General P and Bagration. Pyotr Ivanovich Bagration
The press center of the museum-reserve "Borodino field" reports that September 25, 2013 will be the DAY OF MEMORY OF PETER IVANOVICH BAGRATION.
"God rati he"... - Gavriil Derzhavin praised this brilliant, talented military leader so highly. A native of the Caucasus, a descendant of an ancient but impoverished family of Georgian princes, he began his service as a simple soldier, tempered himself in the crucible of wars and became a general. Of his 47 years of life, Peter Ivanovich spent twenty-three on campaigns. His mortal wound on the Borodino field, and as a result of this, the tragic death stirred up everything Russian society. By merit to the Russian Fatherland of the 1st Western Army, Bagration is comparable to Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov.
On the Borodino field, September 25 is traditionally celebrated as the day of memory of the infantry general Prince Bagration. This year, 2013, this day will be celebrated especially solemnly. It was on this day after the restoration that the museum staff timed the opening of the monument to the Life Guards Egersky and again made of granite. Pyotr Ivanovich Bagration was the chief.
Surprisingly, the fate of two famous heroes Patriotic War 1812, Pyotr Ivanovich Bagration and Denis Davydov are linked together. The poet and warrior Denis Davydov was still a brilliant Bagration, his confidant. It was Denis Davydov who did the incredible for the memory of the infantry general. In 1839, when the 25th anniversary of the entry of Russian troops into the Borodino field was celebrated, the faithful made sure that the ashes of his commander were buried at Kurgan height on Borodino.
Therefore, on September 25, it was decided to open a memorial sign on the site of the Davydovs' estate, on the territory of the imperial palace and park ensemble being reconstructed in the village of Borodino. It so happened in the history of the war of 1812 that many of its Russian participants, the nobles, had to fight or fight through their own family estates. Denis Davydov had to.
He wrote about it in his diary partisan actions 1812":
- "We approached Borodino. These fields, this village were more familiar to me than others! There I spent the carefree summers of my childhood and felt the first impulses of my heart for love and glory. But in what form did I find the shelter of my youth! Home fatherly dressed in the smoke of bivouacs. Rows of bayonets sparkled in the midst of the harvest that covered the fields, and huge troops crowded on native hills and valleys. There, on a hillock where I once frolicked and dreamed ... there they laid the Raevsky redoubt ... Everything has changed! ... ".
PROGRAM:
11.00. Raevsky battery
Solemn ceremonial at the grave of P. I. Bagration (Raevsky's battery).
Litiya with the proclamation of eternal memory "To the eternally commemorated Prince Peter, the Most Pious Sovereign Emperor, the leaders and soldiers on the battlefield of Borodino laid down their lives and all the fallen and deceased Russian soldiers." Litiya is conducted by Abbot Daniel, Dean of the Mozhaisk District of the Moscow Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church.
12.00. Monument to the Life Guards Jaeger Regiment and Guards Crew.
Opening of the monument after restoration.
12.30. Village of Borodino
Opening of a memorial sign on the site of the Davydovs' estate.
14.00. visit center
XXII Bagration Readings.
Celebration Host - Valery Romualdovich Klimov, Director of the Museum-Reserve "Borodino Field", participate and speak: Igor Sergeevich Tikhonov, Chairman of the Historical and Patriotic Association "Bagration", Mikhail Lavrenovich Chausov, Department of the Military Memorial Work of the Rosvoinencenter, Yulia Vasilievna Khitrovo, descendant of M.I. Kutuzov, Georgy Vladimirovich Lyapishev, a descendant of non-commissioned officer Vasily Ivanovich Lyapishev, hegumen Daniel, dean of the Mozhaisk district of the Moscow diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church, Alexander Viktorovich Gorbunov, deputy director for scientific work Museum-Reserve "Borodino Field", Alexander Rafailovich Illarionov, sculptor, author of a memorial sign on the site of the Davydovs' estate, Archpriest Pavel Kartashov, rector of the Transfiguration Church in Bolshiye Vyazemy, descendant of Denis Vasilievich Davydov, Alexander Yulievich Bondarenko, author of the book "Denis Davydov" from the series "JZL".
Photos about the holiday will be taken by a photographer Andrey Kartavenko.
We are waiting for journalists who value the history of Russia and the Borodino field.
Accreditation from 10.00 September 25, 2013 - press center of the museum-reserve "Borodino field".
In Georgian პეტრე (Petre) ივანეს ძე (Ivanovich) ბაგრატიონი (Bagrationi) Prince 1765 1812 Infantry General
- John of Jerusalem (Maltese cross)
- St. Alexander Nevsky
- St. George 2nd class
After the military-religious celebrations on August 25 and 26, 1912, on the occasion of the centennial anniversary of the Battle of Borodino, during which the Tsar with the August Family and everyone present repeatedly knelt, when the protodeacon proclaimed “To Emperor Alexander I, leaders and soldiers, lay down their lives and fought in the Battle of Borodino for Faith, Tsar and Fatherland, everlasting memory“, it will not be superfluous to remind readers that on September 12, 1912, 100 years have passed since the death of General Prince. P. I. Bagration.
The memory of him among the people is still alive, but not everyone knows his life and especially his death in the prime of life. Until now, there is no complete biography of this amazing leader of the Russian troops, who spent 28 of the 47 years of his life on campaigns, for the most part in the vanguard and rearguard, who participated in 125 battles and was seriously wounded four times. These figures alone indicate how much he devoted his strength to the service of the motherland and to its defense.
