Engineer officers do not call fortification anything other than art. However, only a few masterfully mastered and master this art, and among them certainly belonged the Count, Knight of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called, member of the State Council of the Russian Empire, honorary academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Adjutant General Eduard Ivanovich Totleben.
And all these titles, awards and distinctions belong to the remarkable military engineer of the 19th century, not by the exclusive right of noble noble origin, but for special merits, zeal and courage in defending his Motherland - Russia.
Nothing can eradicate military genes
Eduard Ivanovich Totleben was a descendant of an ancient noble family of German origin, whose descendants in the 18th century. moved to Russia. They chose to engage not in military service, which had distinguished the Totlebens for a long time, but in commerce. Eduard Totleben was born on May 8 (20), 1818 in Mitava (Jelgava, Latvia), in the family of a merchant of the 2nd guild, then the family moved to Riga.
The boy received his initial education at Dr. Güttel's boarding school, the best educational institution in Riga. Little by little, the military genes of his ancestors began to awaken in Edward. He became interested in studying fortifications, and in the summer outside the city, at his father’s dacha, he and his friends built redoubts according to all the rules of engineering.
Although the parents' noticeable concern was caused by the state of their son's health, the father, noticing his inclinations and indulging his persistent requests, took him to St. Petersburg in 1832, where the young man entered an engineering school. He studied successfully, was even noted by Emperor Nicholas I, but due to heart disease he was forced to interrupt his studies and military service several times.
On February 5, 1838, Totleben was finally expelled from the school and only thanks to a petition to the emperor he was retained in active military service with an appointment to the Riga fortress command, where he took the position of duty officer in the fortress administration. From here, in April 1839, Totleben was transferred to the grenadier sapper battalion, and the following year (July 16) he was appointed lieutenant to the training sapper battalion near St. Petersburg.
Under the tutelage of engineer general K.A Schilder
An outstanding military engineer of the Russian Empire, K. A. Schilder, played a major role in the future fate of Totleben. The author of a two-volume biography of E. I. Totleben, the son of engineer-general Karl Schilder, military historian General N. Schilder, briefly and succinctly characterized the main quality of the young officer that attracted the attention of his father: “Totleben did not have the mind of a theorist, it was primarily the mind - practitioner With such a mentality and talents, Totleben did not take new steps and discoveries in engineering science, but he only knew how to use circumstances with extraordinary skill.”
To the restless inventor and prominent fortification theorist, General Engineer K.A. Schilder desperately needed such an assistant. And he began to entrust Totleben with various difficult tasks. One of them was the development pipe control system to combat enemy underground mine galleries. For his dangerous but necessary experiments, the young engineer was awarded the first awards - the Order of St. Stanislaus, 3rd degree (1842), the Order of St. Anne, 3rd degree (1847).
In 1847-1849, Totleben was in the Caucasus, where he was engaged in engineering support for the combat operations of the detachment of Prince Argutinsky-Dolgorukov. For his active participation in the capture of Salta, Gergebil, Akhta and other strongholds of the highlanders, he was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir, 2nd degree and the rank of captain.
Upon returning from the Caucasus, Eduard Ivanovich served as an adjutant to Schilder, who became the chief of army engineers in Warsaw, and in 1851 he transferred to the guards engineers and moved to St. Petersburg, where he became the chief of engineers of the Guards and Grenadier corps.
At the beginning of the Danube campaign, K.A Schilder was appointed chief of engineers of the field army and asked for a secondment at his disposal, among others, and engineer-captain Totleben. Emperor Nicholas the First not only allowed, but also noted “with attention to the fact that he (Totleben) could be used as a staff officer with special benefit in active troops, due to his excellent knowledge and abilities,” and also promoted Totleben to the rank ahead of schedule engineer-lieutenant colonel.
Totleben becomes Karl Schilder's closest assistant, and after the engineer-general's injury and subsequent death, he becomes the de facto leader of the engineering support for combat operations of the Danube Army. It is worth noting that the relationship between these people was not always ideal. The impetuous and impulsive Karl Andreevich could hardly tolerate the methodical and orderly Totleben. But Eduard Ivanovich considered himself “to the death” obliged to K.A. Schilder, and Schilder’s son Nikolai was his adjutant for a long time.
Meanwhile, intelligence data directly spoke of the upcoming Allied landing in Crimea. Prince Gorchakov, well aware of the sad situation of engineering in the troops of His Serene Highness Prince Menshikov, decided to send Totleben to him.
“Without Totleben we would be completely lost”
This is how the fortification activities of the young engineer were characterized by one of the leaders of the defense of Sevastopol during the Crimean War of 1854-1855, the legendary Admiral P.S. Nakhimov.
But at first, engineer-lieutenant colonel E.I. Totleben in Sevastopol was met not only coldly, but simply hostile. The commander-in-chief of the military land and naval forces in Crimea, Prince Menshikov, informed Totleben of his decision: “Rest after the journey, and then go to your prince on the Danube.”
It is surprising that engineer-Lieutenant Colonel Totleben, being an executive officer and a German, for the first time in his life violated the order of his superiors and the next day, at his own peril and risk, began inspecting coastal batteries. Moreover, he dared to provide his report on coastal defense to Menshikov and Kornilov.
The next day, Eduard Ivanovich was invited to the prince for lunch, after which Menshikov allowed him to inspect the fortifications of Sevastopol from the land side. The weakness of these fortifications was obvious, which served as the subject of conversation with the commander-in-chief. After discussing this issue, Prince. Alexander Sergeevich noted: “The first engineer I meet is efficient and modest.” But Totleben was never offered an official position.
Only on September 12, 1854, engineer-lieutenant colonel Totleben was appointed head of all defensive work. He had a difficult task ahead of him: to create a fortress from the open land position of Sevastopol. All the samples and schemes of fortification art that existed before that time turned out to be useless in this completely extraordinary situation - it was necessary to create something new, to improvise in the full sense of the word. And all this in plain sight and with active opposition from a large enemy army.
Success seemed unthinkable even to Totleben himself. On September 15, Totleben wrote a letter to his wife, saying goodbye to his family, since he fully shared the unanimous decision of the garrison: after the “Russian defense” to die in position.
The city's defensive line continually expanded, incorporating new forts and bastions. The work was carried out day and night, and where enemy reconnaissance had previously discovered only weak fortifications, a continuous line of defense grew up.
