Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov. Truth and fiction. Opinion. Kutuzov Mikhail - the great commander

Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov is one of the most famous commanders in the history of Russia. It was this field marshal general who commanded the Russian army during the Patriotic War of 1812. It is believed that the wisdom and cunning of Kutuzov helped to defeat Napoleon.

The future hero was born in the family of a lieutenant general in 1745. Already at the age of 14, Kutuzov got into the Artillery Engineering School for noble children. In 1762, the young officer became the company commander of the Astrakhan infantry regiment, commanded by Suvorov himself.

The formation of Kutuzov as a military leader took place during the Russian-Turkish wars. In the Crimea, it is believed that he received the very famous wound that cost him an eye. Before the war of 1812, Kutuzov managed to make war with Napoleon in Europe, including at Austerlitz. At the beginning of World War II, the general became the head of the St. Petersburg, and then the Moscow militia.

But due to failures at the front, Alexander I was forced to appoint the authoritative Kutuzov commander in chief of the Russian army. This decision caused a patriotic upsurge. Kutuzov died in 1813 in Prussia, when the fate of the war had already been decided. The bright image of the commander gave rise to many legends, traditions and even anecdotes. But not everything we know about Kutuzov is true. We will debunk the most popular myths about him.

In alliance with the Austrians against their background, Kutuzov showed himself to be a talented commander.Domestic historians write that fighting together with the Austrians against Napoleon, Kutuzov showed all his best qualities. But for some reason, he constantly retreated. After another withdrawal, hiding behind the forces of Bagration, Kutuzov reunited with the Austrians. The Allies outnumbered Napoleon, but the battle of Austerlitz was lost. And again, historians blame the mediocre Austrians, Tsar Alexander I, who intervened in the course of the battle. This is how a myth is created that tries to protect Kutuzov. However, French and Austrian historians believe that it was he who commanded the Russian army. Kutuzov is blamed for the choice of an unsuccessful disposition of troops and unpreparedness for defense. As a result of the battle, an army of one hundred thousand people was utterly defeated. The Russians lost 15,000 killed, while the French only 2,000. From this side, Kutuzov's resignation does not look like the result of palace intrigues, but the result of the absence of high-profile victories.

In the biography of Kutuzov there were many glorious victories. In fact, there was only one independent victory. But even she was questioned. Moreover, Kutuzov was even punished for her. In 1811, his army surrounded the Turks near Ruschuk along with their commander, Ahmed Bey. However, at the same time, the commander circled for days and weeks, retreated and waited for reinforcements. The victory was forced. Domestic historians believe that Kutuzov did everything prudently and wisely. But the contemporaries themselves saw many mistakes in the activities of the Russian commander in that long confrontation. A quick decisive victory in the style of Suvorov did not work out.

Kutuzov came up with a tactic to avoid head-on collisions with Napoleon. The Scythian plan, which provided for the avoidance of head-on collisions with Napoleon, was invented by Barclay de Tolly back in 1807. The general believed that the French themselves would leave Russia with the onset of winter and a shortage of provisions. However, the plan was thwarted by the appointment of Kutuzov to the post. The tsar was convinced that a Russian patriot should be at the head of the army, who would stop the French. Kutuzov promised to give Napoleon a general battle, which was just impossible to do. Barclay de Tolly believed that Moscow could also be left, moving further east and waiting out the winter. The actions of the partisans and the blockade of the French in the city will hasten their withdrawal. However, Kutuzov believed that the battle was necessary in order to prevent Napoleon from entering Moscow. With the loss of the city, the commander saw defeat in the entire war. Soviet films show a conflict with Barclay de Tolly, who, being a non-Russian, did not understand what leaving Moscow meant. In fact, Kutuzov was forced to retreat after the battle of Borodino, while losing 44 thousand killed. And in Moscow, he left another 15 thousand wounded. Instead of a competent retreat, Kutuzov preferred to give battle for the sake of image, losing half of his army. Here already had to follow the Scythian plan. But soon the commander again could not restrain himself and got involved in the battle of Maloyaroslavets. The Russian army did not capture the city then, and the losses were twice as high as the French.

Kutuzov was one-eyed. Kutuzov received a head wound during the siege of Ochakov in August 1788. For a long time it allowed to save vision. And only 17 years later, during the campaign of 1805, Kutuzov began to notice that his right eye was beginning to close. In his letters to his wife in 1799-1800, Mikhail Illarionovich said that he was healthy, only his eyes hurt from frequent writing and work.

Kutuzov went blind after being wounded near Alushta. Kutuzov received his first serious wound in 1774 near Alushta. The Turks landed there with a landing force, who were met by a three thousandth Russian detachment. Kutuzov commanded the grenadiers of the Moscow Legion. During the battle, the bullet pierced the left temple and exited at the right eye. But at the same time, Kutuzov retained his vision. But Crimean guides tell gullible tourists that it was here that Kutuzov lost his eye. And there are several such places near Alushta.

