Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov was born in 1745. His father was a military engineer. Genes, as we see, directly affected Mikhail’s life. Since childhood, he strived for knowledge and loved to study foreign languages, arithmetic, read a lot.
When the boy grew up, he entered the artillery engineering school, where he quickly got used to the new place. He was loved for his cheerful disposition and his abilities. Soon Mikhail Kutuzov began serving as an adjutant to Field Marshal General Holstein-Beksky.
He served only briefly as an adjutant and soon transferred to active military service. He began his military career at the age of 19, with the rank of ensign. In 1764, the Russian army headed to Poland, along with Kutuzov, but already with the rank of captain. In 1770, he fell under the command of Rumyantsev, whose armies led fighting against Turkish troops in Moldavia and Wallachia. After a short service with Rumyantsev, Mikhail was transferred to the Crimean Army.
In the battle of Alushta, the future was seriously injured. The bullet hit Kutuzov in the head, but he survived, was treated for a long time, and upon returning to his homeland, he was again assigned to serve in the Crimean troops. Mikhail Illarionovich took part in the capture of impregnable Izmail, the famous Turkish fortress.
At the beginning of the new Russian-Turkish war, Kutuzov led the corps that guarded the Russian borders along the Bug. Soon his troops were included in active army. The commander-in-chief of the Russian army, Potemkin, ordered his troops to besiege Izmail. The siege was difficult, Russian soldiers died from disease and Turkish attacks. In the end, Potemkin was tired of this state of affairs, and, admitting his powerlessness in the current situation, gave command to Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov.
It began on December 12, on the left flank of the Russian attack, column number 6 was commanded by Mikhail Illarionovich. At a difficult moment, he himself led the troops into an attack and broke through the Turkish defenses. Ishmael was taken. Kutuzov was appointed commandant of the fortress, as well as the head of the Russian troops located between the Dniester and Prut. It is worth noting that during the siege of the fortress, he was again wounded in the head and lost an eye.
In 1793, Kutuzov became Russian ambassador to Constantinople. He showed remarkable talent in the post of ambassador. Later, Mikhail Illarionovich led the ground forces in Finland. Then he was Governor-General of St. Petersburg. In 1802 he was dismissed from his post. Soon the war with France began. In 1805, he led the foreign campaign of the Russian army. Due to the great ambitions of Alexander I and his disagreements with Kutuzov, the Russian army did not gain glory in its foreign campaigns. In 1807, Russia signed.
In 1809, the war with Turkey began. The Russian army failed to take the Brailov fortress due to the hasty actions of General Field Marshal Prozorsky. However, thanks to the latter’s intrigues, the latter shifted all the blame onto Kutuzov, after which Mikhail Illarionovich was removed from the army.
IN . Russian troops were retreating, the situation was critical. To save Russia, Emperor Alexander had to forget about his personal relationship with Kutuzov and ask him to save Russia. Before his appointment as commander-in-chief, Kutuzov led the militias of St. Petersburg, and during his downtime he was able to develop rules for training warriors and tactics for guerrilla actions. It was the partisans and people's militias that played an important role in the future victory.
Mikhail Illarionovich gave a general battle to the French army on the Borodino field, not far from Moscow. There were no winners or losers in the Battle of Borodino. The battle was fierce with many losses on both sides. At the military council in Fili, Kutuzov decides to leave for Moscow. He made a strong move, because only after the capture of Moscow did Napoleon’s series of defeats begin. The French army was drinking heavily and discipline was breaking down.
Kutuzov broke the enemy and put him to flight. The situation in 1812 was critical and thanks to the military genius of Kutuzov and the dedication of the Russian people, our ancestors managed to defeat the enemy.
Mikhail Illarionovich died on April 28, 1813. It took almost two months for the coffin with his body to be transported to St. Petersburg. A few kilometers before the city, the coffin was taken off the horses and carried in their arms. The coffin was carried to the Kazan Cathedral, where the Great Commander was buried.
Mikhail Kutuzov, without a doubt, a Russian hero, a Russian commander with a capital letter. He was a brave warrior, loved the soldiers, and they reciprocated his love. The common people also loved him, in whose memory he will forever remain. Mikhail Illarionovich fought under the command of Suvorov and. He was the successor to the glory of Russian weapons established by these wonderful commanders.
Mikhail Illarionovich Golenishchev-Kutuzov, since 1812 His Serene Highness Prince Golenishchev-Kutuzov-Smolensky. Born on September 16, 1745 in St. Petersburg - died on April 28, 1813 in Boleslawiec (Poland). Russian commander, field marshal general from the Golenishchev-Kutuzov family, commander-in-chief of the Russian army during the Patriotic War of 1812. The first full holder of the Order of St. George.
Father - Illarion Matveevich Golenishchev-Kutuzov (1717-1784), lieutenant general, later senator.
Mother - Anna Illarionovna, belonged to the Beklemishev family, but the surviving archival documents they say that her father was the retired captain Bedrinsky.
Until recently, the year of Kutuzov’s birth was considered to be 1745, indicated on his grave. However, data contained in a number of formal lists of 1769, 1785, 1791 and private letters indicate the possibility of attributing his birth to 1747. It is 1747 that is indicated as the year of birth of M.I. Kutuzov in his later biographies.
From the age of seven, Mikhail was educated at home; in July 1759 he was sent to the Artillery and Engineering Noble School, where his father taught artillery sciences. Already in December of the same year, Kutuzov was given the rank of 1st class conductor with an oath of office and a salary. A capable young man is recruited to train officers.