Prince Peter Ivanovich of Georgia, he is the great-grandson of the king of Kartalinsky Jesse Levanovich (1711 - 1727), dynasty, was born in 1765 in the mountains. Kizlyar, in the vicinity of which his father, a retired colonel in the Russian service, Prince Ivan Alexandrovich Bagration, had a small plot of land. Not only was there no luxury in the prince's family, but there was not even enough money to decently dress up the 16-year-old prince Peter, when at the end of 1781 he had to go to Petersburg, where he was summoned by princess Anna Alexandrovna Golitsyna, his aunt, born princess Georgian, for presentation to Potemkin before entering his military service. On the next day of Bagration's arrival in Petersburg, Princess Golitsyna at dinner at Potemkin's asked the latter to take her young relative Bagration under her protection. Darkness immediately sent a courier for him. The poor young man, who had just arrived from a distant land, did not have "decent" clothes. The butler of Princess Golitsyna, Karelin, brought him out of a difficult situation by giving him his own dress, and Bagration galloped with a courier to Potemkin's dacha, 13 miles from capitals by Peterhof road. Modestly, but not timidly, in the clumsy caftan of the butler, Bagration, a thin, burning brunette, of medium height, appeared before the “magnificent kiyaz of Taurida” among a brilliant society. With an eagle eye, - as Danilevsky writes further, - having surveyed the unknown young man, Potemkin honored him with a conversation. Satisfied with Bagration's answers, he ordered him to be enrolled as a sergeant in the Caucasian Musketeer Regiment.
February 21, 1782 sergeant (un.-off.) Prince. Pyotr Bagration arrived at the regiment stationed in a small fortress in the foothills of the Caucasus. From that day on, his combat school begins, which, after the first battle with the Chechens, in which he distinguished himself, gave him an ensign's chip. For 10 years of continuous service in the Caucasian Musketeer Regiment, Bagration received all the ranks up to and including the captain for combat distinctions in battles with the highlanders, who deeply respected him for his courage, selfless courage and fearlessness in battle. Not only was his name known on the Line, but many of the surrounding Chechens knew him by sight, since in battles the highlanders always saw his slender figure in front of the advancing Russians. Among the Caucasian highlanders, personal courage in battle is considered the highest virtue, and even an enemy with such qualities is deeply respected. This popularity among the highlanders saved his life when he, seriously wounded in one skirmish, was left, among the dead bodies, in a deep faint. The highlanders recognized him, bandaged his wounds and, as a sign of special respect for his courage, not only spared the life of Captain Prince Pyotr Bagration, but carefully delivered him to our camp, without taking any ransom. On June 28, 1792, Bagration was promoted to second major for distinction in battle.
During these 10 years, he participated in campaigns under the command of General Lieutenant Potemkin against the false prophet Sheikh Mansur, in 1786 in a campaign against the Circassians across the Laba River under the command of Suvorov. In 1788, with a regiment, he participated in the Yekaterinoslav army during the Turkish war during the siege and assault on Ochakov. In 1790, again in the Caucasus against the Turks and mountaineers.
On November 21, 1703, having been promoted to prime minister, he was transferred to the Kyiv Carabinieri Regiment as a squadron commander, and in 1794 to the Sofia Carabinieri Regiment, where he was appointed division commander, brilliantly completed the entire Polish campaign with Suvorov and was promoted to lieutenant colonel. Dashing attacks of his division July 25 near Brest-Litovsk, July 17 near the mountains. Sedlec, on July 26 near metro Derechin, where Bagration with only 50 carabinieri suddenly swooped in and completely destroyed the Polish division, gained him the glory of a fearless cavalryman and the friendship of Suvorov. On September 21, with his one squadron, he defeated a Polish battalion on his head, on September 28, with a division, he suddenly ambushed six squadrons of Polish lancers, turning them into complete flight.
But Bagration made his most remarkable, most amazing cavalry feat on October 13 at the town of Brody. In a dense forest, in a position inaccessible, according to the Poles, to the cavalry, there was a Polish detachment of 1,000 infantry with one gun. Courageous to insolence Bagration rushes ahead of the division of his carabinieri through the thicket to the flank of the position, cuts into the ranks of the Poles distraught from surprise and before they come to their senses, 300 of their corpses remained in place, 200 people with the head of the detachment, as well as a gun and banner, were taken prisoner.
During the assault on Prague on October 24, 1794, Bagration, noticing the intention of the Polish cavalry to attack our assault columns on the flank during the most desperate battle, secretly waiting for the Poles to move, quickly rushes to the flank, overturning them to the river. Vistula. This was in front of Suvorov, who personally thanked him, and since then "Prince Peter" has become his favorite.
In 1796 his father died in great poverty.
On February 1, 1798, Bagration was promoted to colonel and appointed commander of the 6th Chasseur (now the 104th Infantry Ustyug Gen. Prince Bagration) Regiment, which was then in the mountains. Volkovisk, Grodno province.
Emperor Paul I back in August 1797 (as Polikarpov writes) ordered that all reports and reports on the training of the regiment be presented directly to himself. Everything went according to the Prussian model, and the slightest deviation in the execution of the will of the stern emperor entailed expulsion from service. Seven field marshals, 333 generals and 2,156 headquarters and chief officers (nine tenths of the unit commanders) from November 1796 to April 1801 were “thrown out of service.” The only regiment that did not suffer in this sense was Bagration's regiment.
For the excellent condition of the regiment on February 4, 1799, Prince. Bagration, 34 years old, promoted to general during a campaign in Italy as part of the army of Suvorov.
During the reception of the chiefs, when General Rosenberg called the name of Bagration, Suvorov, who had previously stood with lowered eyes, suddenly raised his head and, looking at Bagration, cried out to the whole hall: “Prince Peter, it’s you!” hugged and kissed him passionately. Then, with his gentle, but his usual joking language, he reminded him of their former campaigns and differences in them, and touched the prince so much that he burst into tears like a child ...
The next day, April 4, Bagration with his and the Cossack regiments was appointed to the forefront, and Suvorov, without giving any detailed instructions on the actions, turned to Bagration: “So you understood me, Prince Peter. Go get ready and get ready."
An hour later Bagration came to report that the vanguard was ready. The field marshal hugged him, blessed him and said:
The Lord is with you, Prince Peter. Remember - the head of the tail does not wait; suddenly, like snow on the head.
For the quick-witted Bagration, these few words were enough. This was "Suvorov's disposition for an offensive towards the town of Cavriano".
From this day begins the bloody, but triumphant procession of Bagration to greatness and glory in direct cooperation with the brilliant Suvorov.
On April 10, led by a grenadier battalion, the rangers broke into the Bresno fortress on bayonets.
