War is an extremely terrible thing, even the word itself evokes the most terrible associations.

Patriotic War of 1812

The war of 1812 took place between Russia and France due to violations of the Tilsit peace treaty signed by both sides. And although it did not last long, almost every battle was extremely bloody and devastating for both sides. The initial alignment of forces was as follows: six hundred thousand soldiers from France and two hundred and forty thousand from Russia. The outcome of the war was obvious from the very beginning. But those who believed that the Russian Empire would lose were deeply mistaken. On December 25, 1812, Emperor Alexander the First signed an appeal to his subjects, which announced the victorious end of the war.

Heroes of the past

The heroes of the war of 1812 look at us from the pages of history books. Whoever you take - entirely majestic portraits, but what is behind them? Behind pompous poses and magnificent uniforms? Boldly going into battle against the enemies of the Fatherland is a real feat. In the war against the Napoleonic troops in 1812, a lot of worthy and wonderful young heroes fought and died. Their names are honored to this day. Portraits of the heroes of the war of 1812 are the faces of those who spared nothing for the sake of the common good. To take responsibility for command and control of troops, as well as for success or, conversely, defeat on the battlefield and eventually win the war - this is the highest feat. This article tells about the most famous participants of the year, about their deeds and accomplishments.

So, who are they - the heroes of the war of 1812? Photos of portraits of famous personalities presented below will help fill in the gaps in the knowledge of native history.

M. I. Kutuzov (1745-1813)

When the heroes of the war of 1812 are mentioned, Kutuzov, of course, comes to mind first. The most famous student of Suvorov, a talented commander, strategist and tactician. Golenishchev-Kutuzov (real name) was born in a family of ancestral nobles, whose roots were traced back to the Novgorod princes. Mikhail's father was a military engineer, and it was he who largely influenced his son's future choice of profession. From a young age, Mikhail Illarionovich was in good health, inquiring mind and courteous in handling. But the main thing is still his undeniable talent in military affairs, which his teachers noted in him. He was educated, of course, with a military bias. He graduated from the artillery and engineering school with honors. For a long time he even taught at his alma mater.

However, about his contribution to the victory: Count, Kutuzov at the time of the war was already at an advanced age. He was elected commander, first of the St. Petersburg, and then of the Moscow militia. It was he who came up with the idea to give up Moscow, thus making a gambit, like in chess. Many generals who participated in this war were practically brought up by Kutuzov, and his word in Fili was decisive. The war was won largely thanks to his cunning and skill in military tactics. For this act, he was granted on behalf of the tsar to the rank of Field Marshal, and also became Prince of Smolensk. He did not live long after the victory, only a year. But the fact that Russia did not submit in this war is entirely the merit of M.I. Kutuzov. The enumeration of the list "People's Heroes of the War of 1812" is most appropriate to start with this person.

D. P. Neverovsky (1771 - 1813)

A nobleman, but not from the most famous family, Neverovsky began to serve as a private of the Semenovsky regiment. By the beginning of the war of 1812, he was already the chief of Pavlovsky. He was sent to defend Smolensk, where he met with the enemy. Murat himself, who led the French near Smolensk, wrote in his memoirs that he had never seen such selflessness. These lines were dedicated specifically to D. P. Neverovsky. Having waited for help, Dmitry Petrovich made the transition to Smolensk, which glorified him. Then he participated in the Battle of Borodino, but was shell-shocked.

In 1812 he received the rank of lieutenant general. Even after being wounded, he did not stop fighting, his division suffered the greatest losses in the war. Only this is not from unreasonable command, but rather from selflessness and dedication in the most difficult positions. Like a real hero, Neverovsky died from his wounds in Halle. Later he was reburied on, like many heroes of the Patriotic War of 1812.

M.B. Barclay de Tolly (1761 - 1818)

This name during the Patriotic War has long been associated with cowardice, treason and retreat. And very undeserved.

This hero of the Patriotic War of 1812 came from an ancient Scottish family, but at an early age his parents sent the boy to study in Russia, where his uncle lived and served. It was he who helped the young man in many ways to get Mikhail Bogdanovich independently rose to the rank of officer at the age of sixteen. By the beginning of the war with Napoleon, he was appointed commander of the first Western Army.

This commander was an interesting personality. Completely unpretentious, he could sleep under the open sky and dine with ordinary soldiers, he was very easy to handle. But he held on by virtue of his character and, perhaps, his origin, it was cold with everyone. In addition, he was very cautious in military affairs, which explains his numerous retreat maneuvers. But it was necessary: ​​he did not want to thoughtlessly waste human lives and, as he himself noted, he had no such right.

He was the Minister of War, and all the "bumps" from military failures fell on him. Bagration will write in his memoirs that during the Battle of Borodino, Mikhail Bogdanovich seemed to be trying to die.

Nevertheless, the idea to retreat from Moscow will come from him, and Kutuzov will support it. And, whatever it was, Barclay de Tolly would be right. He personally participated in many battles, by his example showing the soldiers how to fight for their country. Mikhail Bogdanovich Barclay de Tolly was a true son of Russia. The gallery of heroes of the war of 1812 was replenished with this name not without reason.

I. F. Paskevich (1782-1856)

The son of very wealthy landowners living near Poltava. Everyone predicted a different career for him, but from childhood he saw himself only as a military leader, and that's how it all happened. Having proved himself in the best way in the wars with Persia and Turkey, he was also ready for a war with France. Kutuzov himself once introduced him to the Tsar as his most talented young general.

He participated in the army of Bagration, wherever he fought, he did it conscientiously, sparing neither himself nor the enemy. He distinguished himself near Smolensk and in the Battle of Borodino. He was subsequently awarded the Order of St. Vladimir of the second degree. It was St. Vladimir, for the most part, that was awarded to the heroes of the Patriotic War of 1812.

P. I. Bagration (1765-1812)

This hero of the Patriotic War of 1812 came from an ancient royal Georgian family, in his youth he served in a musketeer regiment. And even took part in the battles of the Russian-Turkish war. He studied the art of war with Suvorov himself, for his valor and diligence he was extremely loved by the commander.

During the war with the French, he led the second Western army. Also visited the retreat near Smolensk. At the same time, he was extremely opposed to withdrawing without a fight. Participated in Borodino. At the same time, this battle became fatal for Peter Ivanovich. He was seriously wounded, and before that he fought heroically and twice with the soldiers threw the enemy away from his positions. The wound was extremely serious, he was transported to the estate of a friend, where he quickly died. After twenty-seven years, his ashes will be returned to the Borodino field to be buried with honors in the land for which he spared nothing.

A. P. Ermolov (1777-1861)

This general was at that time known to literally everyone, all of Russia followed his successes, and they were proud of him. Very brave, strong-willed, talented. He participated in not one, but in as many as three wars with the Napoleonic troops. Kutuzov himself greatly appreciated this man.

He was the organizer of the defense near Smolensk, personally reported to the tsar about all the details of the battles, he was very weary of the retreat, but he understood all its necessity. He even tried to reconcile two opposing generals: Barclay de Tolly and Bagration. But in vain: they will fight to the death.

Most clearly in this war, he showed himself in the battle of Maloyaroslavtsev. He left Napoleon no choice but to retreat along the already devastated Smolensk route.

And although the relationship with the command due to the ardent character at the end of the war went wrong, nevertheless, no one dared to diminish the importance of his actions and courage in battles. General Ermolov took his rightful place in the list, which lists the generals - heroes of the war of 1812.

D. S. Dokhturov (1756-1816)

Another hero of the war of 1812. The future general was born into a family where military traditions were highly revered. All of his male relatives were in the military, so there was no need to choose a matter of life. And in fact, in this field he was accompanied only by luck. The great Empress Catherine the First herself presented him with a sword for achievements during the Russian-Swedish war with a pompous inscription: "For courage."

He fought near Austerlitz, where, again, he showed only courage and courage: he broke through with his army through the encirclement. Personal courage did not save him from injury during the war of 1805, but the wounds did not stop this man and did not prevent him from joining the ranks of the Russian army during the war of 1812.

Near Smolensk, he fell very seriously ill with a cold, but this did not tear him away from his direct duties. Dmitry Sergeevich treated each of his soldiers with great care and participation, he knew how to restore order in the ranks of his subordinates. That is what he demonstrated near Smolensk.

The surrender of Moscow was extremely difficult for him, because the general was a patriot. And he did not want to give even a handful of land to the enemy. But he endured this loss steadfastly, continuing to try for the sake of his homeland. He proved himself a real hero near Maloyaroslavets, fighting next to the troops of General Yermolov. After one of the battles, Kutuzov met Dokhturov with the words: "Let me hug you, hero!"

N. N. Raevsky (1771 - 1813)

A nobleman, hereditary military man, talented from the cavalry. This man's career began and developed so rapidly that in the middle of his life he was already ready to retire, but could not. The threat from France was too great for talented generals to sit at home.

It was the troops of Nikolai Nikolaevich who had the honor of holding the enemy's army until other units united. He fought at Saltanovka, his units were thrown back, but time was still won. Fought at Smolensk, near Borodino. In the last battle, it was on his flank that the main blow fell, which he and his soldiers steadfastly held back.

Later it will be very successful under Tarutin and at Maloyaroslavets. For which he will receive the Order of St. George of the third degree. Unfortunately, soon he will fall ill and very seriously, so that he will finally have to give up military affairs.

P. A. Tuchkov (1769 - 1858)

Not much is known about him. He came from a military dynasty and served for a long time under the leadership of his father. Since 1800 he served in the rank of major general.

He fought zealously near the small village of Valutina Gora, then personally took command near the Strogan River. He boldly went into battle against the army of the French Marshal Ney, but was wounded and taken prisoner. He was introduced to Napoleon as a Russian general, and the emperor, admiring the courage of this man, ordered that his sword be returned to him. Unfortunately, he met the end of the war, victorious for Russia, in captivity, but received his freedom in 1814 and continued to work for the good of the Fatherland.