Kutuzov is a brilliant commander. Kutuzov's talent in this regard should not be exaggerated. On the one hand, he can be compared in this respect with Saltykov or Barclay de Tolly. But Kutuzov was far from Rumyantsev, and even more so from Suvorov. He proved himself only in battles with a weak Turkey, while his victories were not loud. Yes, and Suvorov himself saw in Kutuzov more of a military manager than a commander. He managed to prove himself in the diplomatic field. In 1812, Kutuzov held negotiations with the Turks, which ended with the signing of the Bucharest Peace. Some believe that this is the highest example of diplomatic art. True, there are opinions that the conditions were unfavorable for Russia, and Kutuzov hastened, fearing his replacement by Admiral Chichagov.

Kutuzov was a prominent military theorist. In the 17th century, such theoretical works on military art as Rumyantsev's Rite of Service and Thoughts, Suvorov's The Science of Victory and Regimental Establishment stood out in Russia. The only military-theoretical work of Kutuzov was created by him in 1786 and was called "Notes on the infantry service in general and on the chasseurs in particular." The information there is relevant for that time, but insignificant in terms of theory. Even the documents of Barclay de Tolly were much more significant. Soviet historians tried to identify the military-theoretical legacy of Kutuzov, but could not find anything intelligible. The idea of preserving reserves cannot be considered revolutionary, especially since the commander himself at Borodino did not follow his own advice.

Kutuzov wanted to see the army smart. Suvorov also said that every soldier must understand his own maneuver. But Kutuzov believed that subordinates should blindly obey the commanders: "Not the one who is truly brave, who arbitrarily rushes into danger, but the one who obeys." In this regard, the position of the general was closer to Tsar Alexander I than the opinion of Barclay de Tolly. He proposed to reduce the cruelty of discipline so that it would not extinguish patriotism.

By 1812, Kutuzov was the best and most respected Russian general. At that moment, he victoriously and on time ended the war with Turkey. But Kutuzov had nothing to do with preparing for the war of 1812, or with its beginning. If he had not been appointed commander in chief, he would have remained in the history of the country as one of the many generals of the first row, not even field marshals. Immediately after the expulsion of the French from Russia, Kutuzov himself told Yermolov that he would have spat in the face of someone who, two or three years ago, would have predicted for him the glory of the conqueror of Napoleon. Yermolov himself emphasized Kutuzov's lack of such talents that would justify his accidental celebrity.

Kutuzov was glorified during his lifetime. The commander managed to taste the lifetime glory only in the last six months of his life. The first biographers of Kutuzov began to exalt him as the savior of the fatherland, hushing up the unfavorable facts of his career. In 1813, five books about the life of the commander appeared at once, he was called the greatest, Perun of the North. The Battle of Borodino was described as a complete victory that put the French to flight. A new campaign to exalt Kutuzov started on the tenth anniversary of his death. Yes, and in Soviet times, with the approval of Stalin, the cult of the commander began to form, who expelled the enemy from the country.

Kutuzov wore an eye patch. This is the most famous myth about the commander. In fact, he never wore any bandages. There was no evidence of such an accessory from his contemporaries, and in his lifetime portraits Kutuzov was depicted without bandages. Yes, she was not needed, because the vision was not lost. And that same bandage appeared in 1943 in the film "Kutuzov". The viewer had to show that even after a serious injury, one can remain in the ranks and defend the Motherland. This was followed by the film "Hussar Ballad", which confirmed in the mass consciousness the image of a field marshal with an eye patch.

Kutuzov was lazy and weak-willed. Some historians and journalists, considering the personality of Kutuzov, openly call him lazy. It is believed that the commander was indecisive, never inspected the campsites of his troops, signed only part of the documents. There are recollections of contemporaries who saw Kutuzov frankly dozing during meetings. But the army at that moment did not need a decisive lion. Reasonable, calm and slow Kutuzov could slowly wait for the collapse of the conqueror, without rushing into battle with him. Napoleon, on the other hand, needed a decisive battle, after the victory in which it was possible to dictate conditions. So it’s worth focusing not on Kutuzov’s apathy and laziness, but on his caution and cunning.

Kutuzov was a freemason. It is known that in 1776 Kutuzov joined the lodge "To the Three Keys". But then, under Catherine, it was a craze. Kutuzov became a member of lodges in Frankfurt and Berlin. But the further activities of the military leader, as a freemason, remains a mystery. Some believe that with the ban on Freemasonry in Russia, Kutuzov left the organization. Others, on the contrary, call him almost the most important Freemason in Russia in those years. Kutuzov is accused of escaping at Austerlitz and repaying his fellow Mason Napoleon with salvation at Maloyaroslavets and Berezina. In any case, the mysterious organization of freemasons knows how to keep their secrets. How influential Kutuzov the Freemason was, we do not seem to know.