Suvorov, by the way, reported to the emperor about this matter: “I will praise Your Imperial Majesty Major General Prince. Bagration for promptness, zeal and zeal, rendered during the capture of the fortress under cruel cannon shots "...
Pavel I, in his own handwritten rescript to Suvorov on May 5, writes, by the way: “Major General Prince Bagration complains to the Knights of the Order of St. Anna of the 1st class, whom at the same time send the signs sent to him" ...
On April 15, for the battle of Lecco, the sovereign granted Bagration Commander's Cross of St. John of Jerusalem (Maltese Cross).
In the further campaign, Suvorov, giving Bagration the initiative, wrote, among other things, on a simple piece of paper in pencil, in the annex to the report from the Cossacks, the following note instead of any “dispositions”: “Prince Peter Ivanovich. Here is a nice letter for you from the marching ataman: someone better not fulfill what you want, like your excellency. Christ is with you... If you please, follow with your regiment, and if necessary, you can take with you and what other improvised troops at speed. I submit everything to your prudent consideration."
For the defeat of the French at Marengo, Bagration received St. Alexander Nevsky.
For the victory at Trebia on June 8 over the famous French Auvergne brigade, on the banner of which Bonaparte was embroidered: “Brave warriors of the 17th semi-brigade. I know you: the enemy will not stand before you!" Sovereign granted Bagration the village of Simy, Vladimir province, Aleksandrovsky district, with 300 souls of peasants.
It is not possible to describe all the further exploits and awards of Bagration for the Italian campaign in a newspaper article, but already from the above deeds of this 34-year-old general, one can get an idea of what military academy he went through, studying the “science of winning” under the direct guidance of its creator, the Generalissimo Suvorov.
After this, there is nothing surprising that his victorious laurels and military glory evoked a feeling of envy among those many who were in disgrace during Pavlov's time, and after his death reappeared at the top. Oil in the fire involuntarily raised the emperor himself. Accepting Bagration upon his return from the Italian campaign, Paul I learned that Bagration likes the young beautiful Countess E.P. Skavronskaya. Bagration, out of his modesty, carefully concealed this from society, feeling the coldness of the beauty’s attitude towards him, and the emperor, wanting to show his mercy to Bagration in this case too, on the very next day, with the determination characteristic of his tough temper, ordered the beauty’s father to arrive with his daughter in a wedding dress to the palace church (the current Engineer's Castle), where he ordered Bagration, with whom the countess was married, to appear in full dress.
A June 9, 1800 Bagration was appointed chief of the Life Guards. Jaeger Regiment. The emperor believed that the victorious laurels of the young general would bring warmth to him in the heart of the proud beauty, who had long ago directed her feelings to her other chosen one. Of course, such a marriage could not be happy and only caused even greater hostility of society towards Bagration.
The death of Suvorov, and then the sudden death of Paul I, took to the grave the main connoisseurs of the military prowess of Bagration.
At the same time, while still heir, Alexander I did not like Bagration, which his ill-wishers were well aware of and, at every opportunity, used to belittle in the eyes of society military prowess"folk hero"
Nevertheless, for the feat near Shengraben in 1805, Bagration, on the proposal of Kutuzov, was promoted to lieutenant general and received St. George 2nd class. On November 17, Kutuzov reported this feat: “The extermination of the corps commanded by this general was inevitable, as well as the defeat of our entire army ... but brave major general Bagration, not at all lost with a corps of 6 thousand people, fighting an enemy of 30 thousand, this number joined the army, bringing with him prisoners: 1 lieutenant colonel, 2 officers and 50 privates and a French banner ... I dare to immediately intercede for the Most Merciful awarding Major General Prince. Bagration. For various deeds, he deserves the rank of lieutenant general, and for the latter, in the village of Shengraben, it seems undeniable that he has the right to the military order of St. George 2nd grade.
In 1807, at Preussish-Eylau, in order to inspire his troops, Bagration got off his horse, took the banner in his hands and went ahead of everyone - the position was taken.
Well-known gr. Rostopchin did not call Bagration otherwise. how "general in the image and likeness of Suvorov".
In his way of life, he resembled his great mentor: he slept 3-4 hours a day, he was extremely simple and not whimsical; everyone who returned from the trip was obliged to wake him up without ceremony.
On the campaign he only changed clothes, but he always slept dressed, in a general's frock coat, with a St. George star and a hat; a whip in his hands and a sword donated by Suvorov back in Italy complemented his costume.
But intrigues more and more enveloped the name of Bagration with an adjective, "not a scientist" in the eyes of the emperor, especially during the long absence of Bagration on campaigns. in which he spent 23 of his 30 years of military service. Ill-wishers and envious people tried to present Bagration as an "ignoramus" before the tsar; command of his army on the Danube in 1809, when he had already been promoted to infantry general, managed to portray the sovereign in the most gloomy form, persuading Alexander I to replace Bagration with Count Kamensky.
Thus, an invaluable, experienced and most valiant student and collaborator of Suvorov and Kutuzov, during the Patriotic War he received command of only a 42,000-strong army, with which he made a brilliant campaign, uniting with Barclay under the pressure of Napoleon's main forces.
His sharp criticism of the actions of Barclay de Tolly is known from his letters to Barclay, Arakcheev and Yermolov.
While occupying the position chosen by de Tolly near Borodino on August 22, Bagration pointed out to Kutuzov the dangerous location of his (Bagration's) troops on the left wing, thus emphasizing Tolly's lack of thought in assessing the approaches to the position.
The control of the battle in this battle puts Bagration in the first rank of our commanders, and the “Journal of military operations of the 2nd Army since June 15, 1812”, found only a few months ago in the Lefortovo archive, proves that Bagration, thanks to the long-range reconnaissance excellently organized by him, clearly penetrated into the plan of Napoleon, who hurried the concentration of all his forces to the occupation of Smolensk before our connection, which Barclay did not want to admit. That is why Bagration persistently asked Yermolov and Arakcheev to induce Barclay, about which he wrote to him, to go over to the offensive, addressing the latter in rather bold terms.