Totleben expanded the frontal position on the line of the Northern fortification and almost recreated the defensive line on the southern side. Due to lack of time, it was impossible to even think about erecting strong and proper fortifications; I had to work simultaneously at all points, using all sorts of means, including, among other things, the weapons of the fleet, which had now lost its direct purpose.
When organizing his defensive line, Totleben adopted the following principles as his basis: the position closest to the city is chosen, determined by the existing fortifications, and strong artillery is deployed at its main points; these points are connected by trenches for rifle defense and ditches for the movement of covering forces; Between the main points, separate batteries are placed here and there. As a result, all approaches to the city should have received, and received, strong frontal and flank defense by cannon and rifle fire.
In a short time, where not long before enemy reconnaissance had revealed only weak fortifications with large unprotected gaps, a continuous defensive line grew up. The Allies were forced to abandon their intention to take Sevastopol with an open attack and began their siege work on September 28.
A new word in fortification was the creation by Totleben of an extensive system of lodgements, advanced trenches and redoubts, carefully adapted to the terrain. They ensured increased rifle fire, made it difficult for the enemy to conduct siege operations, facilitated forays, and most importantly, they became, as Totleben put it, “the ears and eyes of the defenders.”
The leaders of the defense of the fortress were very pleased with their assistant. Admiral Kornilov was enthusiastic: “Under the leadership of Totleben, we did in a day what we could not do in a year.” In September 1854, Eduard Ivanovich was awarded the Order of St. George, 4th degree, and the rank of engineer-colonel.
The Anglo-Franco-Turkish troops that approached Sevastopol were forced to abandon an open attack on the city and proceed to a siege. The day of the first massive bombardment of Sevastopol, October 5, became the baptism of fire for the fortress’s defensive structures and an exam for their creator.
During the artillery duel, almost all French batteries were suppressed by Russian artillery sailors, but the British, who had the best siege artillery in the world, were able to destroy the 3rd bastion and cause serious damage to other fortifications of the Ship side. And yet the garrison survived. Nicholas I appreciated Totleben's contribution to the defense of the city during the first bombardment by promoting him to the adjutant wing.
The construction and restoration of fortifications required grueling and dangerous work, and not all commanders wanted to help the chief military engineer, but when one of them came to complain about him to Nakhimov, he responded immediately: “To Totleben, sir?! Please go out there!” The glorious admiral repeated more than once: “And without Totleben we would have been lost, we would certainly have been lost.”
In the halo of glory of the “genius of defense” of Sevastopol
Adjutant General A Gorchakov became the new head of the defense of Sevastopol in 1855. Being the nephew and student of the legendary Russian commander Generalissimo Suvorov, he inherited neither the natural intelligence nor the remarkable fighting qualities of his uncle and mentor. On the bastions of the fortress, admirals Kornilov, Nakhimov, Istomin fell - those who were the soul of the defense. While the forces of the besiegers were constantly growing, the ranks of the city’s defenders were thinning.
In the autumn and spring of 1854-1855. Colonel Totlebyon planned and built a second line of strong points on the City side (Chesmensky, Rostislavsky, Yazonovsky redoubts), a system of lodgements in front of the Schwartz redoubt and the 4th bastion, and led the counter-mine war in front of the 4th bastion.
Totleben's fame as the “genius of defense” of Sevastopol resounded throughout Russia and beyond. Colonel of the General Staff A.E. Zimmerman testified that during the truce, French and British officers “with lively curiosity asked to show them Totleben.”
In April 1855, His Majesty's aide-de-camp Colonel Eduard Totleben was promoted to major general with an appointment to His Majesty's Retinue.
Immediately after receiving news of the successful repulsion of the assault on June 6, 1855 by the Sevastopol garrison, the Emperor sent two Orders of St. George, 3rd degree, to the besieged fortress, one of which was awarded to Eduard Ivanovich - “in reward for exemplary work in the construction of the Sevastopol fortifications that make up an example of engineering art, and as a reward for the brilliant courage and courageous composure shown on June 6 in repelling the enemy assault.”
On June 8, Totleben was wounded in the leg (through below the knee), but did not leave the battle formation; he remained in Sevastopol for another two months. His physical and moral strength was running out. After the fall of Malakhov Kurgan and the start of the evacuation, Eduard Ivanovich was taken to Simferopol.
Shortly before the end of the war, the conference of the Engineering Academy noted in its resolution: “Adjutant General Totleben, with his ingenious ingenuity, found means under enemy fire to turn an almost open city into a fortress that withstood an 11-month gradual attack... prevented the enemy’s actions and with brilliant success opposed him to There are obstacles at every step, both on the surface of the earth and underground.” The conference awarded him a special gold medal.
Soon after the end of the Crimean War, having gathered a group of the most educated military engineers and artillery officers - participants in the defense of Sevastopol 18 54-1855, Eduard Ivanovich instructed them to compile the history of this defense. A three-volume work entitled “Description of the defense of Sevastopol, compiled under the leadership of Adjutant General Totleben” was published in St. Petersburg in 1863-1872. It was subsequently translated into many European languages. Until now, the named work is one of the best sources on the history of the defense of Sevastopol 1854-1855.
On October 5, 1879, on the day of the 25th anniversary of the first bombardment of Sevastopol, Alexander II elevated Adjutant General E.I. Totleben and his descendants to the “Countship of the Russian Empire.”
According to the wishes of Eduard Ivanovich Totleben and by decree of Emperor Alexander III, on October 5, 1884, on the day of the 30th anniversary of the first bombardment of Sevastopol, his mortal remains were interred at the Fraternal Cemetery on the North Side.
On July 19, 1890, at the grave of E. I. Totleben, the opening of a monument took place, built by the Highest order at the expense of the Engineering Department and designed by academician of architecture A. A. Carboniere.
In 1886, the embankment along the South Bay in Sevastopol was named Totlebenovskaya, and on August 5, 1909, when ascending the Historical Boulevard to the 4th Bastion, another monument to E. I. Totleben was opened, the authors of which were A. A. Bilderling and P. N. Schroeder . And to this day this monument is one of the best in Sevastopol.
A necessary bitter retreat
In the 1930s Totleben’s crypt was opened, and the mortal remains of the national hero of Russia and Bulgaria were thrown out of a zinc coffin, confiscated “for the needs of industrialization.” However, there were also real patriots of Russia who collected the desecrated ashes and buried them next to the crypt.