A. A. Skalon (1767 - 1812)

A hero of the war of 1812, he was from an old French family, but only his ancestors had long ago moved to Russia, and he knew no other Fatherland. For a long time he served in the Preobrazhensky, and then in the Semenovsky regiment.

Skalon began military operations against France only in 1812, when there were not enough generals, and until now the emperor, knowing about his roots, removed Anton Antonovich from interfering in the war with France. Participated in and this day for the major general was the last. He was killed, Scalon's body fell to the enemy, but was interred with honors at the behest of Napoleon himself.

real heroes

Of course, these are not all the heroes of the war of 1812. The list of glorious and worthy people could be continued indefinitely. And much more can be said about their exploits. The main thing is that all of them spared neither their strength nor their health, and many of their lives for the sake of the main task - to win the war. It is so amazing to understand that once the real heroes were not on the book pages, but really performed feats just for the sake of the Fatherland flourishing. And it is not surprising that monuments to the heroes of the war of 1812 were erected throughout the country. Such people must be honored and remembered, they must live for centuries. Honor and glory to them!

COMMANDERS OF THE RUSSIAN ARMY OF 1812
Military leaders of the Russian army in 1812 [Text]: inform.-bibliogr. allowance / MBUK "CBS"; TsGB im. M. Gorky; comp. N.V. Malyutina. - Bataysk, 2012.

In 2012, a glorious date is celebrated - the 200th anniversary of Russia's victory in the Patriotic War of 1812. Thanks to Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of December 28, 2007 No. 1755 "On the celebration of the 200th anniversary of Russia's victory in the Patriotic War of 1812", the memory of the twelfth year acquired state status.

This significant date is of great importance for the education of patriotism and citizenship. The information and bibliographic manual "Military Leaders of the Russian Army of 1812" is dedicated to the heroes of the Patriotic War, largely thanks to whom Russia managed to win this difficult victory over the enemy.

The manual also contains a calendar of the main events of the war of 1812, statements of great people about the war of 1812, which will help in the design of exhibitions and events, writing essays, etc.

Complements the manual List of literature and scenarios, dedicated to both individual personalities and events, and the war as a whole.

The manual is addressed to high school students, students, leaders of children's reading and everyone who is interested in the topic of the Patriotic War of 1812.
Generals of the twelfth year

You, whose wide overcoats

Reminds me of sails

And whose eyes are like diamonds

A trace was carved on the heart -

Charming dandies

Of past years.

With one fierce will

You took the heart and the rock, -

Kings on every battlefield

And at the ball.

All the peaks were small for you

And soft - the most stale bread,

Oh young generals

Your destinies!

Oh how - I think - could you

With a hand full of rings

And caress the curls of the maidens - and the mane

Your horses.

In one incredible leap

You have lived your short life...

And your curls, your sideburns

It snowed.

Three hundred won - three!

Only the dead did not get up from the ground.

You were children and heroes

You all could.
What is also touching - young,

How is your mad army?..

You golden-haired Fortune

Led like a mother.

You have conquered and loved

Love and sabers point -

And merrily passed

Into non-existence.

M. Tsvetaeva
Barclay de Tolly Mikhail Bogdanovich

(1761 -1818)

Barclay de Tolly - Russian commander, field marshal general. Minister of War of the Russian Empire in 1810-1812.

Mikhail Bogdanovich Barclay de Tolly came from an old Scottish noble family, whose ancestors moved to the city of Riga in the 17th century. When Livonia became part of the Russian Empire, people from Scotland quickly became Russified and turned into ordinary Russian nobles, whose ancestral vocation was military service.

Patriotic War of 1812, which began on the night of June 12, Infantry General M.B. Barclay de Tolly met as commander of the largest Russian army, the 1st Western. It consisted of six infantry, two cavalry and one Cossack corps with a total number of almost 130 thousand people with 558 guns, and was located in the area of ​​Rossiena, Vilna, Grodno and covered a 220-kilometer section of the western border of Russia. The 1st Army outnumbered the combined 2nd Western Army and the 3rd Reserve, or Observational, Army of General A.P. Tormasov.

Barclay de Tolly was also subordinate to the neighboring, Bagrationov's 2nd Western Army (up to the appointment of M.I. Golenishchev-Kutuzov as commander-in-chief of the Russian active army). In the conditions of a significant superiority of the Napoleonic army, Barclay de Tolly managed to carry out the withdrawal of two Russian armies to Smolensk, thereby frustrating the plan of the French emperor to defeat them separately. However, most of his contemporaries condemned such actions of the Russian Minister of War.

The retreat of the Russian troops from the state border and the unwillingness of Barclay de Tolly to give the enemy army a general battle caused discontent among the general public, and above all in the ranks of the army itself. The authority of the Minister of War fell, and he could no longer claim the supreme command in the outbreak of war. However, his undoubted merit was that he managed to save the Russian army for the Battle of Borodino.

Initially, the 1st Russian Western Army retreated to Drissa in order to take up defense in the fortified camp built there according to the Ful plan. Because of this, the distance between the 1st and 2nd armies increased significantly. In addition, the unsuitability of the camp for defense was obvious. The enemy could bypass him, surround him and force the Russian army to surrender.

The Minister of War ordered his army to leave Drissa and withdraw to join the army of General Bagration in the direction of Polotsk, Vitebsk, Smolensk. Barclay de Tolly near Vitebsk skillfully escaped from the general battle with Napoleon. To protect the St. Petersburg direction, the corps of General Wittgenstein, numbering 23 thousand people, was allocated from the army.

The retreat of the 1st Western Army took place with constant rearguard battles, the most fierce of which took place near the village of Ostrovno. Only after this did Emperor Napoleon realize that he would not succeed in defeating the main enemy forces in the border area and that another plan of war against Russia should be developed.

Two Russian armies united under the walls of ancient Smolensk. On June 20, the 1st Western Army approached the city, the 2nd Army - the next day. The victory won by the Russians in the battle of Smolensk raised the spirits of the retreating. But Smolensk was not prepared for defense, and the forces of the French Grand Army were still significantly superior to those of the Russians. The Minister of War ordered to continue the retreat into the depths of Russia. Avoiding a premature general battle, Barclay de Tolly gradually prepares for the inevitable decisive battles. Not succumbing to persuasion and pressure from the outside, against the imperial will and contrary to the mood of Bagration, he continued to retreat. On the march, he was caught by a message from St. Petersburg that on August 5, General of Infantry M.I. was appointed commander-in-chief of all Russian armies. Golenishchev-Kutuzov.

Only the 1st Western Army remained under the command of the Minister of War. In terms of numbers, it outnumbered Bagration's army, so in the Battle of Borodino, Commander-in-Chief Kutuzov instructed Barclay de Tolly to command the center and right flank of the Russian troops. His army on the day of the battle consisted of three corps: Generals Baggovut, Osterman-Tolstoy and Dokhturov. Everyone who saw Barclay de Tolly on the day of Borodin unanimously noted the fearlessness of the army commander. He appeared in the most dangerous places of the battle in the center of the Russian position. It was even said that he was looking for death. Four horses fell under him. All the adjutants who accompanied him, with the exception of one, were killed or wounded, and the army commander remained unharmed.

On August 26, 1812, the infantry general showed great skill and personal courage in repelling the onslaught of the Napoleonic troops. For merits in the battle of Borodino, he was awarded the Order of St. George, 2nd degree.

At the military council in Fili, the commander of the 1st Western Army supported the proposal of M.I. Kutuzov to leave Moscow, although most of the military leaders were against it and wanted a new general battle under the walls of the city. In September 1812, Barclay de Tolly left the active army due to illness and left the post of Minister of War. He did not participate in the expulsion of the French from Russia.

He again returned to the troops only in January 1813, when he was appointed commander of the 3rd Russian Army by the highest order and together with it made a trip to Europe, which the Russian troops, together with the allies, liberated from the French conquerors. After the death of the liberator of the Fatherland, Mikhail Illarionovich Golenishchev-Kutuzov, Emperor Alexander I, with the consent of other allied monarchs, appointed General of Infantry M.B. Barclay de Tolly at the head of the combined Russian-Prussian army.

Bagration Petr Ivanovich

(1765 – 1812)

Oh, take me to the fight, you battle-experienced

Enemies perished foreboding cliques, -

Heroic leader, Bagration the great.

(D. Davydov)

General Bagration came from an ancient family of Georgian kings Bagratids, his grandfather, Tsarevich Alexander, moved to Russia in 1757, had the rank of lieutenant colonel. Pyotr Bagration at the age of 17 was appointed by G. Potemkin to the Caucasian Musketeer Regiment.

In August 1811, Peter Ivanovich was appointed commander of the Podolsk army, located from Bialystok to the Austrian border and renamed in March 1812 into the 2nd Western Army. Anticipating a clash between Russia and Napoleon, he presented Alexander I with his plan for a future war, built on the idea of ​​an offensive. But the emperor gave preference to the plan of the Minister of War Barclay de Tolly, and the Patriotic War began with the retreat of the 1st and 2nd Western armies and their movement to unite. Napoleon directed the main blow of his troops to the 2nd Western Army of Bagration in order to cut it off from the 1st Western Army of Barclay de Tolly and destroy it. Bagration had to move with great difficulty, making his way through the battles at Mir, Romanovka, Saltanovka. Breaking away from the troops of the French Marshal Davout, he crossed the Dnieper and on July 22, finally, connected with the 1st Army near Smolensk.

Brought up in the Suvorov offensive spirit, Bagration was morally very difficult during the retreat. "It's a shame to wear a uniform," he wrote to the chief of staff of the 1st Army, A. Yermolov. "I don't understand your wise maneuvers. My maneuver is to search and beat!" He was indignant with Barclay: “I can’t do it together with the Minister of War. And the whole main apartment is filled with Germans so that it’s impossible for a Russian to live and there’s no point.” Bagration offered to give Napoleon a general battle near Smolensk, but the retreat continued.