In February 1761, Mikhail graduated from school and with the rank of ensign engineer was left with it to teach students mathematics. Five months later he became the aide-de-camp of the Revel Governor-General, Prince of Holstein-Beck.
Efficiently managing the office of Holstein-Beck, he quickly earned the rank of captain in 1762. In the same year, he was appointed company commander of the Astrakhan Infantry Regiment, which at that time was commanded by Colonel A.V. Suvorov.
Since 1764, he was at the disposal of the commander of the Russian troops in Poland, Lieutenant General I. I. Weimarn, and commanded small detachments operating against the Polish Confederates.
In 1767, he was brought in to work on the “Commission for the Drafting of a New Code,” an important legal and philosophical document of the 18th century that established the foundations of an “enlightened monarchy.” Apparently, Mikhail Kutuzov was involved as a secretary-translator, since his certificate states that he “speaks French and German and translates quite well, and understands the author’s Latin.”
In 1770, he was transferred to the 1st Army of Field Marshal P.A. Rumyantsev, located in the south, and took part in the war with Turkey that began in 1768.
Great importance in the formation of Kutuzov as a military leader, he had combat experience accumulated during the Russian-Turkish wars of the 2nd half of the XVIII century under the leadership of commanders P. A. Rumyantsev and A. V. Suvorov. During the Russian-Turkish War of 1768-1774, Kutuzov took part in the battles of Ryaba Mogila, Larga and Kagul. For his distinction in battles he was promoted to prime major. As chief quartermaster (chief of staff) of the corps, he was an assistant commander and for his successes in the battle of Popesty in December 1771 he received the rank of lieutenant colonel.
In 1772, an incident occurred that, according to contemporaries, had a great influence on the character of Kutuzov. In a close circle of comrades, 25-year-old Kutuzov, who knew how to imitate his behavior, allowed himself to imitate Commander-in-Chief Rumyantsev. The field marshal found out about this, and Kutuzov was sent to the 2nd Crimean Army under the command of Prince V.M. Dolgorukov. From that time on, he developed restraint and caution, he learned to hide his thoughts and feelings, that is, he acquired those qualities that became characteristic of his future military leadership. According to another version, the reason for Kutuzov’s transfer to the 2nd Army was the words he repeated from Catherine II about His Serene Highness Prince G. A. Potemkin, that the prince is brave not in his mind, but in his heart.
In July 1774, Devlet Giray landed with troops in Alushta, but the Turks were not allowed to go deep into Crimea. On July 23, 1774, in a battle near the village of Shuma north of Alushta, a three-thousand-strong Russian detachment defeated the main forces of the Turkish landing. Kutuzov, who commanded the grenadier battalion of the Moscow Legion, was seriously wounded by a bullet that pierced his left temple and exited near his right eye, which was “squinted,” but his vision was preserved, contrary to popular belief.
In memory of this injury, there is a monument in Crimea - the Kutuzov Fountain. The Empress awarded Kutuzov the Military Order of St. George, 4th class, and sent him to Austria for treatment, bearing all the expenses of the trip. Kutuzov used two years of treatment to complete his military education. While staying in Regensburg in 1776, he joined the Masonic lodge “To the Three Keys”.
Upon returning to Russia in 1776, again military service. At first he formed light cavalry units, in 1777 he was promoted to colonel and appointed commander of the Lugansk pikeman regiment, with which he was in Azov. He was transferred to Crimea in 1783 with the rank of brigadier and appointed commander of the Mariupol Light Horse Regiment.
In November 1784 he received the rank of major general after successfully suppressing the uprising in Crimea. From 1785 he was the commander of the Bug Jaeger Corps, which he himself formed. Commanding the corps and training the rangers, he developed new tactical fighting techniques for them and outlined them in special instructions. He covered the border along the Bug with his corps when the second war with Turkey broke out in 1787.
On October 1, 1787, under the command of Suvorov, he participated in the battle of Kinburn, when the 5,000-strong Turkish landing force was almost completely destroyed.
In the summer of 1788, with his corps, he took part in the siege of Ochakov, where in August 1788 he was seriously wounded in the head for the second time. This time the bullet passed almost through the old channel. Mikhail Illarionovich survived and in 1789 took over a separate corps, with which Akkerman occupied, fought near Kaushany and during the assault on Bendery.
In December 1790, he distinguished himself during the assault and capture of Izmail, where he commanded the 6th column that was going on the attack. This is how General Kutuzov outlined the actions in his report: “Showing a personal example of courage and fearlessness, he overcame all the difficulties he encountered under heavy enemy fire; jumped over the palisade, forestalled the aspirations of the Turks, quickly flew up the ramparts of the fortress, captured the bastion and many batteries... General Kutuzov walked on my left wing; but was my right hand".
According to legend, when Kutuzov sent a messenger to Suvorov with a report about the impossibility of holding on to the ramparts, he received an answer from Suvorov that a messenger had already been sent to St. Petersburg with news to Empress Catherine II about the capture of Izmail.
After the capture of Izmail, Kutuzov was promoted to lieutenant general, awarded George 3rd degree and appointed commandant of the fortress. Having repelled the attempts of the Turks to take possession of Izmail, on June 4 (16), 1791, he defeated a 23,000-strong Turkish army at Babadag with a sudden blow. In the Battle of Machinsky in June 1791, under the command of N.V. Repnin, Kutuzov dealt a crushing blow to the right flank of the Turkish troops. For the victory at Machin, Kutuzov was awarded the Order of George, 2nd degree.