After the capture of Sevastopol by Wehrmacht troops in July 1942, this fact became known to the German command. Oddly enough, the Germans acted in a chivalrous manner - on June 27, 1943, the remains of an outstanding Russian engineer were solemnly reburied at the Bratsk Cemetery.
Russia's fortresses need to be repaired and built continuously
After the fall of Sevastopol, Totleben, appointed adjutant general, was sent to Nikolaev to put it in a defensive position. Totleben's explanatory note on the issue of strengthening Nikolaev represents one of his most valuable scientific works.
The ideas he expressed here under the fresh impression of his combat experiences open a new era in the art of fortification and sharply deviate from the traditions that had reigned until that time, even despite the experiences of the Napoleonic wars. Totleben points out the need to have a system of forts with intermediate artillery positions, to which railways should approach, considers the importance of forts as the main strongholds of the struggle, and clarifies the distribution of all types of weapons and the role of each of them.
At the end of November 1855, Totleben was transferred to St. Petersburg, where he was appointed Assistant to His Majesty the Inspector General for Engineering, entrusted with the leadership of the engineering defense of Kronstadt.
After the conclusion of the Paris Peace in March 1856, Adjutant General Totleben inspected fortresses in Russia and studied various fortifications in Europe.
Shortly after returning from a business trip abroad, in 1859 he was appointed director of the Engineering Department of the War Ministry, and in 1863, after the creation of the Main Engineering Directorate, he was appointed comrade of His Imperial Highness the Inspector General for Engineering. In 1869, Totleben was promoted to engineer general.
With the active support of Alexander II and Minister of War D. Milyutin, Eduard Ivanovich reorganized engineering taking into account the influence of rifled weapons and new methods of warfare.
Under his leadership, work plans were developed and implemented for the development of defensive structures and the rearmament of all fortresses from the Baltic to the Black Sea.
In 1862, Totleben submitted a note to the Minister of War entitled: “General overview of the state of the fortresses of the Empire...”. Subsequently, this report served as a guide for many years in the implementation of work to strengthen our defensive lines.
However, it turned out to be impossible to implement all of Totleben’s proposals, even with their approval by the emperor - the financial situation did not allow it. As a result, it was decided to carry out modernization only at three points of our border strip - Brest, Kerch and Kronstadt.
By all accounts, Eduard Ivanovich was a brilliant military engineer. Today it is not fashionable to quote Marxists, but they carefully collected the factual basis for their works. Thus, Friedrich Engels wrote: “The Russians, especially after 1831, did what their predecessors failed to do. Modlin, Warsaw, Ivangorod, Brest-Litovsk form a whole system of fortresses, which, in terms of the combination of its strategic capabilities, is unique in the world.”
Totleben was the initiator of training in sapper art for infantry, cavalry and artillery personnel. In 1869 he was awarded the highest engineering rank - the title of engineer general, and in 1871 - the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky.
The second peak of Totleben's glory - the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878
Before the Russian-Turkish War of 1877-1878, Totleben was appointed chief manager of the defense of the Black Sea coast. However, in the midst of his activities, Eduard Ivanovich was recalled to the Northern capital.
The reason for leaving “out of work” was his opposition to the upcoming war, which he openly declared. Totleben said that our country is not ready for war, and the millions allocated for it would be more profitable to spend on the construction of fortresses and a fleet, the development of the railway network, and the rearmament of the army.
He pointed out the need to organize a wide base, dig in positions and thoroughly prepare attacks with artillery, which in military circles was considered almost cowardice.
However, after the third unsuccessful assault on the Turkish fortress of Plevna on September 2, 1877, Totleben was remembered and summoned to the Danube Theater.
On September 15, Eduard Ivanovich arrived at the theater of operations and the next day Emperor Alexander II convened a military council, at which it was decided to throw the main forces of the Russian army against Plevna, and send Totleben to Plevna to familiarize himself with the situation.
Convinced that the city could not be taken by force, Totleben discarded all plans for a siege, proposing the last option - a blockade. According to Eduard Ivanovich's calculations, the Turks should have had enough food for a couple of months, thanks to which the main disadvantage of the blockade - its long duration - was eliminated.
The operation to close the blockade ring was carried out quickly and efficiently with the participation of the arriving guards. Then Totleben took up the problems of strengthening positions with a mass of new fortifications, introduced changes to existing fortifications, and established strict artillery fire control. The blockade line was divided by Totleben into 6 sections, the defense of each of which he entrusted to a separate commander. There were 125 thousand people and 496 guns per 47 kilometers of taxation.
In addition, he improved the conditions in which the Russian troops were located. Eduard Ivanovich paid special attention to the organization of the sanitary unit and created a more correct system for the evacuation of patients.
At the end of November 1877, due to a lack of food, the Turkish army made a breakthrough. During the ensuing battle, the Turkish soldiers suffered significant losses, but, nevertheless, managed to capture three lines of trenches. However, artillery fire and arriving reinforcements in the form of Russian grenadiers forced them to first lie down in the trenches and then put them into disorderly flight. At 2 o'clock in the afternoon the enemy troops laid down their arms. 43 thousand people led by Osman Pasha were captured. Totleben very modestly assessed his merits in the capture of Plevna, saying: “It was not I who defeated Osman, but hunger.”
In February 1878, Totleben received a telegram ordering him to immediately leave for St. Petersburg. In the capital, the Emperor personally “placed” the Order of St. George, 2nd degree, on E.I. Totleben. In April 1878, engineer-general E.I. Totleben was appointed commander-in-chief of the army.
Unfortunately, Totleben, being a brilliant military engineer, had neither the talent of a commander nor broad strategic views. His excessive caution led to the fact that he did not mark his command with the capture of Constantinople. On the other hand, Eduard Ivanovich, as a practical person, understood that the united forces of Europe under the leadership of Great Britain simply would not allow this.
At the final stage of the war, he mainly conducted diplomatic negotiations to sign peace, then organized the return of troops to Russia and the evacuation of the wounded and sick. For his services in the war, Eduard Ivanovich was awarded the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called and appointed Member of the State Council of the Russian Empire.
National Hero of Bulgaria
Along with the legendary “white general” Mikhail Skobelev, Eduard Ivanovich Totleben is deservedly recognized by the Bulgarians as a national hero.
