Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov was born in 1745. His father was a military engineer. Genes, as we see, directly affected Mikhail’s life. Since childhood, he strived for knowledge and loved to study foreign languages, arithmetic, read a lot.

When the boy grew up, he entered the artillery engineering school, where he quickly got used to the new place. He was loved for his cheerful disposition and his abilities. Soon Mikhail Kutuzov began serving as an adjutant to Field Marshal General Holstein-Beksky.

He did not serve as an adjutant for long and soon switched to active duty. military service. He began his military career at the age of 19, with the rank of ensign. In 1764, the Russian army headed to Poland, along with Kutuzov, but already with the rank of captain. In 1770, he fell under the command of Rumyantsev, whose armies led fighting against Turkish troops in Moldavia and Wallachia. After a short service with Rumyantsev, Mikhail was transferred to the Crimean Army.

In the battle of Alushta, the future was seriously injured. The bullet hit Kutuzov in the head, but he survived, was treated for a long time, and upon returning to his homeland, he was again assigned to serve in the Crimean troops. Mikhail Illarionovich took part in the capture impregnable Ishmael- the famous Turkish fortress.

At the beginning of the new Russian-Turkish war, Kutuzov led the corps that guarded the Russian borders along the Bug. Soon his troops were included in the active army. The commander-in-chief of the Russian army, Potemkin, ordered his troops to besiege Izmail. The siege was difficult, Russian soldiers died from disease and Turkish attacks. In the end, Potemkin was tired of this state of affairs, and, admitting his powerlessness in the current situation, gave command to Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov.

It began on December 12, on the left flank of the Russian attack, column number 6 was commanded by Mikhail Illarionovich. At a difficult moment, he himself led the troops into an attack and broke through the Turkish defenses. Ishmael was taken. Kutuzov was appointed commandant of the fortress, as well as the head of the Russian troops located between the Dniester and Prut. It is worth noting that during the siege of the fortress, he was again wounded in the head and lost an eye.

In 1793, Kutuzov became Russian ambassador to Constantinople. He showed remarkable talent in the post of ambassador. Later Mikhail Illarionovich headed ground troops in Finland. Then he was Governor-General of St. Petersburg. In 1802 he was dismissed from his post. Soon the war with France began. In 1805, he led the foreign campaign of the Russian army. Due to the great ambitions of Alexander I and his disagreements with Kutuzov, the Russian army did not gain glory in its foreign campaigns. In 1807, Russia signed.

In 1809, the war with Turkey began. The Russian army failed to take the Brailov fortress due to the hasty actions of General Field Marshal Prozorsky. However, thanks to the latter’s intrigues, the latter shifted all the blame onto Kutuzov, after which Mikhail Illarionovich was removed from the army.

IN . Russian troops were retreating, the situation was critical. To save Russia, Emperor Alexander had to forget about his personal relationship with Kutuzov and ask him to save Russia. Before his appointment as commander-in-chief, Kutuzov led the militias of St. Petersburg, and during his downtime he was able to develop rules for training warriors and tactics for guerrilla actions. It was the partisans and people's militias that played an important role in the future victory.

Mikhail Illarionovich gave a general battle to the French army on the Borodino field, not far from Moscow. There were no winners or losers in the Battle of Borodino. The battle was fierce with many losses on both sides. At the military council in Fili, Kutuzov decides to leave for Moscow. He made a strong move, because only after the capture of Moscow did Napoleon’s series of defeats begin. The French army was drinking heavily and discipline was breaking down.

Kutuzov broke the enemy and put him to flight. The situation in 1812 was critical and thanks to the military genius of Kutuzov and the dedication of the Russian people, our ancestors managed to defeat the enemy.

Mikhail Illarionovich died on April 28, 1813. It took almost two months for the coffin with his body to be transported to St. Petersburg. A few kilometers before the city, the coffin was taken off the horses and carried in their arms. The coffin was carried to the Kazan Cathedral, where the Great Commander was buried.

Mikhail Kutuzov, without a doubt, a Russian hero, a Russian commander with a capital letter. He was a brave warrior, loved the soldiers, and they reciprocated his love. The common people also loved him, in whose memory he will forever remain. Mikhail Illarionovich fought under the command of Suvorov and. He was the successor to the glory of Russian weapons established by these wonderful commanders.

Russian commander, Field Marshal Prince Mikhail Illarionovich Golenishchev-Kutuzov was born on September 16 (5 according to the old style) 1745 (according to other sources - 1747) in St. Petersburg in the family of an engineer-lieutenant general.

In 1759 he graduated with honors from the Noble Artillery School and was retained as a mathematics teacher there.

In 1761, Kutuzov was promoted to officer rank ensign engineer and sent to continue service in the Astrakhan Infantry Regiment.