In 1792, Kutuzov, commanding a corps, took part in the Russian-Polish war and in next year was sent as Ambassador Extraordinary to Turkey, where he resolved a number of important issues in favor of Russia and significantly improved relations with it. While in Constantinople, he was in the Sultan's garden, visiting which was punishable for men death penalty. Sultan Selim III chose not to notice the insolence of the powerful ambassador.
Upon returning to Russia, Kutuzov managed to flatter the then all-powerful favorite P. A. Zubov. Referring to the skills he acquired in Turkey, he came to Zubov an hour before he woke up to brew coffee for him in a special way, which he then took to his favorite in front of many visitors. As a result, Kutuzov in 1795 was appointed commander-in-chief over all ground forces, flotilla and fortresses in Finland and at the same time director of the Land Cadet Corps. He did a lot to improve the training of officers: he taught tactics, military history and other disciplines. Catherine II invited him into her company every day, and he spent the last evening with her before her death.
Unlike many other favorites of the empress, Kutuzov managed to hold out under the new Tsar Paul I and remained with him until last day his life (including having dinner with him on the eve of the murder). In 1798 he was promoted to infantry general. He successfully completed a diplomatic mission in Prussia: during his two months in Berlin he managed to win her over to the side of Russia in the fight against France. On September 27, 1799, Paul I appointed commander expeditionary force in Holland instead of infantry general I.I. German, who was defeated by the French at Bergen and taken prisoner. Awarded the Order of St. John of Jerusalem. On the way to Holland he was recalled back to Russia. He was a Lithuanian military governor (1799-1801). On September 8, 1800, the day the military maneuvers in the vicinity of Gatchina ended, Emperor Paul I personally awarded Kutuzov the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called. Upon the accession of Alexander I, he was appointed military governor of St. Petersburg and Vyborg (1801-1802), as well as the manager of the civil part in these provinces and inspector of the Finnish Inspectorate.
In 1802, having fallen into disgrace with the Tsar, Kutuzov was removed from his post and lived on his estate in Goroshki (now Volodarsk-Volynsky, Ukraine, Zhitomir region), continuing to be listed in active military service as the chief of the Pskov Musketeer Regiment.
In 1804, Russia entered into a coalition to fight Napoleon, and in 1805 the Russian government sent two armies to Austria; Kutuzov was appointed commander-in-chief of one of them. In August 1805, a 50,000-strong Russian army under his command moved to Austria. The Austrian army, which did not have time to unite with the Russian troops, was defeated in October 1805 near Ulm. Kutuzov's army found itself face to face with an enemy with significant superiority in strength.
Retaining his troops, Kutuzov in October 1805 made a retreat march-maneuver stretching 425 km from Braunau to Olmutz and, having defeated I. Murat near Amstetten and E. Mortier near Dürenstein, withdrew his troops from the looming threat of encirclement. This march went down in the history of military art as a wonderful example of strategic maneuver. From Olmutz (now Olomouc), Kutuzov proposed to withdraw the army to the Russian border so that, after the arrival of Russian reinforcements and the Austrian army from Northern Italy, go on a counter-offensive.
Contrary to the opinion of Kutuzov and at the insistence of Emperors Alexander I and Austrian Franz II, inspired by a slight numerical superiority over the French, the allied armies went on the offensive. On November 20 (December 2), 1805, the Battle of Austerlitz took place. The battle is over complete defeat Russians and Austrians. Kutuzov himself was wounded by a shrapnel in the cheek, and also lost his son-in-law, Count Tiesenhausen. Alexander, realizing his guilt, did not publicly blame Kutuzov and awarded him the Order of St. Vladimir, 1st degree, in February 1806, but never forgave him for the defeat, believing that Kutuzov deliberately framed the Tsar. In a letter to his sister dated September 18, 1812, Alexander I expressed his true attitude towards the commander: “from memory of what happened at Austerlitz because of the deceitful character of Kutuzov.”
In September 1806, Kutuzov was appointed military governor of Kyiv. In March 1808, he was sent as a corps commander to the Moldavian Army, but due to disagreements that arose regarding the further conduct of the war with the Commander-in-Chief, Field Marshal A. A. Prozorovsky, in June 1809, Kutuzov was appointed Lithuanian military governor.
In 1811, when the war with Turkey reached a dead end, and the foreign policy situation demanded effective action, Alexander I appointed Kutuzov commander-in-chief of the Moldavian army instead of the deceased Kamensky. In early April 1811, Kutuzov arrived in Bucharest and took command of the army, weakened by the recall of divisions to defend the western border. He found less than thirty thousand troops throughout the conquered lands, with which he had to defeat one hundred thousand Turks located in the Balkan Mountains.