In Bulgaria, he is actively concerned about providing the Bulgarians with the opportunity to defend their independence, he worked on the elimination of European commissioners and on the creation of a local militia with Russian personnel.
A boulevard in Sofia and the village of Totleben in Bulgaria are named after Eduard Ivanovich.
In the village of Totleben, an annual celebration of the anniversary of the birth of General Engineer E.I. Totleben is held (on the first Saturday of May). In addition to a rich folklore program, it is accompanied by a historical staging of the scene of the capture of the Turkish general Osman Pasha.
The bust monument to E.I. Totleben is currently located in Plevna (Bulgaria).
In the military administrative service
In 1879, Totleben was appointed commander of the troops of the Odessa Military District and temporary Odessa Governor-General.
Count Totleben did not stay in Odessa for long and on May 11, 1880 he was appointed Governor-General of Vilna, Kovno and Grodno and commander of the troops of the Vilna Military District.
However, during the time spent in Novorossia and the Baltic states, Eduard Ivanovich managed to defeat the regional organizations of the Narodnaya Volya party, for which its executive committee was sentenced to death as “the worst enemy of the Russian people.” Two attempts to carry out the sentence were unsuccessful.
Necessary Retreat
It is curious that one of Totleben’s friends was Fyodor Dostoevsky. In 1856, Eduard Ivanovich asked Alexander II to pardon the writer convicted under the article “political criminal.” As a result of this, Fyodor Mikhailovich was promoted to ensign, his nobility was returned to him and he was allowed to engage in writing.
At the end of life
In the spring of 1882 in St. Petersburg, Totleben caught a cold and contracted pneumonia. Having recovered, he returned to Vilna, but by autumn the count's condition worsened. Count Totleben spent the winter of 1883-1884 with his family in Wiesbaden, and in the spring he moved to the Prussian resort of Soden, where he died on June 19, 1884.
On the Russian border at the Verzhbolovo station, the coffin with the remains of the hero of Sevastopol and Plevna was met by civil and military delegations. The body in a funeral carriage was brought first to Vilna, then to the Keidany estate, Riga and, finally, to Sevastopol.
A purely subjective opinion about Totleben’s personality
The personality of every outstanding person is sufficiently outlined by his activities.
Studies. Baptism of fire in the Caucasus. Danube Campaign - Siege of Silistria
Totleben, count, Eduard Ivanovich, adjutant general, was born in Mitava [now Jelgava, Latvia] on May 8, 1818, died on July 19, 1884 in Soden [near Frankfurt am Main]. Buried in Sevastopol on October 5, 1884.
Totleben belonged to an old noble family of Thuringia, but his grandfather, who moved to the Baltic provinces of Russia, renounced feudal rights and took up trade, and his father Johann Heinrich was also involved in commercial affairs, joining the merchant class (2nd guild). Eduard Ivanovich was the fifth of seven children of Johann Heinrich from his marriage to Anna Zander. He received his initial education at the boarding school of Dr. Güttel, the best educational institution in Riga, where shortly after the birth of E.I. his father moved. In the 14th year of his life, he was taken to St. Petersburg and in the fall of 1832 he was accepted as a conductor in the 3rd grade of the main (now Nikolaevsky) engineering school. In January 1836, Totleben was promoted to field engineer-ensign and 2 months later, due to heart disease, he was expelled from the Dinaburg [now Daugavpils, Latvia] engineering team. A year later he returned to St. Petersburg to continue the course; but, having transferred with the rank of second lieutenant (January 9, 1838) to the senior class, due to illness he was forced for the second time and finally to abandon the idea of completing the course. On February 5, 1838, Totleben was expelled from the school and assigned to active service in the Riga fortress command, where he took the position of duty officer in the fortress administration. From here, in April 1839, Totleben was transferred to the grenadier sapper battalion, and the following year (July 16) he was appointed lieutenant in the training sapper battalion.
In the summer of 1840, while participating in the practical work of sappers in Krasnoye Selo, Totleben met General K.A. Schilder; this acquaintance was of decisive importance for Totleben’s future career. Schilder entrusted him with conducting experiments on his pipe counter-mine system, and these experiments were carried out by Totleben for two years with outstanding success; the results he achieved prompted Emperor Nicholas I to order the continuation of the experiments begun on a larger scale in Kyiv under the 2nd sapper brigade. Totleben was sent with 3 lower ranks of the Life Guards. engineer battalion at the disposal of the head of the 2nd engineer brigade and on foot, without leaving the team carrying 2 mine drills, made the transition from St. Petersburg to Kiev, where he arrived on June 19, 1844. In an exemplary mine war, the counter-mine pipe system again gave brilliant results . For his work on this business trip, Totleben was promoted to staff captain on May 12, 1845.
In 1845, the Kyiv experiments were continued under the leadership of Totleben, who arrived in Kyiv with a drill improved according to his design. But the nature of the experiments has changed. Totleben decided to retreat from the proposals of the Military Scientific Committee, which deprived the defense of any initiative in the upcoming maneuver. For the first time, a distinctive feature of his military talent was evident here: the strictly active nature of his defensive actions and his extraordinary ability to take advantage of the moment. The work of these years was extremely useful to Totleben, giving, on the one hand, a wealth of experience that found brilliant use during the Sevastopol defense, and on the other, making him K.A.’s favorite employee. Schilder and thus ensuring a number of career successes.
In 1848, on March 28, Totleben was sent to the Caucasus to use a mine drill during the sieges of fortified points built by Shamil in Dagestan,” and on April 7 he left for Temirkhan-Shura, where he was placed at the disposal of Prince Argutinsky-Dolgorukov. Totleben received his baptism of fire near Gergebil, where Argutinsky’s detachment arrived on June 9. But for a long time Totleben had to “be inactive under fire,” as he wrote: he was not given instructions. Only after the taxation of Gergebil was he ordered to build a breach-battery, under the cover of fire of which they wanted to approach the tower with a hidden glander at the Aimakinsky gorge, where the water reservoir was located, and, having destroyed it, divert the water. For 5 days, while the work was going on, Totleben did not close his eyes, personally supervising the sappers under strong grapeshot and rifle fire from the enemy.
After the fall of Gergebil (July 7), Totleben was instructed to develop a road along the Aimakinsky gorge at a distance of 7 miles, which he completed by July 15. For his participation in the capture of Gergebil, Totleben was awarded the rank of captain; then, for participation in the battle on the Miskendzhi Heights (September 22, 1848), - the Order of St. Vladimir, 4th Art. with a bow. Totleben had to spend the winter of 1848 in Temirkhan-Shura, training people in siege and mine work, and sappers in drilling pipes.
