The military pilot graduated from the Nikolaev Cavalry School. Panorama of the Nikolaev Cavalry School

Russian hussars. Memoirs of an officer of the imperial cavalry. 1911-1920 Littauer Vladimir

Chapter 2 NIKOLAEV CAVALRY SCHOOL

NIKOLAEVSKY CAVALRY SCHOOL

The only military school in imperial Russia, Corps des Pages(Corps of Pages), trained officers for service in all branches of the military. The rest of the military schools were specialized institutions: infantry, cavalry, artillery, and military engineering. The oldest and most significant of the three cavalry schools was the Nicholas Cavalry School in St. Petersburg. In the Russian cavalry it was called the “glorious school” or simply “school”, and only in the official press the Nikolaev Military School. The school was founded in 1823.

In my time, the school had two sections, one for Cossack cadets (who also had their own schools), and the other for regular cavalry cadets. The term "cadets" referred exclusively to students from secondary military schools; students of higher specialized military schools were called cadets. Usually they entered cadet school at the age of ten or eleven; and training there took seven years. Thus, most young men entered the cadet school at the age of seventeen or eighteen. It was also possible to enroll in a cadet school after graduating from a regular gymnasium, having previously undergone strict medical control. A newcomer who graduated from high school was called in school jargon a “train station cadet,” in other words, a person without a military background. I was one of them, and there were few like them.

In my time, the Cossack department consisted of about 150 cadets, while our so-called squadron had 105 cadets. Since the Cossacks sat differently in the saddle, their saddles, bridles, uniforms, sabers, some teams and formations traditionally differed from ours, military training classes were conducted separately, but we studied the theoretical course together. Our bedrooms were on the second floor, and theirs were on the third. In the dining room we sat on one side of the main aisle, and they sat on the other. Despite this close communication, there was little friendship between the two sections of the Russian cavalry, and each section believed itself to be superior to the other.

The large, gloomy main school building was built at the beginning of the 19th century, and life inside the building could only be described as spartan. Our small squadron was divided into three platoons, and each platoon had its own bedroom. In the bedroom with high ceilings there were beds in two rows. A tall metal pin embedded in the head of each bunk was intended for a saber and cap; Clothes were neatly folded every night on a stool at the foot of the bed. Near the wall, at an angle of forty-five degrees, a staircase rose to the ceiling, on which in the mornings before breakfast we had to perform a mandatory exercise: climb up to the ceiling and descend with the help of our hands. I hated this activity with all my heart. Along the other wall stretched a long row of rifles arranged in sawhorses. The restrooms had no baths or showers, only basins. Once a week we were taken to a Russian bathhouse, which was located in a separate building in the backyard. Valets were the only luxury we were allowed - one for every eight cadets.

The course lasted two years. In school language, the seniors were called cornets (a junior officer rank in the Russian cavalry until 1917), and “beasts” was the nickname for the juniors. The “animals” took the oath a month after entering the school. After this, they could no longer be expelled from school into civilian life for bad behavior; in such cases they were sent to a cavalry regiment for a year as ordinary soldiers. This was called "commanding a regiment." A cadet returning from a regiment to school was addressed by other cadets as “major” or “colonel,” depending on the year of training. I knew a couple of “generals of the illustrious school,” that is, those who “commanded a regiment” twice; they were highly respected.

Both teachers and cornets tried in every possible way to make the first month at school, before the swearing-in, unbearably difficult for the “animals”. The purpose of such a harsh measure was obvious: to get rid of weak-willed, indecisive students by any means. Every year, a large number of newcomers left the school within the first month. I stubbornly held on, not intending to give up, but one day, when I came home for the weekend, I burst into tears.

A cornet was attached to each “beast,” and for a year they became each other’s “nephew” and “uncle.” The duties of the “uncle” included introducing the “nephew” to the traditions of the “glorious school” and the no less famous Russian cavalry. My “uncle” could not have been more suitable for this role; Today, long retired, he spends a lot of time writing poetry glorifying the military past. He always believed that a good cavalry officer must be an excellent horseman, skillfully wield cold steel, be daring, resourceful and, above all, capable of leading an attack and, if necessary, dying with dignity for “the faith, the Tsar and the Fatherland.”

The noble cadets were rather lenient about their studies. One of the items was a short artillery course, sufficient to enable us to deploy and fire a gun in an emergency. Junkers looked down on this subject, believing that the concept of “science” was not applicable to artillery. For the first test in this subject, I received the highest score, twelve. In the evening, when we were sitting on adjacent beds, my “uncle” said:

- Well, please your uncle. Tell me what grade you received today in artillery.

“Twelve,” I answered without hiding my pride.

– Do you understand what you’ve done? You have disgraced our “glorious school”! Next time you should get zero.

I didn’t understand anything, but the next time I did as I was ordered, and the satisfied “uncle” remarked:

– You are not hopeless!

A few years before I arrived, the school stopped teaching such a very specific subject for the cavalry as chemistry. During chemistry lessons, cadets wore white gloves so that their hands would not be damaged by reagents and powders. With such an attitude towards learning, one could not expect that the classes would be particularly beneficial. The bulk of the cadet's energy was devoted to physical exercise. During these classes, the teachers did not spare us, not at all interested in the state of our health. During our two years of study, many of us suffered serious injuries.

Once during an artillery lesson the following incident occurred. During the lesson, the head of the school, General Miller, entered the classroom. At this time, a cadet stood at the board who could not answer a simple question. The teacher, an artillery colonel, saw the general and became very excited. If he had immediately sent the cadet to the place, it would have been suspicious; What could he do? The teacher instantly got his bearings and explained to the general:

“I have already listened to the cadet’s answer, but before I let him go, I want to ask him the main question.”

General Miller nodded approvingly, and the teacher painfully tried to come up with a question that the cadet could answer. Finally he asked:

– Is it possible to hit a target with a gun if it is not visible?

The question made the cadet think, although everyone knows how artillery fire occurs.

So, after several minutes of painful thought, the cadet stood up and cheerfully answered:

– If an order is given, then it’s possible.

General Miller, himself a graduate of the Nikolaev Cavalry School, very pleased with the cadet’s answer, loudly whispered to the colonel, who had turned pale with anger:

- Well-trained cadet.

All our teachers, except for the veterinarian and teachers of German language and Russian literature, were officers. It was always possible to bargain with the teacher of Russian literature, and not for the sake of grades, but out of pleasure.

“Well,” said the teacher. - I'll give you an eight.

- Only eight? – the cadet asked, demonstrating surprise. “I thought I deserved eleven, or at least ten.”

The whole class was involved here.

– Give him ten, Agapit Timofeevich.

“Okay,” the teacher answered after a moment of reflection. - I'll give you ten. Sit down.

One day, while visiting a school, the emperor came to a Russian literature lesson, asked the cadets a few questions, and then for half an hour read by heart passages from the works of Russian classics. Agapit Timofeevich was so excited and delighted that instead of addressing the emperor “Your Majesty,” he repeatedly said “Your Excellency,” as if it was a general in front of him. Such treatment did not correspond to the military rank of the emperor, who was a colonel. However, the emperor did not correct our teacher, but only smiled.

The subject that aroused the interest of all cadets without exception was hippology.

At the last exam in this subject, we had, among other things, to prepare and shoe one front and one rear hoof of a horse.

With much less enthusiasm we studied such a useful subject as army communications: field telephones, telegraph, heliograph and Morse code. In addition, in this course we studied the use of explosives to blow up enemy railroads and bridges. Subsequently, already during the war, I more than once had to bitterly regret that I had paid so little attention to this subject.

We took seriously only the study of military regulations and all kinds of instructions, several small collections, each from 150 to 300 pages.

1. Internal service - in barracks, stables, etc.

2. Garrison service.

3. Subordination - the relationship between subordinates and those of higher rank.

4. Exercises.

5. Service in the active army - reconnaissance, combat operations.

6. Horse training.

The combat officer was required to actually memorize these brochures containing practical advice and instructions.

In addition, attempts were made to teach such subjects as military history, tactics, cartography, fortification construction and rear management (our least favorite subject). Once a week, our priest taught religion lessons (at that time a compulsory subject in all Russian schools). And finally, a German, Professor Brandt, taught us German.

Brandt was very old; he already taught German when our head of the school was a cadet, and even earlier. In 1911, when I entered the cavalry school, Brandt was slightly out of his mind and could no longer distinguish between Cossacks and “squadron” cadets, although we wore different uniforms. Having randomly chosen anyone from the class to answer, instead of finding from the list, Brandt peered intently at the cadet for some time and, despairing of understanding who was in front of him, asked:

– Are you from the squadron, my angel, or a Cossack?

Another old man, a general, taught us rear management.

“I’ve been working here for so long, so long, that I’ve seen everything. “And you can’t surprise me with anything anymore,” he often said.

The general did not bother himself with giving lectures, he simply read out the textbook loudly and, if one of the cadets annoyed him too much with his behavior, he stopped reading and turned to the violator of discipline:

-What word did I stop on?

Juncker admitted that he did not listen to the reading, and the general, for example, said:

– The last word was “headquarters”. Now open your textbook to page forty-five, find the word “headquarters” and repeat this word twenty times.

Many of our teachers were old men and had long given up hope of teaching us anything, but the unit commanders were real martinets; they were no joke.

The squadron was commanded by Colonel Yarminsky, whom the cadets affectionately called “Papa Sasha” among themselves. He had a weak point: he loved to rant in front of the squadron, not possessing the talent of an orator. As soon as he started talking, we already knew that he would soon commit some tactlessness.

Dad Sasha and his family lived in an apartment in one of the officers’ houses, and if in the evening someone urgently needed to see him, they could always go to his house. Yarminsky had a very beautiful maid, and one of the cadets got into the habit of visiting Papa Sasha in the evenings. One day the cadet was unlucky: dad Sasha caught him kissing a maid. The cadet was immediately arrested, and the next day he appeared before the squadron. Papa Sasha spent a long time talking about immorality in general and the immoral behavior of this cadet in particular and, summing up the speech, said:

- Besides, cadet Yurlov, for whom am I keeping this girl - for you or for myself?!