On August 26, the 1st and 2nd armies, under the leadership of Kutuzov, who became commander in chief, entered the battle with the French near Borodino. This day turned out to be fatal in the glorious life of Bagration. His troops were located on the left flank, near the village of Semenovskaya with three earthen fortifications built in front of it - "Bagration Flushes". The left flank was hot. For 6 hours, a fierce, furious battle went on at Semenovskaya, which took place with varying success. The French twice captured the Bagration Flushes, and were twice driven out of there. During the next enemy attack, Prince Peter raised his troops in a counterattack, and at that moment (about 12 noon) he was seriously wounded: a fragment of a grenade crushed his tibia. The commander, taken off his horse, still continued to lead his troops, but after losing consciousness, he was taken out of the battlefield.
Wittgenstein Petr Khristoforovich

(1768 – 1843)

Field Marshal Peter Khristianovich (Ludwig Adolf Peter) Wittgenstein came from a German count family.

By the beginning of the Patriotic War of 1812, Peter Khristianovich was already a lieutenant general and commanded the 1st Infantry Corps, which stood on the right flank of the 1st Army of Barclay de Tolly. After Napoleon crossed the Neman, the corps, like the entire army, avoiding major battles, moved back, participating in the planned withdrawal of the Russian troops. When the decision was made to leave the Drissa fortified camp, Wittgenstein was entrusted with a combat mission of particular importance - to cover the roads leading to the capital, Petersburg. After the 1st army of Barclay de Tolly left Drissa for Vitebsk, Wittgenstein's corps became, in fact, a small independent army that defended the entire north.

Napoleon, sending the main forces after the armies of Barclay de Tolly and Bagration retreating to Smolensk, moved the corps of Marshals Oudinot and MacDonald against Wittgenstein. On June 14, Oudinot occupied Polotsk and launched an offensive on Sebezh and Pskov, to the north in the direction of Riga, MacDonald began to move. The commander of the Russian corps correctly assessed the situation, he abandoned defensive actions along the entire 600 verst road from Dvinsk to St. Petersburg and decided to defeat the French corps separately. In mid-July, he moved towards Oudinot and on Belarusian soil, near Klyastitsy and Yakubovo, entered into a three-day battle with him. The vanguard detachment of General Ya. Kulnev was the first to attack the enemy and succeeded, defeating the forward detachments of Marshal Oudinot, 900 prisoners and a convoy were taken. Pursuing the enemy, Kulnev met the main forces of Oudinot and died, but soon the troops of the French marshal experienced the crushing blow of Wittgenstein and retreated, losing up to two thousand prisoners. During the battle, Peter Khristianovich was wounded, but did not leave the battlefield.

The victory at Klyastitsy - Yakubovo removed fears in St. Petersburg, where preparations for the evacuation were already beginning. Count Wittgenstein was awarded the Order of St. George of the 2nd degree, received the name "Savior of St. Petersburg" and became known throughout Russia. After the defeat of Oudinot, the French corps of MacDonald suspended its advance on Riga, and Napoleon was forced to send the corps of Saint-Cyr to the Dvina, thereby weakening the main army. At the same time, the French emperor gave an order to his three marshals: to stop offensive operations against Wittgenstein and, holding on to the banks of the Dvina, guard the lines of communication of the main army.

Reinforced by the St. Petersburg and Novgorod militias and other reinforcements, Wittgenstein on the day of the Tarutino offensive battle of the Russian army near Moscow (October 6) also moved forward and drove the troops of Saint-Cyr and Oudinot from Polotsk. On October 19, under Chashniki, the troops of the Russian general (up to 30 thousand people) defeated the corps of Oudinot and Victor (about 46 thousand) and occupied Vitebsk on the 26th. Then, fulfilling the plan of Alexander 1 to encircle the Napoleonic army on the Berezina, Wittgenstein moved towards Borisov, approaching Chichagov's 3rd army, which was approaching from the south. However, in a rapidly changing situation, he, like Chichagov, could not correctly calculate his actions, which allowed Napoleon with the main part of the troops to cross the Berezina and continue the retreat, which turned into flight. The failure at the Berezina did not shake the authority of the "savior of St. Petersburg."

Gorchakov Andrey Ivanovich

(1779 – 1855)

After the outbreak of the Patriotic War of 1812, he was appointed to be with the 2nd Western Army. Before the battle of Borodino, he was entrusted with the command of the troops (N.D. Neverovsky's division, militia and cavalry; about 11 thousand people in total) defending positions near the village of Shevardino. Aug 24 (September 5) attacked by the corps of General I. Poniatowski (about 35 thousand people). Withstood all attacks, and only by midnight did the division of General J. Compan break into the redoubt. After that, on the orders of Kutuzov, he left the position, having won the time necessary for the Russian army to deploy to the Borodino positions. In the Battle of Borodino on August 26 (September 7), he was seriously wounded during a counterattack on the Bagration Flushes. For distinction, he was awarded the Order of St. George, 3rd class.

Davydov Denis Vasilievich

(1784 – 1839)

Barbel. With his mind, he was sharp with a pen, like a Frenchman,

But the French are afraid of the saber ...

Like a whirlwind, like a fire, on guns, on wagons,

And at night, like a brownie, the enemy's camp disturbs!

But dear he gives, in his couplets, roses:

Davydov! It's you, poet and partisan!

(from the poem by F. Glinka “Partizan Davydov”)

Lieutenant General, ideologist and leader of the partisan movement, participant in the Patriotic War of 1812, Russian poet of the "Pushkin galaxy".

At the beginning of the war of 1812, Davydov was a lieutenant colonel in the Akhtyrsky hussar regiment and was in the vanguard troops of General Vasilchikov. On August 21, 1812, in view of the village of Borodino, where he grew up, where they were already hastily dismantling the parental house for fortifications, five days before the great battle, Denis Vasilyevich proposed to Bagration the idea of ​​​​a partisan detachment. He borrowed this idea from the guerrillas (Spanish partisans). Napoleon could not deal with them until they were united in a regular army. The logic was simple: Napoleon, hoping to defeat Russia in twenty days, took provisions with him. And if you take away carts, fodder and break bridges, then this will create big problems for him. Bagration's order to create a flying partisan detachment was one of his last before the Battle of Borodino, where he was mortally wounded. On the very first night, Davydov's detachment of 50 hussars and 80 Cossacks was ambushed by peasants and Denis almost died. The peasants were poorly versed in the details of the military uniform, which the French and Russians had similar. Moreover, the officers spoke, as a rule, in French. After that, Davydov put on a peasant's caftan and grew a beard (in the portrait by A. Orlovsky (1814), Davydov is dressed in the Caucasian fashion: a chekmen, an obviously non-Russian hat, a Circassian checker). With 50 hussars and 80 Cossacks in one of the sorties, he managed to capture 370 Frenchmen, while recapturing 200 Russian prisoners, a cart with cartridges and nine carts with provisions. His detachment, at the expense of the peasants and the liberated prisoners, grew rapidly.

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

One of the outstanding exploits of Davydov during this time was the case near Lyakhov, where he, along with other partisans, captured the two thousandth detachment of General Augereau; then, near the town of Kopys, he destroyed the French cavalry depot, scattered the enemy detachment near Belynichi, and, continuing the search to the Neman, occupied Grodno. The awards for the campaign of 1812 to Denis Davydov were the orders of St. Vladimir 3rd degree and St. George 4th degree - “Your Grace! While the Patriotic War was going on, I considered it a sin to think of anything other than the extermination of the enemies of the Fatherland. Now I am abroad, then I humbly ask Your Grace to send me Vladimir of the 3rd degree and George of the 4th class, ”Davydov wrote to Field Marshal M. Kutuzov after crossing the border.

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

For the battle when approaching Paris, when five horses were killed under him, but he, along with his Cossacks, nevertheless broke through the hussars of the Jacquinot brigade to the French artillery battery and, having cut down the servants, decided the outcome of the battle - Davydov was given the rank of Major General.
Ermolov Alexey Petrovich

(1777 – 1861)

Praise to the companions - the leaders;

Yermolov, young knight,

You are a military brother, you are the life of the regiments,

And the fear of your thunderbolts.

(V. Zhukovsky)

Infantry General, Artillery General. General Yermolov was one of the most famous and popular people in Russia in the first half of the 19th century. He achieved this fame by participation in three wars with Napoleon, activities in the management of the Caucasus, statesmanship, independent and noble character.

With the outbreak of the Patriotic War of 1812, Yermolov was appointed chief of staff of the 1st Western Army of Barclay de Tolly. Like the commander of the 2nd Western Army P. Bagration, Alexei Petrovich was weary of the retreat and the Barclay plan, but still humbled his pride "for the good of the fatherland." At the personal request of Alexander 1, he wrote to him about everything that was happening. As chief of staff, he did much to smooth relations between Barclay de Tolly and Bagration and to successfully link up the two armies near Smolensk; was the organizer of the defense of this city, then successfully led the troops in the battle of Lubin, was promoted to lieutenant general. In the battle near Borodino, Yermolov was under the commander-in-chief M. Kutuzov. At the height of the battle, Kutuzov sent him to the left flank, to the 2nd Army, where Bagration was seriously wounded, and Yermolov helped overcome the confusion of the troops there. Seeing that the central battery of Raevsky was taken by the French, he organized a counterattack, repulsed the battery and led its defense until he was shell-shocked by buckshot.
Konovnitsyn Petr Petrovich

(1764 – 1822)

Hero of the Patriotic War of 1812, infantry general. He came from an old noble family of Konovnitsyns.