In 1849, when during the siege of the village of Chokh, Captain von Kaufman, the chief of engineers, was wounded (July 24), the management of all siege work passed to Totleben. Immediately on July 25, he and engineer-staff captain Popov carried out a bold reconnaissance of the area and outlined locations for batteries, which were built by August 10. But despite the terrible destruction caused by our shells, the highlanders held firm: at night they managed to crown all the gaps on their inner side with tours. And soon, on August 22, in view of the onset of the autumn thaw, Argutinsky had to lift the siege; The advance of the mountaineers was stopped by explosions of ordinary and stone-throwing landmines, planted in advance by Totleben. His labors during the siege of Chokha were awarded a golden saber “for bravery.”
His poor health was very upset by his two-year camp life and because of this, refusing the position of senior engineer in Dagestan offered to him, Totleben went to Tiflis to ask the prince. Vorontsov permission to return to St. Petersburg. Soon afterwards, on November 30, 1850, he was transferred to Warsaw, to the 2nd Engineer Battalion, with an appointment as adjutant to Schilder. Here, while waiting for more interesting work, he had to start draining the Ujazdowski parade ground, etc. His relationship with Schilder during this time became somewhat strained due to the general’s irritability caused by his worsening illness; Totleben began to apply for a transfer to St. Petersburg and on December 31, 1851 he was appointed chief officer to the headquarters of the general. von Zurmilen with transfer to guards engineers. On February 23, 1852, Totleben married Baroness Victorina Hauff, the daughter of the Hesse-Darmstadt Consul General. In 1852 and 1853 In the summer, Totleben, along with other staff officers, was in charge of practical work in the camp near Peterhof, and during the rest of the year, in addition to his official studies, he diligently studied the works of engineering theorists - Vauban, Dufour, Choumard, Maurice de Sellon, etc., with paying special attention to the action of artillery and the active defense of the area closest to the fortress by the defenders. At the end of 1852, by order of his superiors, he drew up two extensive projects: attacks on the caponier front and attacks on the newly proposed bastion system. These projects were somewhat affected by Totleben’s passion for the German school, expressed in the enormous importance that he attached to brick redoubts and caponiers. The project was approved by the Emperor in the spring of 1853 and in the summer of the same year it was partially used in practical work at the Peterhof training ground. Over these years, Totleben was twice awarded the Highest Favor, declared in orders on November 8, 1852 and August 20, 1853. In addition to serving in the Administration, Totleben worked in the Ministry of State Property for gr. P.D. Kiselev, where he had technical assignments.
At the beginning of the Danube campaign, Schilder was appointed chief of engineers of the field army and asked to be sent to his disposal, among others, Totleben. Gene. Schilder not only allowed, but “in the interest that he (Totleben) could be used as a staff officer with special benefit in active troops, due to his excellent knowledge and abilities,” presented him for promotion to lieutenant colonel. The production took place on January 16, 1854, and on January 26 Totleben left through Kyiv and Iasi to Bucharest. From here, on February 22, Totleben was sent to Oltenitsa (against Turtukai). General Khrulev, who was stationed here (11th Infantry Division, cavalry regiment and 3 hundreds), was ordered to clear a large wooded island occupied by the Turks after the Oltenitsky affair, which was unsuccessful for us, on October 23, 1853. On the night of February 26-27, Totleben began constructing lodgements for fittings and then for 6 days, day and night, while under heavy fire, he supervised the construction of batteries on the shore and on the island of Maly Kichi and the construction of a pontoon bridge. When it became clear that crossing on the left flank was impossible without major losses, Khrulev, who did not know about our successful offensive on the right flank, sent Totleben to Bucharest to Prince. Gorchakov for instructions. Gorchakov ordered to immediately stop all attempts to take possession of the island. On March 3, Totleben went to the village. Becket (Lesser Wallachia), where he was ordered, if General Baumgarten, who commanded there, found it necessary, to set up coastal batteries to harm enemy ships in Rakhiv; from there he left for the village. Modlovites, at the disposal of Lieutenant General. Liprandi, who stood 8 versts from the fortified Turkish camp of Kala Fata. Here Totleben was instructed to familiarize himself in detail with the position of the Turks and figure out ways to attack it or stage a demonstration. To make the task easier, Schilder provided him with a project drawn up based on the data from the existing plan; but the plan turned out to be incorrect, when checked on the spot, and thus Totleben had to solve this problem completely independently. Taking up the matter with his characteristic energy, Totleben, through daily reconnaissance and accurate surveying of the area, became convinced of the accessibility of Kalafat and began to vigorously persuade Liprandi to storm. But Liprandi, following Gorchakov’s cautious policy on the Danube, flatly refused. A weary period of inaction ensued, interrupted only by small cavalry skirmishes during intensified reconnaissance missions; in one of them (March 20) near Totleben, a horse was wounded. While training sappers and infantry, Totleben bitterly complained that the most interesting moment of the campaign - the crossing of the Danube - took place without him.
Book Varshavsky, who took command from Gorchakov on April 5, decided to clear Lesser Wallachia. In view of the retreat of our troops from Kalafat and the upcoming siege of Silistria, Schilder summoned Totleben to his place in Kalarash, near Silistria. On April 20, Totleben came to Schilder and the next day after reconnaissance told him his siege project: Totleben seemed most advantageous to conduct an attack against the first (northeastern) training ground of Silistria, along the coast, in connection with siege operations against the nearest mountain forts. His opinion completely coincided with Schilder’s opinion; the latter did not approve only of the development of siege work against the mountain forts that Totleben intended to give them.