About a month after I was promoted to hussar, Papa Sasha took command of the 3rd Hussars, and we, both hussars, met by chance in a restaurant. To an outsider it might well seem that he was watching a meeting of two bosom friends. The school bonds were incredibly strong. For example, in a theater or at a hippodrome, some old general could come up to me, a simple cadet, and introduce himself:

- I am so and so. In such and such a year I graduated from the “glorious school”.

All cornets wore a commemorative ring, silver, in the shape of a horse's shoe, with a guards star centered on the outside of the ring and with the inscription "Soldier, cornet and general friends forever" engraved on the inside. This phrase was taken from a school song; the revolution removed the word “soldier” from the song with incredible ease.

The most important person in the life of the cadets was the officer who commanded the class during two years of study (there were eighteen young men in my class). Such a company officer was Captain Zyakin, assigned to our class. He studied military regulations and instructions with us and was engaged in physical training, with the exception of fencing and gymnastics. But first of all, he was responsible for our upbringing. Even if I wanted to, I can't say anything good about him. I think that he was a bad teacher, and his methods of education were too harsh, and at times even sadistic. In any case, this is how I see it now.

He taught us to ride with the help of a long whip and, stroking the pupils’ backs with it, said with mocking politeness:

“Excuse me, I was going to whip up the horse.”

After a couple of blows of the whip, each of us wondered who he really wanted to cheer up: the horse or the rider? If Zyakin was in a bad mood, then for any nonsense, for example, for a horse that slowed down in front of an obstacle, he could easily be put under arrest, left without leave for the weekend, or stood at attention for an hour in full uniform. The punishment was called “under the saber,” since the cadet stood at attention with his saber drawn. Often, when Captain Zyakin was dissatisfied with the class as a whole, he grabbed the first cadet who came to hand, tore off his cap, threw him to the ground and trampled it with his feet, then tore off his greatcoat and also trampled it with his feet and, finally, throwing the cadet to the ground, shouted :

– No layoffs until Christmas! (Or until Easter, depending on the time of year.)

His parenting methods often led to accidents. A cadet lying motionless on the ground was a common sight. In these cases, the captain walked around the injured cadet and sarcastically asked:

- Did you hurt yourself?

“Everything is fine,” came the standard answer.

Then, apparently losing all interest, the captain, regally waving his hand, threw into space:

- Take it away.

Instantly, out of nowhere, soldiers appeared and carried away the cadets.

I also had to hear “take him away”; Then I seriously injured my knee. I lay motionless on my back for two weeks, experiencing terrible pain from the slightest movement, and then walked on crutches for a month. At this time, the emperor visited our school. I was told that if the Emperor came into the infirmary, I should lie motionless on my back. The Emperor arrived at the school, came to the infirmary and came into my room. The only thing I remember is the emperor in the uniform of a colonel entering the door; and then a complete loss of memory. Later they told me that I quickly sat up in bed and, in a decisive voice, like a good soldier, answered several questions asked by the emperor. I didn't feel any pain; this is what a person is capable of when he is nineteen years old.

Today I understand that although Zyakin was a poor teacher, he had the ability to drill, so our class was chosen to participate in a demonstration parade in the presence of the emperor. Similar reviews are now held in Canada for the Royal Mounted Police. The unusual show program ended with a crowning number. The rider loosened the girth, pulled the saddle out from under him and, leaning on the saddle with his left hand and steering the horse with his right, took on several low obstacles. The class, while performing this exercise, acted in concert, as one person. Accuracy was achieved as follows. We rode in a huge circle, and each rider had to clearly remember the places where it was necessary to make this or that movement; “windows” in a circle served as landmarks. The most unpleasant thing, I will tell you, is that during the training period we were completely deprived of leave and spent many hours “under the saber” until we achieved the necessary precision in performing the exercises. When the emperor announced that he was satisfied with the review, the order banning dismissals was canceled. In the process of preparing for the review, hatred of Zyakin reached such a limit that we began to draw up a conspiracy plan, intending to fail our performance before the emperor. However, we did not dare to do this, and when Zyakin canceled his order banning dismissals, everyone immediately forgot about the hours spent “under the saber” or under arrest, and we even came to the conclusion that Zyakin, after all, was not too bad.

The school guardhouse consisted of several small cells, each of which contained a bed, a table and a chair; There is a light bulb under the ceiling without a lampshade. The bunk was a wooden shelf attached to the wall. There was no mattress or blanket on her. The arrested person used his uniform as a pillow, and his overcoat served as a blanket. The walls of the chamber were gradually covered with the names and sayings of the former inhabitants. One of the inscriptions read: “Here lived cornet Kozlov. Usually the cadets were under arrest for only a day or two. They attended class but ate, slept and did homework in the guardhouse. The cadet on duty took the arrested person out of the cell and brought him back after classes.

And yet, I am grateful to Zyakin, because in my second year of study it was he who promoted me to the rank of corporal, which was important when choosing a regiment. Long before graduation, we were introduced to a list of vacancies in cavalry regiments. Each cadet had the right to choose a regiment depending on the marks he had, but sergeants and corporals had priority right of choice.

I received the rank of corporal under very interesting circumstances. The Winter Palace, the residence of the emperor, was constantly guarded by police, in uniform and in civilian clothes. In addition, all St. Petersburg regiments and military schools took part in the guarding of the Winter Palace. A squadron of the Nicholas Cavalry School guarded the palace once a year. We held internal and external positions. The cadets who took over the watch stood at attention for two hours; then the shift came. Each shift had to stand four watches per day. During the rest, we were in the guard room, ready to instantly jump to our feet in case of a combat alarm; During the rest we slept without undressing. On that memorable day, I took part in guarding the palace. We were just leaving the gate when the head of our school arrived and immediately on Palace Square, next to the Alexander Column, promoted me to corporal of the “glorious school.”

My post in the palace was in the gallery of heroes of the Patriotic War of 1812.

More than three hundred portraits of military leaders hung on the walls, most of which were painted by the English artist George Dow.

The post was located in one of the corners of the gallery next to the regimental standards. At night, in a huge room with the only source of light - a light bulb near the standards - it was quite creepy. Superstitious horror was evoked by the steps of the changing of the guard going to the post, echoing loudly in the enfilade of halls and corridors.

Once while on duty we had an unpleasant incident. In accordance with the Orthodox calendar, January 6 was the feast of the Epiphany.

Every year on this day a solemn procession left the Winter Palace and headed to the Neva. A pavilion was installed above the pre-made hole. On this holiday, we stood guard in a huge hall along with a cavalry guard squadron. The emperor had to pass through this hall on his way out from his apartments. When he entered the hall, all the “eagles” sank down, and only our standard hesitated and its tip touched the floor a few seconds later than the others. Our poor dad Sasha was arrested. He tried to hide his arrest from us by saying that he had gone hunting.

In connection with this event, a cartoon appeared depicting Sasha’s dad in a hunter’s costume, sitting in a cage. The Colonel was delighted with the caricature. The Nikolaev cavalry school included a secondary classical gymnasium, which existed at the expense of the cadets. In addition to private donations, the school held an annual charity exhibition. At such an exhibition, a caricature of Papa Sasha was sold for a fairly high price. Every year, the sergeant’s painting, which he traditionally called “Lord of the Planet,” sold for a lot of money. The picture was always the same. A horizontal line divided the sheet into two parts: the upper part meant “sky”, and the lower part meant “ocean” or “desert”. But the most important thing was not in the line, but in the inscription: “Lord of the planet Glorious School of such and such a year.”

Although spurs formed part of our uniform, the "beasts" did not wear them within the school walls until they had earned them. They were given for success in horse riding, and it was considered a great honor to be among the first ten to receive spurs. I was lucky and was one of the first. On May 10 we went to the camps, and all the “animals” were finally allowed to put on spurs. The presentation of the first ten pairs of spurs was accompanied by a traditional ceremony. The sergeant-major invited ten distinguished "beasts" to a sumptuous dinner held in the recreation room, and the first night after the presentation of the spurs, the "beasts" slept with heavy eight-inch spurs on their bare heels. If a cornet who woke up in the middle of the night shouted: “I don’t hear the ringing of the spurs!”, the “beasts”, having lost hope of falling asleep, were supposed to jingle their spurs. The next morning you realized that you would never forget this event.

This was part of the bullying that the school's pupils were subjected to. True, our bullying was not as cruel as, for example, in English schools, where older boys turned younger boys into their lackeys. We, for example, had to stand at attention if a cornet addressed us, demonstrating respect for the elder, and immediately jump up if the cornet entered the room. In addition, the “animals” had to know some facts from the history of the Russian cavalry, which were not part of the mandatory training program. For example, the names of the commanders of all cavalry regiments where their regiments were stationed; be able to describe their shape down to the smallest detail, etc., etc. Moreover, we had to remember the names of the favorite girls of all the cornets. The girls were constantly changing, and there was no end to this grueling procedure of remembering girl names. The cornets punished the “animals” for a frown, a dissatisfied answer, an unlearned name, and a host of other similar “offences.” Punishment mainly consisted of push-ups or squats; One hundred squats or push-ups was considered the norm, but sometimes it reached five hundred. Since these exercises developed the muscles of the arms and legs, they were considered useful for future cavalrymen.

These forced physical exercises and the fact that they almost constantly had to take a drill stance were terribly exhausting both morally and physically, but from the point of view of the army they had a positive effect, developing the respect of juniors for their seniors in rank - even if they entered school only a year earlier . Although all these actions were illegal, the officers, who at one time themselves had gone through similar trials, turned a blind eye to the bullying of their elders against their younger ones. Only the sometimes cruel and offensive forms of bullying that arose were instantly suppressed.

Once a year the school held an equestrian festival. The cornets demonstrated drill training, overcoming obstacles, and even Romanesque riding school.

The Cossacks showed horse riding, and the “animals” showed the so-called Scythian riding school.