At the beginning of the Patriotic War of 1812, the 3rd division of Konovnitsyn became part of the 1st Western Army of M. Barclay de Tolly. On July 14, at Ostrovna, the division entered into the first battle with the French; replacing the tired corps of General A.I. Osterman, she held back the enemy’s onslaught all day, ensuring the withdrawal of the main forces of the army. On August 5, he defended Smolensk, remaining wounded in the ranks, on August 6 he fought at Lubin. In Smolensk, soldiers of the 3rd Infantry Division took the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God, which they brought to Moscow and carried it in front of the Russian troops on the day of the Battle of Borodino.

Soon after leaving Vyazma, he was instructed to lead the rearguard of the 1st and 2nd Western armies, and, repelling the attacks of Marshal Murat, being in continuous battles, he ensured the withdrawal of Russian troops to Borodino. Under his command were troops numbering up to 30 thousand people. The composition of the participants in the battles was comparable to the pitched battles of the 18th century. He will receive awards for these fights after Borodino.

On the day of the Battle of Borodino, Konovnitsyn's division took up defensive positions on the old Smolensk road, but when the main direction of Napoleon's attack was revealed - against the Russian left flank, the division was hastily sent to help Bagration. Arriving at the Bagration Flushes at 10 o'clock in the morning, Konovnitsyn knocked out the French with a blow to the bayonets. After Bagration was seriously wounded and carried away from the battlefield, Konovnitsyn led the defense of the left flank. The temporary confusion of the 2nd Army, which lost its commander, led to the loss of flushes, and Pyotr Petrovich was forced to withdraw troops 300-400 meters back - behind the Semenovsky ravine, where, using the heights, he organized a strong defense. Infantry General Dokhturov, who arrived to lead the 2nd Army, approved all his orders. When repulsing the last attacks of the French, Pyotr Petrovich was twice shell-shocked by cannonballs flying close, his uniform was torn apart by fragments of a shell that showered him, but the general calmly continued the battle. The day after the battle, Commander-in-Chief Kutuzov appointed Konovnitsyn commander of the 3rd Corps (instead of the mortally wounded N. A. Tuchkov). At the military council in Fili, Petr Petrovich voted for a new battle near Moscow. Like most other generals, he took the decision of the commander-in-chief to leave Moscow with pain.

After the retreat from Moscow, Kutuzov appointed Konovnitsyn the duty general of the headquarters of the Russian army. This appointment was not accidental: Mikhail Illarionovich, with a general confusion after the loss of Moscow, needed a balanced and firm person next to him. In addition, honest Konovnitsyn, unlike Bennigsen, who formally held the post of chief of staff, did not intrigue against Kutuzov. Since that time, Pyotr Petrovich became the first speaker at the commander-in-chief, all Kutuzov's combat correspondence with his subordinate military leaders passed through him.

Helping Kutuzov, Konovnitsyn gave all his strength to the restoration and strengthening of the army. In the Tarutinsky camp, he was engaged in the reception and distribution of reinforcements, followed their education and training, slept no more than three or four hours a day. Despite being unwell (he was tormented by a severe fever before Tarutin) and the promise given to Kutuzov: not to risk his life, Pyotr Petrovich took part in the hot Tarutino battle and almost died.

In the position of general on duty, Konovnitsyn was under Kutuzov all the time of the persecution of the Napoleonic army until the occupation of Vilna (Vilnius) by Russian troops. His military activity in 1812 was marked with the Golden Sword "For Courage" with diamonds, orders of St. Vladimir 2nd degree, St. Alexander Nevsky, St. George 2nd class. and the rank of adjutant general.

Kulnev Yakov Petrovich

(1763-1812)

Russian commander, hero of the Patriotic War of 1812. Hussar. Major General.

With the beginning of the Patriotic War of 1812, he was instructed to lead a 5,000-strong cavalry detachment as part of the corps of P. X. Wittgenstein. The corps covered the paths to Petersburg, and Kulnev's detachment was invariably entrusted with the most difficult task - to act in the forefront or rearguard, the first to attack and the last to retreat.

Skillfully acting against the pressing French, Kulnev inflicted a number of tangible defeats on them. On July 18 - 19, near Klyastitsy and Yakubovo, he defeated the vanguard of the French corps of Marshal Oudinot, capturing nine hundred prisoners and a large enemy convoy. On July 20, Kulnev crossed the Drissa, again attacked the French and overturned them. Carried away by the pursuit, he did not notice the approach of the main forces of the French corps, which brought heavy artillery fire on his detachment. Breaking back, Yakov Petrovich closed the retreat of his detachment, and at that moment the enemy core struck him, buckshot tore off both his legs above the knees. The last words of the dying hero were: "Friends, do not give up a single step of your native land to the enemy. Victory awaits you!"

So, not having lived just a few days before his forty-nineth birthday, the glorious warrior of the Suvorov school, Yakov Petrovich Kulnev, perished. He was buried at the place of death near the village of Sivoshino. Subsequently, the brothers moved his ashes to their estate Ilzenberg in the Vitebsk province (now the village of Brezgale, Latvia), and a monument was erected at the site of the death of Yakov Petrovich. An excerpt from V.A. Zhukovsky's poem "A Singer in the Camp of Russian Warriors" is engraved on its front side:

Where is our Kulnev, the destroyer of forces,

Ferocious flame of battle?

He fell - bowed his head on the shield

And clenched the sword in his hand ...
Platov Matvei Ivanovich

(1751 - 1818)

General of the cavalry. Ataman Platov, the hero of the Don, was born in Starocherkassk into the family of a military foreman, who gave him his initial education and taught him military affairs. With the outbreak of the Patriotic War of 1812, Matvey Ivanovich headed the Cossack Corps, which was part of the 1st Army of Barclay de Tolly, but due to its location covered the withdrawal of the 2nd Western Army of Bagration. Near the town of Mir on June 27-28, Platov's corps defeated 9 regiments of the advancing enemy, bringing the Russian army the first victory in the war of 1812. The Cossacks successfully acted against the avant-garde French detachments near Romanovka, Saltanovka, near Smolensk.

During the difficult period of the retreat, Platov almost had a misfortune. At Semlevo, his rearguard let the French advance, and Barclay de Tolly removed him from command of the rearguard. Barclay believed that the chieftain "overslept" the French because of drunkenness, and besides, he did not like Platov for criticizing him in connection with the continuous retreat. Matvey Ivanovich, who was already leaving for the Don, was returned to the troops by the new commander-in-chief M. Kutuzov (he had known Platov since 1773). In the Battle of Borodino, Platov's ten Cossack regiments fought on the right flank. At one of the critical moments of the battle, they participated in a cavalry raid behind enemy lines, upsetting his ranks.

At the military council in Fili, which decided the fate of Moscow, the brave Don chieftain spoke in favor of a new battle with Napoleon, but the wise Kutuzov took the liberty of ordering a retreat. Platov was the initiator of additional mobilization on the Don, and 22 thousand Cossacks arrived at the Tarutino camp, where the Russian army was gathering forces, at the end of August. Ataman was instructed to lead the newly arrived Cossack regiments. On October 7, the retreat of the French army from Moscow began, and Platov's Cossack cavalry took an active part in pursuing and defeating the enemy along the Smolensk road, conducted successful military operations near Vyazma, Smolensk, Krasny. At the request of Kutuzov, by decree of the tsar of October 29, the leader of the Cossacks was promoted to count.

Raevsky Nikolay Nikolaevich

(1771 – 1829)

Russian commander, hero of the Patriotic War of 1812, cavalry general.

On the night of June 24, 1812, Napoleon's "Great Army" invaded Russia. Raevsky at that moment headed the 7th Infantry Corps of the 2nd Western Army of General P.I. Bagration. From Grodno, the 45,000-strong army of Bagration began a retreat to the east for subsequent connection with the army of M. B. Barclay de Tolly. In order to prevent the connection of the two Russian armies, Napoleon sent the 50,000-strong corps of the "Iron Marshal" Davout to cut through Bagration. On July 21, Davout occupied the city of Mogilev on the Dnieper. Thus, the enemy was ahead of Bagration and ended up to the northeast of the 2nd Russian army. Both sides did not have accurate information about the enemy’s forces, and Bagration, approaching the Dnieper 60 km south of Mogilev, equipped Raevsky’s corps to try to push the French back from the city and get on the direct road to Vitebsk, where the Russian armies were supposed to join.

On the morning of July 23, a fierce battle began near the village of Saltanovka (11 km down the Dnieper from Mogilev). Raevsky's corps fought for ten hours with five divisions of Davout's corps. The battle went on with varying success. Raevsky himself was wounded in the chest by buckshot, but his heroic behavior brought the soldiers out of confusion, and they, rushing forward, put the enemy to flight. According to legend, next to Nikolai Nikolaevich at that moment were the sons: 17-year-old Alexander and 11-year-old Nikolai. However, Raevsky himself later objected that although his sons were with him that morning, they did not go on the attack. However, after the battle of Saltanovka, the name of Raevsky became known to the entire army. He became one of the most beloved soldiers and all the people of the generals. On this day, Raevsky, having endured a fierce battle, managed to withdraw the corps from the battle completely combat-ready. By evening, Davout, believing that the main forces of Bagration should soon come up, ordered the battle to be postponed until the next day. And Bagration, meanwhile, with his army successfully crossed the Dnieper south of Mogilev near Novy Bykhov and quickly marched to Smolensk to join Barclay's army. Davout found out about this only a day later. The news of the salvation of Bagration's army from a seemingly inevitable defeat infuriated Napoleon.