On August 26, at about 10 o'clock in the morning, Bagration was out of action, wounded during the attack of flashes in his left leg, and, accompanied by his orderly, was taken first to Moscow, and then to the village. Sims, where on September 8, the wound began to heal so much that he took a few steps on crutches to sort through official papers. Lying down on the bed, he, rereading them, found some important document, who ordered to immediately send to his deputy, General Dokhturov. The occupation of Moscow by the French was carefully concealed from Bagration, but at that moment a man entered who did not know or forgot this prohibition, and when Bagration ordered that a messenger be immediately sent to Moscow, he answered that the French were in Moscow.
Enraged by such news and forgetting about the crutches, the ardent Bagration, beside himself with anger, jumped to his feet and took the first few steps around the room. The wound ached again, and on September 12, in terrible agony from gangrene, he died completely alone and was buried inside the church of the villages. Sim, where his ashes lay until July 1830.
The fact that his wife, Princess Elizaveta Pavlovna, although proud of her name, moved to Vienna in 1809, where her luxurious salon was the center of the entire Viennese high society with Metternich at the head, in the most the height of his intrigues aimed at the union of Austria with Napoleon and the marriage of the latter to Marie-Louise of Austria.
Only after the accession to the throne of Emperor Nicholas I, who personally studied the Patriotic War well, private works appeared about this glorious era of our troops and their heroes were paid tribute to the day of the 25th anniversary of the Battle of Borodino.
Bagration did not have close relatives who held a prominent position, his widow soon (1830) married Lord Hovden in Paris, (died 1853) and finally moved to London, although she continued to bear the surname Bagration. Died in Nice.
His friends and the chief of staff of the army, Senpri, died, and his enemies rose to the rank of field marshals and were elevated to the dignity of a count.
Only in 1839, Emperor Nicholas I, wishing to properly honor the memory of the valiant commander, ordered his ashes to be transferred from the church with. Sim and bury at the foot of the monument then erected on the Borodino field. Here is how Prince Nikolai Borisovich Golitsyn describes this solemn procession in No. 8 of the Russian Art List on March 10, 1858.
“These days, a touching and majestic ceremony took place, in the Vladimir province of the Yuryevsky district, in the village of Sime. Not everyone may be aware that the late Infantry General Prince Bagration, after he received a wound in the Battle of Borodino, went to use the estate of his friend, Prince B.A. Golitsyn, the aforementioned village of Simu, where on September 12, 1812, he died and was buried inside the parish church there. It was pleasing to the Sovereign Emperor to order: the mortal remains of the famous leader of the hero be transferred to the place where he, defending the fatherland, received a mortal wound. As a result of such a Highest will, the Holy Synod entrusted His Grace Parthenius, Archbishop of Vladimir and Suzdal, to compose the ceremonial; the former adjutant of the late Prince Bagration, the famous partisan D.V. Davydov, was instructed to escort the body to Borodino itself, with an honorary escort of the entire Kyiv hussar regiment, lodging in the Yurevsky district. But the death that befell him did not allow him to fulfill his sacred duty, and, by order of the government, the entire military rite was entrusted to the commander of the Kyiv Hussars, Colonel Kensky. The raising of the coffin, the solemn commemoration and the departure of the body to the Borodino field are scheduled to be on the 3rd, 4th and 5th of last July. Being one of those who enjoyed the honor of being with the person of Prince Bagration during the bloody Battle of Borodino and then accompanying his wounded man to Moscow, I charged myself with a sacred duty to appear at this touching ceremony, which, both by its purpose and by its memories, is excited, should resonate deeply in the soul of every warrior, and especially the warrior of those times. The honor that the Sovereign of the Emperor deigned to show after 27 years, the ashes of the commander, who was once the glory of the Russian army, ordered to be transferred to the Borodino field, by the very time the solemn erection of a monument to the glory of the fallen victims on this blood-soaked earth, shows how high the Tsar evaluates military merit; Oh, how comforting such attention is for every son of the fatherland, and how powerful it is to encourage them to imitate the virtues of such men.
“And so, on the 3rd of July, we were to see the tomb containing the precious ashes of the Borodino hero. On that day, in the morning, the entire Kyiv hussar regiment gathered in the village of Sime, on the same day the bishop arrived with honorary clergy. At six o'clock in the afternoon they began to raise from the grave the coffin that had been lying in it for more than a quarter of a century, which is in perfect integrity. Directly from the grave, without opening the coffin, they placed it in a prepared lead crypt, which itself fit into a new magnificent tomb. Then a memorial service began, which was sent by Archbishop Parthenius with selected clergy. The confluence of the people, gathered from all sides in a few days, was incredibly large. On the morning of the 4th, the head of the province arrived and a rather significant number of nobles gathered; some even from distant places. At ten o'clock the bishop began to celebrate the liturgy, with a service for the repose, and before the end he delivered a speech in honor and memory of the high merits of the hero. On the same day, in the garden belonging to the house of the current owner of Sima, a vast hall was set up, in the form of a tent, where a dinner table for a hundred kuverts was laid, to which His Grace with the honorary clergy, the civil governor, the entire corps of officers of the Kiev Hussar Regiment and all cash nobles gathered for a solemn commemoration. Meanwhile, all the time, crowds of people did not cease to surround the coffin, placed in the middle of the church, day and night, and the clergy barely had time to satisfy the zeal of those who asked for a commemoration of the deceased commander. On the 5th, at 8 o’clock in the morning, after the liturgy, a memorial service was performed by the bishop, after which the headquarters and military officers of the Kyiv hussar regiment, in which other retired deserved soldiers joined, raised the tomb, carried it out of the church and placed it on a richly decorated chariot with canopy, which should take the precious remains to Borodino itself. The coffin was accompanied by the image of the Most Holy Mother of God of Smolensk, which was inseparable from Prince Bagration in all his campaigns, and from the time of his death, was kept in the Simskaya Church over his grave. The people asked permission to drag the chariot: it was impossible to refuse such fiery zeal. The procession began in the usual order: the clergy in front, followed by a funeral chariot, behind the Kyiv hussars; trumpeters played a funeral march; the boundless space was dotted with spectators. Before leaving the village last time the bishop made a litia and blessed the path; horses were harnessed to the chariot, and the sad procession moved quietly. Despite the sultry sun, many people accompanied the chariot to the whole transition to Yuryev, at a distance of 20 versts. Thus, the village of Sima lost its precious pledge, but for that, the glorious ashes of the hero await due honor on the Borodino field.
