloomy colors, but in the biography of M.I. Kutuzov does not show any tragic changes. On the contrary, thanks to his official zeal and leadership talents, he finds himself in the circle of people close to the emperor. On December 14, 1797, Kutuzov received one of his first assignments, the fulfillment of which drew the emperor’s attention to him. The director of the cadet corps is sent on a mission to Prussia. Its main purpose is to present congratulations to the Prussian King Frederick William III on the occasion of his accession to the throne. However, during the negotiations, Kutuzov had to persuade the Prussian monarch to participate in the anti-French coalition, which, as in Istanbul, he did brilliantly. As a result of Kutuzov's trip, some time later, in June 1800, Prussia signed an alliance treaty with the Russian Empire and joined the fight against the French Republic.

The success of the Berlin trip placed Kutuzov among the confidants of Emperor Paul I. He was awarded the rank of infantry general, and Kutuzov was appointed commander of the ground forces in Finland. Kutuzov is then appointed Lithuanian Governor-General and awarded the highest orders of the empire - St. John of Jerusalem (1799) and St. Andrew the First-Called (1800). Pavel's boundless trust in the talented general is confirmed by the fact that when he proposed to the monarchs to resolve all political contradictions with a knightly tournament, Pavel chose Kutuzov as his second. Mikhail Illarionovich was among the few guests who attended the last dinner with Paul I on the fateful evening from March 11 to 12, 1801.

Yesterday, my friend, I was with the sovereign and talked about business, thank God. He ordered me to stay for dinner and henceforth to go to lunch and dinner.

Letter from Kutuzov to his wife from Gatchina, 1801

Probably, closeness to the late crown-bearer was the reason for Kutuzov’s unexpected resignation from the post of St. Petersburg governor-general in 1802, given to him by the new ruler Alexander I. Kutuzov moved to his Volyn estates, where he lived for the next three years.

At this time, at the turn of the 18th-19th centuries, all of Europe lived in shock from the events that contemporaries called the Great French Revolution. Having overthrown the monarchy and sent the king and queen to the guillotine, the French, without expecting it themselves, opened a series of wars that swept across all European lands in a short time. Having interrupted all relations with the rebellious country, which declared itself a republic under Catherine, the Russian Empire entered into an armed struggle with France under Paul I as part of the second anti-French coalition. Having won significant victories on the fields of Italy and in the mountains of Switzerland, the Russian army under the command of Field Marshal Suvorov was forced to turn back due to political intrigues that unfolded in the ranks of the coalition. The new Russian monarch, Alexander I, understood perfectly well that the growth of French power would be the cause of constant instability in Europe. In 1802, the first consul of the French Republic, Napoleon Bonaparte, was proclaimed ruler for life, and two years later he was elected emperor of the French nation. On December 2, 1804, during the solemn coronation of Napoleon, France was proclaimed an empire.

These events could not leave European monarchs indifferent. With the active participation of Alexander I, the Austrian emperor and the British prime minister, a third anti-French coalition was formed, and in 1805 a new war began.

Taking advantage of the fact that the main forces of the French Grande Armee (La Grande Armee) were concentrated on the northern coast for the invasion of the British Isles, the 72,000-strong Austrian army of Field Marshal Karl Mack invaded Bavaria. In response to this action, French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte begins a unique operation to transfer corps from the English Channel coast to Germany. In unstoppable streams, seven corps for 35 days, instead of the 64 planned by the Austrian strategists, move along the roads of Europe. One of Napoleonic generals described the state of the French armed forces in 1805: “Never in France has there been such a powerful army. Although the brave men, eight hundred thousand of whom in the first years of the war for freedom (the war of the French Revolution of 1792-1799 - N.K.) rose to the call “The Fatherland is in danger!” were endowed with greater virtues, but the soldiers of 1805 had more experience and training. Everyone in his rank knew his business better than in 1794. The imperial army was better organized, better supplied with money, clothing, weapons and ammunition than the army of the republic."

As a result of maneuverable actions, the French managed to encircle the Austrian army near the city of Ulm. Field Marshal Mack capitulated. Austria turned out to be unarmed, and now the Russian troops had to face the well-oiled mechanism of the Grand Army. Alexander I sent two Russian armies to Austria: the 1st Podolsk and 2nd Volyn under the overall command of infantry general M.I. Golenishcheva-Kutuzova. As a result of Makk's unsuccessful actions, the Podolsk army found itself face to face with a formidable, superior enemy.

Kutuzov in 1805
From a portrait of the artist S. Cardelli

In this situation, Commander-in-Chief Kutuzov made the only right decision, which would later help him out more than once: after exhausting the enemy with rearguard battles, retreat to join the Volyn army deep into the Austrian lands, thus stretching the enemy’s communications. During the rearguard battles near Krems, Amstetten and Schöngraben, the rearguard detachments of the Russian army managed to hold back the advance of the advanced French divisions. In the battle of Shengraben on November 16, 1805, the rearguard under the command of Prince P.I. During the day Bagration held back the onslaught of the French under the command of Marshal Murat. As a result of the battle, Lieutenant General Bagration was awarded the Order of St. George, 2nd degree, and the Pavlograd Hussar Regiment was awarded the St. George Standard. This was the first collective award in the history of the Russian army.

Thanks to the chosen strategy, Kutuzov managed to withdraw the Podolsk army from the enemy’s attack. On November 25, 1805, Russian and Austrian troops united near the city of Olmutz. Now the Allied high command could think about a general battle with Napoleon. Historians call the Kutuzov retreat (“retirade”) “one of the most remarkable examples of strategic march maneuver,” and contemporaries compared it with the famous “Anabasis” of Xenophon. A few months later, for a successful retreat, Kutuzov was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir, 1st degree.