From March 1762 he was temporarily adjutant to the Governor General of Revel, and from August he was appointed commander of the Astrakhan company infantry regiment.

In 1764-1765 he served in the troops stationed in Poland.

From March 1765 he continued to serve in the Astrakhan regiment as a company commander.

In 1767, Mikhail Kutuzov was recruited to work on the Commission for the drafting of a new Code, where he acquired extensive knowledge in the field of law, economics and sociology.

Since 1768, Kutuzov took part in the war with the Polish Confederates.

In 1770, he was transferred to the 1st Army, located in southern Russia, and took part in the war with Turkey that began in 1768.

During the Russian-Turkish War of 1768-1774, Kutuzov, while in combat and staff positions, took part in the battles at the Ryabaya Mogila tract, the Larga and Cahul rivers, where he proved himself to be a brave, energetic and enterprising officer.

In 1772, he was transferred to the 2nd Crimean Army, where he carried out important reconnaissance assignments, commanding a grenadier battalion.

In July 1774, in a battle near the village of Shumy (now Verkhnyaya Kutuzovka) north of Alushta, Mikhail Kutuzov was seriously wounded in the left temple by a bullet that came out near the right eye. For his courage, Kutuzov was awarded the Order of St. George, IV class, and sent abroad for treatment. Upon his return, he was tasked with the formation of light cavalry.
In the summer of 1777, Kutuzov was promoted to colonel and appointed commander of the Lugansk engineering regiment.

In 1783, he commanded the Mariupol Light Horse Regiment in Crimea. For successful negotiations with the Crimean Khan, who ceded his possessions from the Bug to the Kuban to Russia, at the end of 1784 Kutuzov was promoted to major general and headed the Bug Jaeger Corps.

In 1788, during the siege of Ochakov, while repelling a Turkish attack, he was seriously wounded in the head for the second time: a bullet pierced his cheek and flew out into the back of his head.

In 1789, Kutuzov took part in the battle of Kaushany, in the assaults on Akkerman (now the city of Belgorod-Dnestrovsky) and Bender.

In December 1790, during the storming of Izmail, commanding the 6th column, Kutuzov showed high strong-willed qualities, fearlessness and perseverance. To achieve success, he timely brought reserves into battle and achieved the defeat of the enemy in his direction, which played an important role in capturing the fortress. Suvorov praised Kutuzov’s actions. After the capture of Izmail, Mikhail Kutuzov was promoted to lieutenant general and appointed commandant of this fortress.

On June 15 (4 according to the old style) June 1791, Kutuzov defeated with a sudden blow Turkish army at Babadag. In the battle of Machinsky, commanding a corps, he showed himself to be a skilled master of maneuverable actions, bypassing the enemy from the flank and defeating the Turkish troops with an attack from the rear.

In 1792-1794, Mikhail Kutuzov headed the emergency Russian embassy in Constantinople, managing to achieve a number of foreign policy and trade advantages for Russia, significantly weakening French influence in Turkey.

In 1794, he was appointed director of the Land Noble Cadet Corps, and in 1795-1799 - commander and inspector of troops in Finland, where he carried out a number of diplomatic assignments: negotiated with Prussia and Sweden.

In 1798, Mikhail Kutuzov was promoted to infantry general. He was a Lithuanian (1799-1801) and St. Petersburg (1801-1802) military governor.

In 1802, Kutuzov fell into disgrace and was forced to leave the army and resign.

In August 1805, during the Russian-Austro-French War, Kutuzov was appointed commander-in-chief of the Russian army sent to help Austria. Having learned during the campaign about the capitulation of the Austrian army of General Mack near Ulm, Mikhail Kutuzov undertook a march maneuver from Braunau to Olmutz and skillfully withdrew Russian troops from the blow of superior enemy forces, winning victories at Amstetten and Krems during the retreat.

The plan of action against Napoleon proposed by Kutuzov was not accepted by his Austrian military advisers. Despite the objections of the commander, who was actually removed from the leadership of the Russian-Austrian troops, the allied monarchs Alexander I and Francis I gave Napoleon a general, which ended in a French victory. Although Kutuzov managed to save the retreating Russian troops from complete defeat, he fell into disgrace from Alexander I and was appointed to secondary posts: Kiev military governor (1806-1807), corps commander in the Moldavian army (1808), Lithuanian military governor (1809-1811).

In the conditions of the impending war with Napoleon and the need to end the protracted war (1806-1812) with Turkey, the emperor was forced in March 1811 to appoint Kutuzov as commander-in-chief of the Moldavian army, where Mikhail Kutuzov created mobile corps and began active operations. In the summer, near Rushchuk (now a city in Bulgaria), Russian troops won a major victory, and in October, Kutuzov surrounded and captured the entire Turkish army. For this victory he received the title of count.