For the “animals” to perform, three low barriers were installed across the arena. The “animals” on bareback horses, having let go of the reins, gathered at the gates of the arena. The gates opened, and the grooms used whips to drive the horses into the arena one after another.

The performance lasted no more than three or four minutes. Instead of taking the barrier, my horse turned to the side and I fell against the wall of the arena. There were spectator stands above me. Fifty excited horses raced around the arena. I hastened to get up and, feeling extremely embarrassed, glanced at the podium, and the first person I saw was the general. I don’t know what was moving me at that moment, most likely the force of habit, but I stood at attention. For this stupid act I was put under the saber.

Twice a year we took part in balls held in women's gymnasiums. It was believed that we should enjoy attending balls, but we thought differently. With one girl we were allowed to make only two circles around the hall and talk after the dance for no more than a few minutes, and all this time we were watched by the watchful eyes of elderly ladies who observed the behavior of the girls. In any case, balls, according to school tradition, were not considered a suitable pastime for noble cornets. So, twice a year during evening roll call, Sasha’s dad announced:

– I have twelve invitations to the ball. Who wants to go?

He knew in advance that the answer would be dead silence, and therefore he immediately added:

– I will select twelve people myself.

After his statement, each of the twelve in turn asked:

- Allow me to report.

- Report.

- I can not dance.

Every year Jarminski listened to these explanations, and therefore he already had an answer.

– You have two weeks to learn to dance. An hour before leaving for the ball, you will come to my house and show me what you have learned in two weeks.

So, before leaving for the ball, twelve unfortunate cadets danced with each other in Yarminsky’s living room, but, regardless of their ability to dance, they all went to the ball.

It is clear that our presence at the balls was always welcomed. What was our dress uniform worth! A black uniform with scarlet piping, two rows of copper buttons, epaulettes and a three-stripe belt - the outer stripes are scarlet, the middle one is black. Dark blue bloomers with red trim. Black boots with spurs. In summer - a cap with a scarlet crown, and in winter - a leather shako with a plume of feathers.

The uniform, of course, was luxurious, but, unfortunately, there were too few places in the city where we could show off in it. We were forbidden to walk the streets, and I preferred to wait at the entrance while the porter fetched the cab driver. During my two years of study, I could count on my fingers the streets of St. Petersburg that I managed to walk along.

In the cavalry in general, and in our school in particular, they disapproved of bragging and flaunting their wealth, so the cadets tried not to use smart carriages with blown tires, with well-fed, well-groomed trotters, which were driven by cab drivers in good-quality blue sheepskin coats sitting on box seats. On the other hand, simple carriages, one-horse carriages, at best on molded rubber tires, drawn, as a rule, by a skinny horse, with drivers in army jackets, the so-called “vankas,” could not develop normal speed, from the passenger’s point of view. On Saturdays, luxurious carriages drawn by well-fed, fast horses stood at the school doors. Although it was a very expensive pleasure, some of us hired such cabs for the entire day off. True, this also had its downsides. If an officer was riding in a cab that could not reach high speed, then you had to either drag along behind it or ask the officer for permission to overtake his cab.

Junkers were forbidden to go to operettas and comedies, to hotels and restaurants. The only time before finishing school I came from the camp to the city was to do a little shopping with my mother.

“I’m tired,” my mother said when we did the shopping. - Let's go have breakfast at the Bear.

- They won’t let me in.

“What nonsense,” answered my mother, who did not recognize any restrictions. “In a few days you will become an officer, and besides, I am your mother.”

We, of course, were not allowed into the restaurant, and my very young-looking mother’s desire to rent a separate office aroused particular suspicion.

The school was very concerned about our moral character. Whenever visitors came to us at specially designated hours, dad Sasha would look into the living room several times to look at the visitors. Once he asked me:

-What kind of girl came to you today?

- My cousin.

After a moment of confusion, dad Sasha quickly came to his senses and said:

- So, it’s like this: so that I don’t see anymore this cousins.

On May 9, the holiday of the Nikolaev Cavalry School was celebrated; All graduates received a warm welcome. Representatives of different regiments of the Russian cavalry attended a large dinner in honor of the holiday. The next day we left for the camps.

Summer camps for all regiments and military schools of the St. Petersburg garrison were located 27 kilometers from the city, in Krasnoye Selo. Our barracks were located on the left bank of Lake Dudegof. On one side ran the so-called front line, a wide, well-compacted sandy road along which the barracks were located. On the other side of the road, on a flat, wide field, there was an artificial embankment, the so-called Tsar's Roll, from where the Tsar watched the teachings and ceremonies.

In Krasnoe Selo itself and in its environs there were many dachas, in which many wonderful people probably vacationed in the summer, but I, like most of my comrades, remember only the female representatives who followed the regiments to the camps. We cadets had only two opportunities to get to know them. The first is cartography. During practical training, we were scattered over a large area and left unattended for a couple of hours. In addition, there was a boat rental on the lake, and there you could meet girls who came for a ride. However, there was a certain risk: the officer on duty had binoculars and observed the lake from time to time. Violators of discipline could be left without dismissal.

In the camp, the bulk of the time was devoted to drill. For about two weeks we cleaned and fed the horses ourselves. Daily training ended with a parade in the presence of the emperor. The parade rehearsal took place in the presence of Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich, commander of the guard troops. The Grand Duke, a tall, handsome man, was fond of strong expressions - a habit that earned him the love of the soldiers, who understood simple Russian. Once during a parade rehearsal, our squadron lost its pace. As we passed by the Grand Duke, he shouted:

- What's this? A boarding house for noble maidens?

We had to walk past him again, and this time we learned that we looked like “rows of pregnant women.”

In my second year of study, our head of school was promoted. His successor, Major General Mitrofan Mikhailovich Marchenko, was not a graduate of the Nikolaev Cavalry School, and therefore did not attach much importance to our traditions. For most of his life, Marchenko served as a military attaché in the Russian embassies of Western Europe and returned home a complete Anglophile. Junkers traditionally practiced only those sports that were, to one degree or another, related to their profession. General Marchenko tried to force us to play football, one of the favorite English sports. There were no volunteers, and the general was forced to assign players to both teams. At the meeting, the cornets decided that playing football is degrading and goes against our traditions, and therefore the players must do everything possible to get the school management to abandon football. So, having entered the field, we took our places and stood at attention. No matter how hard the general tried, he was unable to make us budge, and, most surprisingly, we were not punished.

Then the general tried to introduce swimming classes at school. One afternoon the officer on duty walked through the camp with a piece of paper and a pencil, making a list of those who could swim. It is quite natural that the most incredible rumors spread throughout the camp with lightning speed. Among other things, they said that those who could not swim would stay at the camp for the weekend and study. I had an important meeting in the city scheduled for the weekend, and, believing the rumors, I, although I could not swim, signed up for the list of swimmers.

Then events rushed at breakneck speed. Half an hour later, all the swimmers, including me, came to the shore of the lake. After a couple of minutes, we undressed and, lining up in lines of six, walked to the edge of the pier. At the general’s command “March!” we had to jump into the water. Before I knew it, I was already standing on the edge of the pier. On the command “March!” I jumped, but before I even reached the water, I managed to shout:

- Help!

I was pulled out of the water and appeared before the general.

“So, you lied about being able to swim?”

I explained why I had to lie. Probably my honest answer disarmed the general, and he allowed me to go to St. Petersburg for the weekend.

The official promotion ceremony took place in early August. All military schools of St. Petersburg lined up in a deployed front. The Emperor descended on horseback from the Tsar's embankment and spoke for several minutes about our duties now as officers. I don't remember the text of the speech because I was too excited.

“Gentlemen, I congratulate you on your first officer rank,” I heard the last words of the emperor, and these were the most important words.

At the end of the ceremony, dad Sasha changed his stern look to a gentle smile and, instead of the command: “Squadron, march!”, smiling, said:

- Gentlemen, officers, I ask for horses!

Chapter 13 Military School December 1943 - May 1944 On December 8, when I arrived from Pyggen at the military school located on the outskirts of Dresden, the old Saxon city seemed amazingly beautiful to me. Nothing foreshadowed the terrible fate awaiting Dresden, which

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The Elisavetgrad Cavalry Junker School was inaugurated on September 26, 1865.

Previously in Elisavetgrad in 1859-1865. There was an officer cavalry school designed for the special education of cavalry officers, which taught tactics, horse riding, vaulting, artillery, fortification, veterinary medicine, blacksmithing, fencing and gymnastics. The training course lasted 2 years. According to the Decree of the Minister of War of August 2, 1866 and the statement of the Military Council, it was attached to the training cavalry squadron, with placement in the town of Selishchenskiye Barracks, Novgorod province. This officer cavalry school can be considered the predecessor of the Elisavetgrad cavalry cadet school - it left its premises and teachers to the EKYU.

The Elisavetgrad Cavalry Junker School was intended to recruit officers for the cavalry units of the Kyiv, Odessa and Kharkov military districts.

At first the school had one squadron (of 90 cadets). The school curriculum was designed for 2 years and, in addition to general subjects (the law of God, the Russian language, mathematics, geography, history, drawing, natural history), included special tactics, military topography, field fortification, artillery, military administration, military legislation, hippology, military hygiene, methods of teaching soldiers school literacy, practical classes in tactics, topography and sapper work.

Gradually, the number of cadets in the EKUU increased: in 1868 - 150, in 1871 - 200, in 1874 - 300 people. In 1874, the cadets were divided into 2 squadrons: the 1st - to complete the dragoon regiments, the 2nd - for the hussars and uhlan regiments.

In 1876, a Cossack department for 35 people was opened at the Elisavetgrad Cavalry Junker School. By that time, in the Russian Empire there was only one exclusively Cossack school - the Novocherkassk military school (founded in 1869) and the training of future officers of the Cossack troops, besides it, was also carried out in 3 mixed cadet-military schools: Orenburg (founded in 1867 ), Stavropol (founded in 1870) and Irkutsk (founded in 1872), as well as at the Cossack departments of the Vilna and Warsaw cadet military schools. In 1878, the Orenburg and Stavropol schools became completely Cossack schools. In 1886, the Cossack department of the EKUU was transferred to the Novocherkassk Cossack School.