In the Battle of Rushchuk on June 22, 1811 (15-20 thousand Russian troops against 60 thousand Turks), he inflicted a crushing defeat on the enemy, which marked the beginning of the defeat Turkish army. Then Kutuzov deliberately withdrew his army to the left bank of the Danube, forcing the enemy to break away from their bases in pursuit. He blocked part of the Turkish army that crossed the Danube near Slobodzeya, and in early October he himself sent General Markov’s corps across the Danube in order to attack the Turks remaining on the southern bank. Markov attacked the enemy base, captured it and took the main camp of the Grand Vizier Ahmed Agha across the river under fire from captured Turkish cannons. Soon hunger and disease began in the surrounded camp, Ahmed Agha secretly left the army, leaving Pasha Chaban-oglu in his place. Even before the capitulation of the Turks, by a personal Highest decree of October 29 (November 10), 1811, the commander-in-chief of the army against the Turks, infantry general, Mikhail Illarionovich Golenishchev-Kutuzov was elevated, with his descendants, to the dignity of a count of the Russian Empire. On November 23 (December 5), 1811, 1811 Shepherd-oglu surrendered a 35,000-strong army with 56 guns to Count Golenishchev-Kutuzov. Türkiye was forced to enter into negotiations.
Concentrating his corps to the Russian borders, Napoleon hoped that the alliance with the Sultan, which he concluded in the spring of 1812, would bind the Russian forces in the south. But on May 16 (28), 1812 in Bucharest, Kutuzov concluded a peace under which Bessarabia and part of Moldova passed to Russia (Bucharest Peace Treaty of 1812). It was a major military and diplomatic victory, shifting better side strategic situation for Russia at the beginning of the Patriotic War. After the conclusion of peace, the Danube Army was led by Admiral Chichagov, and Kutuzov was recalled to St. Petersburg, where, by decision of the Emergency Committee of Ministers, he was appointed commander of the troops for the defense of St. Petersburg.
At the beginning of the Patriotic War of 1812, General Kutuzov was elected in July as the head of the St. Petersburg and then the Moscow militia. On initial stage During the Patriotic War, the 1st and 2nd Western Russian armies found themselves under pressure from Napoleon's superior forces. The unsuccessful course of the war prompted the nobility to demand the appointment of a commander who would enjoy the trust of Russian society. Even before the Russian troops left Smolensk, Alexander I appointed infantry general Kutuzov as commander-in-chief of all Russian armies and militias. 10 days before the appointment, by personal Highest decree of July 29 (August 10), 1812, infantry general Count Mikhail Illarionovich Golenishchev-Kutuzov was elevated, with his descendants, to the princely dignity of the Russian Empire, with the title of lordship. The appointment of Kutuzov caused a patriotic upsurge in the army and the people. Kutuzov himself, as in 1805, was not in the mood for a decisive battle against Napoleon. According to one piece of evidence, he expressed himself this way about the methods he would use against the French: “We will not defeat Napoleon. We will deceive him."
On August 17 (29), Kutuzov received an army from Barclay de Tolly in the village of Tsarevo-Zaimishche, Smolensk province.
The enemy's great superiority in forces and the lack of reserves forced Kutuzov to retreat deeper into the country, following the strategy of his predecessor Barclay de Tolly. Further withdrawal implied the surrender of Moscow without a fight, which was unacceptable from both a political and moral point of view. Having received minor reinforcements, Kutuzov decided to give Napoleon a general battle, the first and only one in Patriotic War 1812. battle of Borodino, one of biggest battles era of the Napoleonic wars, occurred on August 26 (September 7). During the day of the battle, the Russian army inflicted heavy losses French troops, but according to preliminary estimates, by the night of the same day she had lost almost half of the personnel of the regular troops. The balance of power obviously did not shift in favor of Kutuzov. Kutuzov decided to withdraw from the Borodino position, and then, after a meeting in Fili (now a Moscow region), left Moscow. Nevertheless, the Russian army showed itself with dignity under Borodino, for which Kutuzov was promoted to field marshal general on August 30 (September 11).
After leaving Moscow, Kutuzov secretly carried out the famous Tarutino flank maneuver, leading the army to the village of Tarutino by the beginning of October. Finding himself south and west of Napoleon, Kutuzov blocked his routes to the southern regions of the country.
Having failed in his attempts to make peace with Russia, Napoleon began to withdraw from Moscow on October 7 (19). He tried to lead the army to Smolensk by the southern route through Kaluga, where there were supplies of food and fodder, but on October 12 (24) in the battle for Maloyaroslavets he was stopped by Kutuzov and retreated along the devastated Smolensk road. Russian troops launched a counteroffensive, which Kutuzov organized so that Napoleon’s army was under flank attacks by regular and partisan detachments, and Kutuzov avoided a frontal battle with large masses of troops.
Thanks to Kutuzov's strategy, Napoleonic's huge army was almost completely destroyed. Kutuzov in pre-Soviet and post-Soviet times was repeatedly criticized for his reluctance to act more decisively and aggressively, for his preference for a certain victory at the expense of loud glory. Prince Kutuzov, according to contemporaries and historians, did not share his plans with anyone, his words to the public often differed from his orders for the army, so the true motives for the actions of the famous commander make it possible different interpretations. But the final result of his activities is undeniable - the defeat of Napoleon in Russia, for which Kutuzov was awarded the Order of St. George, 1st degree, becoming the first full Knight of St. George in the history of the order. By a personal Highest decree of December 6 (18), 1812, Field Marshal General, His Serene Highness Prince Mikhail Illarionovich Golenishchev-Kutuzov was granted the name “Smolensky”.