Kutuzov's heart is buried in Prussia. There is a legend that Kutuzov asked to take his ashes to his homeland, and to bury his heart near the Saxon road. The Russian soldiers should have known that the commander had stayed with them. The myth was debunked in 1930. The Kutuzov crypt was opened in the Kazan Cathedral. The body decayed, and a silver vessel was found near the head. In it, in a transparent liquid, was Kutuzov's heart.

Kutuzov was a clever courtier. Suvorov said that where he bowed once, Kutuzov would do it ten. On the one hand, Kutuzov was one of the few favorites of Catherine left at the court of Paul I. But the general himself did not consider him the rightful heir, about which he wrote to his wife. Yes, and relations with Alexander I were cool, as well as with his entourage. In 1802, Kutuzov generally fell into disgrace and was sent to his estate.

Kutuzov participated in a conspiracy against Paul I. Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov was indeed present at the last dinner of Emperor Paul I. Perhaps this happened thanks to his daughter-maid of honor. But the general did not participate in the conspiracy. The confusion arose because among the organizers of the murder there was also a namesake, P. Kutuzov.

Kutuzov was a pedophile. Critics of the commander accuse him of using the services of young girls during the war. On the one hand, there is indeed a lot of evidence that Kutuzov was entertained by 13-14-year-old girls. But how immoral was that for the time? Then the noblewomen got married at the age of 16, and the peasant women generally at 11-12. The same Yermolov cohabited with several women of Caucasian nationality, having legitimate children from them. Yes, and Rumyantsev took with him five young mistresses. It certainly has nothing to do with military talent.

When appointing Kutuzov to the post of commander in chief, he had to face serious competition. At that time, five people claimed this post: Emperor Alexander I himself, Kutuzov, Bennigsen, Barclay de Tolly and Bagration. The last two fell away due to irreconcilable enmity with each other. The emperor was afraid to take responsibility, and Bennigsen dropped out because of his origin. In addition, Kutuzov was nominated by the influential nobles of Moscow and St. Petersburg, the army wanted to see its own, Russian man in this post. The choice of the commander-in-chief was handled by the Extraordinary Committee of 6 people. It was unanimously decided to appoint Kutuzov to this post.

Kutuzov was Catherine's favorite. Almost all the years of the reign of the Empress Kutuzov spent either on the battlefields, or in the nearby wilderness, or abroad. At court, he practically did not appear, so he could not become a saint or favorite of Catherine with all his desire. In 1793, Kutuzov asked for a salary not from the Empress, but from Zubov. This suggests that the general had no closeness to Catherine. She appreciated him for his merits, but no more. Under Catherine, Kutuzov received his ranks and orders for deeds, and not thanks to intrigues and someone's patronage.

Kutuzov was against the foreign campaign of the Russian army. This legend is replicated by many historians. It is believed that Kutuzov did not consider it necessary to save Europe and help England. Russia is saved, the army is exhausted. According to Kutuzov, a new war would be dangerous, and the Germans are not sure that they will rise against Napoleon. Allegedly, the commander called on Emperor Alexander to fulfill his vow and lay down his arms. There is no documentary evidence of this, as well as Kutuzov's dying words that Russia will not forgive the tsar. It meant the continuation of the war. Rather, Kutuzov did not oppose a foreign campaign, but simply was against a lightning-fast rush to the West. He, being true to himself, wanted to move slowly and carefully towards Paris. In Kutuzov's correspondence there are no traces of a fundamental objection to such a campaign, but operational issues of the further conduct of the war are discussed. In any case, the strategic decision was made by Alexander I himself. The experienced courtier Kutuzov simply could not speak out openly against it.

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Date of Birth:
Place of Birth:	Saint Petersburg, Russian Empire
Date of death:
A place of death:	Bunzlau, Silesia, Prussia
Affiliation:	the Russian Empire
Years of service:
	Field Marshal General
Commanded:
Battles/wars:	Assault on Ishmael - Russian-Turkish war 1788-1791, Battle of Austerlitz Patriotic War of 1812: battle of Borodino
Awards and prizes:	Foreign orders

Russian-Turkish wars

War with Napoleon in 1805

War with Turkey in 1811

Patriotic War of 1812

Family and clan Kutuzov

Military ranks and ranks

monuments

memorial plaques

In literature

Movie incarnations

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

Service start

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

Until recently, 1745, indicated on his grave, was considered to be the year of Kutuzov's birth. However, the data contained in a number of official lists of 1769, 1785, 1791 and private letters indicate the possibility of referring 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 studied 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 conductor of the 1st class with swearing in and the appointment of 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 her to teach mathematics to pupils. Five months later, he became the adjutant wing of the Reval Governor-General Prince Holstein-Beksky.

Quickly managing the office of Holstein-Becksky, 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. Veymarn, commanded small detachments operating against the Polish confederates.

In 1767, he was recruited to work on the "Commission for the drafting of a new Code", an important legal and philosophical document of the 18th century, which consolidated the foundations of an "enlightened monarchy". Apparently, Mikhail Kutuzov was involved as a secretary-translator, since his certificate states that he “speaks and translates French and German quite well, he 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.