By 1880, there were 16 cadet schools in the Russian Empire - 10 infantry, 3 Cossack, 1 mixed and 2 cavalry - Elisavetgrad and Tverskoe. TKYU (like EKYU) was founded in 1865 with 60 junkers. In 1868, the Tver Cavalry Junker School increased its staff to 90, and in 1880, 150 cadets were trained there.

In addition to these two cadet schools (TKYU and EKYU), officers for the cavalry were trained by the Nikolaev Cavalry School in St. Petersburg (founded in 1865 on the basis of the Nikolaev School of Guards Junkers). In the modern understanding, it had a higher level of accreditation - its graduates of the 1st and 2nd categories (who passed “successfully”) were sent to units as officers, while graduates of cadet schools received the rank of estandard cadets (in the infantry - cadet belts) and only after camp training in their regiments, those graduated with the 1st category were promoted to officers on the recommendation of their superiors without any vacancies in the regiment, and the graduates of the 2nd category waited for a vacancy to appear. The student body of the NKU consisted of 200 cadets, and only in 1890, when the Cossack hundred appeared at the school, the total number of cadets increased to 320.

In 1866, due to the existence of the NKU, Elisavetgrad and Tver cavalry cadet schools, graduation to the cavalry from other schools was stopped.

Thus, it can be argued that the Elisavetgrad Cavalry Junker School already from 1874 became the main supplier of officer personnel for the cavalry of the Russian Empire - its graduates were one third more than those of the Nikolaev Cavalry School, and twice as many as those of the Tver Cavalry Junker School.

The cadet schools accepted graduates of military gymnasiums or corresponding civilian educational institutions, as well as volunteers. From 1869, non-commissioned officers conscripted could also enlist. In 1868-1886. in Elisavetgrad there was a military gymnasium - a four-year educational institution, the main purpose of which was the initial education of future cadets of the EKYU. In addition, former students of the Elisavetgrad Zemstvo Real School, classical and other gymnasiums, as well as the Kiev and Poltava military gymnasiums closest to Elisavetgrad (reformed in 1865 from cadet corps, and in 1882 again transformed into cadet corps) entered the school.

The main composition of the students of the Elisavetgrad Cavalry School was diverse. Hereditary nobles (among whom there were also titled ones - princes and barons) made up no more than 20%, and even together with the children of junior officers and officials, they barely reached half the course in the 19th century, and with the beginning of the 20th century, most of the cadets were peasants, bourgeois and Cossacks origin.

On May 20, 1898, the Elisavetgrad City Duma adopted a Decree on the acceptance of the City Council’s report on the rationale for the need to open a cadet corps in Elisavetgrad and authorized the Council to begin lobbying the Chief of Military Educational Institutions and the Commander of the Odessa Military District to ensure that the planned foundation of In the south of Russia, a new cadet corps was built in Elisavetgrad, for which in Kovalevka, between the railway and Sladkaya Balka, specialists selected a site with an area of about 10 acres. In addition to Elisavetgrad, several other southern cities, including Odessa, showed a desire to open this cadet corps. The “competition” was won by Odessa, where a cadet corps was opened in 1899.

Military gymnasiums (cadet corps) were intended for future cadets of military schools to receive general secondary education, but those cadets who, for one reason or another, did not complete the course, entered cadet schools.

The course at the cadet school consisted of two classes - junior general and senior special. The volume and content of special education was dictated by the knowledge and skills necessary to command a battalion (in military schools the level of training was focused on commanding a regiment).

With the development of the network of cadet schools, the provision of officer ranks without a course of study was discontinued. But volunteers could become officers without enrolling and completing a college course, after passing the final exams, that is, as an external student. Officers who received ranks during hostilities without passing exams also underwent retraining at the EKUU.

In order to educate future officers at the level of military schools, in 1886, departments with a military school course began to be opened at cadet schools. At EKUU such a department was opened in 1888 (according to other sources, the first department of the junior class of the military school course at EKUU was opened in 1892).

In 1893, cadets at military schools were provided with the same uniform.

In 1901-1904. The cadet departments of the school were turned into military schools. In 1902, the EKUU was renamed the Elisavetgrad Cavalry School (EKU) and in 1904 carried out the last graduation from the cadet departments. Thus, EKU became the second (after the St. Petersburg Nikolaev Cavalry School) cavalry school in the Russian Empire (the Tver Cavalry Junker School was reorganized into a military school only in 1911, in which all cadet schools, by reforming into military schools, ceased to exist as type of military educational institutions).

On January 21, 1903, the Elisavetgrad Cavalry School was awarded the highest standard.

In 1908, all ranks of the school were issued Uhlan uniforms.

On January 19, 1913, the badge of the Elisavetgrad Cavalry School was approved, which was made of silver or white metal and represented a double-headed eagle from the time of Elizabeth Petrovna with a torch and a wreath in its paws, above the heads of which there is a silver radiance with the monogram of Emperor Alexander II (the honorary founder of the school ), between the heads and wings - the numbers 18 and 65 (year of foundation), on the chest of the eagle - a red enamel shield with the image of St. George the Serpent Fighter, on the tail of the eagle - the monogram of Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich Sr. (inspector general of cavalry and engineering troops).

At the end of 1917, the Elisavetgrad Cavalry School was disbanded.

In 1918, during the period of the hetmanate, the work of the Elisavetgrad Cavalry School was resumed and it trained personnel for the hetman’s army. The fate of the school from the times of the UPR (Ukrainian People's Republic) is unknown. In 1919, accelerated courses for Red commanders were held in Elisavetgrad. Later, the Soviet military educational institution that occupied the premises of the EKU was called the 5th Ukrainian Cavalry School named after. CM. Budyonny, as well as the Zinoviev Cavalry School, which existed here until 1935, after which it was transferred to Penza, where it merged with the Penza Cavalry School, which became the only cavalry school in the USSR.

Many graduates of the school became outstanding military leaders, and its teachers and directors were also famous.

The head of the Elisavetgrad Officer Cavalry School (1859-1866) was Colonel Eduard Abramovich Gaili. Perhaps this is the same Eduard Gaili, who (with the rank of captain) was a comrade in the service of A.A. Feta in the Order Cuirassier Regiment. This is how the poet described him: “He was the type of former hussar. Of average height, with a reddish tint of hair on his head and a mustache hanging over his entire chest, Gaili personified good-natured, mocking carefreeness. The golden head of a man's earring remained in the left mustache as a sign of past dandyism. Guiley’s favorite saying was the phrase: “For a young man there is nothing more honorable than military service.”

Order No. 1 for the school about its grand opening at 11 o'clock on September 26, 1865 was signed the day before by Major Rousseau.

The order to dissolve the school in accordance with the decision of the Council of Workers', Rural and Soldiers' Deputies was given on August 30, 1917 by Major General Savelyev.

It was somewhere
Far from the Seine:
The sun smelled like summer
The breeze is lilac.
Was at the parade
Under the April sky
In Elizavetgrad,
On the training ground:
Light checkers comb,
Horses, banners.
Listened to a prayer service
Both squadrons
About Christ-loving
Imperial army,
And with a holy impulse
The heart responded.
Music started playing.
The cadets are with her
In the name of - the Great -
They burst out - hurray!

The hymns have sounded
The parade rang out -
And the name disappeared:
Elizavetgrad.*
There are hearts on the sand -
Horse tracks...
And go into eternity
Horse rows.
Clear and rainy
It will be - as always,
And those who love Christ
Never armies!

*) Elisavetgrad (1754-1924),
Zinovievsk (1924-1934),
Kirovo (1934-1939),
Kirovograd (1939-2016)
Kropyvnytskyi (since 2016)

Anatoly Evgenievich Velichkovsky (1901-1981), White warrior, poet of the Russian Abroad.
(Face to face. - Paris: Rhyme, 1952)
[poem inserted by the site author]

The most famous boss (1896-1904) was Alexander Vasilyevich Samsonov (1859-1914). The funeral train with his body, brought from East Prussia, was met on the platform of the Elisavedgrad railway station by a line of cadets and school teachers led by the chief, Major General Vladimir Grigorievich Lishin.

Among the EKU teachers were Nikolai Dementievich Novitsky (1833-1906), a participant in the revolutionary democratic movement, Nikolai Fedorovich Fedorovsky (1838-1918), a cultural and educational figure, a talented military theorist, and after the revolution, a major Soviet military leader Pavel Pavlovich Sytin (1870-1938). The teacher and treasurer of the JKU in his last years was captain Evgeniy Vasilyevich Velichkovsky, the father of the Elisavetgrad high school student, and eventually a wonderful poet, Anatoly Evgenievich Velichkovsky (1901-1981). By the way, the father of the famous Soviet writer Leonid Panteleev, I.A. Eremeev, was a graduate of EKU when it was headed by A.V. Samsonov.

Over the years, interesting personalities studied at the school, who over time distinguished themselves well in the field of their activities. The range of talents formed within the walls of the cavalry school is very wide - from the invincible ace of the First World War (Colonel Alexander Aleksandrovich Kazakov, holder of the St. George's Arms, 1889-1919) to the cavalry general who took monastic vows and became a bishop (Major General Nikolai Konstantinovich Ushakov , tonsured - Neil, 1868-1933).

Notable among the graduates are: the famous gendarmerie general Vasily Dementievich Novitsky, leaders of the White movement, Lieutenant General Ivan Gavrilovich Barbovich (1874-1947) and Major General Vladimir Nikolaevich Vygran (1889-1983), Ukrainian military general-horunzhiy Ivan Vladimirovich Omelyanovich-Pavlenko (1881 -1962) and ataman of the free Cossack army Ivan Vasilyevich Poltavets-Ostryanitsa (1890-1957).