On August 29, Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov took command of the Russian army. On September 7, 120 km from Moscow, on the Borodino field, a battle was fought under his leadership, which became the central event of the entire war. The Borodino field was located at the junction of two roads - the old Smolensk and the new Smolensk. In the center of the location of the Russian army, the Kurgan height dominated the area. The 7th Corps of General Raevsky was entrusted to protect it, and it went down in history as the "Raevsky battery". All day on the eve of the battle, Raevsky's soldiers were building earthen fortifications at Kurgan height. At dawn, a battery of 18 guns was located here. At 5 o'clock in the morning on September 7, the French began shelling the left, less strong, flank of the Russian army, where the Bagrationov flushes were located. At the same time, a stubborn struggle ensued at Kurgan height. The French, concentrating forces to storm the heights, sent two infantry divisions across the Kolocha River. At 09:30, after artillery preparation, the enemy rushed to the attack. And although by this time eight battalions of the 7th Corps were already fighting on the flushes, Raevsky still managed to stop the French advance on the battery. After some time, three French divisions went on the assault. The situation on the battery became critical. In addition, there was a shortage of ammunition. The French broke into the heights, a fierce hand-to-hand fight ensued. The situation was saved by the soldiers of the 3rd Ufa Regiment, who arrived in time to help and pushed back the French, led by General A.P. Yermolov. During these two attacks, the French suffered significant losses, three generals were wounded, one was taken prisoner. Meanwhile, Platov's Cossack regiments and Uvarov's cavalry corps hit the French left flank. This suspended the French attacks, and made it possible for Kutuzov to pull up reserves on the left flank and to Raevsky's battery. Seeing the complete exhaustion of Raevsky's corps, Kutuzov led his troops into the second line. The 24th Infantry Division of P. G. Likhachev was sent to defend the battery. The whole second half of the day was a powerful artillery skirmish. The fire of 150 French guns fell upon the battery, the enemy cavalry and infantry simultaneously rushed to storm the height. Both sides suffered huge losses. The wounded General Neverovsky was captured, the French General Auguste Caulaincourt died. Raevsky's battery was nicknamed "the tomb of the French cavalry" by the French. Nevertheless, the numerical superiority of the enemy had an effect: at about 4 o'clock in the afternoon, the French took possession of the battery. However, after the fall of the battery, the French did not advance further into the center of the Russian army. With the onset of darkness, the battle ceased. The French withdrew to their starting lines, leaving all the Russian positions they occupied at the cost of huge losses, including the Raevsky battery. At the military council in Fili, held on September 13, Raevsky spoke in favor of leaving Moscow. A similar opinion was shared by M. I. Kutuzov. On September 14, the Russian army left Moscow, and on the same day it was occupied by the French. However, a month later, Napoleon was forced to leave the burned city. On October 19, the French army began to retreat towards Kaluga. On October 24, a major battle took place near Maloyaroslavets. The 6th Infantry Corps of General D.S. Dokhturov put up stubborn resistance to the enemy, the city changed hands several times. Napoleon brought more and more units into battle, and Kutuzov decided to send Raevsky's corps to help Dokhturov. Reinforcements came in handy, and the enemy was driven back from the city. As a result, Maloyaroslavets remained with the Russian army. The French failed to break through to Kaluga, and were forced to continue their retreat along the Smolensk road, which they had already devastated. Raevsky for actions near Maloyaroslavets was awarded the Order of St. George 3rd degree. The forces of the French, rapidly retreating to the western borders of Russia, were melting every day. In November, during a three-day battle near Krasnoe, Napoleon lost about a third of his army. In this clash, Raevsky's corps actually finished off the remnants of the corps of Marshal Ney, whom he had to deal with more than once during the campaign. Soon after the battle near Krasnoy, Nikolai Nikolayevich was forced to leave the army. The constant overstrain of forces, as well as numerous concussions and injuries, had an effect.
Tormasov Alexander Petrovich

(1752 – 1819)

Count, general of the cavalry. During the Patriotic War of 1812 he commanded the 3rd Western Army on the southern flank.

During the Patriotic War of 1812, Tormasov commanded the 3rd observational army (54 battalions, 76 squadrons, 9 Cossack regiments, 43 thousand in total), designed to contain Austria. First Schwarzenberg was sent against Tormasov, then Renier, with the Saxon corps. On July 1, Tormasov, leaving the Osten-Saken corps to guard Volhynia and to communicate with the Danube army, and Major General Khrushchov (dragoon brigade and 2 Cossack regiments) in Vladimir-Volynsky, to secure the borders from Galicia and the Duchy of Warsaw, himself, with main forces, moved against the flank and rear of the French troops advancing from Brest to Pinsk against Bagration. Corps Rainier was scattered over a large area (Slonim - Pruzhany - Brest - Kobrin - Yanovo - Pinsk). On July 24, part of Tormasov's army captured Brest. On the 27th, a Saxon detachment was defeated and laid down weapons in the battle near Kobrin (General Klengel, 66 officers, 2200 lower ranks, 8 guns); after that Tormasov occupied Pruzhany. This victory was of great psychological significance as the first success during the retreat of the Russian armies. For her, Tormasov received on July 28, 1812, the Order of St. George, 2nd class, as a reward.

Rainier, having gathered his troops and joined with Schwarzenberg, attacked Tormasov near Gorodechno. On August 1, Russian troops retreated first to Kobrin, and then to Lutsk, to join the Danube army, which was marching to Russia after the conclusion of the Bucharest peace with the Ottoman Porte.

In September, the armies united and forced Schwarzenberg to hastily retreat to Brest. Soon, command of the united armies passed to Admiral Chichagov, and Tormasov was recalled to the main headquarters, where he was entrusted with the internal command and control of the troops and their organization. Tormasov took part in the battles near Maloyaroslavets, Vyazma, Krasny and with the main army crossed the border of the empire in December 1812. During the Patriotic War of 1812, General A.P. Tormasov became the only cavalier of the Order of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called for distinction in the battle of Krasnoe. When Kutuzov, due to illness, remained in Bunzlau, Tormasov temporarily assumed the main command of the army.
Major events of 1812

August 4-6 (16-18) - Battle of Smolensk, Napoleon's unsuccessful attempt to defeat the main forces of the Russian troops;

September-October - Kutuzov conducts the Tarutinsky march maneuver, forcing the French to leave Moscow and retreat along the Old Smolensk road; deployment of guerrilla warfare;

November-December - the death of the French army;

Poems and quotes about the Patriotic War of 1812

"I will not lay down my arms until not a single enemy warrior remains in my kingdom."

Alexander I

"The New Russia Begins in 1812".

A. I. Herzen

"The destruction of the huge Napoleonic army during the retreat from Moscow served as a signal for a general uprising against French rule in the West."

F. Engels

“We will stand up with our heads for our Motherland.”

M. Yu. Lermontov

“... Everyone burned with zeal. Everyone outdid himself."

A.P. Ermolov, general, participant in the war of 1812

"Well, it was a day! Through the flying smoke

The French moved like clouds ... ".

M. Yu. Lermontov

And we promised to die

And the oath of allegiance was kept

We are in the Borodino battle.

M. Yu. Lermontov

“And prevented the nuclei from flying

A mountain of bloody bodies."

M. Yu. Lermontov

"With the loss of Moscow, Russia is not lost."

M. I. Kutuzov

"The twelfth year was a great epoch in the life of Russia...".

V. G. Belinsky

“The Russian campaign of 1812 placed Russia at the center of the war. The Russian troops formed the main core, around which the Prussians, Austrians and the rest were grouped only later.

F. Engels

“The enemy knew a lot that day,

What does the Russian fight remote mean?

M. Yu. Lermontov

"Guys! Isn't Moscow behind us?

Let's die near Moscow

How our brothers died!”

M. Yu. Lermontov

“Not a holiday, not an accepting gift,

She was preparing a fire

An impatient hero."

A. S. Pushkin

“The earth shook like our breasts;

Mixed in a bunch of horses, people,

And the volleys of a thousand guns

Laugh in a long howl ... "

M. Yu. Lermontov

If I take Kyiv

I will grab Russia by the legs.

If I take control of Petersburg,

I'll take her head.

Having occupied Moscow, I will strike her in the heart.

Napoleon

“In Russia, the bitterness of the people against the invading enemy grew every month ... The desire to defend Russia and punish the impudent and cruel conqueror - these feelings gradually seized the entire people.”

E. V. Tarm, writer.

"The most terrible of all my battles is the one I gave near Moscow."

Napoleon

"The French have shown themselves worthy of victory, and the Russians have acquired the right to be invincible."

Napoleon

The twelfth year is a folk epic, the memory of which will pass into the centuries and will not die as long as the Russian people live.

M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin

“This glorious year has passed, but the high-profile deeds and deeds committed in it will not pass and will not fall silent ...”

M. Kutuzov

Raevsky, the glory of our days, Praise! Before the ranks He is the first chest against swords with brave sons.

V. A. Zhukovsky
1812 on the Internet

1812 - Internet project http://www.museum.ru/1812/index.html

Site "Project 1812". The project library contains 45 full-text electronic books: memoirs and diaries (by A. Ermolov, D. Davydov, N. Durova, F. Glinka, F. Rostopchin, A. Kolencourt, Rustam, K. Mitternich), letters (Alexander I, M .A. Volkova and others), works of art ("Burned Moscow" by G.P. Danilevsky, "Roslavlev or Russians in 1812" by M.N. Zagoskin, a collection of poems and songs about the Patriotic War of 1812, a number of works by contemporary authors ), historical works (Clausewitz, Stendhal, Tarle, Vernet, etc.). All books are annotated and attached in three formats: html, txt and zip-archive. Editions richly illustrated

Patriotic War of 1812 http://www.patrio.ru/index.htm

This site is dedicated to the Patriotic War of 1812. It contains unique information that describes the historical events of that time and gives a complete picture of the ongoing actions. For more convenient navigation, the site is divided into several sections, which are located in the left menu, go in chronological order and describe individual historical periods from the beginning of the Patriotic War of 1812 to its end.

The Battle of Borodino is considered in the most detail. The chronology of the Battle of Borodino is presented with sufficient frequency and the course of the battle can be traced by the clock.

A separate section is devoted to the partisan war of the Russian people against the French occupation on the territory of the Russian Empire. This section provides information on the formation and operation of the partisan detachments of Denis Davydov and other Russian partisans.

The section results of the war of 1812 provides a historical analysis of the war and examines its significance for the further development of Russia.