Russian-Turkish wars

Of great importance in the formation of Kutuzov as a military leader was the combat experience accumulated by him during the Russian-Turkish wars of the 2nd half of the 18th century under the leadership of commanders P. A. Rumyantsev and A. V. Suvorov. During the Russian-Turkish war of 1768-74. Kutuzov took part in the battles of Ryaba Mogila, Larga and Cahul. For distinction in battles he was promoted to Prime Major. In the position of chief quartermaster (chief of staff) of the corps, he was assistant commander and for success in the battle of Popesty in December 1771 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 comradely circle, the 25-year-old Kutuzov, who knows how to imitate the manner of behavior, allowed himself to mimic the commander-in-chief Rumyantsev. The field marshal found out about this, and Kutuzov was sent by transfer to the 2nd Crimean Army under the command of Prince Dolgoruky. Since that time, 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 activity. According to another version, the reason for the transfer of Kutuzov to the 2nd Army was the words of Catherine II repeated by him about the Most Serene Prince Potemkin, that the prince was brave not with his mind, but with his heart.

In July 1774, Devlet Giray landed with Turkish troops in Alushta, but the Turks were not allowed to go deep into the Crimea. On July 23, 1774, in the battle near the village of Shuma, north of Alushta, a three-thousand-strong Russian detachment defeated the main forces of the Turkish landing force. 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 “squinted”, but his vision was preserved, contrary to popular belief. The Commander-in-Chief of the Crimean Army, General-in-Chief V. M. Dolgorukov, in his report dated July 28, 1774, wrote about the victory in that battle:

In memory of this wound in the Crimea there is a monument - the Kutuzovsky fountain. The Empress awarded Kutuzov with the military order of St. George 4th class and sent him to Austria for treatment, taking on all the expenses of the trip. Kutuzov used two years of treatment to replenish his military education. During his stay in Regensburg in 1776 he joined the Masonic lodge "To the Three Keys".

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

In November 1784 he received the rank of major general after the successful suppression of the uprising in the Crimea. Since 1785 he was the commander of the Bug Chasseur Corps formed by him. Commanding the corps and teaching rangers, he developed new tactical methods of struggle for them and outlined them in a special instruction. He covered the border along the Bug with his corps when the second war with Turkey broke out in 1787.

October 1, 1787 participates under the command of Suvorov in the battle of Kinburn, when the 5,000th 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 again seriously wounded in the head. This time the bullet went almost through the old channel. Mikhail Illarionovich survived and in 1789 accepted 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 Ishmael, where he commanded the 6th column, which was marching on the attack. Suvorov described the actions of General Kutuzov in a report:

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

After the capture of Izmail Kutuzov, he was promoted to lieutenant general, awarded George of the 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 the 23,000-strong Turkish army at Babadag with a sudden blow. In the Battle of Machinsky in June 1791, under the command of Prince Repnin, Kutuzov dealt a crushing blow to the right flank of the Turkish troops. For the victory at Machin, Kutuzov was awarded the Order of George 2nd degree.

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

Upon returning to Russia, Kutuzov managed to flatter himself with the all-powerful favorite at that time, Platon Zubov. Referring to the skills acquired in Turkey, he came to Zubov an hour before he woke up in a special way to brew coffee for him, which he then attributed to his favorite, in full view of many visitors. This tactic has paid off. In 1795 he was appointed commander-in-chief of all land 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 daily invited him to her society, he spent the last evening with her before her death.

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

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

War with Napoleon in 1805

In 1804 Russia entered into a coalition to fight against 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, the 50,000-strong Russian army under his command moved to Austria. The Austrian army, which did not have time to connect with the Russian troops, was defeated by Napoleon in October 1805 near Ulm. Kutuzov's army found itself face to face with the enemy, who had a significant superiority in strength.

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

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

In September 1806 Kutuzov was appointed military governor of Kyiv. In March 1808, Kutuzov was sent as a corps commander to the Moldavian army, however, due to disagreements that arose over the further conduct of the war with the commander-in-chief, Field Marshal A. A. Prozorovsky, in June 1809 Kutuzov was appointed Lithuanian military governor.

War with Turkey in 1811

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

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

Concentrating his corps to the Russian borders, Napoleon hoped that the alliance with the Sultan, which he concluded in the spring of 1812, would bind the Russian forces in the south. But on May 4 (16), 1812, in Bucharest, Kutuzov made peace, according to which Bessarabia with part of Moldavia passed to Russia (Bucharest Peace Treaty of 1812). It was a major military and diplomatic victory that shifted the strategic situation for Russia for the better by the beginning of World War II. At the conclusion of peace, Admiral Chichagov headed the Danube army, and Kutuzov was recalled to St. Petersburg, where, by decision of the emergency committee of ministers, he was appointed commander of the troops for the defense of St. Petersburg.