Several EKU graduates became original artists - Ambrosy Zhdakha, Konstantin Podushkin, Georgy Gursky, Viktor Arnautov. Former JCU cadets can also be found among writers - Joseph Varfolomeevich Shevchenko (1854 - until 1900), Yuri Aleksandrovich Slezkin (1890-1977). It is not difficult to continue the list of famous people associated with the Elisavetgrad Cavalry School, but even so we can conclude that it was a significant state educational institution of the second half of the 19th - early 20th centuries.

[Ippolit Mikhailovich Rogge from September 1872 to June 1874 studied at the Elisavetgrad Cavalry Junker School and graduated from it in the 2nd category with a “successful” rating and was promoted to harness cadet.]

Application

Heads of EKUU - EKU*

1865: Colonel Russo Osip Gavrilovich.
1878-1885: Colonel Rynkevich Efim Efimovich (1846 - after 1896).
1885-1891: Major General Vladimir Viktorovich Sakharov (1853-1920).
1891-1896: Colonel Litvinov Alexander Ivanovich (1853-?).
1896: Major General Sukhotin Nikolai Nikolaevich 1847 - after 1917.
1896-1904: Colonel Samsonov Alexander Vasilievich (1859-1914).
1904-1905: Major General De Witt Lev Vladimirovich (1861 - after 1919).
1905-1907: Major General Moritz Alexander Arnoldovich (1861-1936).
1907-1910: Major General Novikov Alexander Vasilyevich (1864-after 1931).
1910-1914: Major General Peters Vladimir Nikolaevich (1864 - after 1919).
1914-1917: Major General Vladimir Grigorievich Lishin (1857-?).
1917: Major General Savelyev Viktor Zakharovich (1875-1943).
1918: Major General Gerngross Boris Vladimirovich (1878 - after 1939).
1919: Major General Prokhorov Sergei Dmitrievich (1870-1953).

Church of the Elisavetgrad Cavalry School in honor of St. Archangel Michael

Elisavetgrad is a district town in the Kherson province, on the Ingula River, at the Elisavetgrad station of the South-Western Railway. dor. Trade city. 72 thousand population (Russians, Jews, Germans, etc.). Educational institutions: Cavalry school, men's gymnasium, women's state and two private gymnasiums, one women's pro-gymnasium, real school, religious school, commercial and city 6th grade. colleges and several parish schools. There are nine churches in the city; military - at the Cavalry School.

The cavalry school and its church are located in a majestic building (the former palace of Prince Potemkin-Tavrichesky). The school was founded in 1865. The church was built in 1904 using economic funds from the school, on the lower floor of the school. The throne is movable - in the name of St. Archangel Michael. This house church of the school was previously located in Kiev and was built in 1862 in the building of the former Kyiv Military School, which was later renamed its military gymnasium. With the transfer of the said pro-gymnasium from Kiev to Elisavetgrad in 1869, the iconostasis of this church and part of the utensils were transferred to the Kiev Military Cathedral, and the rest of the church supplies with temple icons were transferred along with the educational institution to Elisavetgrad. Upon the abolition of the military gymnasium and with the transfer of the building to the jurisdiction of the Elisavetgrad Cavalry School, the church and church property were also transferred to this school. Initially, it was located on the third floor of the main building of the school, and in 1904, on September 19, with the permission of Protopresbyter Zhelobovsky and with the blessing of His Eminence Justin, Archbishop of Kherson and Odessa, it was moved to the lower floor. Accommodates 800 people. There are many artistic icons in the church.

Based on the decree of the Holy Synod, dated September 6, 1890, No. 3403, and in accordance with the order of the Main Headquarters of the Military Ministry, the church of the Elisavetgrad Cavalry School was transferred from the Kherson Diocesan Department to the supervision of the protopresbyter of the military and naval clergy.

According to the staff of the church, there is one priest and a psalm-reader.

Material from Officers of the Russian Imperial Army

Kiev Nikolaev Artillery School on Kadetskoe Highway (now the National Defense University of Ukraine, Vozdukhoflotsky Avenue 28)

Kiev Nikolaev Artillery School

Reference

Date of formation: 1915
Location: Vozdukhoflotsky Ave., 28; (Since 2000 - Kiev Artillery School. Closed. Now - building of the Academy of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine)
Holiday:

Story

The project for opening a fourth artillery school, which would be located in Kiev, was developed and approved back in 1913, but due to the lack of loans it was opened only in October 1915. In the so-called “Cadet Grove” the school was allocated an area of 18 acres, which made it possible to have a huge area there for conducting battery exercises. Neither the Mikhailovskoe, nor the Konstantinovskoe, nor the Sergievskoe artillery schools had such a large training ground.

The school began its activities on October 15, 1915, when about 180 cadets of the 1st graduating class, who made up one battery, began taking a three-year artillery school course, which, under wartime conditions, they had to complete in a somewhat shortened form within just a few months . Some of the cadets were volunteers who arrived from the front, most of them were Knights of St. George, then students of various higher educational institutions, cadets and high school students who entered through a certificate competition.

Until the construction of its own building was completed, the school was temporarily located in a damp and cold barracks, which did not even have running water and was poorly heated, and since the winter of 1915-16. turned out to be very harsh, the cadets, who for some reason received only summer uniforms, had to freeze very much.

Due to the fact that the school did not have senior and junior courses, but only one course, there was no “tsuk”; the discipline, although strict, was at the same time quite reasonable. When, for example, during the salute exam, some cadets from the former volunteers made fun of those who entered the school “from the outside” and this was noticed by the authorities, these cadets were left for a week without leave, “to knock down their arrogance.”

The honor of opening the journal of punishments (“dragonflies” in cadets) belongs to cadet Apostolov, who received two days of service out of turn for not watching to the end the notes to the “Instructions”, which allowed cadets leave until 1 o’clock in the morning to visit the theater, but not the cinema. -theater. Junker Apostolov, having received a leave of absence out of turn as a Knight of St. George on November 26, upon returning to school, presented a ticket to... a movie.

Junker Kuznetsov, being on leave from Spurs even before his promotion to non-commissioned officer, was walking along Khreshchatyk. Noticing the course officer, the cadet ran into the first store he came across, which turned out to be a musical instrument store, and there, behind some kind of piano, he hurried to remove the ill-fated spurs. For such a lack of “civil courage”, cadet Kuznetsov was reprimanded before the formation of the battery and he received three days of service out of turn.

On the contrary, cadet Matseevich, who found himself in Solovtsev’s theater dressed not quite in uniform, but with great “chic” and also wearing spurs, did not “drift away”, but dashingly saluted staff captain Lalevich. As if as a reward for presence of mind, no punishment followed, and the battery commander, Colonel Aleksandrovsky, inspecting the officer uniforms of the graduating cadets before production, remarked to cadet Matseevich: “The officer’s uniform suits you very well. True, even as a cadet, you always dressed “chic”!”

After serving the camp training in the barracks of the Konstantinovsky Military School and the shooting course at the Darnitsky training ground, on May 14, 1916, the first graduating class of cadets from the Nikolaev Artillery School took place as officers. Despite the difficult conditions in which their stay at the school took place, out of more than 180 cadets, only two were expelled during the entire course. General Chernyavsky, who was present at the production, expressed to the young officers his admiration for their sense of camaraderie, which was expressed in the fact that, by mutual agreement, they provided the “last” Caucasian cadet Zhgenti with the last remaining vacancy on the Caucasian Front, for which there were many applicants.

Now, after the first graduation, the school accepted cadets of the second graduation, who began classes on May 20, 1916, in almost the same conditions as their predecessors, in the same barracks and with the same command and teaching staff. The pace of classes did not slow down and there were more people who could not withstand the stress in the second graduating class, about 20 people, who were expelled from the school. In August, the cadets completed their camp training and took a shooting course in Darnitsa.

In October, the Sovereign Emperor visited the school, spending several hours a day with the cadets for two or three days.

On December 22, 1916, the promotion of cadets of the second class to officers took place. About 200 were produced.

On December 26, 1916, the third graduating class began classes, the last one taking the oath to the Sovereign Emperor on February 28, 1917.

In March, the school moved into its own completed building.

The revolution did not bring any tangible changes to the life and activities of the school, both combat and educational. At first, the situation was somewhat complicated by the so-called “Ukrainian question,” on the basis of which disputes and clashes of opinions sometimes arose between the cadets, but over time, this issue also lost its urgency. In general, without succumbing to the general collapse, the cadets, on the contrary, somehow pulled themselves together. When, together with other military educational institutions in Kyiv, the school was once built in front of the City Duma to listen to the speeches of revolutionary leaders, instead of the expected “hurray” the cadets defiantly responded to these speeches with deathly silence.

In February 1917, the intake of fourth-gradation cadets began. Most of the young people who entered were students, but there were also engineers, lawyers and a few volunteers among them. Several students of the Theological Academy were soon expelled from the school. Due to the increase in the number of cadets, the 2nd battery was formed.

On May 15, 1917, admissions began for the fifth graduating class, which included many cadets and volunteers. There was also a group of Poles who, upon completion of the course in December 1917, went straight to Polish units and, as a tribute to the times, about 20 Jews. None of them completed the college course (one committed suicide) and, thus, there were never Jewish officers from the Nikolaev gunners.

At the end of July, the school was called to pacify the regiment “named after Polubotko”, which refused to go to the front. The use of weapons was avoided, and the matter ended without bloodshed.

The last graduate of the school, the fourth one, accepted before the revolution, and the fifth, especially reliable in its composition, who began classes in May 1917, tried as best they could to prevent the revolutionary infection from entering the school and, it must be said, they were quite successful in this. The oath of office to the Provisional Government took place at the school without any excitement, and one of the cadets, Demichev, a former cadet of the Nizhny Novgorod Cadet Corps, a diligent and disciplined cadet, simply refused to take the oath. The school soldiers demanded that Demichev be brought to justice, but the case had no consequences for him thanks to the intervention of the head of the school and members of the school committee. This committee, elected by order of the Provisional Government as an inevitable tribute to the times, included Captain Shunevich, three former cadets and one volunteer and negated all attempts at revolutionary activity by school soldiers, who, although they held rallies, were afraid of being sent to the front. not too defiant.