"When Prince Pyotr Ivanovich Bagration was dying in the village of Sime, in complete loneliness",
there was no one to shed tears for him, no one to say a grave word. Now, on the occasion of the sad ceremony resuming the funeral rite, at which none of the friends and associates could be present, let it be allowed us to recall only one last feature of his military life, proving that in this man the virtues of a great commander were still adorned with the qualities of a valiant citizen . Everyone knows with what courage and what skillful movements, in 1812, Prince Bagration overcame all the difficulties and obstacles that barred his way to unite with the first Western army. But at the time when he used all the faculties of the mind and all the activities of a prudent commander in order to achieve this important goal, he knew that, after joining both armies, he should go under the command of his junior, General Barclay de Tolly. But there was no place for his noble soul to feel an insult to his pride. When Barclay arrived in Smolensk, Prince Bagration went to him and said: “I am to you as to the boss: now is not the time to be considered seniority, Russia is in danger, the Sovereign commands - we should think only about saving the Fatherland and to this aims to guide our common efforts."
Oh, how sad at that time the last minutes of life must have been for a heart burning with such love for the Fatherland. Near Borodino, Prince Bagration fought like a lion; courageously defended the weak position of the left wing against a much more excellent enemy, sacrificed himself ... But he could only see sorrow in his native land ...
The retreat after Borodin, occupied by the enemy of the capital, the fire of Moscow, the desecration of the shrine - all these supernatural circumstances, which carried in themselves the germ of the strongest power and the greatest triumph of Russia, for him, suffering in soul and body, could seem only a humiliation ... the death of the Fatherland. .. But console yourself, valiant soul. Russia will never forget your merits. Nikolai, after twenty-seven years, wants to honor your ashes with a burial worthy of your glory, in the very place where you showed how to die for the Motherland and your memory will never be erased from the hearts of the true sons of the fatherland ... Not on this earth you tasted the reward of your heroic self-sacrifice.
The reign of Emperor Alexander II marked the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Borodino, but this year, 1862, coincided with the unrest that began in Poland, and therefore the half-century anniversary of the death of Bagration passed unmarked. The elapsed 75 years in 1887 was celebrated by the emperor Alexander III assignment 104 infantry regiment named after Prince Bagration, and the century-old battle of Borodino, solemnly celebrated by order of the safely reigning Emperor Nikolai Alexandrovich, coincided with the enrollment of the name of General-Infantry Prince Bagration in the lists of the L.-Guards. Jaeger regiment with the name of the 9th company of this regiment in his name.
The closest relatives (nephews) of Peter Ivanovich
Bagration Petr Ivanovich(1765-1812) - prince, Russian military leader, infantry general, participant in the Italian and Swiss campaigns A.V. Suvorov, wars with France, Sweden. Turkey; during the Patriotic War of 1812, commander-in-chief of the 2nd Western Army; mortally wounded in the Battle of Borodino.
Born in the city of Kizlyar in the family of a retired colonel from an old family of Georgian princes. In 1782-92 he served in the Caucasian Musketeer Regiment, and then in the Kiev Cavalry Chasseurs and Sofia Carabinier Regiments in the ranks from sergeant to lieutenant colonel. In 1798 Bagration - Colonel, commander of the 6th Jaeger Regiment, in 1799 - Major General. In the Italian and Swiss campaigns of Suvorov in 1799, Bagration commanded the vanguard. Troops under the command of Bagration played important role in battles on pp. Adda, Trebbia and at Novi, successfully and heroically fought at St. Gotthard, the Devil's Bridge. In the campaigns of 1805-07, commanding the rearguard of the Russian army, Bagration especially distinguished himself in the battles at Shengraben, Preussisch-Eylau and Friedland. Bagration - participant Russian-Swedish war 1808-09, led the Aland expedition of 1809. In Russian-tour. In the war of 1806-12 from July 1809 to March 1810 he commanded the Moldavian army, from August 1811 he led the Podolsk army, from March 1812 he commanded the 2nd Zap. army, at the head of which he participated in the Patriotic War of 1812. In the initial period of the war, with a skillful maneuver from Volkovysk to Smolensk, he led his army from the blow of superior enemy forces to join with the 1st Zap. army, inflicting heavy losses on the French troops in the rearguard battles near Mir, Romanov and Saltanovka. In the battle of Borodino in 1812 he commanded the left wing of the Russian army. He was severely wounded and died in Sims of Vladimir Province, where he was buried. In 1839 his ashes were transferred to the Borodino field.
Portraits of Bagration and monuments
Information about the birth of Pyotr Ivanovich Bagration is not accurate. The future great commander was born either in 1765 or 1766. There is also no clarity with the place of birth - according to some sources, it was in Kizlyar, others argue that the future hero of the Battle of Borodino was from Tiflis. His father came from an old, very noble Georgian family, Ivan Bagration was a descendant of the Georgian kings. Pyotr Ivanovich joined the army in 1782 at the age of 17 with the rank of sergeant. It took him six years to become a captain, and in this rank he participated in the Crimean campaign, was one of the first to enter the Ochakov fortress. Bagration participated in the Italian and Swiss campaigns. He was the commander of the vanguard of the army of Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov. The illustrious commander spoke highly of Pyotr Ivanovich and called him "my Bagration", noted his "agility, courage and presence of mind." Not a single military campaign that preceded the Patriotic War of 1812 was complete without the participation of Bagration. The actions of the general in the campaign against Turkey and military operations against Sweden brought fame and recognition to Bagration.
In his personal life, events were not as brilliant as in his military career, rather the opposite. His marriage was not without intrigue. The windy beauty - Ekaterina Skavronskaya, a relative of the emperor himself - Pavel Petrovich, the great-niece of His Serene Highness Prince Grigory Potemkin, decided for the sake of a joke to fall in love with the brave general.