Patriotic War of 1812

At the beginning of the Patriotic War of 1812, General Kutuzov was elected in July the head of the St. Petersburg, and then the Moscow militia. At the initial stage of the Patriotic War, the 1st and 2nd Western Russian armies rolled back under the onslaught of Napoleon's superior forces. The unsuccessful course of the war prompted the nobility to demand the appointment of a commander who would enjoy the confidence 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 a personal Imperial decree, dated July 29 (August 10), 1812, Infantry General Count Mikhail Illarionovich Golenishchev-Kutuzov was elevated, with his descendants, to the princely 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 of the testimonies, he put it this way about the methods by which he would act against the French: “ We will not defeat Napoleon. We will deceive him.» On August 17 (29), Kutuzov received the army from Barclay de Tolly in the village of Tsarevo-Zaimishche, Smolensk province.

The great superiority of the enemy in forces and the lack of reserves forced Kutuzov to retreat inland, following the strategy of his predecessor Barclay de Tolly. Further withdrawal meant the surrender of Moscow without a fight, which was unacceptable both politically and morally. Having received insignificant reinforcements, Kutuzov decided to give Napoleon a pitched battle, the first and only one in the Patriotic War of 1812. The Battle of Borodino, one of the largest battles of the era of the Napoleonic Wars, took place on August 26 (September 7). During the day of the battle, the Russian army inflicted heavy losses on the French troops, but according to preliminary estimates, by the night of the same day, it 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), he left Moscow. Nevertheless, the Russian army proved to be worthy at Borodino, for which Kutuzov was promoted to field marshal on August 30 (September 11).

A.S. Pushkin
In front of the tomb of the saint
I stand with my head down...
Everything is sleeping around; only lamps
In the darkness of the temple they gild
Pillars of granite masses
And their banners hanging row.
Under them this lord sleeps,
This idol of the northern squads,
The venerable guardian of the sovereign country,
Subduer of all her enemies,
This rest of the glorious flock
Catherine's Eagles.
In your coffin delight lives!
He gives us a Russian voice;
He tells us about that year,
When the voice of the people's faith
I called out to your holy gray hair:
"Go save!" You got up - and saved ...
Listen well and today our faithful voice,
Rise up and save the king and us
O formidable old man! For a moment
Appear at the door of the grave,
Appear, inhale delight and zeal
The shelves you left behind!
Appear and your hand
Show us the leaders in the crowd,
Who is your heir, your chosen one!
But the temple is immersed in silence,
And quiet is your warlike grave
Unperturbed, eternal sleep...

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

Having failed in his attempts to make peace with Russia, on October 7 (19) Napoleon began to withdraw from Moscow. He tried to lead the army to Smolensk by the southern route through Kaluga, where there were food and fodder supplies, but on October 12 (24) the battle for Maloyaroslavets was stopped by Kutuzov and retreated along the devastated Smolensk road. The 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, the huge Napoleonic army was almost completely destroyed. It should be especially noted that the victory was achieved at the cost of moderate losses in the Russian army. Kutuzov in the pre-Soviet and post-Soviet times was criticized for his unwillingness to act more decisively and offensively, for his preference to have a sure victory at the expense of resounding glory. Prince Kutuzov, according to contemporaries and historians, did not share his plans with anyone, his words to the public often diverged from his orders in the army, so that the true motives for the actions of the illustrious commander allow for various interpretations. But the end result of his activities is undeniable - the defeat of Napoleon in Russia, for which Kutuzov was awarded the Order of St. George of the 1st degree, becoming the first full St. George Knight in the history of the order. By personal Imperial Decree, dated 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 generals opposing him, while not embarrassed in expressions. Characteristically, he avoided giving public assessments of Kutuzov's command in the Patriotic War, preferring to lay the blame for the complete destruction of his army on the "harsh Russian winter." Napoleon's attitude towards Kutuzov can be seen in a personal letter written by Napoleon from Moscow on October 3, 1812 with the aim of starting peace negotiations:

In January 1813, Russian troops crossed the border and reached the Oder by the end of February. By April 1813 the 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 a legend refuted by historians, Alexander I arrived to say goodbye to a very weakened field marshal. Behind the screens, near the bed on which Kutuzov lay, was the official Krupennikov, who was with him. The last dialogue of Kutuzov, allegedly overheard by Krupennikov and transmitted by the chamberlain Tolstoy: “ Forgive me, Mikhail Illarionovich!» - « I forgive you, sir, but Russia will never forgive you for this.". The next day, April 16 (28), 1813, Prince Kutuzov passed away. His body was embalmed and sent to St. Petersburg, where he was buried in the Kazan Cathedral.

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

Criticism

“In terms of his strategic and tactical talents ... he is not equal to Suvorov and certainly not equal to Napoleon,” historian E. Tarle described Kutuzov. Kutuzov's military talent was called into question after the Austerlitz defeat, and even during the war of 1812 he was accused of trying to build a "golden bridge" for Napoleon to leave Russia with the remnants of the army. Critical reviews about Kutuzov the commander belong not only to his well-known rival and ill-wisher Bennigsen, but also to other leaders of the Russian army in 1812 - N. N. Raevsky, A. P. Yermolov, P. I. Bagration. “This goose is also good, which is called both prince and leader! Now women’s gossip and intrigues will go to our leader, ”Bagration reacted to the news of Kutuzov’s appointment as commander in chief. Kutuzov's "kunkatorism" became a direct continuation of the strategic line chosen at the beginning of the war by Barclay de Tolly. “I brought the chariot up the mountain, and it will roll down the mountain itself with the slightest guidance,” Barclay himself threw, leaving the army.