Discipline and traditions were strictly maintained. Almost all the cadets had, as before, at the head of the bed, next to the icon, an old cadet or former cadet's shoulder strap with the Chief's monogram still on it.

Despite the turbulent revolutionary times, the fifth graduate completed the entire course of classes, camp training and shooting.

During this period, the school was repeatedly called to guard the headquarters of the military district. In one of these guards, cadet Gopgardt, a former cadet of the 2nd Moscow Cadet Corps, who was the first victim of the revolution among the Nikolaev gunners, was killed.

In September 1917, admission to the 6th graduating class began, classes for which began on September 20. The young people who had gathered from all over Russia presented a motley picture: there were few volunteers, the majority were civilian youth, some were students. To their amazement, in an era of general collapse, they found in the school a harmonious and disciplined military organization, unquestioningly obeying the authorities in the person of their officers and cadets. Some of those who had just entered, under the influence of revolutionary ideas, quickly assessed the unfavorable situation for them in the school and asked to be expelled. So the faint-hearted were eliminated and left. Those who remained, together with the cadets of the fifth graduation, honorably fulfilled their military duty to the end and did not disgrace the name of the Nikolaev gunners.

Starting from October 25, 1917, together with other military schools in Kyiv, the Nikolaev Artillery School participated in the suppression of the Bolshevik uprising, when the notorious Pyatakov was arrested.

Then began a chaotic era of change of authorities. A Ukrainian Rada appeared, whose representatives tried to attract Nikolaev cadets to serve in the emerging Ukrainian army. The time was getting more and more alarming. It was already necessary to protect the school building itself from attacks by “comrades” who were taking revenge on the Nikolaevites for their participation in suppressing the riots in the city after October 25th.

By January 25, 1918, just before the capture of Kyiv by the Bolsheviks, cadets of the fifth graduating class, who completed the course back in December 1917, were issued certificates of completion of the course and also their service records. Junkers of the sixth graduating class received certificates of four-month completion of the course at the Nikolaev Artillery School. Both were ordered to leave the walls of the school and leave Kyiv while the station was not yet occupied by the Bolsheviks.

At the very beginning of January 1918, under the Ukrainian Hetman Skoropadsky, by order of General Count Keller, officer squads of Colonels Kirpichev and Prince were formed in Kyiv to maintain order in the city (both against the Bolsheviks and against the Petliurists). Svyatopolk-Mirsky. Under the latter, a battery was formed under the command of Colonel Shunevich, consisting almost exclusively of former Nikolaev cadets, and which operated in the Svyatoshin direction. The battery included, among others: sergeant major Chaiko-Chaikovsky, clerk. N.P. Rklitsky, gun commander of one gun (improvised gun platform in the Darnitsky direction) Zhelezko, senior Apostolov, K.K. Miller, orderly of the battery commander, Sedov, Monastyrsky, Tatunko, etc.

Having existed for almost a month and a half, the battery, as well as the officer squads, was abandoned by the hetman to the mercy of fate and disbanded “by gravity” on Lvovskaya Street, opposite the Zhekulina women’s gymnasium. Subsequently, already in the Volunteer Army, where most of the officers of the command and teaching staff and former cadets of the Nikolaev Artillery School fought with the Reds, service in this battery was counted as service in the Volunteer Army.

1,500 - 2,000 people completed the school course and were promoted to officers.

Command and teaching staff of the school

The head of the school is General Promtov (in Yugoslavia he served in the Serbian Artillery Directorate). The commander of the 1st battery, Colonel Aleksandrovsky (was in Yugoslavia, then returned to the USSR). Commander of the 2nd battery, Colonel Martynov. Dept. officers: captains Afanasyev (32nd artillery brigade, died in 1920 in Odessa), Sakkilari (died in 1917 in a car accident near Yalta), Korytin (died in Yugoslavia), M. A. Shunevich (was in Gallipoli at the Sergiev Art School, now lives in New York), Lalevich (14th Artillery Brigade, went to Chisinau), Khatov, Pobyvanets (were in Gallipoli), Russet (“red-haired”), Grigoriev, Kuznetsov. Adjutant of the school cap. Znamerovsky. Course officer of the Guards. Captain Olshevsky. Teachers: Col. Gnuchev (was in the Good army), regiment. Lomakin (remained in the USSR, graduated from the Kiev Polytechnic Inst.), regiment. Ruppeneit (remained in the USSR and was the head of the artillery school founded by the Bolsheviks in the building of the Nikolaev Art School), regiment. Mishin, cap. Shcherbinsky (“Verochka”), regiment. Lebedinsky, pc. cap. Spektorsky (killed in the army of General Yudenich), vet. doctor Kozelkin, cap. Sheremetinsky (hacked to death by Budenovites in 1920 at the battery).

Feldwebel: 1st issue. - Menzel, 2nd - Shaposhnikov, 3rd - Mironov, 4th - Daragan, 5th - Oborsky and Ivanov.

Those who died during the First World War were: Shadeiko, Danilenko, Aleksandrovich and others.

Killed during the civil war: Gopgardt, Zhukov, Goppe, Chechetov, Slyusarsky. Died in captivity by the Reds in 1944 - Klippenberg.

Died abroad: Yudenko, Skibitsky, Zhekulin, Babushkin, Lyulka, Savinov, Grigorovich-Firsanovich, Lyubimtsev and many others.

We have been abroad and in Dobr. Armies: Menzel, Dreyer, Tatunko (returned to the USSR), Veselovsky, Grigorovich-Barsky, Turchaninov, Stefanovich, Grielsky, Novikov, Ostromensky, Vizersky, Prozorov, Bobolovich, Uroda, Kovanko, Laipeko, Syrovets and many others.

There is a connection with: Regiment. Shunevich, N. P. Rklitsky, N. K. Matsievich, L. G. Lavtsevich, V. V. Lyashchenko, N. Psiol, V. Lysenko, N. A. Apostolov (1st edition), H. N. Batashev, A. I. Fedorov (2nd issue), K. K. Miller, V. S. Mylnikov, A. I. Volkov (3rd issue), A. D. Welsh (4th issue .), P. V. Fitzkhelaurov, L. S. Ter-Azaryev, L. P. Kovalsky, I. Sidorov, A. A. Samoilenko (5th year), Kinashevsky (6th year) and Rabenko ( release unknown).

(Compiled a “Memo” based on the information and memories of Nikolaev residents with whom N. Apostolov has a connection)

In 1919, the Kyiv artillery courses were opened on the basis of the school, then the Kiev Artillery School, the Kiev Artillery School, the Kiev Higher Anti-Aircraft Missile Engineering School (KVZRIU). The complex of buildings of the Nikolaev Artillery School in Kyiv was built in 1915-17. architect D. Zaitsev.

Chiefs

Officers

Graduates

Addition to the Highest Order issued on May 14, 1916
Promoted to Ensigns, with seniority from April 1, 1916:

From the cadets:

Addition to the Highest Order issued on December 22, 1916
Promoted to Ensigns, with seniority from October 1, 1916:
with enrollment in field light artillery:
From the cadets:

Aleksandrovich
Balash
Balashev
Baranov
Barzykin
Bezkishkin
Belinsky
Belkin
Bilinsky
Billevich
Blazhovsky
Bogdan
Borisov
Brychkin Ivan
Brychkin Nikolay
Budovich
Vankovich
Vasiliev
Vovchenko
Volkov Yakov
Voloskov
Wolszczan
Vorotnitsky
Gerasimov
Gontarev
Degtyarev
Demidov
Dobrovolsky
Dolivo-Dobrovolsky
Dubovik
Efimov
Yeshe I Feodor
Yeshe II George
Zhakhanevich
Zemtsov
Zlochevsky
Zubilevich-Kallivoda
Ivanenko
Ivanov Georgy
Igumnov
Iovenko
Isaev
Kazitsyn
Kalitenko
Kaliszek
Kalugin
Kamenetsky
Karnakovsky
Kashtanov
Kirichinsky
Kiselev
Kitin
Klenk
Kozhin
Kozakevich
Kozelkin
Kozlovsky Vladimir
Kozlovsky Pavel
Kozyarsky
Kononovich
Kotinkov
Krzysich
Krivorotchenko
Kunitsky
Lavrov
Lavtsevich
Lazarevsky
Lange
Larchenko
Lerche
Liping
Lipkovsky
Lisevich
Litvinov
Lyubimtsev

Nicholas Cavalry School is a privileged military school of the Russian Empire. Founded May 9, 1823. Graduates of the school were many prominent representatives of the military and cultural elite of Russia in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

On May 9, 1823, by order of Emperor Alexander I in St. Petersburg, in the barracks of the Life Guards Izmailovsky Regiment (Fontanka embankment, 120), the School of Guards Ensigns was founded to train young nobles who entered the guard from universities or private boarding houses and had no military training . Its staff included a chief, 1 class inspector, 8 chief officers with the rank of lieutenant and 120 students. The School trained young men from noble families, and then released them into the guards cavalry regiments. 1826 - A squadron of guards cavalry cadets was formed at the school, the educational institution was renamed the School of Guards ensigns and cavalry cadets. Since 1825, the school was located in the former palace of the Chernyshev counts. 1859 - In connection with the abolition of the rank of ensign, the School was renamed the Nikolaev School of Guards Junkers. In 1864, the School was transformed into the Nikolaev Cavalry School, which until the end of its existence was located in the building at 54 Lermontovsky (Novo-Peterhofsky) Avenue. In 1890, a Cossack hundred was formed at the school - the so-called Tsar's hundred. In October 1917, the school was disbanded. In February 1921, the school was revived in Gallipoli on the basis of the Training Division that existed in Crimea. Subsequently it was evacuated to Bila Tserkva (Yugoslavia), where it operated until 1923. There were 4 graduations (November 5, 1922, July 12 and September 2, 1923, before closing - the release of estandard cadets promoted to cornets on March 7, 1924) - a total of 357 people. Chief - Lieutenant General A.V. Govorov. Currently, a radio equipment plant is located in the school building in St. Petersburg. In 2014, after the demolition of the building of a neighboring furniture factory, a view of the school’s house church with a bas-relief on the facade opened up, the uniqueness of which is that it is the only monument to those killed in the First World War in St. Petersburg

Device and curriculum

Subsequently, the school accepted the most successful graduates of the cadet corps: it was necessary to have at least 9 points in science and 8 points in behavior. The Nikolaev Cavalry School trained officers for both regular cavalry and Cossack troops. In accordance with this, the cadets were divided into a squadron and a hundred: 250 cadets in a squadron, 120 in a Cossack hundred. Duration of training - 2 years. Upon completion of training, cadets were issued cornets to the cavalry. The course of study was a two-year course, and its ultimate goal was to prepare graduates for regimental service. The main academic subjects were tactics, military affairs, topography, management, artillery, fortification, law, hygiene and drawing; the Law of God was taught from general education subjects...