Thus, by the beginning of December 1805, the armies of the two warring sides found themselves facing each other near the village of Austerlitz and began to prepare for a general battle. Thanks to the strategy chosen by Kutuzov, the combined Russian-Austrian army numbered 85 thousand people with 250 guns. Napoleon could oppose his 72.5 thousand soldiers, while having an advantage in artillery - 330 guns. Both sides were eager for battle: Napoleon sought to defeat the allied army before the arrival of Austrian reinforcements from Italy, the Russian and Austrian emperors wanted to receive the laurels of the winners of the hitherto invincible commander. Of the entire allied generals, only one general spoke out against the battle - M.I. Kutuzov. True, Mikhail Illarionovich took a wait-and-see attitude, not daring to directly express his opinion to the sovereign.

Alexander I about Austerlitz:

I was young and inexperienced. Kutuzov told me that he should have acted differently, but he should have been more persistent.

The dual position of Mikhail Illarionovich can be understood: on the one hand, by the will of the autocrat, he is the commander-in-chief of the Russian army, on the other, the presence on the battlefield of two monarchs with supreme power shackled any initiative of the commander.

Hence the famous dialogue between Kutuzov and Alexander I at the very beginning of the Battle of Austerlitz on December 2, 1805:

- Mikhailo Larionovich! Why don't you move forward?

I'm waiting for all the troops in the column to gather.

After all, we are not on Tsaritsyn Meadow, where the parade does not begin until all the regiments arrive.

Sir, that’s why I’m not starting, because we’re not in Tsarina’s meadow. However, if you order!

As a result, on the hills and ravines of Austerlitz, the Russian-Austrian army suffered a crushing defeat, which meant the end of the entire anti-French coalition. Allied losses were about 15 thousand killed and wounded, 20 thousand prisoners and 180 guns. French losses were 1,290 killed and 6,943 wounded. Austerlitz turned out to be the first defeat of the Russian army in 100 years.

Monument to Kutuzov in Moscow
Sculptor N.V. Tomsk

However, Alexander highly appreciated the work of Golenishchev-Kutuzov and his diligence shown in the campaign. After returning to Russia, he is appointed to the honorary position of Kyiv Governor-General. In this post, the infantry general proved himself to be a talented administrator and active leader. Remaining in Kyiv until the spring of 1811, Kutuzov never ceased to closely monitor the course of European politics, gradually becoming convinced of the inevitability of a military clash between the Russian and French empires.

The “thunderstorm of the twelfth year” was becoming inevitable. By 1811, the clash between the hegemonic claims of France, on the one hand, and Russia and its partners in the anti-French coalition, on the other, made another Russian-French war likely. The conflict between Russia and France over the continental blockade made it inevitable. In such a situation, the entire potential of the empire should have been aimed at preparing for the coming clash, but the protracted war with Turkey in the south of 1806 - 1812. diverted military and financial reserves.

You will render the greatest service to Russia by hastily concluding peace with the Porte,” Alexander I wrote to Kutuzov. - I most convincingly encourage you to love your fatherland and direct all your attention and efforts to achieving your goal. Glory to you will be eternal.

Portrait of M.I. Kutuzova
Artist J. Doe

In April 1811, the tsar appointed Kutuzov commander-in-chief of the Moldavian army. The 60,000-strong corps of the Grand Vizier of Turkey, Ahmed Reshid Pasha, acted against her - the same one whom Kutuzov defeated in the summer of 1791 at Babadag. On June 22, 1811, with only 15 thousand soldiers, the new commander-in-chief of the Moldavian army attacked the enemy near the city of Ruschuk. By noon, the Grand Vizier admitted himself defeated and retreated to the city. Kutuzov, contrary to general opinion, decided not to storm the city, but withdrew his troops to the other bank of the Danube. He sought to instill in the enemy the idea of ​​his weakness and force him to begin crossing the river, in order to then defeat the Turks in a field battle. The blockade of Rushchuk undertaken by Kutuzov reduced the food supplies of the Turkish garrison, forcing Ahmed Pasha to take decisive action.

Further, Kutuzov acted like Suvorov, “not with numbers, but with skill.” Having received reinforcements, the general from the infantry, with the support of the ships of the Danube flotilla, began crossing to the Turkish bank of the Danube. Ahmed Pasha found himself under double fire from the Russians from land and sea. The Rushchuk garrison was forced to leave the city, and the Turkish field troops were defeated in the battle of Slobodzeya.

After these victories, lengthy diplomatic negotiations began. And here Kutuzov showed the best qualities of a diplomat. He managed, with the help of tricks and cunning, to achieve the signing of a peace treaty in Bucharest on May 16, 1812. Russia annexed Bessarabia, and the 52,000-strong Moldavian army was released to fight Napoleon’s invasion. It was these troops that in November 1812 would inflict the final defeat on the Berezina to the Great Army. On July 29, 1812, when the war with Napoleon was already underway, Alexander elevated Kutuzov and all his offspring to the dignity of count.

The new war with Napoleon, which began on June 12, 1812, presented the Russian state with a choice: win or disappear. The first stage of military operations, marked by the retreat of the Russian armies from the border, aroused criticism and indignation in the dignitary society of St. Petersburg. Dissatisfied with the actions of the Commander-in-Chief and Minister of War M.B. Barclay de Tolly, the bureaucratic world discussed the possible candidacy of his successor. Created by the tsar for this purpose, the Extraordinary Committee of the highest ranks of the empire determined its choice of candidate for commander-in-chief, based “on well-known experience in the art of war, excellent talents, as well as seniority itself.” It was precisely on the basis of the principle of seniority in the rank of full general that the Emergency Committee chose 67-year-old M.I. Kutuzov, who at his age turned out to be the most senior infantry general. His candidacy was proposed to the king for approval. To his adjutant general E.F. Regarding the appointment of Kutuzov, Alexander Pavlovich said the following to Komarovsky: “The public wanted his appointment, I appointed him. As for me, I wash my hands of it.” On August 8, 1812, the highest rescript was issued on the appointment of Kutuzov as commander-in-chief in the war with Napoleon.