As for Kutuzov's personal qualities, during his lifetime he was criticized for obsequiousness, which manifested itself in an obsequious attitude towards the royal favorites, and for excessive predilection for the female sex. They say that while Kutuzov was already seriously ill in the Tarutino camp (October 1812), Chief of Staff Bennigsen reported to Alexander I that Kutuzov did nothing and slept a lot, and not alone. He brought with him a Moldavian woman dressed as a Cossack, who " warms his bed". The letter reached the War Department, where General Knorring imposed the following resolution on it: Rumyantsev drove them four at a time. It's none of our business. And what sleeps, let it sleep. Every hour [sleep] of this elder inexorably brings us closer to victory».

Family and clan Kutuzov

The noble family of the Golenishchev-Kutuzovs originates from the Novgorodian Fyodor, nicknamed Kutuz (XV century), whose nephew Vasily had the nickname Golenishche. The sons of Vasily were in the royal service under the surname "Golenishchev-Kutuzov". The grandfather of M. I. Kutuzov rose only to the rank of captain, his father already to the lieutenant general, and Mikhail Illarionovich earned hereditary princely dignity.

Illarion Matveyevich was buried in the village of Terebeni, Opochetsky District, in a special crypt. Currently, there is a church on the burial site, in the basement of which a crypt was discovered in the 20th century. The expedition of the TV project "Searchers" found out that the body of Illarion Matveyevich was mummified and, thanks to this, was well preserved.

Kutuzov got married in the church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in the village of Golenishchevo, Samoluk Volost, Loknyansky District, Pskov Region. Today, only ruins remain of this church.

The wife of Mikhail Illarionovich, Ekaterina Ilyinichna (1754-1824), was the daughter of Lieutenant General Ilya Alexandrovich 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 , a friend of A. Suvorov). She married a thirty-year-old colonel Kutuzov in 1778 and gave birth to five daughters in a happy marriage (the only son, Nikolai, died of smallpox in infancy, was buried in Elisavetgrad (now Kirovograd) on the territory of the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin).

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

Lisa's first husband died fighting under the command of Kutuzov, Katya's first husband also died in battle. Since the field marshal left no offspring in the male line, the name of Golenishchev-Kutuzov in 1859 was transferred to his grandson, Major General P. M. Tolstoy, son of Praskovya.

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

Military ranks and ranks

Fourier at the School of Engineering (1759)
Corporal (10/10/1759)
Captainarmus (10/20/1759)
Conductor (12/10/1759)
Ensign engineer (01/01/1761)
Captain (08/21/1762)
Prime Major for Distinction at Larga (07/07/1770)
Lieutenant colonel for distinction at Popesty (12/08/1771)
Colonel (06/28/1777)
Brigadier (06/28/1782)
Major General (11/24/1784)
Lieutenant General for the capture of Ishmael (03/25/1791)
General of Infantry (01/04/1798)
Field Marshal for distinction at Borodino 08/26/1812 (08/30/1812)

Awards

M. I. Kutuzov became the first of 4 full Knights of St. George in the entire history of the order.

Order of St. George 4th class. (11/26/1775, No. 222) - " For courage and courage shown during the attack of the Turkish troops, who made a landing on the Crimean coast near Alushta. Being detached to take possession of the enemy retrangement, to which he led his battalion with such fearlessness that the numerous enemy fled, where he received a very dangerous wound»
Order of St. George 3rd class (03/25/1791, No. 77) - " In respect for the diligent service and excellent courage shown during the capture of the city and fortress of Ishmael by storm with the extermination of the Turkish army that was there»
Order of St. George 2nd class (03/18/1792, No. 28) - " In respect for diligent service, brave and courageous deeds, with which he distinguished himself in the battle of Machin and the defeat by Russian troops under the command of General Prince N.V. Repnin, a large Turkish army»
Order of St. George 1st class bol.cr. (12/12/1812, No. 10) - " For the defeat and expulsion of the enemy from Russia in 1812»

Order of St. Alexander Nevsky - for battles with the Turks (09/08/1790)
Order of St. Vladimir 2nd class - for the successful formation of the corps (06.1789)
Order of St. John of Jerusalem Grand Cross (04.10.1799)
Order of St. Andrew the First-Called (06/19/1800)
Order of St. Vladimir 1st class - for battles with the French in 1805 (02/24/1806)
Portrait of Emperor Alexander I with diamonds to wear on the chest (07/18/1811)
Golden sword with diamonds and laurels - for the battle of Tarutino (10/16/1812)
Diamond signs to the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called (12/12/1812)

Foreign:

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

Memory

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

monuments

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

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

memorial plaques

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

In literature

The novel "War and Peace" - author L. N. Tolstoy
The novel "Kutuzov" (1960) - author L. I. Rakovsky

Movie incarnations

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

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

Having taken command of the army, Kutuzov was forced to follow a retreat strategy, only once giving the enemy a decisive battle. It happened on August 26 at Borodino, on the outskirts of Moscow. The French suffered great losses in this battle, but our troops also lost almost half of their personnel in killed and wounded.