The intention succeeded. Pyotr Ivanovich was crazy about 18-year-old Catherine. But the "innocent joke" reached the emperor and he decided to make the happiness of the young - to marry them. And although both Catherine herself and her mother were well aware that Bagration was not the best party (neither estates, nor serfs, state salaries and camp life), they did not dare to oppose the will of the emperor. On September 2, 1800, the wedding took place.
The family life of Peter Ivanovich began with endless attempts to get money. In 1805, Catherine left for Europe and never returned, despite her husband's insistent requests to come. Abroad, she gave birth to a daughter (spoken from the Austrian Chancellor Metternich). And when in 1808 the wives of the generals who fought in the anti-Napoleonic coalition were awarded the Order of St. Catherine, Bagration's wife was not on the lists. And not smart. After all, the statute of the order prescribed "honesty and piety", in the presence of these qualities in Ekaterina Bagration in the capital they doubted. Then the offended husband intervened in the matter and was even going to resign. In the end, it was decided to send the order to Catherine and she received an award on which was written: "For love and Fatherland."
In 1812, when the Patriotic War began, Bagration, with the rank of infantry general, was appointed commander-in-chief of the 2nd Western Army. His subordinates idolized him, and the general sincerely loved his soldiers and told them: "Happiness is always on the side of the brave." Bagration's track record includes 20 campaigns and 150 battles. There were legends about the courage of Peter Ivanovich. Bagration was always in the most dangerous place of the battle; the soldiers he led into battle worked wonders. Napoleon claimed that "Russia has no good generals, except for one Bagration." Although the French emperor himself cannot be considered an authority in this matter. If in the Russian army 90% of officers had a family noble rank and military education, then in great army only 15% of the officers were graduates of military schools, while the rest came from the lower ranks.
The most honorable service in the army was the service under the command of Bagration. The famous partisan DV Davydov was the General's adjutant for almost six years. “Prince Pyotr Ivanovich Bagration, so famous for his amazing courage, high disinterestedness, determination and activity, proved at the beginning of the Patriotic War that he combined fearlessness with the experience of a skilled military leader. Brilliant qualities, an open character and affectionate treatment of the prince led to him all the hearts of his subordinates, of which the weakest and most timid, inspired by his example, became heroes. Hating, like the great Suvorov, the slightest retreat, he deeply grieved at the sight of the disasters that weighed on our fatherland, ”Denis Vasilyevich later recalled.
A false rumor spread among the soldiers and officers that Pyotr Ivanovich had been killed. “And the soul flew off from the left flank,” wrote an eyewitness to the battle.
On the way to the estate of the commander's aunt - the village of Sima, Vladimir province - the general developed gangrene. Pyotr Ivanovich died on September 12 (according to the old style), 17 days after being wounded. He was buried in a rural parish church, and 27 years later, in 1839, his remains were reburied with all due honors at the central height of the Borodino field.
The name of Pyotr Ivanovich Bagration will forever remain in history. The merits of the hero were also appreciated by his contemporaries, the general was a holder of 12 both Russian and foreign orders. In 1944, the operation of the Red Army to liberate Belarus from the Nazis was named after the glorious commander. It was here that Bagration's army met the Napoleonic troops that treacherously invaded Russia, and already in November of the same year, five months after the start of the campaign, they pursued the invaders and drove them out of Russia through Belarus. “I will decide on everything,” the general said, “just to have the happiness of seeing the glory of Russia, and I will sacrifice the last drop of blood to her well-being.”
Bagration Petr Ivanovich short biography which will not be illuminated by everything important events that occurred in his life, was an outstanding person. He is forever in history as a talented commander. A descendant of the Georgian royal house.
Childhood
Pyotr Bagration, whose biography (with a photo of the monument) is in this article, was born on 11/11/1765 in the North Caucasus, in the city of Kizlyar. He came from a noble and ancient family of Georgian princes. The boy was the great-grandson of the Kartalian king Jesse Levanovich. Peter's father, Prince Ivan Alexandrovich, was a Russian colonel and owned a small plot of land in the vicinity of Kizlyar. In 1796 he died in poverty.
Enrollment
Their family was not rich, despite the title of nobility and royal kinship. There was only enough money to provide the most necessary, but there was no longer any money left for clothes. Therefore, when Peter was summoned to Petersburg, young Bagration did not have "decent" clothes.
To get acquainted with Potemkin, he had to borrow the butler's caftan. Despite the clothes, Peter, when meeting with the prince of Taurida, behaved confidently, without timidity, although modestly. Potemkin liked the young man, and an order was given to enroll him in the Caucasian Musketeer Regiment as a sergeant.
Service
In February 1782, Pyotr Bagration, whose portraits are photographed in this article, arrived at the regiment, which was located in a small fortress in the Caucasian foothills. Started from day one combat training. In the very first battle with the Chechens, Peter distinguished himself and received the rank of ensign as a reward.
He served in the musketeer regiment for ten years. Over the years he has gone through military ranks to the captain. Repeatedly received combat distinctions for clashes with the highlanders. Peter was respected for his fearlessness and courage not only by friends, but also by enemies. Such popularity once saved Bagration's life.
In one of the clashes, Peter was seriously wounded and left in a deep faint on the battlefield among the dead bodies. Enemies found him, recognized him and not only spared him, but also bandaged his wounds. Then they carefully delivered to the regimental camp, without even asking for a ransom. For distinction in battle, Peter received the rank of second major.
For ten years of service in the musketeer regiment, Bagration participated in campaigns against Sheikh Mansur (false prophet). In 1786, Peter Ivanovich fought with the Circassians under the command of Suvorov for the river. Labu. In 1788, during the Turkish War, Bagration, as part of the Yekaterinoslav army, participated in the siege, and then in the assault on Ochakov. In 1790 he continued military operations in the Caucasus. This time he opposed the highlanders and the Turks.
Military career
In November 1703, Bagration Pyotr Ivanovich, whose brief biography cannot fit everything Interesting Facts of his life, became Prime Major. He received a transfer to the Kyiv Carabinieri Regiment as a squadron commander. In 1794, Pyotr Ivanovich was sent to Sofia military unit, where he received a division under his command. Bagration went through the Polish campaign with Suvorov in full and at the end received the rank of lieutenant colonel.