On the night of May 7, “practical sapper work against the Turkish training site” began, as the general called it. Schilder's siege of Silistria, which was delayed in every possible way by the prince. Varshavsky, who did not sympathize with this enterprise. Totleben was appointed trench major, but in fact he was the closest assistant to the main leader of the siege, Schilder, constantly spending days and nights in the trenches. The disagreements between them, which took place back in Warsaw, began to be repeated here more and more often. After one of them, Totleben, out of frustration, asked to rest and was sent to camp for the night. By a strange play of chance, it was on the night of May 16-17, when the unauthorized assault on Arab-Tabiya and the subsequent foray of the Turks filled our trenches with corpses: perhaps Totleben would have been among them if he, as usual, had stayed in the front line of the trenches. Under the direct supervision of Totleben, work was carried out on the hill. Having quietly reached the counter-scarp of Arab-Tabiya, Totleben's sappers crossed the ditch with a covered passage, brought out a mine gallery under the inner ridge of the parapet, overturned the counter-scarp with an explosion and crowned it, bringing the crown to the outgoing corner of the fortification. On June 1, Schilder was incapacitated with a leg wound. Lieutenant General appointed instead of him. Buchmeyer entrusted all the work of the left flank to Totleben. He energetically continued mine work against Arab-Tabiya and on June 7, with an explosion, he created a completely manageable landslide (up to 20 fathoms along the line of fire). Immediately occupying the enemy parapet, Totleben built lodgements in it, and was lightly wounded by a bullet in the cheek. The assault was scheduled for the next night, but at one o'clock in the morning the prince. Gorchakov received orders from the commander-in-chief to clear the right bank of the Danube and retreat to Kalarash. On June 11, 1854, the return movement of our troops began; On the 15th, the rearguard withdrew Totleben. At this time, on June 11, Schilder died, in whose person Totleben lost his main patron.
After retreating from Silistria, Totleben spent some time in a camp near May-Katarzhi, on the road to Transylvania, 50 versts from Bucharest. From the Katarzhi camp, Totleben was summoned to Fratesti to Gorchakov and more than once carried out reconnaissance on his behalf. The Cavalry Duma, assembled in Fratesti, unanimously awarded Totleben the Order of George, 4th class, for Silistria. (order September 3, 1854). On July 16, 1854, the army set out for its homeland. During the journey, at long stops, Totleben developed his journal of the siege of Silistria and drew out detailed plans for attacks.
Heart disease prevented me from completing a full course of science at an engineering school. He was enrolled in the Riga engineering team, and in 1840 he was transferred to a training sapper battalion. Here he attracted the attention of General Schilder, from whom he received instructions to work on the pipe mine system. For further research, he was sent with a team of sappers to Kyiv, where he was in charge of the work on extensive experiments in underground warfare. A pipe mine system. For further research, he was sent with a team of sappers to Kyiv, where he was in charge of the work on extensive experiments in underground warfare. Russian military leader, famous military engineer
In 1848 he went to the Caucasus and took part in several expeditions there. Contributed to the successful siege of Gergebil, where he fought in 80 soots. from the walls of the aul he laid a gap-battery with a baton. In 1849 he was in charge of all work on the siege of the Chokh fortification; Having made a bold night reconnaissance in front of the fortification front, he laid 30 soot. from strengthening the forward parallel with 2 breach batteries. Upon his return from the Caucasus, T. was appointed adjutant to General Schilder, and in 1851 he transferred to the guards engineers and settled in St. Petersburg, where he supervised the practical work of the guards engineer battalion during camp training.
Crimean War
At the beginning of 1854 he was summoned to the main headquarters of the Danube Army and here he carried out a number of orders from the Adjutant General. Schilder, made a series of brilliant reconnaissance missions under the fire of Turkish batteries and developed a plan for attacking the fortifications at Kalafat. With the start of preparatory work for the siege of Silistria, T. was appointed trench major. When the gen. Schilder was wounded, T. took charge of all the work and on June 7th blew up the entire front of the advanced fortification of Arab-Tabiya. When the siege of Silistria was lifted, T. was sent to Sevastopol, where the enemy's landing was expected. At first, the commander-in-chief, Prince Menshikov, believed that the allies, due to the late season, would not dare to land in the Crimea, and rejected T.’s offer to immediately begin defensive work. They were started only after the landing had already taken place. T. expanded the frontal position on the line of the Northern fortification and almost recreated the defensive line on the southern side. Due to lack of time, it was impossible to even think about erecting strong and proper fortifications; I had to work simultaneously at all points, using all sorts of means, including, among other things, the weapons of the fleet, which had now lost its direct purpose. When organizing its defensive line, T. adopted the following principles as its basis: the position closest to the city is chosen, determined by the existing fortifications, and strong artillery is deployed at its main points; these points are connected by trenches for rifle defense and for placing cover; between the main points, separate batteries are placed here and there; thus, all approaches to the city should receive strong frontal and flank defense by cannon and rifle fire. Work was carried out continuously day and night. In a short time, where not long before enemy reconnaissance had revealed only weak fortifications with large unprotected gaps, a continuous defensive line grew up. The Allies were forced to abandon their intention to take Sevastopol with an open attack and began their siege work on September 28. First bombing of Sevastopol 5 Oct. showed the strength of the Sevastopol fortifications and their advantageously directed artillery fire. Then the enemy turned to underground warfare and planned to blow up the 4th bastion, but even here T. warned him, having met him with an unexpectedly skillfully prepared network of mine galleries. On June 8, T. was wounded in the leg by a bullet right through, but, despite his painful condition, he continued to lead the defensive work until his health deteriorated so much that he was forced to leave Sevastopol. After the fall of Sevastopol, T., appointed adjutant general, was summoned to Nikolaev to put it in a defensive position. T.'s explanatory note on the issue of strengthening Nikolaev represents one of his most valuable scientific works. The ideas he expressed here under the fresh impression of his military experiences open a new era in the art of fortification and sharply deviate from the traditions that had reigned until that time even in France, despite the experiences of the Napoleonic wars. T. points out the need to have a system of forts with intermediate artillery positions, to which railways should approach, considers the importance of forts as the main strongholds of the struggle, and clarifies the distribution of all types of weapons and the role of each of them. = this material may not be directly related to the topic of Totleben Eduard Ivanovich, but it will possibly be useful to people = The grandson of Count Totleben E.N. currently lives in Odessa (i.e. as of 07/09/2006), who For a long time under Soviet rule he hid under a fictitious surname, and only recently revealed his true surname. He kept documents about his grandfather’s deeds, and he himself did a lot of work to know for himself who his grandfather really was. If people are interested in studying the life of Count Totleben E.I., then they better find his grandson Totleben A.N.