The drill education of cadets consisted of practical and theoretical classes, distributed over 2 years. In the junior class, the drill education program was aimed at training non-commissioned officers, and in the senior class, an instructor-officer.

From 1865 AD, military administration and topography were introduced into the course, and in the following years - analytical geometry, mechanics, military hygiene and topography, artillery and fortification drawing, and the teaching of physics was excluded.

According to the regulations of 1867 AD, the school curriculum included the following subjects:

military - tactics, artillery (service with a gun, shooting rules, materiel), fortification, military law, regulations and manuals (service duties in the troops), military administration and military writing, drill, drawing (fortification, artillery and topographical)
special - hippology, vaulting and horse riding, fencing, cutting with a saber and handling a pike, shooting training and weapons training
general education - the Law of God, Russian and foreign languages (French and German), mathematics, chemistry, physics, analytical geometry, mechanics, political history and statistics (In the 1863-64 academic year, logic and psychology were also taught)

In 1883 AD, political history, statistics, military hygiene, and then mathematics were excluded from the school curriculum, and military history was introduced.

At the same time, the “Instructions for the Academic Section”, published in the same year, completely changed the very system of conducting classes: the classroom system of lectures gave way to 22 hour-long lectures in each class separately; Practical classes were still conducted in classrooms and the arena, and the cadets' knowledge was tested at rehearsals.

Giving broad development to practical training in each subject during the winter period of classes, the instruction of 1883 AD transfers them to the field: when junior class cadets enter the camp, in addition to field riding and tactical-special training, semi-instrumental photography is carried out, and senior class cadets - military photography - eye and solve tactical problems in the field.

Since 1908 AD, perspective photography has been added to this. At the end of filming, the cadets practiced laying out, tracing and building field trenches.

In the camp, the cadets were engaged in front-line exercises, field riding, engineering and topographical work, and became acquainted with gunfire and the materiel of artillery.

Machine gun shooting was introduced into the rifle training course.

Since 1908 AD, the following courses have been introduced at the school: again military hygiene, gymnastics, military engineering, military geography and, as a special department of military law, the doctrine of socialist theories.

The latter was caused by the fact that with the transition of our fatherland to a new state system, when one way or another political theories received relative freedom of expression, and people who did not recognize the principle “the army is outside politics” began to penetrate into the ranks of the army, the officer needed to know what he can paralyze possible propaganda by followers of extreme parties.

Chemistry and mechanics were removed from teaching subjects and transferred to cadet corps. Finally, a number of commissions came to the conclusion that it was necessary to shift the center of gravity of the school course from theory to a more practical basis.

July 28, 1910 AD The programs developed by these commissions were approved by the Minister of War and adopted by the leadership. The main idea of the new programs is “to bring the military knowledge of cadets closer to military life and prepare them for the duties of an educator and teacher of a soldier and for the role of leader of the small unit entrusted to him (platoon, half-squadron) in the field.”

A young officer graduating from college had to not only know, but also be able to apply knowledge in the field of activity that awaited him upon entering the cavalry unit.

And since the cadet’s upcoming service as a platoon and half-squadron commander first and foremost required from him the most serious practical training, then the development of instructor abilities and only then general military education, the main attention was paid to tactics and special training (tactics - 8 hours per a week in the junior year and 10 hours in the senior class).

Pursuing the goal of developing the mind, and not burdening the memory, the new programs were compiled in such a way that they did not require quickly disappearing, memory-based knowledge. Having given tactics a dominant place among all educational subjects, this reform caused a natural reduction in the volume of the course of these subjects; Thus, military history, having received a new name “history of the Russian army,” aimed only at familiarizing the cadets with the most important periods in the life of the Russian army; the former coverage of entire campaigns in a cursory strategic sketch was eliminated.

Likewise, the military topography course was tactically colored; all questions of a purely mathematical nature (triangulation) and a detailed study of tools that a combat officer would not have to work with were excluded from the course; instead, route surveying was introduced.

Having established a close connection between the artillery course and the “manual for shooting training,” the new program pursued purely utilitarian goals: to provide basic knowledge, skills and abilities - on the basics of the combat use of artillery units in battle and the organization of interaction between the cavalry and artillery commander, on the rules of shooting and control fire, during fire service (combat work) of field artillery units.

Information from financial and police law was introduced into the law course, but the teaching of a special department on extreme doctrines was canceled

Production

Upon completion of the course of science and summer. practical The squadron's cadet occupations were divided into 3 categories, respectively, to which the cadets were assigned the following upon graduation. rights:

1st grade is produced in arm. cavalry cornets from 1 year. seniority in rank; the most distinguished of the first-rate cadets who have in Wed. conclusion in sciences of at least 9 and knowledge of systems. service of at least 11, awarded in a designated military. min rum for each especially in number of years, production of cornets of the Guards. cavalry.

Under Nicholas II, a number of rules were observed in the guards cavalry, giving it certain specificity:
officers had to belong to the hereditary aristocracy or nobility, and this rule knew no exceptions. If a guards non-commissioned officer of non-noble origin was promoted to cornet, he was automatically transferred to an army regiment.
Since 1884 AD, ranks in the guard were considered one rank above those in the army.
the regimental commander, as a rule, was a major general (whereas in the army it was a colonel). A guards colonel could only be an acting commander.

Rules for the admission of young cavalry officers to the guard at the beginning of the twentieth century:
During the last year of training, the cadet independently sent a petition to the Main Directorate of Military Educational Institutions with a request to enroll him in one or another guards regiment. The head of the school informed the regiment commander about the candidacy of the future officer. The choice of a regiment by a future officer, as a rule, was predetermined and only occasionally depended on his own desire.
When enrolling in a particular guards regiment, various factors played a role. Thus, the candidate’s nationality could play a role. In some regiments, for example, in the Horse Guards, people served mainly of Baltic origin, but there were also predominantly Russian regiments.
But family traditions played a key role in choosing a regiment. Often, from birth, a noble boy was predestined to serve in the regiment in which his ancestors served. Often, several generations of a particular noble family served in a particular regiment.
In addition to enati affiliation and the number of points scored, there were also informal criteria for admitting a candidate to the regiment. And here two tests awaited him.
Firstly, he had to be accepted by society, confirming his educational level and upbringing in communication with the officers of the regiment, and the opinion of their wives played an important role.
Secondly, he had to make a good impression in the officers' meeting, where the candidates were invited to lunches or dinners by officers and generals. These men's meetings were accompanied by copious libations, and attention was paid to the behavior of the tipsy candidate and how much he could drink. In some units, tradition required the candidate to drink a regimental cap filled with alcohol.
In the end, the deputy commander of the regiment convened a regimental officers' meeting, at which the candidate's application for enrollment in the regiment was officially read. “Gentlemen, does anyone want to speak about admission. . . . to our regiment? - he asked.
The meeting was held in the absence of the candidate. The discussion was completely free. Those who rejected the candidate had to justify their point of view. Voting was carried out by show of hands. The regimental adjutant informed the head of the military educational institution about the decision, who in turn notified the cadet himself, the War Ministry and the Main Directorate of Military Educational Institutions.
An unfavorable decision was passed on to the unsuccessful candidate without explanation. The reasons for refusal could be varied, sometimes random, and, as a rule, were not related to the actual professional qualities of the applicant as a military man. Thus, a lack of education and upbringing, especially the inability to behave with ladies, insufficient respect for senior officers, a tendency to start drunken quarrels, and too free behavior among officers’ wives often played a fatal role.
The reason for the refusal could also be origin. If the candidate's relatives had already served in the regiment, this could play into his hands, but the opposite option was also possible, as the following example shows. A certain Georgian prince, a brave officer who served admirably in the Life Guards Cossack Regiment, like many Caucasians, was distinguished by an explosive temperament. Having quarreled with a senior officer, he was transferred to a line regiment, serving in which, he heroically died in 1915 AD. A few months after the death of the prince, his younger brother applied for admission into the Cossack Life Guards Regiment, but was rejected because the officers feared that the candidate was as hot-tempered as his brother.
Excessive confidence of a candidate that he would be enlisted in a particular regiment was considered reprehensible. Many cadets sewed the uniforms of one or another guards regiment before the question of their enrollment was decided, and never put them on.
Of course, there were exceptions to the rules. Sometimes the regiment accepted petitioners who were not particularly liked by the officer circle. So, in 1915 AD in Poland, the Life Guards Cossack Regiment was stationed not far from the headquarters of Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich, who was then the commander-in-chief of the Russian army. The officers were asked to approve the enrollment in the regiment of a candidate for whom the Grand Duke himself interceded. The candidate was Prince Radziwill, who, in the event of victory over Germany, was to take the throne of autonomous Poland. Of course, there was no question of rejecting the prince’s request, and it was accepted by an overwhelming majority of votes on one condition: this officer joined the regiment with the rank of captain, but did not receive the corresponding position. In gratitude, the prince presented the regiment with a magnificent silver bowl, which is still kept in the regiment's collection.
Another incident occurred with the Empress's page-chamber Shatilov. Having been assigned to the 1st category of graduates, he was going to enter either the horse artillery or the lancers. However, Nicholas II, having once met him, asked: “Are you, of course, joining the Guards Cossacks?” In essence, this question was an order, and Shatilov, willy-nilly, became a Cossack. During the Civil War, he rose to the rank of general and served as chief of staff of Baron Wrangel.