At a meeting in Fili, a decision was made: to leave Moscow. Concluding the council, at which, of course, disagreement arose and high-pitched, but, alas, insignificant calls “stand to the last drop of blood” with the fifty-thousandth preponderance of the French, Kutuzov said: “With the loss of Moscow, Russia is not lost. My first duty is to preserve the army and get closer to those troops that are coming to us for reinforcements. By the very concession of Moscow, we will prepare the death of the enemy. From Moscow I intend to take the Ryazan road. I know that responsibility will fall on me; but I sacrifice myself for the good of the Fatherland. I order you to retreat." The decision was not given to Kutuzov easily. At night after the council, according to the testimony of those close to him, he wept bitterly.

Tarutinsky maneuver Kutuzov, the flight of the French from Moscow

Leaving Moscow, Kutuzov made his famous Tarutinsky maneuver - by October 1812 he led our troops to the village of Tarutino and thus ended up in the southwest relative to Napoleon's army. The latter could not now go to the southern regions of the country and was forced to retreat from the burnt, devastated Moscow along the Smolensk road devastated by him, not being able to replenish food and fodder.

In the meantime, winter came, which was extremely severe that year (already in November, the temperature dropped firmly below twenty degrees Celsius), and the French retreat turned into a stampede. Pressed by units of the regular Russian army, they were also subjected to constant raids by partisan detachments. Napoleon spoke of a peace that should be established between "two enlightened peoples", but Alexander stopped all attempts at negotiations on his part.

The picture of the flight of the French with terrifying brightness is presented in the Description of the Patriotic War by Mikhailovsky-Danilevsky:

“Not knowing where, others trudged along the roads, with straw frozen to their feet, with feet blackened from mud, covered with ice crust ... With legs frostbitten to the knees, wrapped in disgusting rags, with faces sooty from smoke, unshaven beards, wild eyes, others could not walk and crawled on their hands ... They approached our columns and bivouacs, wrapped and crouching like ugly stuffed animals, begging for a piece of bread in a weak voice. The compassion of the good Russian soldiers overcame the holy feeling of revenge, and they shared breadcrumbs with the enemies and what they could.

His Serene Highness Prince Kutuzov at that time wrote to his wife:

“I could magnify myself by being the first general before whom the haughty Napoleon runs; but God humbles the proud, and therefore I do not want to fall into this sin ... "

Among the figures of prominent people who have dedicated their lives to serving the Fatherland, the personality of Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov is of genuine interest. A man who managed not only to fight back, but also to defeat one of the greatest geniuses of military affairs, Napoleon Bonaparte, simply cannot but arouse admiration and respect from posterity. For those who do not know who Kutuzov is, a brief biography of the Field Marshal General will be very useful and instructive.

Childhood and youth

Mikhail Kutuzov was born in the family of a military engineer. From an early age, the boy showed a thirst for knowledge. His favorite activities were mathematics and foreign languages. Having entered the Noble Artillery School, Kutuzov got used to it very quickly and soon became one of her best students. At the age of 16, Kutuzov begins his service as an adjutant of the Revel Governor-General. However, six months later, with the rank of warrant officer, he continues his career in active military service. Promoting quickly enough in ranks, in 1864 Kutuzov, with the rank of captain, ended up in Poland.

Wound

Kutuzov, whose brief biography is not able to contain all the dangerous moments of his life, in August 1774, in a battle with a Turkish landing near Alushta, he received a severe bullet wound in the head. Doctors did not believe that Kutuzov would be able to survive, but the young body soon began to recover, and treatment in Austria on the personal decree of Catherine II returned the young man the ability to serve the Motherland. The second time Kutuzov was wounded in the head during the siege of Izmail in 1788, where a bullet knocked out his eye.

Diplomatic activity

Kutuzov, whose brief biography also has little-known facts, was also a good diplomat. In 1793 he was appointed ambassador to Constantinople. In addition, later he commands in Finland, and in 1802 he becomes the governor-general of St. Petersburg.

Foreign campaign of 1805

Nominally leading the campaign of 1805, Kutuzov (a brief biography of the Field Marshal contains such data) for the first time came face to face with the military genius of Napoleon. It is not known how the war would have ended if Kutuzov really commanded the army, but the excessive ambitions of Alexander I led to the defeat and signing of a humiliating

Turkish War 1806-1812

At the height of the war in 1809, Russian troops failed to take the Turkish fortress of Brailov, which played a strategic role. Kutuzov was found guilty of the unsuccessful assault, and he was removed from the army.