Napoleon often spoke contemptuously about the commanders opposing him, without mincing words. It is characteristic that he avoided giving public assessments of Kutuzov’s command in the Patriotic War, preferring to blame the “harsh Russian winter” for the complete destruction of his army. Napoleon's attitude towards Kutuzov can be seen in personal letter, written by Napoleon from Moscow on October 3, 1812 with the aim of starting peace negotiations: “I am sending one of My adjutant generals to you to negotiate many important matters. I want Your Lordship to believe what he tells you, especially when he expresses feelings of respect and special attention which I have had for you for a long time. Having nothing else to say with this letter, I pray to the Almighty that he will keep you, Prince Kutuzov, under his sacred and good protection.”.
In January 1813, Russian troops crossed the border and reached the Oder by the end of February. By April 1813, troops reached the Elbe. On April 5, the commander-in-chief caught a cold and fell ill in the small Silesian town of Bunzlau (Prussia, now the territory of Poland).
According to legend, refuted by historians, Alexander I arrived to say goodbye to the very weakened field marshal. Behind the screens near the bed on which Kutuzov was lying was the official Krupennikov who was with him. Kutuzov’s last dialogue, allegedly overheard by Krupennikov and relayed by Chamberlain Tolstoy: “Forgive me, Mikhail Illarionovich!” - “I forgive, sir, but Russia will never forgive you for this.” The next day, April 16 (28), 1813, Prince Kutuzov passed away. His body was embalmed and sent to St. Petersburg.
The journey was long - through Poznan, Riga, Narva - and took more than a month. Despite such a reserve of time, it was not possible to bury the field marshal in the Russian capital immediately upon arrival: they did not have time to properly prepare everything necessary for burial in the Kazan Cathedral. Therefore, the famous commander was sent “for temporary storage” - the coffin with his body stood for 18 days in the middle of the church in Trinity - the Sergius Hermitage, several miles from St. Petersburg. The funeral in the Kazan Cathedral took place on June 11, 1813.
They say that the people pulled a cart with the remains of the national hero. The Emperor retained Kutuzov as his wife full content husband, and in 1814 he ordered Finance Minister Guryev to issue more than 300 thousand rubles to pay off the debts of the commander’s family.
During his lifetime, he was criticized for his obsequiousness, manifested in his obsequious attitude towards the royal favorites, and for his excessive predilection for the female sex. They say that while the already seriously ill Kutuzov was in the Tarutino camp (October 1812), Chief of Staff Bennigsen reported to Alexander I that Kutuzov was not doing anything and was sleeping a lot, and not alone. He brought with him a Moldavian woman, dressed as a Cossack, who “warms his bed.” The letter reached the military department, where General Knorring imposed the following resolution on it: “Rumyantsev carried them in fours. It's none of our business. And what sleeps, let him sleep. Every hour of this old man’s [sleep] brings us inexorably closer to victory.”
Kutuzov family:
The noble family of Golenishchev-Kutuzov traces its origins to the Novgorodian Fyodor, nicknamed Kutuz (XV century), whose nephew Vasily had the nickname Golenishche. Vasily’s sons were in the royal service under the name “Golenishchev-Kutuzov”. M.I. Kutuzov’s grandfather only rose to the rank of captain, his father already became a lieutenant general, and Mikhail Illarionovich earned hereditary princely dignity.
Illarion Matveevich was buried in the village of Terebeni, Opochetsky district, in a special crypt. Currently, there is a church at the burial site, basements of which a crypt was discovered in the 20th century. The expedition of the TV project “Seekers” found out that Illarion Matveyevich’s body was mummified and thanks to this it was well preserved.
Kutuzov got married in the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in the village of Golenishchevo, Samoluksky volost, Loknyansky district, Pskov region. Nowadays, only ruins remain of this church.
The wife of Mikhail Illarionovich, Ekaterina Ilyinichna (1754-1824), was the daughter of Lieutenant General Ilya Aleksandrovich Bibikov and the sister of A.I. Bibikov, a major statesman and military figure (Marshal of the Legislative Commission, commander-in-chief in the fight against the Polish Confederates and in the suppression of the Pugachev rebellion , friend A. Suvorov). She married thirty-year-old Colonel Kutuzov in 1778 and gave birth in happy marriage five daughters (the only son, Nikolai, died of smallpox in infancy, was buried in Elisavetgrad (now Kirovograd) on the territory of the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary).
1. Praskovya (1777-1844) - wife of Matvey Fedorovich Tolstoy (1772-1815);
2. Anna (1782-1846) - wife of Nikolai Zakharovich Khitrovo (1779-1827);
3. Elizabeth (1783-1839) - in her first marriage, the wife of Fyodor Ivanovich Tizenhausen (1782-1805); in the second - Nikolai Fedorovich Khitrovo (1771-1819);
4. Catherine (1787-1826) - wife of Prince Nikolai Danilovich Kudashev (1786-1813); in the second - Ilya Stepanovich Sarochinsky (1788/89-1854);
5. Daria (1788-1854) - wife of Fyodor Petrovich Opochinin (1779-1852).
Lisa’s first husband died fighting under the command of Kutuzov, Katya’s first husband also died in battle. Since the field marshal did not leave offspring in the male line, the surname Golenishchev-Kutuzov in 1859 was transferred to his grandson, Major General P. M. Tolstoy, the son of Praskovya.
Kutuzov also became related to the imperial house: his great-granddaughter Daria Konstantinovna Opochinina (1844-1870) became the wife of Evgeniy Maximilianovich of Leuchtenberg.
Kutuzov's awards:
M.I. Kutuzov became the first of 4 full St. George Knights in the entire history of the order.