2nd category was issued in parts of the army cavalry as cornets without seniority and 3rd category transferred from the school to a part of the army cavalry as non-commissioned officers (sub-ensigns), with the right to promotion to cornets without an exam, but only upon honoring his superiors, no earlier than 6 months after the promotion of their comrades at the school and only for vacancies, at least and not to the units in which they served as non-commissioned officers.

The squadron's cadets, who, based on their success in science and good morals, were subject to promotion to officers, but who were recognized due to their health as incapable of military service, were simultaneously promoted to officers and renamed to the corresponding civilian rank with seniority in the military rank; those assigned to the 3rd category in the event of their painful condition were awarded the rank of the XIV class, with all of them, in case of restoration of their ability to military service, being allowed to re-enter military service with the rights acquired upon graduation.

Junker of the Cossack Hundred , on the same basis, were promoted either to combat units of their Cossack troops, or to combat units of regular and other Cossack troops.

The Cossacks were considered a special class that lived according to their own laws and rules. They traditionally did not like nonresidents, that is, new settlers to Cossack lands from other regions of Russia. They were born warriors, brought up in democratic traditions, and there was not much difference between the officers of the guards and army Cossack regiments, despite the fact that an officer’s admission to the guards regiment immediately made him a representative of the nobility.
The Ataman regiment, in principle, was replenished with officers only of Cossack origin, while in His Majesty’s regiment up to 50% of the officers were not Cossacks. However, all of them, before being enrolled in the regiment, were assigned to the village and became registered Cossacks (for example, the future Siberian).

Those released with the rights of the 1st or 2nd category, cadets of the squadron (kazenokoshtnye) and hundreds received: a one-time allowance for uniforms in the amount of 300 rubles; those released under the 3rd category upon graduation from school received an allowance for the initial acquisition of linen, shoes and other necessary things - 50 rubles and during production then for officers for uniforms - another 250 rubles.

As we see, it was not easy to enlist in the guard; in addition, it was necessary to have considerable means in order to live in accordance with the standards of the St. Petersburg nobility. The salary was quite modest, and the expenses were expected to be considerable.
A brilliant, sometimes luxurious and very expensive variety of uniforms: summer and winter, dress uniform, full dress uniform, ball uniform, ordinary overcoat, Nikolaev overcoat, blood horse (in whole or in part), usually two or three - all this cost enormous amounts of money and was purchased officer from his own funds. Not to mention the fact that it was necessary to maintain an appropriate lifestyle in society.
Expenses for the Officers' Assembly (in the guards regiments), balls, receptions, offerings, and ceremonial dinners required large expenses. Often the officer only signed for his salary; all of it went to deductions. In some regiments there was a tradition - upon marriage, a silver cutlery should be given to the congregation. All officers from the guards regiments had to pay a “reverse” before the wedding - several thousand rubles to ensure their future family life.
In some units, officers formed a kind of collective reserve fund, the contribution to which, for example, in the Life Guards Hussar Regiment, was 1000 rubles.
Having entered the regiment, the young man found himself in a new family. The officers of the regiment stuck together both in peacetime and in war, observing the tradition of regimental brotherhood. Any sin against the code of honor disgraced the entire regiment. Countess Kleinmichel in her book “Memoirs of a Lost World” talks about one incident. An officer of the Life Guards of the Hussar Regiment lost a colossal amount of money at cards; the debt was paid by all the officers of the regiment, and some of them then had to leave the service, since their financial costs were too great.
Thus, it is obvious that it was not without reason that the candidates were subjected to tests, because both their moral qualities and education had to meet the highest requirements. What, however, an officer should have primarily was courage, and, it must be said, in battle the guards always demonstrated it.
The service of an officer in the Guards Cavalry was no different from the usual army burden. Training, classes, maneuvers, performing household duties, and parades took up most of the time. Along with this, the guards units (some more often than others) performed special duties at the sovereign and court. Officers actively participated in social life, and the best houses vied for the honor of having brilliant guards officers among their guests.
Service in the guard gave a high social status, which aroused jealousy among army officers. In fact, guards officers could be transferred to the army, but it was almost impossible to transfer from the army to the guard. In general, transfer to the army did not weigh heavily on the Guards officers, unlike, for example, their Prussian colleagues. The Great War and the battles of the internecine war provided numerous examples of the courage of the Guards officers and soldiers, who until the last hour realized that they belonged to the elite.

In many foreign armies, the Nikolaev Cavalry School had no analogues:

So in France, those graduating into the cavalry from the Saint-Cyr military school (for infantry and cavalry) were required, after serving a year in the ranks, to take an 11-month course at the Saumur cavalry school
In Italy, those graduating into the cavalry from the Modena Military School, with a 2-year course, for the infantry and cavalry (two sections) were promoted to second lieutenants with the obligation to take an 8-month course at the Pignerol Cavalry School (near Turin).
In Austria-Hungary - the Military School in Wiener-Neustadt trained officers for infantry, rangers and cavalry.

The cadets of the Nikolaev Cavalry School, with their commanding, teaching, educational and service personnel, did not accept the state February-March coup.

After the coup, the new authorities demanded that the school management report daily on the situation in the school, as well as lists of people who were expelled and were about to be expelled from the school.

However, the head of the school, Major General M. Marchenko, did not send such lists. In March 1917 AD he was dismissed.

And the cadets of the Nikolaev Cavalry School, even in exile, recalled with pride and wrote that the Nikolaev Cavalry School never swore allegiance to the Provisional Government.

Every day brought news of extrajudicial reprisals against officers... In Vyborg, the commander of the 42nd Corps, cavalry general Vladimir Aloisievich Oranovsky, was killed, General Staff Generals Stepanov, Vasilyev and Dragoon Colonel Karpovich were brutally killed. In Luga, in the horse reserve, the former commander of the cavalry guards, General Count Mengden, the horse grenadier Colonel Egerstrom, the young life hussar staff captain Count Kleinmichel were killed...
The school did not have time to take part in the speech of the cadets (“Vladimirites”) in Petrograd on November 11, 1917 AD. It was disbanded earlier.
Early in the morning of November 11, the “Vladimirites” captured the telephone exchange and captured the Bolshevik commander of the Petrograd Military District, V.A. Antonov-Ovseenko. Following this, the cadets occupied a military hotel and a telegraph office, but were driven out after a bloody battle.
In Petrograd, cadets were killed everywhere, thrown from bridges into fetid canals. The Vladimir and Pavlovsk military schools were completely destroyed. Many cadets were killed and mutilated while defending their schools, although the red gangs paid dearly for the “victory.”
The Bolsheviks planted the cadet heads cut off by dragoon sabers on the spears of the iron grate along Grebetskaya.

Of course, the youth who studied at the School were the most active among the participants in the armed resistance to the Soviet deputies in 1918–1920 AD, they were distinguished by a high degree of patriotism and the fact that they were more uncompromising than everyone else about the destroyers of Russian statehood.

Interior of the Church of the Descent of the Holy Spirit into the school

In 1839 AD, the school finally moved to the Obvodny Canal, into the expanded building of the Conductor School of Railways (1823–1826 AD, architect V.K. Tretter), where there was already a double-height church with choirs and a wooden dome, consecrated on March 26, 1827 AD by Bishop Revel Nikanor. Occupying the part of the second floor of the main building protruding into the courtyard, this temple was decorated inside according to the design of P. Jacot with Corinthian pilasters made of artificial yellow against the background of white stucco walls.
The white and gilded two-tier Empire iconostasis was carved by the Okhta workshop of A. Tarasov. The image was written by academician. I. E. Yakovlev, holiday icons - school teacher M. Dovgalev, painting by M. Ya. Shiryaev, modeling (including reliefs) - L. Kruglov and F. Stadzhi. The gas bronze chandeliers and candelabra were made by master Karl Thieme; the utensils were purchased from the merchant Lokhov. Some of the utensils and icons were taken from the Church of the Military Construction School (Church of Saint-Martyr Simeon, the Relative of the Lord, at the Institute of Civil Engineers of Emperor Nicholas I). The cost of decoration amounted to 50 thousand rubles.
In 1843 AD A.I. Travin restored the interior and re-painted the evangelists in the sails.
The area of the temple was 55 square meters. soot; on its walls hung black marble boards with the names of the fallen students, for which a memorial service was held annually at the graduation of the cadets. Prayer service before the image of St. Alexander Nevsky and Nikolai celebrated the founding day of the school, one of the most prestigious in Russia.
In 1903 AD, during the renovation of the church by architect. I. I. Yakovlev, stucco high reliefs appeared on its portal.
For almost 45 years (since 1842 AD) the rector was Archpriest. Kirill Kirillovich Krupsky, and the last before the revolution was Archpriest. Ioann Vasilievich Elenevsky.
In 1917 AD, a plaster relief with the image of St. George the Victorious (sk. I.V. Krestovsky) was attached to the apse. The church ceased to function in the ill memory of 1917 AD; Now the building seems to be occupied by a design organization.

The former life of the Russian cavalry with its colorful existence, knightly spirit and beautiful traditions has receded into the irrevocable past.

The heads of the school were generals:

P. P. Godein (1823-31AD)
bar. M. A. Schlippenbach (1831-43 AD)
A. N. Sutgof (1843-63 AD)
J. F. Sievers (1863-65 AD)
bar. M. A. Taube (1865-74 AD)
V. F. Vinberg (1874-78 AD)
A. A. Bilderling (1878-90AD)
E. E. Rynkevich (1890-99 AD)
P. A. Pleve (1895-99 AD)
P. A. Mashin (1899-1901 AD)
F. F. Gryaznov (1901-1905 AD)
L. W. de Witt (1905-10 AD)
E. K. Miller (1910-12AD)

In 1913 AD his chief was Mr. M. K. Marchenko.

The school and college inspectors were