In addition, the site contains biographies of individuals who in one way or another relate to the war of 1812. These are, first of all, outstanding commanders, rulers of the countries participating in the war and their allies, as well as other outstanding personalities. Also on the site you can find excerpts from historical documents of that period, which unambiguously describe historical events and reflect the essence of individual decisions.

1812 through the eyes of contemporaries http://militera.lib.ru/db/1812/pre.html

military literature. Diaries and letters.

Hussars in wars http://www.kulichki.com/gusary/istoriya/polki

1812 in Russian poetry

http://www.museum.ru/1812/Library/poetry/index.html

Collection of poems and songs about the Patriotic War of 1812

Members of the Napoleonic Wars

http://www.hrono.ru/biograf/bio_n/1812menu.php

The participants of the so-called Napoleonic Wars in the index of names given here are the most famous generals and officers who participated in the military conflicts of 1799-1815.

battle of Borodino

http://www.warstar.info/borodino_pruntsov/borodino.htm

The popular essay “Battle of Borodino” contains a detailed description of the Battle of Borodino in 1812:

day of the Battle of Borodino by the hour;

scheme of the battle of Borodino;

heroes of the battle of Borodino.

Moscow buildings restored after the fire of 1812

http://www.protown.ru/russia/city/articles/4630.html

"Premium medal of the participant of the Patriotic War of 1812 as a monument of the era"

http://medalirus.narod.ru/Tools/bartosh_1.htm

The history of the silver medal established in 1813 to reward direct participants in the Patriotic War.

Battle of Borodino in the paintings of artists

http://www.museum.ru/1812/Painting/Borodino

Museum-Reserve "Borodino field"

http://www.borodino.ru

Website of the State Borodino Military Historical Museum-Reserve.

Literature:

Alekseev, A. “It is not for nothing that the whole of Russia remembers ...” [Text] / A. Alekseev // Science and Life. - 2010. - No. 9. - P. 81-87.

Alekseev, A. “It is not for nothing that the whole of Russia remembers ...” [Text] / A. Alekseev // Science and Life. - 2010. - No. 10. - P. 90-94.

Bezotosny, V. Vikhor-ataman [Text] / V. Bezotosny // Motherland. - 2004. - No. 5. - P. 43 - 47. - About the hero of the Patriotic War of 1812 Platov Matvey Ivanovich.

Bessonov, V. ... Not counting the sharomyzhnikov [Text]: the number of prisoners of war in 1812 in Russia / V. Bessovnov // Motherland. - 2002. - N 8. - S. 55-59.

Vasilyev, A. The sly figure of the Adventurer [Text]: real and invented losses / A. Vasilyev // Motherland. - 1992. - N 6/7. - S. 68.

Heroes of 1812: collection [Text] / [comp. V. Levchenko]. - M .: Mol. guard, 1987. - 608 p., l. ill. - (The life of wonderful people).

Dementiev, A. "... Fulfilled all duties as the bravest and most worthy general" [Text]: [Dmitry Petrovich Neverovsky (1771-1813)] / Anatoly Dementiev // Science and Life. - 2004. - N9. - S. 114-122.

Durov, V. Awards of 1812 [Text] / V. Durov // Motherland. - 2002. - N 8. - S. 103-109.

Ermolov, A. Characteristics of the commanders of 1812 [Text] / A. Ermolov // Motherland. - 1994. - N 1. - S. 56-60.

Zemtsov, V. The art of dying correctly [Text]: in the name of what French soldiers went to their deaths / V. Zemtsov // Motherland. - 2002. - N 8. - S. 26-29.

Ivchenko, L. “The Prince Bagration known to you” [Text] / L. Ivchenko // Motherland. - 1992. - N 6/7. - S. 40-43.

Ivchenko, L. Who moved the hour hand? [Text] / L. Ivchenko // Motherland. - 2002. - No. 8. - P. 40-46: Ill.-Chronology of the great battle on the Borodino field.

Kuharuk, A. Non-round date [Text] / A. Kuharuk // Motherland. - 2002. - No. 8. - P. 134-136: ill. - Opening of the monument on the Borodino field in 1839.

Lobachev, V. Features of the national war. Murat and Miloradovich [Text] / V. Lobachev // Science and religion. - 2002. - N 9. - S. 6-9.

Podmazo, A. The Russian army in June 1812 [Text] / A. Podmazo // Motherland. - 2002. - N 8. - S. 60-70.

Sapozhnikov, A. "... and was driven through the village of Chertanovka" [Text] / A. Sapozhnikov // Motherland. - 2010. -№ 4. -S. 42-44: ill. - Historical facts about the military battle of the Patriotic War of 1812 on the territory of modern Moscow.

Tretyakova, L. Three days of Borodin [Text] / L. Tretyakova // Around the world. - 2001. - N 8. - S. 26-33.

Chinyakov, M. "Thunderstorm of the twelfth year" [Text]: (on the 190th anniversary of the Patriotic War of 1812) / M. Chinyakov // OBZh. Fundamentals of life safety. - 2002. - N 6. - S. 39-41.

Sheremetiev, O. "Roll overcoats, gentlemen!" [Text] / O. Sheremetiev // Motherland. - 2006. - No. 6. - P.53-59: ill. - About the appearance of the Russian army from Borodino to Paris.

Sheremetiev, O. A squadron of flying hussars [Text]: the world of light cavalry of Alexander's reign / Oleg Sheremetiev // Motherland. - 2008. - N 5. - S. 71-75.

Shishov, A. “Having rendered immortal merits to Russia” [Text]: full St. George Cavalier Barclay de Tolly / A. Shishov / / Fundamentals of life safety. - 2005. - N 6. - S. 61-64.

Shishov, A. “Provided new experiences of art and courage” [Text]: Kutuzov is the first Russian full Cavalier of St. George / A. Shishov // Fundamentals of Life Safety. - 2005. - N 5. - S. 51-55.

Shishov, A. Breakthrough through the Balkans [Text]: Field Marshal Ivan Ivanovich Dibich-Zabaikalsky / A. Shishov // Fundamentals of life safety. - 2006. - N 4. - S. 60-64.

Ekshtut, S. A. Nikolai Raevsky [Text] / S.A. Ekshtut // Motherland. - 1994. - No. 3-4.

Scenarios

Bobrova, L.V. Hussars - dashing knights ... [Text]: an evening of honor dedicated to the officers of Russia, the heroes of 1812 / L. V. Bobrova // Read, study, play. -2000. - No. 7. - S. 40-51.

Druzhinina, T.V. "Hero of the twelfth year, indomitable partisan ..." [Text]: literary evening dedicated to D. Davydov. // Read, study, play. - 2004. - No. 4. - P.51-55.

Evdokimova, K.V. The commander and hero of the war of 1812 [Text]: a history lesson dedicated to the life of P. Bagration // Read, study, play. - 2007. - No. 10. - P.75-78.

Zarkhi, S.B. Confession of the heart [Text]: an evening dedicated to the life and work of the poet D. Davydov // Read, study, play. - 2009. - No. 4. - P.13-30.

Zarkhi, S.B. They kept the oath of allegiance [Text]: literary music evening // We read, study, play. - 2007. - No. 6. - P.17-26.

Nevolina, G. Brave guys - mustachioed hussars [Text]: cognizant. quiz game for an adult audience // Scenarios and repertoire. - 2007. - No. 9. - S. 14-27.

Norkina, L. "Cavalry guards, you have gained glory" [Text]: an evening of courage, glory and honor for students in grades 7-11. // Read, study, play. - 2009. - No. 9. - S. 49-55.

Oparina, N. A History Lesson [Text]: Scenario for an Event on the Anniversary of the Victory in the Patriotic War of 1812 // Scripts and Repertoire. - 2005. - No. 2. - P.16-22.

Khlupina E. A. Hussar ballad [Text]: a historical evening for students in grades 7–11 / E. A. Khlupina // Read, study, play. - 2009. - N 6. - S. 92-96. - The event is dedicated to the life of N. A. Durova, the first female officer in Russia.

Mikhail Illarionovich Golenishchev-Kutuzov (Highest Prince Golenishchev-Kutuzov. Smolensky, 1745-1813) - a famous Russian commander, Field Marshal General (from 1812), His Serene Highness Prince (from 1812). Hero of the Patriotic War of 1812, the first full holder of the Order of St. George. Napoleon often spoke contemptuously about the generals opposing him, while not embarrassed in expressions. Characteristically, he avoided giving public assessments of Kutuzov's command in the Patriotic War, preferring to blame the "harsh Russian winter" for the complete destruction of his army. Napoleon's attitude towards Kutuzov can be seen in a personal letter written by Napoleon from Moscow on October 3, 1812 with the aim of starting peace negotiations: “I am sending you one of my general adjutants to negotiate many important matters. I want Your Grace to believe what he tells you, especially when he expresses to you the feelings of respect and special attention that I have long had for you. Having nothing else to say with this letter, I pray the Almighty to keep you, Prince Kutuzov, under his sacred and good protection. »

Pyotr Ivanovich Bagration 1765 - September 12 (25), 1812) - Russian infantry general, prince, hero of the Patriotic War of 1812. The elder brother of the lieutenant general of the Russian army, Prince Roman Ivanovich Bagration, and the uncle of the lieutenant general of the Russian army, engineer and metallurgical scientist, Prince Pyotr Romanovich Bagration (son of R. I. Bagration). At the beginning of the Patriotic War of 1812, the 2nd Western Army was located near Grodno and was cut off from the main 1st Army by the advancing French corps. Bagration had to retreat to Bobruisk and Mogilev with rearguard battles, where, after the battle near Saltanovka, he crossed the Dnieper and on August 3 connected with the 1st Western Army of Barclay de Tolly near Smolensk. Bagration was a supporter of involving broad sections of the people in the fight against the French, and was one of the initiators of the partisan movement.