Management of the engineering department
Upon returning to St. Petersburg, he took charge of the strengthening of the Kronstadt fortifications, after which for 2 years he studied the fortresses of Germany and France and the organization of engineering there. In 1859 he was appointed director of the engineering department, in 1863 - comrade general inspector for engineering. In 1863, as a result of expected political complications, under the supervision and leadership of T., a number of measures were taken to put our fortresses in a defensive position; Sveaborg, Dinaburg and Nikolaev were strengthened, Vyborg and the mouths of the Neva and West were fortified. Dvina; Kronstadt is protected from fleet attack. In 1869 he drew up a project for strengthening Kyiv. As chairman of the artillery engineering commission, he took an active part in arming our fortresses with rifled guns. At the same time, he worked on the reorganization of our engineering troops in accordance with the latest requirements of military science. From 1871 to 1875 he was busy developing a new system of defensive lines, with their main fortress strongholds. For this purpose, he carried out a series of surveys near Brest-Litovsk, Kovna, Bialystok, Goniondz, Grodna, Dubna and Proskurov. In 1873, at a special meeting on the strategic position of Russia, chaired by the Sovereign, T.’s plan was adopted, the main ideas of which were the following: 1) strengthen Novogeorgievsk, Ivangorod and Warsaw with advanced fortifications and build advanced fortifications around Brest to cover the railways ; 2) strengthen Grodna, Kovna and the position near Vilna, build fortifications near the town. Osovets and ensure crossing of the river. Zap. Dvina near Riga; 3) build fortifications in front of Dubna and Proskurov; 4) strengthen Bendery with advanced fortifications and build fortifications at Ochakov and Yampol.
Eastern War
Work on the implementation of this plan was stopped by the Eastern War of 1877-1878. In 1876, T. was summoned to Livadia and appointed chief manager for the defense of the Black Sea coast. In Kerch, Ochakov, Odessa and Sevastopol, mines were installed, new batteries were erected, and weapons were strengthened. At the end of 1876 he returned to St. Petersburg and only on September 2, 1877, when the siege of Plevna dragged on, was he called to the theater of military operations, where he took charge of the siege work near Plevna. After the capture of Plevna, he was appointed head of the eastern detachment, but on February 8 he was summoned to St. Petersburg for a meeting on the issue of occupying the Bosporus and closing it to the English fleet stationed at the Princes' Islands. Subsequently appointed commander-in-chief, T., upon arrival at the army, found that the occupation of the Bosphorus near Buyuk-dere, given the impossibility of blocking the strait with mines and ensuring communication with our Black Sea ports, was pointless, and that in the event of a successful assault on Constantinople, the benefits would only be temporary character, and in case of failure, the results of the previous campaign may be lost. In view of this, T.'s task, as commander-in-chief, was to support our diplomacy during its negotiations for the conclusion of a final peace, encouraging the Turkish government to quickly and accurately fulfill Russian demands, and to lead the return of Russian troops to their homeland. At the same time, he proposed a number of measures to prepare Bulgaria for self-defense after the departure of our troops.
For services during the war of 1877-1878 he was awarded the Order of St. George 2nd Art. and Andrew the First-Called, and on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the 1st bombardment of Sevastopol, he was elevated to the dignity of count. The famous Belgian engineer Brialmont recognizes T. as the most remarkable engineer of the 19th century.
Later years
In 1879 he was appointed temporary Odessa governor-general and commander of the troops of the Odessa district. In 1880-1884 he was appointed to the same post in the Northwestern Territory (Vilna Governor-General). In Keidany, on the estate that belonged to him, in 1880-1882 he built a park, built a palace and a minaret in memory of the wars with the Turks, reminiscent of the minaret in Plevna, which is still preserved in the city park. The minaret gave rise to local legends, in particular, that it was built to satisfy the religious needs of a Turkish mistress. He died in Germany, was temporarily buried in a chapel-mausoleum in the cemetery near the Lutheran Church in Keidany, and later reburied in Sevastopol.
Main scientific and literary works
Description of the defense of Sevastopol (with many collaborators, 1872).
Note on armament projects for land fortresses.
Participation in wars:
Crimean War. Russian-Turkish (1877-1878) war.
Participation in battles:
Liberation of Plevna
(Eduard Totleben) Famous engineer general
He graduated from an engineering school in St. Petersburg, was on a team of sappers in Riga and Kyiv, and was later transferred to the Caucasus. He showed personal valor and exceptional courage during the siege of Gergebil.
From 1851 he served in St. Petersburg as a guards engineer. Start Crimean War Totleben spent time at Kalafat, made several successful reconnaissance missions and came up with a plan to storm the fortifications. He received the rank of trench major during the siege of Silistria. In Sevastopol he commanded the construction of defensive structures. He was seriously wounded in the leg and left Sevastopol.
In September 1877, Eduard Totleben arrived in Bucharest to consult on the course of further military operations around Plevna. Conducted reconnaissance on the left bank of the Vida. He put forward a proposal for the blockade of Plevna and was appointed assistant to the head of the Western detachment. In October 1877, Eduard Ivanovich supervised the construction siege of Plevna. By his order, the artillery was concentrated on the flanks and weakened in the center.
In November 1877, the blockade of Plevna began to bring tangible results. Army Osman Pasha decided to break through the Sofia highway to Isker and advance on Sofia. However, the Russian army learned about the plans of the Turks from a defector and stopped the enemy’s breakthrough, capturing Osman.
For your courage and brilliant ideas Eduard Totleben was awarded Emperor Alexander II. He received the St. George Cross, 2nd degree, as well as the honorary Order of St. Andrew the First-Called.
After the capture of Plevna, Totleben was assigned to command the eastern detachment. Since 1879, he led the troops of the Odessa Military District and became the acting Governor-General of Odessa. Eduard Totleben died in Germany, near Frankfurt am Main, in June 1884.