Exploits of Bagration
The biography of Pyotr Bagration is full of many feats that have gone down in history. For example, one of them was committed near the town of Brody. In a dense forest, a Polish military detachment (1000 foot soldiers and one gun) was located, as they were sure - in an inaccessible position.
Bagration, distinguished by his courage from childhood, rushed at the enemy first and cut into the enemy ranks. The Poles did not expect an attack, and Peter Ivanovich's attack came as a complete surprise to them. Thanks to the tactics of surprise, Bagration and his soldiers managed to kill 300 people, and take 200 more prisoners along with the head of the detachment. At the same time, the carabinieri seized the enemy banner and gun.
Another memorable feat occurred in front of Suvorov. This happened in October 1794, when Prague was stormed. Bagration Petr Ivanovich, whose photo is in this article, noticed that the Polish cavalry was going to attack the Russian assault columns during a fierce battle.
The commander waited for the moment when the enemies began to move. Then Bagration, having made a swift throw to the flank with his soldiers, threw the Poles back to the Vistula River. Suvorov personally thanked Pyotr Ivanovich, and since then he has become his favorite.
Obtaining a general rank
In 1798, Bagration received the rank of colonel and was appointed to command the sixth chasseur regiment. He stood in the Grodno province, in the city of Volkovysk. Emperor Paul ordered all military reports to be delivered to him. Any deviation from orders entailed suspension from service.
In many regiments there was a "cleansing". She did not affect anyone only in the military unit of Bagration. Two years later, for the excellent condition of his regiment, the commander was promoted to the rank of "general". Pyotr Bagration, whose biography did not turn off the military path, continued to serve in a new capacity.
March to glory with Suvorov
In 1799, he and the regiment entered the disposal of Suvorov. The latter, when the name of Bagration was called, in front of the whole hall, happily embraced and kissed Pyotr Ivanovich. The next day, the generals led the soldiers in a surprise offensive in Cavriano. Two great military leaders continued their ascent to glory and greatness.
Suvorov sent a letter to the emperor, in which he praised the courage, zeal and zeal of Bagration, which he showed in the capture of the fortress of Breshno. As a result, Paul I granted Peter Ivanovich a holder of the Order of St. Anna, first class. Later, for the battle of Lecco, Bagration was awarded the Commander Order of St. John of Jerusalem. So Peter Ivanovich appeared among the awards of the Maltese Cross.
For the defeat of the French near Marengo, he received the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky. After the victory at Trebia, the emperor granted Peter Ivanovich the village of Simy as a gift. It was located in the Vladimir province, in the Aleksandrovsky district. There were 300 peasant souls in the village. Bagration became one of the youngest generals who had high insignia.
The feat near Shengraben
In 1805, Peter Ivanovich accomplished another feat. It happened near Shengraben. The enemy troops, it seemed, would definitely win, but Bagration, with 6,000 soldiers, went out against a 30,000-strong army. As a result, he not only won a victory, but also brought prisoners, among whom were one colonel, two junior officers and 50 soldiers. At the same time, Pyotr Ivanovich Bagration also grabbed the banner of the French. For this feat, the great commander was awarded the order Saint George of the second degree.
military talent
Pyotr Ivanovich was able to prove his military talent during his service. Bagration distinguished himself in the battles near Friedland and Preussish-Eylau. Napoleon spoke of Pyotr Ivanovich as the best Russian general that time. During the Russian-Swedish war, Bagration led a division, then a corps. He led the Aland expedition, went out with his troops to the Swedish shores.
royal disfavor
Glory and imperial favor increasingly increased the circle of envious Peter Ivanovich. The ill-wishers tried to make Bagration, while he was on campaigns, a "fool" in front of the tsar. When in 1809 Peter Ivanovich commanded troops on the Danube (already in the rank of infantry general), envious people were able to convince the sovereign of the inability of the commander to fight. And they achieved that Bagration was replaced by Alexander I with Count Kamensky.
Patriotic War
After the Russian-Turkish war, for which Peter Ivanovich was awarded the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called, he became the commander-in-chief of the second Western army, consisting of 45,000 soldiers and 216 guns. When it turned out that the war with Napoleon was inevitable, Bagration showed the emperor a plan of attack.
But since Barclay de Tolly received preference, the Western armies began to retreat. Napoleon decided to first destroy the weak army commanded by Bagration Pyotr Ivanovich (1812). To carry out this plan, he sent his brother from the front, and in front of him - Marshal Davout. But he could not overpower Bagration, he made his way through the enemy barriers near Mir, defeating the foot troops of the Westphalian king, and near Romanov - his cavalry.
Davout, on the other hand, managed to block Pyotr Ivanovich's path to Mogilev, and Bagration was forced to go to Novyi Bykov. In July, he linked up with Barclay's forces. There was a tough battle for Smolensk. Bagration, despite the fact that he had to conduct offensive tactics, nevertheless deviated a little to the side. With this strategy, Peter Ivanovich saved his army from unnecessary losses.
After the troops of Bagration and Barclay united, the generals could not work out a common battle tactic. Their opinions differed greatly, disagreements reached the highest limits. Pyotr Ivanovich offered to fight Napoleon's army, and Barclay was sure that luring the enemy deep into the country was the best solution.
The last for Bagration - the Battle of Borodino
General Pyotr Bagration participated in the Battle of Borodino, which was the last in his military career. Pyotr Ivanovich had to defend the weakest part of the position. Behind Bagration stood Neverovsky's division. During a fierce battle, Peter Ivanovich was seriously wounded, but did not want to leave the battlefield, and continued to command, being under enemy fire.
But Bagration was losing more and more blood, as a result, weakness began to increase and Pyotr Ivanovich was carried away from the battlefield and sent to a Moscow hospital. Rumors quickly spread among the soldiers about the wounding of Bagration. Some even claimed that he had died.
These messages led the soldiers to despair, confusion began in the army. Bagration's place was taken by Konovitsyn. He, seeing the reaction of the soldiers and the loss fighting spirit, decided not to risk it and withdrew the army behind the Semenovsky ravine.