Mikhail Bogdanovich Barclay de Tolly (at the birth of Michael Andreas Barclay de Tolly, it. Michael Andreas Barclay de Tolly, December 16 (27), 1761 - May 14 (26), 1818) - an outstanding Russian commander, general field marshal (since 1814), military minister, prince (since 1815), hero of the Patriotic War of 1812, full cavalier of the Order of St. George. He commanded the entire Russian army at the initial stage of the Patriotic War of 1812, after which he was replaced by M.I. Kutuzov. In the foreign campaign of the Russian army of 1813-1814, he commanded the united Russian-Prussian army as part of the Bohemian army of the Austrian field marshal Prince Schwarzenberg. In the Patriotic War of 1812, Barclay de Tolly commanded the 1st Western Army stationed on the border of the Russian Empire in Lithuania. Under the onslaught of superior forces, he was forced to retreat, conducting rearguard battles near Vitebsk and in Smolensk. Near Smolensk in early August, he joined with the 2nd Western Army of P.I. Bagration.

Nikolai Nikolaevich Raevsky (1771-1829) - Russian commander, hero of the Patriotic War of 1812, cavalry general. For thirty years of impeccable service, he participated in many of the largest battles of the era. After the feat near Saltanovka, he became one of the most popular generals of the Russian army. The struggle for the Raevsky battery was one of the key episodes of the Battle of Borodino. Member of the "Battle of the Nations" and the capture of Paris. Member of the State Council. He was closely acquainted with many Decembrists. Alexander Pushkin was proud of his friendship with Raevsky On the night of June 24, 1812, Napoleon's "Great Army" invaded Russia. Raevsky at that moment headed the 7th Infantry Corps of the 2nd Western Army of General P.I. Bagration. From Grodno, the 45,000-strong army of Bagration began a retreat to the east for subsequent connection with the army of M. B. Barclay de Tolly. In order to prevent the connection of the two Russian armies, Napoleon sent the 50,000th corps of the "Iron Marshal" Davout to cut through Bagration. On July 21, Davout occupied the city of Mogilev on the Dnieper. Thus, the enemy was ahead of Bagration and ended up to the northeast of the 2nd Russian army. Both sides did not have accurate information about the enemy’s forces, and Bagration, approaching the Dnieper 60 km south of Mogilev, equipped Raevsky’s corps to try to push the French back from the city and get on the direct road to Vitebsk, where the Russian armies were supposed to join.

Dokhturov Dmitry Sergeevich (1756 - 1816, Moscow) - hero of the Patriotic War of 1812. He began his service in 1781 as a lieutenant of the Semenovsky Life Guards Regiment. Small in stature, obese and in poor health, Dokhturov possessed rare fortitude. In 1789 he participated in the war with Sweden (1788 - 1790), was twice wounded and was awarded a golden sword with the inscription "For Bravery" for distinction. In 1799 Dokhturov was promoted to lieutenant general. In 1803 he was appointed chief Moek. infantry regiment and proved himself in the war with France in 1805 - 1807, showing personal courage, remaining in the ranks even after being wounded. In the Battle of Borodino, he commanded the center, and after Bagration was wounded, Dokhturov took command of the left flank. Inspiring the troops, he personally led them on the attack. On this day, one horse was killed under him and another was wounded. At the military council in Fili, he spoke in favor of a new battle near Moscow. When the retreat of the French from Moscow began, Dokhturov was sent by M.I. Kutuzov to block the enemy's path through Maloyaroslavets. Defending the city for 36 hours, Dokhturov forced Napoleon to turn onto the Smolensk road, which decided the outcome of the campaign. Participated in a foreign campaign Rus. troops, distinguished himself in the battles near Dresden, Leipzig, led the siege of Magdeburg and Hamburg. He was awarded many orders. Returning to Russia, retired

TORMASOV Alexander Petrovich, count, cavalry general Born in 1752, died on 13.11.1819 Awards: orders - all Russian Highest degrees, St. George 2nd class. , Four foreign; gold sword "For Bravery" with diamonds. From nobles. On February 13, 1762, he was appointed a page to the Court, and on March 2, 1772, he entered the Vyatka Infantry Regiment as a lieutenant. He served in adjutant positions. In 1777 he was appointed commander of the Finnish Jaeger Battalion. In 1782 he participated in a campaign in the Crimea. Since 1784, with the rank of colonel, he began to command the Alexandria Light Horse Regiment. In 1788 -1791. fought the Turks. On March 25, 1789, for distinction, he was granted the rank of brigadier, on March 21, 1791, he was promoted to major general, and for successful actions in the battle of Machin he was awarded the Order of St. George, 3rd class. In 1792 and 1794 he took part in battles against the Polish confederates. February 6, 1798 promoted to lieutenant general. On July 11, 1799, he was expelled from service for impudent recall and disobedience. He returned to the army in 1800 and was appointed commander of the l. -Guards. Horse regiment. On September 15, 1801, he was awarded the rank of general from the cavalry. Since 1803, he served as the Kiev, since 1807 - the Riga military governor. In 1808 he was appointed commander-in-chief on the Caucasian line and in Georgia. On March 25, 1812, he was appointed commander-in-chief of the 3rd Western Army, which was then still being formed to cover the southern direction from the Napoleonic troops. Under his leadership, the first victory of the Russian troops in this campaign was won - the encirclement and capture of the Saxon brigade (3000 people) of General Klegel in Kobrin, for which Tormasov received the Order of St. George 2nd class. and a lump sum of 50,000 rubles. Then he commanded the army in the battle near Gorodechno with the corps of Repier and Schwarzenberg. In connection with the arrival of the Danube army at the theater of operations in Volhynia, he transferred command to Admiral P.V. Chichagov by order of Emperor Alexander I and went to the disposal of M.I. Kutuzov. In September 1812, after the death of General P.I. Bagration, he took command over the units of the 2nd Western Army, and then over the troops of the Main Army, except for the vanguard corps and individual detachments. He took part in the battles near Maloyaroslavets, Krasny, in 1813 - near Lutsen. Due to the intensified illness, he asked permission to retire from the army and went to St. Petersburg, where he was initially introduced to the State Council. On August 30, 1814, after the removal of Count F.V. Rostopchin, he was appointed commander-in-chief in Moscow. On August 30, 1816, he was elevated to the dignity of a count with descendants from him. He was buried in Moscow in the Donskoy Monastery.

Matvey Ivanovich Platov (1753-1818) - Russian military man, count (1812), cavalry general (1809), Cossack. He participated in all the wars of Russia at the end of the 18th - beginning of the 19th century. Since 1801 - Ataman of the All-Great Don Army. During the Patriotic War, he first commanded all the Cossack regiments on the border, and then, covering the retreat of the army, had successful business with the enemy near the town of Mir and Romanovo. In the battle near the village of Semlevo, Platov's army defeated the French and captured a colonel from the army of Marshal Murat. Part of the success belongs to Major General Baron Rosen, who was given full freedom of action by Ataman Platov. During the retreat of the French army, Platov, pursuing her, defeated her at Gorodnya, the Kolotsk monastery, Gzhatsk, and Tsarevo. Zaimishcha, near Dukhovshchina and at the crossing of the Vop River. For merit he was elevated to the dignity of a count. In November, Platov occupied Smolensk from battle and defeated the troops of Marshal Ney near Dubrovna. At the beginning of January 1813 he entered the borders of Prussia and overlaid Danzig; in September, he received command of a special corps, with which he participated in the battle of Leipzig and, pursuing the enemy, captured about 15 thousand people. In 1814 he fought at the head of his regiments in the capture of Nemur, at Arcy-sur-Aube, Cezanne, Villeneuve. He was awarded the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called. At the conclusion of peace, he accompanied Emperor Alexander to London, where he was greeted with a noisy ovation.

Fedor Petrovich Uvarov (1773-1824) - military general, first served in the Horse Guards Regiment, and then transferred to the Smolensk Dragoon Regiment. When the uprising broke out in Warsaw, he was there with his squadron, but managed to withdraw it and join the corps of Gen. Igelstrom. After that, he participated in several cases with insurgents in 1793. In 1794 he was appointed adjutant general. He was one of the participants in the conspiracy that led to the assassination of Emperor Paul. In 1805, commanding a cavalry guard regiment, on November 19 he arrived at Austerlitz and on the eve of the battle was sent with 4 regiments to reinforce the right wing; on the day of the battle he attacked the enemy several times, and in the evening he was in the rearguard of Bagration. On January 28, 1806, he was awarded the Order of St. George, 3rd class. No. 129

Mikhail Semyonovich Vorontsov Count Mikhail Semyonovich Vorontsov (1782-1856) - Russian statesman, His Grace Prince (1845), Field Marshal General, Adjutant General; honorary member of the Imperial St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences (1826); Novorossiysk and Bessarabian Governor General (1823-1844). He contributed to the economic development of the region, the construction of Odessa and other cities. In 1844-1854 he was viceroy in the Caucasus. The son of Semyon Romanovich Vorontsov and Ekaterina Alekseevna, nee Senyavina. During the Patriotic War of 1812, Vorontsov was first with the army of Prince Bagration, took part in the battle near Smolensk. In the Battle of Borodino, Vorontsov commanded the 2nd Combined Grenadier Division, which was the first to take on the attacks on the Bagration Flushes and received a wound that forced him to leave the ranks of the troops, and his division practically ceased to exist. Going to his estate for treatment, he invited about 50 wounded officers and more than 300 privates there, who received caring care from him. Having barely recovered, Vorontsov returned to duty and was assigned to Chichagov's army, and he was entrusted with a separate flying detachment. During the armistice (in the summer of 1813) he was transferred to the Northern Army; upon the resumption of hostilities, he was in business near Dennewitz and in the battle of Leipzig. In the campaign of 1814, Vorontsov brilliantly withstood the battle against Napoleon himself near the city of Craon. On February 23 (March 7), 1814, he was awarded the Order of St. George, 2nd class, No. 64