Kutuzov arrived to the troops when the main strategy of the war had already been developed by his predecessor Barclay de Tolly. Mikhail Illarionovich understood that retreating deeper into the territory of the empire had its positive aspects. Firstly, Napoleon is forced to act in several strategic directions, which leads to the dispersion of his forces. Secondly, the climatic conditions of Russia mowed down the French army no less than the battles with Russian troops. Of the 440 thousand soldiers who crossed the border in June 1812, by the end of August only 133 thousand were operating in the main direction. But even this balance of forces forced Kutuzov to be careful. He understood perfectly well that the true art of military leadership is manifested in the ability to force the enemy to play by his own rules. In addition, he did not want to take risks, not having an overwhelming superiority in manpower over Napoleon. Meanwhile, the commander was also aware that he had been appointed to a high post with the hope that a general battle would be fought, which everyone demanded: the tsar, the nobility, the army, and the people. Such a battle, the first during Kutuzov’s command, was fought on August 26, 1812, 120 km from Moscow near the village of Borodino.

Having 115 thousand fighters on the field (not counting the Cossacks and militia, but a total of 154.6 thousand) against Napoleon’s 127 thousand, Kutuzov adopts passive tactics. Its goal is to repel all enemy attacks, inflicting as many losses as possible. In principle, it gave its results. In attacks on Russian fortifications, which were abandoned during the battle, French troops lost 28.1 thousand people killed and wounded, including 49 generals. True, the losses of the Russian army were significantly superior - 45.6 thousand people, of which 29 generals.

In this situation, a repeated battle directly at the walls of the ancient Russian capital would result in the extermination of the main Russian army. On September 1, 1812, a historic meeting of the Russian generals took place in the village of Fili. Barclay de Tolly spoke first, expressing his opinion on the need to continue the retreat and leave Moscow to the enemy: “By preserving Moscow, Russia is not saved from a war, cruel and ruinous. But having saved the army, the hopes of the Fatherland are not yet destroyed, and the war can continue with convenience: the troops being prepared will have time to join from different places outside Moscow.” An opposite opinion was also expressed about the need to fight a new battle directly at the walls of the capital. The votes of the top generals were divided approximately equally. The opinion of the commander-in-chief was decisive, and Kutuzov, giving everyone the opportunity to speak, supported Barclay’s position:

I know that responsibility will fall on me, but I sacrifice myself for the good of the Fatherland. I command you to retreat!

Mikhail Illarionovich knew that he was going against the opinion of the army, the tsar and society, but he understood perfectly well that Moscow would become a trap for Napoleon. On September 2, 1812, French troops entered Moscow, and the Russian army, having completed the famous march-maneuver, broke away from the enemy and settled in a camp near the village of Tarutino, where reinforcements and food began to flock. Thus, Napoleonic troops stood for about a month in the captured but burned Russian capital, and Kutuzov’s Main Army was preparing for a decisive battle with the invaders. In Tarutino, the commander-in-chief begins to form partisan parties in large numbers, which blocked all roads from Moscow, depriving the enemy of supplies. In addition, Kutuzov delayed negotiations with the French emperor, in the hope that time would force Napoleon to leave Moscow. In the Tarutino camp, Kutuzov prepared the army for the winter campaign. By mid-October, the balance of forces in the entire theater of war had changed dramatically in favor of Russia. By this time, Napoleon had about 116 thousand in Moscow, and Kutuzov had 130 thousand regular troops alone. Already on October 6, the first offensive battle of the Russian and French vanguards took place near Tarutin, in which victory was on the side of the Russian troops. The next day, Napoleon left Moscow and tried to break through to the south along the Kaluga Road.

On October 12, 1812, near the city of Maloyaroslavets, the Russian army blocked the enemy’s path. During the battle, the city changed hands 4 times, but all French attacks were repulsed. For the first time in this war, Napoleon was forced to leave the battlefield and begin a retreat towards the Old Smolensk Road, the area around which had been devastated during the summer offensive. From this moment the final stage of the Patriotic War begins. Here Kutuzov used a new persecution tactic - “parallel march”. Having surrounded the French troops with flying partisan parties, which constantly attacked convoys and lagging units, he led his troops parallel to the Smolensk road, preventing the enemy from turning off it. The catastrophe of the “Great Army” was complemented by early frosts, unusual for Europeans. During this march, the Russian vanguard clashed with French troops at Gzhatsk, Vyazma, Krasny, inflicting great damage on the enemy. As a result, Napoleon's number of combat-ready troops decreased, and the number of soldiers who abandoned their weapons and turned into gangs of marauders grew.

On November 14-17, 1812, the final blow was dealt to the retreating French army on the Berezina River, near Borisov. After the crossing and battle on both banks of the river, Napoleon had only 8,800 soldiers left. This was the end of the “Great Army” and the triumph of M.I. Kutuzov as a commander and “savior of the fatherland.” However, the labors incurred in the campaign and the great responsibility that constantly hung over the commander-in-chief had a negative impact on his health. At the beginning of a new campaign against Napoleonic France, Kutuzov died in the German city of Bunzlau on April 16, 1813.

Contribution of M.I. Golenishchev-Kutuzov’s contribution to the art of war is now assessed differently. However, the most objective is the opinion expressed by the famous historian E.V. Tarle: “The agony of the Napoleonic world monarchy lasted an unusually long time. But the Russian people inflicted a mortal wound on the world conqueror in 1812.” An important note should be added to this: under the leadership of M.I. Kutuzova.