War of 1812

After the unsuccessful start of the war, he was forced to appoint a new commander in chief of the Russian army. They became Mikhail Kutuzov. A brief biography of the commander shows that this decision of the king was fully justified. Having given the French a general battle near Borodino, the Russian troops were forced to surrender the capital, Moscow. However, thanks to a precisely calculated plan by Kutuzov, the enemy was forced to retreat, and this retreat turned into a shameful flight.

Death of a commander

Pursuing the remnants of Napoleon's army on April 13, 1813 in the city of Bunzlau on the border of Poland and Germany, the Russian army suffered a great loss - commander-in-chief Kutuzov Mikhail Illarionovich died. A brief biography of the commander says that the soldiers carried the coffin with the body of Field Marshal General in their arms through all of Moscow. Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov was buried in the Kazan Cathedral in Moscow.

Great commander of the Russian Empire.

Kutuzov is one of the few Russian generals to have earned all four degrees of the Order of St. George, the highest military award in the Russian Empire. Together with him, such an honor fell to only three Russian field marshals.
Perhaps, Kutuzov's leadership talent was most clearly manifested in his ability to withstand a numerically superior enemy, and also skillfully use such a military maneuver as a retreat. And contrary to all the laws of military art, he won, and his popularity grew both among the military and among the common people. A striking example of this are the lines of Pushkin, where Kutuzov, This idol of the northern squads, is always ready to defend the fatherland.
Amazed by the talents of the Russian military genius, Napoleon I Bonaparte called him the “Old Fox of the North”.
The future Field Marshal also bore the title of His Serene Highness Prince Smolensky and came from an old noble family. Researchers give the date of birth of the commander as September 1745 (as indicated on his burial site) or 1747 (according to correspondence and formulary lists).
After completing his studies at the engineering school, Kutuzov's baptism of fire took place in the Russian-Turkish wars, in which the courage and outstanding abilities of the future commander were manifested. A significant contribution to the approval of the personality of Mikhail Illarionovich belongs to another great Russian commander - Alexander Suvorov, under whose command Kutuzov was during the Russian-Turkish war, which lasted from 1768 to 1774. It was after these wars that Kutuzov was recognized as one of the most talented Russian military leaders.
Despite past merits, in 1802 Kutuzov fell into disgrace with the recently ascended Emperor Alexander I. In such a situation, he was forced to ask for resignation and not do what he loved for three years. At that very time, in distant France, the star of another great commander, Napoleon I Bonaparte, was rising, whom only Kutuzov could stop.
The first meeting of the two greatest commanders of that time took place in the autumn of 1805. Kutuzov was appointed to command the army, the main task of which was to help the allied Russian Empire of Austria. Opposing the decisive battle with the French, Kutuzov is forced to submit to the will of Alexander I. The result was the defeat that Russian troops suffered in the battle of Austerlitz on November 20 of the same year. The reason for the defeat of the imperial army was the actions of Mikhail Illarionovich, who, in fact, practically did not command the troops.
The Russian commander once again falls into disgrace and is transferred to the post of military governor in the capital of Ukraine. A year later, another war begins with the Ottoman Empire, which wins a number of important battles against the army of Alexander I. In such a situation, the emperor once again decides to appoint Kutuzov commander of the Russian army.
Standing at the head, Kutuzov inflicts a crushing defeat on the Ottomans in the battle of Ruschuk (July 1811), in which 15-20 thousand imperial troops opposed the 60-thousand army of the Turks. The result was the signing of a peace treaty with Turkey.
In June 1812, the Great Patriotic War and Napoleon's invasion began. Kutuzov is again appointed commander of the Russian army. On August 26, 1812, a key battle between the Russian and French armies begins near the village of Borodino. As a result of a bloody battle, the Russian troops were forced to retreat, but Napoleon could not achieve a decisive victory, having suffered heavy losses. Kutuzov decides to surrender Moscow to the French.
The calculation of the great commander, which was reduced to exhausting the enemy and stretching his reserves, did not disappoint him. Although Napoleon entered Moscow, Moscow was already deserted and burned down. It seemed that the near victory of the French arms turned into a defeat for Napoleon.
At this time, Kutuzov is transferring troops to the south of Moscow, thereby cutting off Napoleon's path to rich food and fodder in the southern regions of the country. Seeing the futility of a breakthrough to the south, the French commander decides to break through back to the west through Smolensk.
In the cold winter, without food and fodder, thousands of horses died, and military discipline was at zero. Serious damage was caused by the actions of the partisans. Napoleon's retreat became chaotic.
On December 21 of the same year, the French were completely expelled from Russia. January 6, 1813 The Great Patriotic War was over.
Inspired by success, Alexander I decides to pursue Napoleon and sends troops further west. In April 1813, in the Silesian town of Bunzlau, Kutuzov fell seriously ill and died on April 16.
The commander's funeral took place on June 11, 1813 in St. Petersburg.