Death of a great commander
First, in the hospital, General Pyotr Bagration, whose biography (there is a photo of the monument to the commander in this article) which, it seemed, could continue, felt better. The initial treatment was successful. Then Bagration went to recover from his wounds at his friend's estate. It was autumn, the weather was disgusting, the road was very bad.
All this, and even the decadent mood of Bagration, had a negative impact on his health. Petr Ivanovich began to develop a life-threatening complication of the disease. On September 21, Bagration underwent a surgical operation to expand the vein. At the same time, doctors removed bone fragments, rotting flesh and parts of the core from the inflamed wound. This surgical intervention did not help, the next day gangrene was discovered in Bagration.
The doctors suggested that the prince amputate his leg, but this aroused the anger of the commander, and his condition worsened even more. As a result, Bagration Petr Ivanovich, whose biography is full of victories, died of gangrene in September 1812. The commander was first buried in the village of Sim, inside the local church. His body lay there until July 1830.
The commander turned out to be forgotten due to the absence of his wife, who went to live in Vienna back in 1809. Bagration was remembered only 27 years later, after the accession to the throne of Nicholas I. He loved history and personally studied all the events of the Patriotic War. As a result, writings about this era began to appear, and the heroes were finally given their due.
Nicholas I ordered the ashes of the great commander to be delivered to the foot of the monument to the Lead Crypt, in which Peter Bagration rested, and was transferred to a new coffin. Then a memorial service and liturgy took place, attended by a sea of people who came from different places. A large memorial table was set in the garden.
Many nobles and officers came. To honor the memory of the great commander, people went day and night, in a continuous stream. The body of Peter Ivanovich was accompanied by an honorary escort in a richly decorated chariot to the very destination. The procession was very solemn. The people themselves asked permission to pull the chariot. The clergy walked ahead of her, behind the Kyiv hussar regiment.
The trumpeters played a funeral march all along the way. The procession ended at the borders of the village. Then horses were harnessed to the chariot, and then the procession continued in solemn silence. Despite the scorching sun, the people followed the coffin of Bagration for 20 versts. So, finally, with truly royal honors, the ashes of Peter Ivanovich were delivered to the Borodino field.
Later, Emperor Alexander III once again perpetuated the memory of the hero: the 104th Ustyuzhensky Infantry Regiment was named after Bagration. In 1932, his grave was destroyed and the remains scattered. Between 1985 and 1987 the monument was restored again.
Among the debris next to the former monument, there were fragments of the bones of Peter Ivanovich. In August 1987 they were reburied. Now the crypt of Bagration is in place. The found buttons and fragments of the hero's uniform are exhibited as exhibits in the Borodino Military History Museum.
Bagration Petr Ivanovich: interesting facts about his lifestyle
He was similar to Suvorov. Bagration slept only 3-4 hours a day, he was unpretentious and simple. Any soldier could wake him up without any ceremony. On campaigns, Pyotr Ivanovich only changed clothes. He slept always dressed, in his general's uniform. Bagration never parted with his sword and whip even in his sleep. Of the 30 years of service, Peter Ivanovich spent 23 years in military campaigns.
Character of Bagration
Bagration Pyotr Ivanovich, whose biography was closely connected with the war, nevertheless, had a meek disposition. The commander shone with a flexible and subtle mind, anger was alien to him, he was always ready for reconciliation. These qualities were surprisingly combined with a decisive character. Bagration did not hold evil on people, and he never forgot good deeds.
In communication, Petr Ivanovich was always friendly and polite, respected his subordinates, appreciated and rejoiced at their successes. Bagration, although he had considerable power, never showed it. He tried to communicate with people in a human way, for which he was simply idolized by soldiers and officers. All of them considered it an honor to serve under his command.
Despite the absence good education which, due to their extreme poverty, the parents could not give to their son, Pyotr Ivanovich had a natural talent and a good upbringing. He received all the knowledge during his life, especially loved military science. The great commander was fearless and brave in battles, never lost heart, and treated dangers with indifference.
Bagration was Suvorov's favorite student, so he knew how to quickly navigate in a combat situation, make the right and unexpected decisions. Repeatedly, they saved not individual lives, but the troops as a whole.
Personal life
Among the favorites of Emperor Paul the First was Bagration Pyotr Ivanovich. Briefly about his personal life do not tell. It was the emperor who helped him marry his beloved. Pyotr Ivanovich has long been in love with the court beauty, Countess Skavronskaya. But Bagration diligently concealed his ardent feelings from society. And besides, Pyotr Ivanovich was restrained by the beauty's coldness towards him.
The emperor found out about Bagration's feelings and decided to repay his faithful commander with mercy. The sovereign ordered the count with his daughter to arrive at the palace church. Moreover, the beauty was supposed to come in a wedding dress. At the same time, Peter Bagration received an order to appear in church in full dress. There, on September 2, 1800, young people were married.
But the proud beauty still remained cold to Bagration. Then the emperor appointed him commander. The sovereign hoped that the heart of the countess would finally melt. But her love had long been given to another person. The story of Bagration and his wife did not end there.
In 1805 she went to live in Europe, in Vienna. She led a free life and no longer lived with her husband. Pyotr Ivanovich Bagration begged his wife to return, but she remained abroad, ostensibly for treatment. In Europe, the princess enjoyed tremendous success. She was known at the court of many countries.
In 1810, she gave birth to a girl, presumably from the chancellor of Austria, Prince Metternich. In 1830 the princess remarried. This time for an Englishman. But their marriage soon fell apart, and the princess again took the name of Bagration. She never returned to Russia. Despite everything, Pyotr Bagration loved his wife very much until his death. Before his death, he managed to order her portrait to the artist Volkov. The couple had no children.
There was talk in high society that the sovereign's sister, Princess Ekaterina Pavlovna, was in love with Bagration. This caused great irritation in the emperor's family. According to some reports, Bagration was not given a respite from the war precisely because of Ekaterina Pavlovna's love for him. Emperor Alexander the First decided to remove Peter Ivanovich from her eyes and keep him away from the princess. Pyotr Bagration fell into such disgrace shortly before his death.