KOPYLOV N.A., candidate of historical sciences, associate professor at MGIMO (U), member of the Russian Military Historical Society

Literature

M.I. Kutuzov. Letters, notes. M., 1989

Shishov A. Kutuzov. M., 2012

Bragin M. M.I. Kutuzov. M., 1990

Savior of the Fatherland: Kutuzov - without the textbook gloss. Homeland. 1995

Troitsky N.A. 1812. The Great Year of Russia. M., 1989

Gulyaev Yu.N., Soglaev V.T. Field Marshal Kutuzov. M., 1995

Commander Kutuzov. Sat. Art., M., 1955

Zhilin P.A. Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov: Life and military leadership. M., 1983

Zhilin P.A. Patriotic War of 1812. M., 1988

Zhilin P.A. The death of Napoleonic army in Russia. M., 1994

Internet

Suvorov Alexander Vasilievich

The great Russian commander, who did not suffer a single defeat in his military career (more than 60 battles), one of the founders of Russian military art.
Prince of Italy (1799), Count of Rymnik (1789), Count of the Holy Roman Empire, Generalissimo of the Russian land and naval forces, Field Marshal of the Austrian and Sardinian troops, Grandee of the Kingdom of Sardinia and Prince of the Royal Blood (with the title "King's cousin"), Knight of all Russian orders of their time, awarded to men, as well as many foreign military orders.

Suvorov Alexander Vasilievich

For the highest art of military leadership and immeasurable love for the Russian soldier

Khvorostinin Dmitry Ivanovich

An outstanding commander of the second half of the 16th century. Oprichnik.
Genus. OK. 1520, died on August 7 (17), 1591. At voivode posts since 1560. Participant in almost all military enterprises during the independent reign of Ivan IV and the reign of Fyodor Ioannovich. He has won several field battles (including: the defeat of the Tatars near Zaraisk (1570), the Battle of Molodinsk (during the decisive battle he led Russian troops in Gulyai-gorod), the defeat of the Swedes at Lyamitsa (1582) and near Narva ( 1590)). He led the suppression of the Cheremis uprising in 1583-1584, for which he received the rank of boyar.
Based on the totality of merits of D.I. Khvorostinin stands much higher than what M.I. has already proposed here. Vorotynsky. Vorotynsky was more noble and therefore he was more often entrusted with the general leadership of the regiments. But, according to the commander’s talats, he was far from Khvorostinin.

Eremenko Andrey Ivanovich

Commander of the Stalingrad and South-Eastern Fronts. The fronts under his command in the summer and autumn of 1942 stopped the advance of the German 6th field and 4th tank armies towards Stalingrad.
In December 1942, the Stalingrad Front of General Eremenko stopped the tank offensive of General G. Hoth's group on Stalingrad, for the relief of the 6th Army of Paulus.

Yaroslav the Wise

Rurik Svyatoslav Igorevich

Year of birth 942 date of death 972 Expansion of state borders. 965 conquest of the Khazars, 963 march south to the Kuban region, capture of Tmutarakan, 969 conquest of the Volga Bulgars, 971 conquest of the Bulgarian kingdom, 968 founding of Pereyaslavets on the Danube (the new capital of Rus'), 969 defeat of the Pechenegs in the defense of Kyiv.

Ivan III Vasilievich

He united the Russian lands around Moscow and threw off the hated Tatar-Mongol yoke.

Bennigsen Leonty Leontievich

Surprisingly, a Russian general who did not speak Russian, became the glory of Russian weapons of the early 19th century.

He made a significant contribution to the suppression of the Polish uprising.

Commander-in-Chief in the Battle of Tarutino.

He made a significant contribution to the campaign of 1813 (Dresden and Leipzig).

Paskevich Ivan Fedorovich

Hero of Borodin, Leipzig, Paris (division commander)
As commander-in-chief, he won 4 companies (Russian-Persian 1826-1828, Russian-Turkish 1828-1829, Polish 1830-1831, Hungarian 1849).
Knight of the Order of St. George, 1st degree - for the capture of Warsaw (the order, according to the statute, was awarded either for the salvation of the fatherland, or for the capture of the enemy capital).
Field Marshal.

Karyagin Pavel Mikhailovich

Colonel, chief of the 17th Jaeger Regiment. He showed himself most clearly in the Persian Company of 1805; when, with a detachment of 500 people, surrounded by a 20,000-strong Persian army, he resisted it for three weeks, not only repelling the attacks of the Persians with honor, but taking fortresses himself, and finally, with a detachment of 100 people, he made his way to Tsitsianov, who was coming to his aid.

Baklanov Yakov Petrovich

The Cossack general, “the thunderstorm of the Caucasus,” Yakov Petrovich Baklanov, one of the most colorful heroes of the endless Caucasian War of the century before last, fits perfectly into the image of Russia familiar to the West. A gloomy two-meter hero, a tireless persecutor of highlanders and Poles, an enemy of political correctness and democracy in all its manifestations. But it was precisely these people who achieved the most difficult victory for the empire in the long-term confrontation with the inhabitants of the North Caucasus and the unkind local nature

Chuikov Vasily Ivanovich

Soviet military leader, Marshal of the Soviet Union (1955). Twice Hero of the Soviet Union (1944, 1945).
From 1942 to 1946, commander of the 62nd Army (8th Guards Army), which particularly distinguished itself in the Battle of Stalingrad. He took part in defensive battles on the distant approaches to Stalingrad. From September 12, 1942, he commanded the 62nd Army. IN AND. Chuikov received the task of defending Stalingrad at any cost. The front command believed that Lieutenant General Chuikov was characterized by such positive qualities as determination and firmness, courage and a great operational outlook, a high sense of responsibility and consciousness of his duty. The army, under the command of V.I. Chuikov, became famous for the heroic six-month defense of Stalingrad in street fighting in a completely destroyed city, fighting on isolated bridgeheads on the banks of the wide Volga.