Order of St. George, 4th class. (11/26/1775, No. 222) - “For the courage and bravery shown during the attack of the Turkish troops who landed on the Crimean shores near Alushta. Having been dispatched to take possession of the enemy’s retangement, to which he led his battalion with such fearlessness that a large number of the enemy fled, where he received a very dangerous wound.”
- Order of St. George, 3rd class. (25.03.1791, No. 77) - “In respect for the diligent service and excellent courage rendered during the capture of the city and fortress of Izmail by storm with the extermination of the Turkish army that was there”
- Order of St. George 2nd class. (03/18/1792, No. 28) - “In honor of the diligent service, brave and courageous exploits with which he distinguished himself in the battle of Machin and the defeat of the large Turkish army by Russian troops under the command of General Prince N.V. Repnin”
- Order of St. George, 1st class. bol.kr. (12/12/1812, No. 10) - “For the defeat and expulsion of the enemy from Russia in 1812”
- Order of St. Anne 1st class. - for distinction in the battles near Ochakov (04/21/1789)
- Order of St. Vladimir, 2nd class. - for the successful formation of the corps (06.1789)
- Order of St. Alexander Nevsky - for battles with the Turks near Babadag (07/28/1791)
- Order of St. John of Jerusalem Grand Cross (04.10.1799)
- Order of St. Andrew the First-Called (09/08/1800)
- Order of St. Vladimir, 1st class. - for battles with the French in 1805 (02/24/1806)
- Portrait of Emperor Alexander I with diamonds to be worn on the chest (07/18/1811)
- Golden sword with diamonds and laurels - for the battle of Tarutino (10/16/1812)
- Diamond signs for the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called (12/12/1812)
- Holstein Order of St. Anne - for the battle with the Turks near Ochakov (04/21/1789)
- Austrian Military Order of Maria Theresa 1st class. (02.11.1805)
- Prussian Order of the Red Eagle, 1st class.
- Prussian Order of the Black Eagle (1813)
Name: Mikhail Kutuzov
Age: 67 years old
Place of Birth: Saint Petersburg
A place of death: Boleslawiec, Poland
Activity: Russian commander, field marshal general
Family status: was married
Mikhail Kutuzov - biography
Contemporaries considered him a cunning, calculating and very secretive person, and Napoleon called him “the old fox of the North.” But it was precisely these qualities that helped the commander win. Since 1812, the name was given to His Serene Highness Prince Golenishchev-Kutuzov-Smolensky.
Young Mikhail Kutuzov graduated from the noble engineering school with honors and was retained there as a mathematics teacher. Soon he was offered the position of adjutant to the Governor General of Revel. Having proven himself there, the officer became a company commander in the regiment. He was only 15 years old.
Kutuzov was thoughtful and reserved. Not only on the battlefield, but also in social intrigues. But he didn’t become like that right away. The impetus for a change in thinking was an incident.
At one of the parties, 25-year-old Kutuzov, at the request of his colleagues, parodied the commander-in-chief, Count Rumyantsev. This was reported to the field marshal. Soon, from the calm Moldavian army, the parodist was sent to the 2nd Crimean Army, which fought with the Turks. From that moment, Kutuzov began to hide his true feelings under the guise of courtesy...
Mikhail Kutuzov - biography of personal life
In between battles, when his regiment was stationed in the town of Piryatin, Mikhail met the nobleman Alexandrovich, and later his daughter Ulyana. The beauty reciprocated, the couple got ready to get married. But suddenly the girl became seriously ill. The mother prayed for her salvation and promised the Lord that if she recovered, her daughter would take a vow of celibacy. The disease has receded, but the assertive groom has not.
Reluctantly, the parents reconciled, but on the morning of the wedding, Ulyana fell ill again. The parents finally refused the groom... Ulyana survived, but never got married. All her life she kept a good memory of her failed husband - just like he did about her. They even exchanged letters. And when her time came, Ulyana asked to put Mikhail’s letters in her coffin.
But life takes its toll, and at the age of 33 Kutuzov got married. The choice fell on the 24-year-old general's daughter Ekaterina Bibikova. His wife bore him children, but his only son died of smallpox in infancy. The couple saw each other infrequently; Catherine was content with letters and money sent. She spent the general's salary quickly, sponsoring actresses and spending money on outfits. Already middle-aged, she caused gossip by dressing like a young girl. There was no question of fidelity: Mrs. Kutuzova led a free lifestyle, and her husband, while in the army, was not a stranger to “simple” girls. Both were quite happy with the situation.
The Myth of the Black Headband
The war with the Turks was going well for Russia, but death was very close. She spared Kutuzov twice.
In 1774, in a battle with a Turkish landing force near the village of Shumy, a bullet pierced Kutuzov’s left temple and exited near his right eye. In 99% of cases, such a wound meant death, but the lieutenant colonel survived without even losing his sight. Catherine II awarded him the Order of St. George and sent him to Austria for treatment. During his 2 years there, Mikhail Illarionovich completed a number of officer courses and became a member of the Masonic lodge “To the Three Keys”.
During the capture of Ochakov, in 1788, he received a second wound to the head, almost losing his left eye. But, contrary to popular belief, he never wore an eye patch. Actor Alexei Dikiy put it on the commander, playing him in the film “Kutuzov” (1943).
Mikhail Illarionovich also distinguished himself during the capture of Izmail. His unit overcame the ramparts and secured its position. When the young general sent a messenger to Suvorov with a request for reinforcements or permission to withdraw, he replied: he would not give either one or the other, for he had already sent news to the empress about the capture of Ishmael. There was nowhere to go - just take the fortress.