Dmitry Petrovich Neverovsky (October 21 (November 1), 1771, Poltava province - October 21 (November 2), 1813, Halle) - Russian lieutenant general, participant in the Napoleonic Wars. From the nobles, the son of the Zolotonosha mayor. Received home education. On May 16, 1786, he entered the Semyonovsky Regiment as a soldier in the Life Guards. Later he participated in the wars with Turkey and Poland. In 1812 he commanded the 27th Infantry Division. His most important feat was the battle near Krasnoye with the troops of Murat and the retreat after it, recognized by military authorities as unparalleled. Despite frequent skirmishes with the enemy, his division, which was under fire for the first time near Krasnoe, retreated in the greatest order and managed to delay the enemy so much that our troops could freely occupy Smolensk and cover the Moscow road. On the day of the Battle of Borodino, Neverovsky's division replaced the bled-out Vorontsov's division on the Bagrationov flashes, Dmitry Petrovich himself was shell-shocked. “I was sent with a division to reinforce him (Vorontsov) and went into a fierce fire; several times the division and I went with it with hostility. . . The whole army fought hard; but the enemy was twice the number we held the place by cutting off our left flank; the enemy gave back ”- D. P. Neverovsky. From a note by General Neverovsky on his service in 1812. . Then he fought near Tarutin and Maloyaroslavets. In 1813, Neverovsky, with the 13th corps he had just formed, participated, under the command of Osten-Sacken, in the battles of the Katzbach and near Leipzig, where he received a mortal wound. He enjoyed the respect of his contemporaries.

ARAKCHEEV Alexey Andreevich, Count, General of Artillery Born on September 23, 1769 in the Bezhetsky district of the Tver province, died on April 21, 1834 in the estate of Gruzino Novgorod province. Awards: Orders of St. Alexander Nevsky, St. Vladimir, 1st class. , St. Anne 1st Art. , Maltese, three foreign. From the nobles of the Tver province. Son of a retired officer. On September 27, 1787, he graduated from the Artillery and Engineering Cadet Corps with the rank of second lieutenant and was left as a teacher and head of the library. In the summer of 1790 he became senior adjutant to the inspector of all artillery. Two years later, with the rank of captain, he was appointed commander of the Gatchina artillery team. Three years later - major, commandant and inspector of infantry in Gatchina. On June 28, 1796 he was promoted to colonel and appointed commandant of St. Petersburg, on November 8 of the same year he was promoted to major general. Significantly improved the quartermaster part of the army. On March 18, 1798, he was awarded the rank of lieutenant general, and the following year he became commander of the l. -Guards. Artillery battalion and inspector of all artillery. Through his efforts, Russian artillery was prepared for the war of 1805, promptly reorganized and retrained, taking into account the experience of this war, as a result of which it successfully operated in the battles of 1806-1814. June 27, 1807 promoted to the rank of general of artillery. Becoming in January 1808 the Minister of the Military Ground Forces, he engaged in serious transformations in the army, which contributed to raising its combat effectiveness. Two years later he became chairman of the Military Department of the State Council. At the beginning of the Patriotic War of 1812, he was with the 1st Army. Returning to the army in December 1812, he made a foreign campaign with the troops in 1813-1814. , participated in the battles of Lutzen and Bautzen. After the war, he became the inspector general of all infantry and artillery, the de facto head of the "committee on the wounded", the speaker to the Emperor of the presentations of all ministers, and the organizer of military settlements. After the death of Alexander I, he retired and lived for the last eight years in Gruzino, where he was buried.

DAVYDOV Denis Vasilievich, lieutenant general Born on June 16, 1784 in Moscow, died on April 22, 1839. Awards: Order of St. Anna, 1st class. , St. Vladimir 2nd Art. , St. George 4th class. , one foreign; cross for Preussisch-Eylau; golden saber "For bravery". Born in the family of a foreman who served under the command of A. V. Suvorov. In 1801, he entered the Cavalier Guard Regiment as a cadet and in 1802 received the rank of cornet. In 1804, “for writing outrageous poems,” he was transferred to the Belarusian Hussar Regiment, in 1806 he was enrolled in the l. -Guards. Hussar regiment. Fought with the French in 1807 and distinguished himself near Gutstadt and Heilsberg. Fought with the Swedes in 1808-1809. , participated in the occupation of the Aland Islands. In 1809, together with P.I. Bagration, he left for the Danube army and remained there until July 1810. In April 1812, from captain L. -Guards. The hussar regiment was transferred to the Akhtyrsky hussar lieutenant colonel. Fought near Romanov, Saltanovka and Smolensk. On the eve of the Battle of Borodino, he submitted a report to Bagration with a request to provide him with people to create a partisan detachment, and he was given 50 hussars and 80 Cossacks, with whom he began to act on French communications, capturing prisoners and carts. He distinguished himself near the village of Lyakhovo, where his detachment, together with the detachments of A. N. Seslavin, A. S. Figner and V. V. Orlov-Denisov, captured the brigade of General Augereau. For this feat he was awarded the Order of St. George, 4th class. For the capture of Grodno and distinctions in other matters, he was granted the rank of colonel. In 1813 he fought the French near Kalisch, Bautzen and Reichenbach, Leipzig and Kassel. He was promoted to major general for distinction near La Rotier, but due to confusion in reports, he received this rank only on December 21, 1815 with seniority from January 20, 1814. After the war, he served in various military units. Since 1823 - retired due to illness. He returned to service in 1826, fought with the Persians in the Caucasus, fought with the Poles and was granted on December 2, 1831 to lieutenant general. In 1832 he retired. A gifted and original poet, he also left interesting notes about 1812. On his initiative, the ashes of Bagration were transferred to the Borodino field. He was buried at the Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow.

Young generals of the Russian Empire who participated in the hostilities against the Napoleonic troops in 1812-1814 in the rank of general, or promoted to general shortly after the end of the war for distinction shown in battle.

The Military Gallery is one of the galleries of the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg. The gallery consists of 332 portraits of Russian generals who participated in the Patriotic War of 1812. The portraits were painted by George Dow and his assistants A. V. Polyakov and V. A. Golicke (German: Wilhelm August Golicke).

Emperor Alexander I himself personally approved the lists of generals whose portraits were to be placed in the Military Gallery. The portrait of an officer could be placed in the Military Gallery only on condition that he either participated in the hostilities against the Napoleonic troops in 1812-1814 in the rank of general, or was promoted to general shortly after the end of the war for distinction shown in battle.

The Inspectorate Department of the General Staff of the Russian Empire compiled preliminary lists of generals who could be awarded the right to enter the Military Gallery. In December 1819, these lists were submitted to a committee specially created in August 1814 to evaluate generals worthy of inclusion in the Military Gallery. This committee continued its work until August 1820. However, by no means all the generals who meet the criteria for inclusion in the Military Gallery have been awarded the right to be represented in it. The Emperor and the General Staff settled on 349 heroes of the war of 1812 and foreign campaigns of 1813-1814.

Russian generals in the wars with Napoleonic France in 1812-1815.

Detailed list of names, surnames, awards and biographies.

The beginning of the 19th century is often called the "era of young generals." It was a time when courage and honor attracted young men to the battlefield from an early age. It was a time when valor made it possible to make a quick career as a commander. In peacetime, generals who have matured in the rear are slow and cautious. In wartime, generals who have received rank on the battlefield are bold and impetuous.

Napoleon is one of the representatives of the era of young generals. But in Russia there were also young commanders, fanned by military glory. The anti-Napoleonic campaigns and the Patriotic War of 1812 made it possible for the generals brothers Tuchkov, generals Arbuzov, Wolf, Shcherbatov, Shuvalov, Miller and many others to make a quick military career.

Looking at the portraits of the heroes of the war of 1812, one wonders how young they are. For example, the famous commander of the war of 1812, Pyotr Bagration, was only 34 years old. The famous general of the Patriotic War of 1812, Mikhail Miloradovich, is 40 years old, and he became a general in 1809 (recall that the Russian army participated in campaigns against Napoleon until 1812, so the military career of many commanders began even before World War II).

But there are even younger generals of the war of 1812! For example, Baron Wolf began his military career in anti-Napoleonic campaigns at the age of 15, and when Paris was captured, he was already promoted to general. Major General Miller was only 23 years old. He was severely wounded at Austerlitz, returned to the army in 1812, was wounded again, and died of his wounds in 1812. Lieutenant General Alexander Tuchkovykh was 22 years old - he was the first to meet the enemy on the Borodino field. Mortally wounded at Borodino and his older brother, Lieutenant General Nikolai Tuchkov.

There is an interesting look at the novel by A. S. Pushkin "Eugene Onegin": did Tatiana really marry an old man? “But meanwhile, he doesn’t take his eyes off her
Some important general ... ". The general is called important, fat, but Eugene behaves with him more like a peer, and not like a man of respectable years. Some critics believe that this is not accidental: at the time of writing the novel, there were many young generals in Russia who were brought fame by the Patriotic War of 1812 and Borodino. So Tatyana's husband could well have been thirty or forty years old.

Let's draw another interesting parallel. In some ways, this era can be compared with the era of the Civil War. Its typical representative is Arkady Gaidar (Golikov), who became an assistant platoon commander at the age of sixteen and was sent to command staff courses less than a year later. It is impossible not to draw an analogy with the 15-year-old Baron Wolf ... And Arkady Golikov was not the only one - the fields of the Civil War attracted young maximalists. About the motives that moved the youth, tells the story of Arkady Gaidar "School".

But not only the Red Army made young men commanders, as Gaidar's biography demonstrates. On the part of the White Guards, there were also quite a few young men going into battle for their ideals. Now that the memoirs of the leaders of the White movement have been published, one can appreciate the grandeur of the tragedy of the Civil War, which collided young men and boys on the battlefield ... How can one not recall the words of Viktor Tsoi's song: "War is a matter of the young, a cure for wrinkles ...".