For the unprecedented mass heroism and steadfastness of its personnel, in April 1943, the 62nd Army received the honorary title of Guards and became known as the 8th Guards Army.

Nakhimov Pavel Stepanovich

Shein Mikhail Borisovich

Voivode Shein is a hero and leader of the unprecedented defense of Smolensk in 1609-16011. This fortress decided a lot in the fate of Russia!

Suvorov Alexander Vasilievich

according to the only criterion - invincibility.

Chernyakhovsky Ivan Danilovich

The only commander who carried out the order of Headquarters on June 22, 1941, counterattacked the Germans, drove them back in his sector and went on the offensive.

Saltykov Petr Semenovich

One of those commanders who managed to inflict exemplary defeats on one of the best commanders in Europe in the 18th century - Frederick II of Prussia

Kappel Vladimir Oskarovich

Without exaggeration, he is the best commander of Admiral Kolchak’s army. Under his command, Russia's gold reserves were captured in Kazan in 1918. At 36 years old, he was a lieutenant general, commander of the Eastern Front. The Siberian Ice Campaign is associated with this name. In January 1920, he led 30,000 Kappelites to Irkutsk to capture Irkutsk and free the Supreme Ruler of Russia, Admiral Kolchak, from captivity. The general's death from pneumonia largely determined the tragic outcome of this campaign and the death of the Admiral...

Romanov Pyotr Alekseevich

During the endless discussions about Peter I as a politician and reformer, it is unfairly forgotten that he was the greatest commander of his time. He was not only an excellent organizer of the rear. In the two most important battles of the Northern War (the battles of Lesnaya and Poltava), he not only himself developed battle plans, but also personally led the troops, being in the most important, responsible directions.
The only commander I know of who was equally talented in both land and sea battles.
The main thing is that Peter I created a domestic military school. If all the great commanders of Russia are the heirs of Suvorov, then Suvorov himself is the heir of Peter.
The Battle of Poltava was one of the greatest (if not the greatest) victory in Russian history. In all other great aggressive invasions of Russia, the general battle did not have a decisive outcome, and the struggle dragged on, leading to exhaustion. It was only in the Northern War that the general battle radically changed the state of affairs, and from the attacking side the Swedes became the defending side, decisively losing the initiative.
I believe that Peter I deserves to be in the top three on the list of the best commanders of Russia.

Kazarsky Alexander Ivanovich

Captain-lieutenant. Participant in the Russian-Turkish war of 1828-29. He distinguished himself during the capture of Anapa, then Varna, commanding the transport "Rival". After this, he was promoted to lieutenant commander and appointed captain of the brig Mercury. On May 14, 1829, the 18-gun brig Mercury was overtaken by two Turkish battleships Selimiye and Real Bey. Having accepted an unequal battle, the brig was able to immobilize both Turkish flagships, one of which contained the commander of the Ottoman fleet. Subsequently, an officer from the Real Bay wrote: “During the continuation of the battle, the commander of the Russian frigate (the notorious Raphael, which surrendered without a fight a few days earlier) told me that the captain of this brig would not surrender, and if he lost hope, then he would blow up the brig If in the great deeds of ancient and modern times there are feats of courage, then this act should overshadow all of them, and the name of this hero is worthy of being inscribed in gold letters on the Temple of Glory: he is called captain-lieutenant Kazarsky, and the brig is “Mercury”

Budyonny Semyon Mikhailovich

Commander of the First Cavalry Army of the Red Army during the Civil War. The First Cavalry Army, which he led until October 1923, played an important role in a number of major operations of the Civil War to defeat the troops of Denikin and Wrangel in Northern Tavria and Crimea.

Nakhimov Pavel Stepanovich

Successes in the Crimean War of 1853-56, victory in the Battle of Sinop in 1853, defense of Sevastopol 1854-55.

Kuznetsov Nikolay Gerasimovich

He made a great contribution to strengthening the fleet before the war; conducted a number of major exercises, initiated the opening of new maritime schools and maritime special schools (later Nakhimov schools). On the eve of Germany's surprise attack on the USSR, he took effective measures to increase the combat readiness of the fleets, and on the night of June 22, he gave the order to bring them to full combat readiness, which made it possible to avoid losses of ships and naval aviation.

Peter the First

Because he not only conquered the lands of his fathers, but also established the status of Russia as a power!

Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich

He led the armed struggle of the Soviet people in the war against Germany and its allies and satellites, as well as in the war against Japan.
Led the Red Army to Berlin and Port Arthur.

John 4 Vasilievich

Baklanov Yakov Petrovich

An outstanding strategist and a mighty warrior, he achieved respect and fear of his name among the uncovered mountaineers, who had forgotten the iron grip of the “Thunderstorm of the Caucasus”. At the moment - Yakov Petrovich, an example of the spiritual strength of a Russian soldier in front of the proud Caucasus. His talent crushed the enemy and minimized the time frame of the Caucasian War, for which he received the nickname “Boklu”, akin to the devil for his fearlessness.

Ermolov Alexey Petrovich

Hero of the Napoleonic Wars and the Patriotic War of 1812. Conqueror of the Caucasus. A smart strategist and tactician, a strong-willed and brave warrior.