For Izmail, Kutuzov received another rank, a new “George” and the post of commandant of the fortress. When the Turks tried to recapture it, he not only repelled the attack, but also defeated the 23,000-strong army of Akhmet Pasha. For this, the Empress gave Mikhail Illarionovich another “George” and sent him to negotiate with Sultan Selim. It was necessary to force Turkey to come to terms with the loss of Crimea and allow Russian ships pass through the Bosphorus and Dardanelles.
Arriving in Constantinople, the ambassador realized that it was almost impossible to persuade the Sultan. One of the Turks even told him: “It’s easier for a Russian diplomat to get into the Sultan’s harem than to open the straits for his ships!” This joke gave Kutuzov a daring thought. Having learned that the beloved concubine and mother of the heir, Mihri Shah, had influence on the Sultan, he decided to see her, knowing that any man would be executed for entering the harem.
Having paid the chief of the guard a lot of money, Kutuzov met in the garden with Mikhrishah and her daughter (from Sultan Selim), as well as the Frenchwoman Nakhshi-dil, the beloved concubine of the Sultan’s late father. He presented his arguments in Turkish (which he learned in Crimea) and French. Flattery and logic worked, and the women convinced the Sultan to agree to the Russian conditions. It is interesting that when the Sultan asked the chief of the guard how the Russian got into the harem, he replied that Kutuzov was the chief eunuch of the Russian court. Selim preferred to pretend that he believed...
Catherine II treated the commander favorably. Spiteful critics argued that the reason for this was not so much his military merits as his ability to please. He brought it from Turkey original way brewing coffee and treated it to the young favorite of the Empress Platon Zubov. The technique worked: Kutuzov was appointed commander-in-chief of the army, navy and fortresses in Finland. Under Paul I, who could not stand his mother’s favorites, Mikhail Illarionovich also managed to maintain his position.
How Kutuzov deceived Napoleon
Alexander I, who ascended the throne, “wrote off” Kutuzov, sending him in 1802 to the family estate of Goroshki (now Khoroshev, Ukraine). But when the threat of Napoleon’s capture of Europe arose, he immediately remembered the experienced warrior. The Russian-Austrian coalition had to stop the Corsican. Alexander I and the Austrian Emperor Franz II were eager to give the French a beating at Austerlitz, but Kutuzov proposed a retreat. The monarchs insisted on their own, and as a result, the Allied armies fell into Bonaparte's trap.
In June 1812, the French entered Russia. Under their onslaught, the Russians retreated back, and the public demanded that Kutuzov be appointed commander-in-chief. Alexander I did not immediately, but signed a corresponding decree. Having taken command, Mikhail Illarionovich continued to retreat: “We will not defeat Napoleon. We will deceive him."
And yet a general battle could not be avoided. On August 26 (September 7) the armies converged near the village of Borodino. The battle did not reveal a winner, but the losses on both sides were colossal. Kutuzov, wanting to preserve the army, retreated, and after 6 days in Fili he decided to leave Moscow. The sly fox knew what he was doing. Having carried out the Tarutino maneuver, which hid the location of the army from the enemy, he cut off the French from areas untouched by the war. Napoleon had to return along the devastated Smolensk road. Here he lost both his army and the glory of the invincible.
When it comes to legendary commander Mikhail Illarionovich Golenishchev-Kutuzov, the image of him with an eye patch, which he actually did not wear, immediately comes to mind. The bullets passed near Kutuzov’s eyes twice, and the wounds should have been fatal, but the military leader was lucky to survive. Colleagues believed that Kutuzov was destined for great things.
A good start to the career of the future commander was given by Abram Petrovich Hannibal (Peter the Great's Blackamoor) when he was still in school. A talented student was presented to the court Peter III, which determined his future fate.
Kutuzov was not deprived of a sense of humor. He was very good at parodies. Once the future commander among his colleagues parodied Pyotr Aleksandrovich Rumyantsev, who did not appreciate the joke. For this, Kutuzov was transferred to the Crimean Army. It was then that in the Russian-Turkish war in 1774 he received his first eye damage. The bullet pierced the left temple, nasopharynx and flew out on the other side. The wound was considered fatal, but Kutuzov was lucky to survive and save his eye.
He received a second wound related to his eyes 13 years later. Eyewitnesses spoke of a through wound from one temple to the other, slightly behind the eyes. The bullet passed literally a hair's breadth from the brain, "one eye was slightly squinted." The amazement of the doctors knew no bounds, and the soldiers, one and all, saw God’s providence in this.
By the way, he practically never wore the headband, which is considered an integral attribute of Kutuzov, in his life. This was an invention of directors in films about the commander.
Among numerous battles, Kutuzov had the opportunity to fight next to Suvorov in the legendary assault on the Turkish fortress of Izmail. After the first unsuccessful siege, Kutuzov wanted to retreat, but Suvorov answered him that he had already reported to St. Petersburg about the capture of the fortress and the appointment of Mikhail Illarionovich as commandant of Izmail. The next attack was successful, and the fortress was taken.
By 1793, Kutuzov was appointed ambassador to Constantinople. There, Mikhail Illarionovich, with his upbringing and diplomatic talent, has Sultan Selim III and Serasker Ahmed Pasha at his disposal. It was rumored that Kutuzov even managed to visit his harem with the permission of the Sultan, which was generally unacceptable for other men and was punishable by death.