Count, adjutant general. Graduated from the Main Engineering School. I met Dostoevsky through my younger brother, who lived with the writer in the same apartment in the early 1840s. A few days before his arrest, that is, before April 22, 1849, Dostoevsky met by chance with Totleben: “We shook hands with each other so friendly,” the writer recalls. Totleben was the head of engineering and fortification work during the defense of Sevastopol in 1854-1856, and Dostoevsky, who had earned universal respect and fame, approached him in 1856 with requests for a petition for promotion to the officer rank and for permission to publish. To his Semipalatinsk friend A.E. To Wrangel, who was supposed to convey Dostoevsky’s letter to Totleben, the writer reported on March 23, 1856: “...He [E.I. Totleben. — S.B. ], maybe he hasn't forgotten me. He is a kind, simple man, with a generous heart (he proved this), a real hero of Sevastopol, worthy of the names of Nakhimov and Kornilov. Bring him my letter. Read it thoroughly first. You will probably notice from the tone of my letter to him that I hesitated and did not know How write to him. He stands so high now, and who am I? Will he want to remember me? Just in case, I wrote it like this. Now: go to him personally (I hope that he is in St. Petersburg) and give him my letter in private. You will immediately see in his face how he accepts it. If you feel bad, then there is nothing to do; Having explained the situation to him in short words and put in a word, take your leave and leave, asking him in advance for a secret about this whole matter. He is a very polite person (somewhat chivalrous in character), he will receive and dismiss you very politely, even if he doesn’t say anything satisfactory. If you see from his face that he will take care of me and show a lot of sympathy and kindness, oh, then be completely frank with him; directly, from the heart, enter into the matter; tell him about me and tell him that his word now means a lot, that he could ask the monarch for me, vouch (as someone who knows me) for the fact that I will be a good citizen in the future, and, of course, he will not be refused. Several times, at Paskevich’s request, the sovereign forgave Polish criminals. Totleben is now in such mercy, in such love that, truly, his request will cost the Paskevichs...”
In his first letter to Totleben dated March 24, 1856, Dostoevsky wrote: “...I have a great, huge request for you, Eduard Ivanovich! Only one thing makes it difficult for me: I have no right to bother you with myself. But you have a noble, sublime heart! We can talk about this; You proved this so gloriously just recently, in front of the whole world! Long ago, before others, I had the good fortune to receive this opinion about you, and long, long ago I learned to respect you. Your word can now mean a lot to our merciful monarch, who is grateful to you and loves you. Remember the poor exile and help him! I wish to be useful. It is difficult, having strength in your soul and a head on your shoulders, not to suffer from inaction. But military rank is not my field. I am ready to stretch with all my might; but I am a sick person, and, besides, I feel that I am more inclined to another field, more consistent with my abilities. My whole dream is to be dismissed from military service and enter the civil service, somewhere in Russia or even here; have at least some freedom in choosing your place of residence. But I do not make service the main goal of my life. Once upon a time I was encouraged by the favorable reception of the public on the literary path. I would like to have permission to print<...>. I have always considered the title of writer to be the noblest, most useful title. I have the conviction that only on this path could I truly be useful, perhaps I would attract at least some attention to myself, would again acquire a good name for myself and at least somewhat secure my existence, for I have nothing , except for some very small, perhaps literary abilities..."
Totleben, having taken an active part in the fate of Dostoevsky, sent his letter to the headquarters of the Inspector General for Engineering, Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich, and on October 1, 1856, an order was given to promote Dostoevsky to ensign. In a letter to A.E. To Wrangel dated May 23, 1856. Dostoevsky thanks Totleben for the efforts to promote him to ensign: “Totleben is the noblest soul, I was always sure of this. This is a knightly soul, sublime and generous<...>. For Christ's sake, tell Ernst [Eduard. — S.B. ] that I could not read your letter without tears [not preserved. — S.B. ] and I don’t know if there are words to express my feelings for him.”
Having received an order to be promoted to ensign, Dostoevsky wrote to A.E. To Wrangel on November 9, 1856: “...If you see Totleben, tell him that I have no words to express my gratitude to him. All my life I will remember his noble deed with me,” and in a letter to A.E. To Wrangel on December 21, 1856, he again asked: “First of all, how long has it been since you saw Totleben? Is he in St. Petersburg? And if there, did you convey my gratitude to him? Tell him, my friend, that I have no words to express it to him, and that I will forever revere him, all my life, and will never forget what he did for me.”
On October 4, 1859, Dostoevsky turns to Totleben with a request for help in moving from Tver to St. Petersburg: “... Since you, having taken part in my destiny, have done so much good for me and given me the opportunity to start a new life, - Since then I have looked to you as my savior in my difficult situation, which has not yet ended<...>. And now I’ve been here [in Tver] for a month and a half. — S.B. ] and I don’t know how and when all the difficulties will end. Meanwhile, there is no way for me not to live in St. Petersburg. I am sick with epilepsy; I need serious, radical treatment<...>. But besides illness, I have other reasons why I need to live in St. Petersburg, no less important and, perhaps, even more important. IM married; I have a stepson; I have to support my wife and raise her son. I have no fortune. I live by my work and hard work - literary work. I lose enormously when dealing with literary entrepreneurs in absentia<...>. I’m not even talking about all the other reasons - for example, about my brothers, from whom I was separated for ten years...”
On October 29, 1859, Totleben responded to Dostoevsky: “Upon receipt of your letter, I, unfortunately, was deprived of the opportunity to immediately fulfill your request. Prince Dolgorukov and the sovereign were in Warsaw. Yesterday I had the opportunity to speak with Prince Dolgoruky and Mr. Al. E. Timashev, both expressed their full consent to your permanent residence in St. Petersburg and asked that you contact them in writing. Please write without fail to both the prince and Mr. Timashev - upon receipt of your letters, permission will soon follow. A warm bow from the highly respected E. Totleben, always ready for your services.”
In a response letter to Totleben dated November 2, 1859, Dostoevsky wrote: “...I don’t know how to thank you for your letter and for everything you do for me. May God reward you<...>. If anyone sincerely, with all the warmth of a noble heart, pitied me and helped me, it was you. I know it, I feel it, and my heart knows how to be grateful<...>. I repeat once again: I have no words to express my gratitude to you for your participation in me...”
In 1877, during the Russian-Turkish War, Totleben led the engineering work during the storming of Plevna, and in 1878 he was appointed commander-in-chief of the Russian army in the Balkans and played a huge role in the defeat of Turkey. Dostoevsky recalled about Totleben in that he “left three or four years before me” from the Main Engineering School, called Totleben’s “brilliant defense” of Sevastopol and wrote about Totleben during the Russian-Turkish war: “Now Totleben is there; what he does is unknown to us exactly, but a brilliant engineer will perhaps find a way (not only in a particular case, but in general) to shake axiom destroy excessiveness and balance the two forces (attack and defense) with some new ingenious discovery. Europe is looking attentively and greedily at his actions and is waiting not only for political conclusions, but also for scientific ones. In a word, our military horizon has brightened, and there is a lot of hope again.”