Romanov Alexander I Pavlovich

The de facto commander-in-chief of the allied armies that liberated Europe in 1813-1814. "He took Paris, he founded the Lyceum." The Great Leader who crushed Napoleon himself. (The shame of Austerlitz is not comparable to the tragedy of 1941)

Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich

Blucher, Tukhachevsky

Blucher, Tukhachevsky and the whole galaxy of heroes of the Civil War. Don't forget Budyonny!

Slashchev-Krymsky Yakov Alexandrovich

Defense of Crimea in 1919-20. “The Reds are my enemies, but they did the main thing - my job: they revived great Russia!” (General Slashchev-Krymsky).

Senyavin Dmitry Nikolaevich

Dmitry Nikolaevich Senyavin (6 (17) August 1763 - 5 (17) April 1831) - Russian naval commander, admiral.
for courage and outstanding diplomatic work shown during the blockade of the Russian fleet in Lisbon

Denikin Anton Ivanovich

One of the most talented and successful commanders of the First World War. Coming from a poor family, he made a brilliant military career, relying solely on his own virtues. Member of the RYAV, WWI, graduate of the Nikolaev Academy of the General Staff. He fully realized his talent while commanding the legendary “Iron” brigade, which was then expanded into a division. Participant and one of the main characters of the Brusilov breakthrough. He remained a man of honor even after the collapse of the army, a Bykhov prisoner. Member of the ice campaign and commander of the AFSR. For more than a year and a half, possessing very modest resources and much inferior in numbers to the Bolsheviks, he won victory after victory, liberating a vast territory.
Also, do not forget that Anton Ivanovich is a wonderful and very successful publicist, and his books are still very popular. An extraordinary, talented commander, an honest Russian man in difficult times for the Motherland, who was not afraid to light a torch of hope.

Chuikov Vasily Ivanovich

Commander of the 62nd Army in Stalingrad.

Izylmetyev Ivan Nikolaevich

Commanded the frigate "Aurora". He made the transition from St. Petersburg to Kamchatka in a record time for those times in 66 days. In Callao Bay he eluded the Anglo-French squadron. Arriving in Petropavlovsk together with the governor of the Kamchatka Territory, Zavoiko V. organized the defense of the city, during which the sailors from the Aurora, together with local residents, threw the outnumbered Anglo-French landing force into the sea. Then he took the Aurora to the Amur Estuary, hiding it there After these events, the British public demanded a trial of the admirals who lost the Russian frigate.

Rokhlin Lev Yakovlevich

He headed the 8th Guards Army Corps in Chechnya. Under his leadership, a number of districts of Grozny were captured, including the presidential palace. For participation in the Chechen campaign, he was nominated for the title of Hero of the Russian Federation, but refused to accept it, stating that “he has no moral right to receive this award for military operations on his own territory.” countries".

Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich

“I studied I.V. Stalin thoroughly as a military leader, since I went through the entire war with him. I.V. Stalin knew the issues of organizing front-line operations and operations of groups of fronts and led them with full knowledge of the matter, having a good understanding of large strategic questions...
In leading the armed struggle as a whole, J.V. Stalin was helped by his natural intelligence and rich intuition. He knew how to find the main link in a strategic situation and, seizing on it, counter the enemy, carry out one or another major offensive operation. Undoubtedly, he was a worthy Supreme Commander."

(Zhukov G.K. Memories and reflections.)

Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich

Personally took part in the planning and implementation of ALL offensive and defensive operations of the Red Army in the period 1941 - 1945.

Gorbaty-Shuisky Alexander Borisovich

Hero of the Kazan War, first governor of Kazan

Prince Svyatoslav

Yudenich Nikolai Nikolaevich

One of the most successful generals in Russia during the First World War. The Erzurum and Sarakamysh operations carried out by him on the Caucasian front, carried out in extremely unfavorable conditions for Russian troops, and ending in victories, I believe, deserve to be included among the brightest victories of Russian weapons. In addition, Nikolai Nikolaevich stood out for his modesty and decency, lived and died as an honest Russian officer, and remained faithful to the oath to the end.

Kornilov Lavr Georgievich

KORNILOV Lavr Georgievich (08/18/1870-04/31/1918) Colonel (02/1905). Major General (12/1912). Lieutenant General (08/26/1914). Infantry General (06/30/1917). Graduated from the Mikhailovsky Artillery School (1892) and with a gold medal from the Nikolaev Academy of the General Staff (1898). Officer at the headquarters of the Turkestan Military District, 1889-1904. Participant in the Russian-Japanese War 1904 - 1905: staff officer of the 1st Infantry Brigade (at its headquarters). During the retreat from Mukden, the brigade got surrounded. Having led the rearguard, he broke through the encirclement with a bayonet attack, ensuring freedom of defensive combat operations for the brigade. Military attaché in China, 04/01/1907 - 02/24/1911. Participant in the First World War: commander of the 48th Infantry Division of the 8th Army (General Brusilov). During the general retreat, the 48th Division was surrounded and General Kornilov, who was wounded, was captured on 04.1915 at the Duklinsky Pass (Carpathians); 08.1914-04.1915. Captured by the Austrians, 04.1915-06.1916. Dressed in the uniform of an Austrian soldier, he escaped from captivity on 06/1915. Commander of the 25th Rifle Corps, 06/1916-04/1917. Commander of the Petrograd Military District, 03-04/1917. Commander of the 8th Army, 04/24-07/8/1917. On 05/19/1917, by his order, he introduced the formation of the first volunteer “1st Shock Detachment of the 8th Army” under the command of Captain Nezhentsev. Commander of the Southwestern Front...

Rokossovsky Konstantin Konstantinovich

Zhukov Georgy Konstantinovich

He made the greatest contribution as a strategist to the victory in the Great Patriotic War (aka World War II).