When the question arose about appointing a commander-in-chief in the war of 1812, the highest ranks nominated Kutuzov. Emperor Alexander I, who was not very fond of the commander, nevertheless gave his highest permission, clarifying that he himself was washing his hands.
Death from a cold overtook the brilliant commander on April 5, 1813 in the Prussian town of Bunzlau.
The War of 1812 was considered the most studied event in the 19th century. will allow you to look at some historical events differently.
Count and His Serene Highness Prince, great commander Kutuzov Mikhail Illarionovich was the commander-in-chief of the Russian army during the Patriotic War of 1812, when he attacked the Russian Empire. Mikhail Illarionovich is the first a complete gentleman Order of St. George.
short biography
The official date of birth of Mikhail Kutuzov in today's biographies is considered to be September 5, 1747. He was born in St. Petersburg, in the Russian Empire.
His father - Illarion Matveevich Golenishchev-Kutuzov, teacher at the Artillery Noble School, son of a senator. His mother - Anna Illarionovna.
Study and start of service
At first, starting from the age of 7, Mikhail studied science at home. At the age of 12 he was sent to Artillery and engineering noble school, where his father taught artillery.
From the first days, the young man showed himself to be a capable student and, as a student, was involved in training officers. While still at the artillery school, Kutuzov Jr. received the rank of 1st class conductor and even received a salary.
At the beginning of 1761, Kutuzov graduated from school and, on the recommendation of Count Shuvalov, was retained with the rank of engineer-ensign to teach students mathematics. After 5 months it became aide-de-camp Revel Governor-General and Prince Holstein-Beck.
Service with A.V. Suvorov
Already in 1762, he received the rank of captain for good service and was sent to the Astrakhan Infantry Regiment as a company commander. The regiment was then commanded by himself Alexander Vasilievich Suvorov with the rank of colonel.
Period of Russian-Turkish wars
When in 1768 started Russian-Turkish war, Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov served in the first army under the command of Field Marshal P.A. Rumyantseva. It was during the war with Turkey that Kutuzov gained invaluable combat experience.
In the first 2 years he proved himself to be an excellent commander and was awarded the rank Prime Major. A year later (1771) Kutuzov became a lieutenant colonel.
Service in the Crimean Army
In 1772, because of a joke on Rumyantsev, Mikhail Kutuzov was transferred to the Crimean Army. It is to this incident that the great commander's further restraint and prudence is attributed.
Battle of Alushta
In July 1774, Haji Ali Bey landed with troops in Alushta, but the Turks were not allowed to go deep into Crimea. July 24, 1774 A three-thousand-strong Russian detachment knocked out the Turkish landing force, which had fortified itself in Alushta and near the village of Shuma.
Kutuzov, who commanded the grenadier battalion of the Moscow Legion, was seriously wounded by a bullet that pierced his left temple and exited his right eye, but his vision was preserved, contrary to popular belief.
Capture of Ishmael
On December 11, 1790, he distinguished himself during the assault and capture of Izmail, where he commanded the 6th column going on the attack. After this he was given the rank lieutenant general.
War of 1805 with Napoleon Bonaparte
In 1804 Russian empire became one of the participants anti-Napoleonic coalition. Already in 1805, 2 Russian armies were sent to Austria, one of which was commanded by Kutuzov. The number of his troops was about 50 thousand soldiers.
The genius of Kutuzov
Mikhail Illarionovich's army arrived at the battlefield late, when the French had already defeated the Austrians. Saving his troops, Kutuzov made a retreat march-maneuver in October 1805 length 425 km from Braunau to Olmutz.
At the same time, he defeated I. Murat near Amstetten and E. Mortier near Krems, and also managed to withdraw his troops from the impending threat of encirclement. This march went down in the history of military art as a wonderful example of strategic maneuver.
In November 1805 it took place Battle of Austerlitz, in which Napoleon's army, despite having fewer soldiers, defeated the Russian-Austrian troops.
War of 1812
Emperor Alexander I appointed Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov commander of all armies July 29, 1812. He was given great honor and at the same time, he was given a great responsibility - to defeat Bonaparte.
His appointment literally raised the morale of the Russian troops. However, Kutuzov avoided a direct confrontation with Napoleon, as he understood the seriousness of the situation.
battle of Borodino
The only battle in the Patriotic War of 1812 took place at locality Borodino. This was the last stronghold of the Russians - Moscow was behind.
During 1 day of battle, the Russian army inflicted heavy losses on the advancing French troops, but itself lost about 25-30% of its regular troops.
Kutuzov decided to withdraw from the Borodino position, and then, after a meeting in Fili, left Moscow. Despite this, for the Battle of Borodino he was awarded the title Field Marshal General.
Napoleon's retreat
Napoleon entered Moscow, but did not feel like a winner. Further exploits of Kutuzov's army forced Bonaparte to begin a retreat. Napoleon left along the plundered Smolensk road. His troops were freezing and starving.
Thanks to Kutuzov's strategy and his famous Tarutino maneuver, Napoleonic's huge army was almost completely destroyed.
Death of the Commander-in-Chief
On April 5, 1813, when the Russian army approached the Elbe, the commander-in-chief fell ill with a cold and, with complications, was forced to remain in bed.
April 16, 1813 Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov died in a Prussian town Bunzlau(now Polish territory). His body was embalmed and sent to his homeland - St. Petersburg.