Alekseev Mikhail Vasilievich

Outstanding employee of the Russian Academy of the General Staff. Developer and implementer of the Galician operation - the first brilliant victory of the Russian army in the Great War.
Saved the troops of the North-Western Front from encirclement during the “Great Retreat” of 1915.
Chief of Staff of the Russian Armed Forces in 1916-1917.
Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Army in 1917
Developed and implemented strategic plans for offensive operations in 1916 - 1917.
He continued to defend the need to preserve the Eastern Front after 1917 (the Volunteer Army is the basis of the new Eastern Front in the ongoing Great War).
Slandered and slandered in relation to various so-called. “Masonic military lodges”, “conspiracy of generals against the Sovereign”, etc., etc. - in terms of emigrant and modern historical journalism.

It is certainly worthy; in my opinion, no explanation or evidence is required. It's surprising that his name isn't on the list. was the list prepared by representatives of the Unified State Examination generation?

Skopin-Shuisky Mikhail Vasilievich

During his short military career, he knew practically no failures, both in battles with the troops of I. Boltnikov, and with the Polish-Liovian and “Tushino” troops. The ability to build a combat-ready army practically from scratch, train, use Swedish mercenaries in place and at the time, select successful Russian command cadres for the liberation and defense of the vast territory of the Russian northwestern region and the liberation of central Russia, persistent and systematic offensive, skillful tactics in fight against the magnificent Polish-Lithuanian cavalry, undoubted personal courage - these are the qualities that, despite the little-known nature of his deeds, give him the right to be called the Great Commander of Russia.

Dzhugashvili Joseph Vissarionovich

Assembled and coordinated the actions of a team of talented military leaders

Shein Mikhail

Hero of the Smolensk Defense of 1609-11.
He led the Smolensk fortress under siege for almost 2 years, it was one of the longest siege campaigns in Russian history, which predetermined the defeat of the Poles during the Time of Troubles

Petrov Ivan Efimovich

Defense of Odessa, Defense of Sevastopol, Liberation of Slovakia

Margelov Vasily Filippovich

Creator of modern airborne forces. When the BMD with its crew parachuted for the first time, its commander was his son. In my opinion, this fact speaks about such a wonderful person as V.F. Margelov, that's it. About his devotion to the Airborne Forces!

Platov Matvey Ivanovich

Military Ataman of the Don Cossack Army. He began active military service at the age of 13. A participant in several military campaigns, he is best known as the commander of Cossack troops during the Patriotic War of 1812 and during the subsequent Foreign Campaign of the Russian Army. Thanks to the successful actions of the Cossacks under his command, Napoleon’s saying went down in history:
- Happy is the commander who has Cossacks. If I had an army of only Cossacks, I would conquer all of Europe.

Pozharsky Dmitry Mikhailovich

In 1612, during the most difficult time for Russia, he led the Russian militia and liberated the capital from the hands of the conquerors.
Prince Dmitry Mikhailovich Pozharsky (November 1, 1578 - April 30, 1642) - Russian national hero, military and political figure, head of the Second People's Militia, which liberated Moscow from the Polish-Lithuanian occupiers. His name and the name of Kuzma Minin are closely associated with the country’s exit from the Time of Troubles, which is currently celebrated in Russia on November 4th.
After the election of Mikhail Fedorovich to the Russian throne, D. M. Pozharsky plays a leading role at the royal court as a talented military leader and statesman. Despite the victory of the people's militia and the election of the Tsar, the war in Russia still continued. In 1615-1616. Pozharsky, on the instructions of the tsar, was sent at the head of a large army to fight the detachments of the Polish colonel Lisovsky, who besieged the city of Bryansk and took Karachev. After the fight with Lisovsky, the tsar instructs Pozharsky in the spring of 1616 to collect the fifth money from merchants into the treasury, since the wars did not stop and the treasury was depleted. In 1617, the tsar instructed Pozharsky to conduct diplomatic negotiations with the English ambassador John Merik, appointing Pozharsky as governor of Kolomensky. In the same year, the Polish prince Vladislav came to the Moscow state. Residents of Kaluga and its neighboring cities turned to the tsar with a request to send them D. M. Pozharsky to protect them from the Poles. The Tsar fulfilled the request of the Kaluga residents and gave an order to Pozharsky on October 18, 1617 to protect Kaluga and surrounding cities by all available measures. Prince Pozharsky fulfilled the tsar's order with honor. Having successfully defended Kaluga, Pozharsky received an order from the tsar to go to the aid of Mozhaisk, namely to the city of Borovsk, and began to harass the troops of Prince Vladislav with flying detachments, causing them significant damage. However, at the same time, Pozharsky became very ill and, at the behest of the tsar, returned to Moscow. Pozharsky, having barely recovered from his illness, took an active part in defending the capital from Vladislav’s troops, for which Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich awarded him new fiefs and estates.

Nevsky Alexander Yaroslavich

He defeated the Swedish detachment on July 15, 1240 on the Neva and the Teutonic Order, the Danes in the Battle of the Ice on April 5, 1242. All his life he “won, but was invincible.” He played an exceptional role in Russian history during that dramatic period when Rus' was attacked by three sides - the Catholic West, Lithuania and the Golden Horde. Defended Orthodoxy from Catholic expansion. Revered as a pious saint. http://www.pravoslavie.ru/put/39091.htm

Monomakh Vladimir Vsevolodovich

Svyatoslav Igorevich

I would like to propose the “candidacies” of Svyatoslav and his father, Igor, as the greatest commanders and political leaders of their time, I think that there is no point in listing to historians their services to the fatherland, I was unpleasantly surprised not to see their names on this list. Sincerely.

Kotlyarevsky Petr Stepanovich

General Kotlyarevsky, son of a priest in the village of Olkhovatki, Kharkov province. He worked his way up from a private to a general in the tsarist army. He can be called the great-grandfather of Russian special forces. He carried out truly unique operations... His name is worthy of being included in the list of the greatest commanders of Russia

Momyshuly Bauyrzhan

Fidel Castro called him a hero of World War II.
He brilliantly put into practice the tactics of fighting with small forces against an enemy many times superior in strength, developed by Major General I.V. Panfilov, which later received the name “Momyshuly’s spiral.”

Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich

Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the USSR during the Great Patriotic War. Under his leadership, the Red Army crushed fascism.

Barclay de Tolly Mikhail Bogdanovich

Full Knight of the Order of St. George. In the history of military art, according to Western authors (for example: J. Witter), he entered as the architect of the “scorched earth” strategy and tactics - cutting off the main enemy troops from the rear, depriving them of supplies and organizing guerrilla warfare in their rear. M.V. Kutuzov, after taking command of the Russian army, essentially continued the tactics developed by Barclay de Tolly and defeated Napoleon’s army.

The greatest Commander and Diplomat!!! Who utterly defeated the troops of the “first European Union”!!!

Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich

The Soviet people, as the most talented, have a large number of outstanding military leaders, but the main one is Stalin. Without him, many of them might not have existed as military men.

Stalin (Dzhugashvili) Joseph Vissarionovich

He was the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of all armed forces of the Soviet Union. Thanks to his talent as a Commander and Outstanding Statesman, the USSR won the bloodiest WAR in the history of mankind. Most of the battles of World War II were won with his direct participation in the development of their plans.

Chernyakhovsky Ivan Danilovich

To a person to whom this name means nothing, there is no need to explain and it is useless. To the one to whom it says something, everything is clear.
Twice hero of the Soviet Union. Commander of the 3rd Belorussian Front. The youngest front commander. Counts,. that he was an army general - but just before his death (February 18, 1945) he received the rank of Marshal of the Soviet Union.
Liberated three of the six capitals of the Union Republics captured by the Nazis: Kyiv, Minsk. Vilnius. Decided the fate of Kenicksberg.
One of the few who drove back the Germans on June 23, 1941.
He held the front in Valdai. In many ways, he determined the fate of repelling the German offensive on Leningrad. Voronezh held. Liberated Kursk.
He successfully advanced until the summer of 1943, forming with his army the top of the Kursk Bulge. Liberated the Left Bank of Ukraine. I took Kyiv. He repulsed Manstein's counterattack. Liberated Western Ukraine.
Carried out Operation Bagration. Surrounded and captured thanks to his offensive in the summer of 1944, the Germans then humiliatedly walked through the streets of Moscow. Belarus. Lithuania. Neman. East Prussia.

Ermak Timofeevich

Russian. Cossack. Ataman. Defeated Kuchum and his satellites. Approved Siberia as part of the Russian state. He dedicated his entire life to military work.

Ushakov Fedor Fedorovich

During the Russian-Turkish War of 1787-1791, F. F. Ushakov made a serious contribution to the development of sailing fleet tactics. Relying on the entire set of principles for training naval forces and military art, incorporating all the accumulated tactical experience, F. F. Ushakov acted creatively, based on the specific situation and common sense. His actions were distinguished by decisiveness and extraordinary courage. Without hesitation, he reorganized the fleet into battle formation even when approaching the enemy directly, minimizing the time of tactical deployment. Despite the established tactical rule of the commander being in the middle of the battle formation, Ushakov, implementing the principle of concentration of forces, boldly placed his ship in the forefront and occupied the most dangerous positions, encouraging his commanders with his own courage. He was distinguished by a quick assessment of the situation, an accurate calculation of all success factors and a decisive attack aimed at achieving complete victory over the enemy. In this regard, Admiral F. F. Ushakov can rightfully be considered the founder of the Russian tactical school in naval art.

Field Marshal General Gudovich Ivan Vasilievich

The assault on the Turkish fortress of Anapa on June 22, 1791. In terms of complexity and importance, it is only inferior to the assault on Izmail by A.V. Suvorov.
A 7,000-strong Russian detachment stormed Anapa, which was defended by a 25,000-strong Turkish garrison. At the same time, soon after the start of the assault, the Russian detachment was attacked from the mountains by 8,000 mounted highlanders and Turks, who attacked the Russian camp, but were unable to break into it, were repulsed in a fierce battle and pursued by the Russian cavalry.
The fierce battle for the fortress lasted over 5 hours. About 8,000 people from the Anapa garrison died, 13,532 defenders led by the commandant and Sheikh Mansur were taken prisoner. A small part (about 150 people) escaped on ships. Almost all the artillery was captured or destroyed (83 cannons and 12 mortars), 130 banners were taken. Gudovich sent a separate detachment from Anapa to the nearby Sudzhuk-Kale fortress (on the site of modern Novorossiysk), but upon his approach the garrison burned the fortress and fled to the mountains, abandoning 25 guns.
The losses of the Russian detachment were very high - 23 officers and 1,215 privates were killed, 71 officers and 2,401 privates were wounded (Sytin's Military Encyclopedia gives slightly lower data - 940 killed and 1,995 wounded). Gudovich was awarded the Order of St. George, 2nd degree, all the officers of his detachment were awarded, and a special medal was established for the lower ranks.

Fedor Ivanovich Tolbukhin

Major General F.I. Tolbukhin distinguished himself during the Battle of Stalingrad, commanding the 57th Army. The second “Stalingrad” for the Germans was the Iasi-Kishinev operation, in which he commanded the 2nd Ukrainian Front.
One of the galaxy of commanders who were raised and promoted by I.V. Stalin.
The great merit of Marshal of the Soviet Union Tolbukhin was in the liberation of the countries of South-Eastern Europe.