Being an experienced diplomat, Kutuzov achieved the signing of the Bucharest Peace Treaty of 1812, which was beneficial for Russia, for which he received the title of His Serene Highness.

At the beginning of the Patriotic War of 1812, Mikhail Kutuzov was elected head of the St. Petersburg and then Moscow militia. After the Russian troops abandoned Smolensk in August, Kutuzov was appointed commander-in-chief. Having arrived in the army, he decided to give a general battle to Napoleon's troops at Borodino.

The French army did not achieve victory, but the strategic situation and lack of forces did not allow Kutuzov to launch a counteroffensive. In an effort to preserve the army, Kutuzov surrendered Moscow to Napoleon without a fight and, having made a bold flank march-maneuver from the Ryazan road to Kaluzhskaya, stopped in the Tarutino camp, where he replenished his troops and organized partisan actions.

October 18 (6 old style) Kutuzov was defeated near the village of Tarutino French corps Murat and forced Napoleon to accelerate the abandonment of Moscow. Having blocked the path of the French army to the southern Russian provinces near Maloyaroslavets, he forced it to retreat west along the devastated Smolensk road and, energetically pursuing the enemy, after a series of battles near Vyazma and Krasnoye, he finally defeated his main forces on the Berezina River.

Thanks to Kutuzov's wise and flexible strategy, the Russian army won a brilliant victory over a strong and experienced enemy. In December 1812, Kutuzov received the title of Prince of Smolensk and was awarded the highest military Order of George, 1st degree, becoming the first full Knight of St. George in the history of the order.

At the beginning of 1813, Kutuzov led military operations against the remnants of Napoleonic army in Poland and Prussia, but the commander’s health was undermined, and death prevented him from seeing the final victory of the Russian army.
On April 28 (16 old style) April 1813, His Serene Highness died in the small Silesian town of Bunzlau (now the city of Boleslawiec in Poland). His body was embalmed and transported to St. Petersburg, buried in the Kazan Cathedral.

Kutuzov's general art was distinguished by the breadth and variety of all types of maneuver in offensive and defensive, and the timely transition from one type of maneuver to another. Contemporaries unanimously noted his exceptional intelligence, brilliant military and diplomatic talents and love for the Motherland.

Mikhail Kutuzov was awarded the orders of St. Apostle Andrew the First-Called with diamonds, St. George I, II, III and IV classes, St. Alexander Nevsky, St. Vladimir I class, St. Anna I class. He was a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, awarded the Austrian Military Order of Maria Theresa, 1st class, and the Prussian Orders of the Black Eagle and Red Eagle, 1st class. He was awarded a golden sword “for bravery” with diamonds and was given a portrait of Emperor Alexander I with diamonds.
Monuments to Mikhail Kutuzov were erected in many cities of Russia and abroad.

During the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, I, II and III degrees were established.

Kutuzovsky Prospekt (1957), Kutuzovsky Proezd and Kutuzovsky Lane were named after Kutuzov in Moscow. In 1958, the Filyovskaya metro station of the Moscow Metro was named after the commander.

Mikhail Kutuzov was married to Ekaterina Bibikova, the daughter of a lieutenant general, who later became a lady of state, His Serene Highness Princess Kutuzova-Smolenskaya. The marriage produced five daughters and a son who died in infancy.

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Mikhail Illarionovich Golenishchev-Kutuzov - Russian Field Marshal General, His Serene Highness Prince, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian troops in Patriotic War 1812, became the first full holder of the Order of St. George.

Biography

Childhood

Father, Illarion Matveevich Golenishchev-Kutuzov, was a lieutenant general (later a senator). There are several opinions about the origin of the mother, Anna Larionovna: some sources indicate that her maiden name was Beklemisheva; others - Bedrinskaya. There was also confusion with Kutuzov’s year of birth: the year 1745 is indicated on the grave, but according to the official lists, he was born in 1747.

Education

Kutuzov was educated at home until 1759, and then studied at the Noble Artillery and Engineering School, which he graduated in 1761 with the rank of ensign engineer.

Career

After graduating from school, Mikhail was left with her as a mathematics teacher, but Kutuzov did not work in this position for long: he was soon invited to act as an aide-de-camp to the Prince of Holstein-Beck. In 1762, the precociously intelligent adjutant received the rank of captain and commanded one of the companies of the Astrakhan Infantry Regiment, which at that moment was headed by Colonel A.V. Suvorov. In 1770 he was transferred to the south into the army under the command of P. A. Rumyantsev, as part of which he took part in the Russian- Turkish war.

Russo-Turkish wars

In the first Turkish campaign, from 1770 to 1774, Mikhail Illarionovich distinguished himself in the battles of Ryaba Mogila, Kagul, Larga, Popeshty and Shuma. In the battle of the village of Shuma, Kutuzov received his first facial wound. He ended the war with the rank of lieutenant colonel and was sent for treatment to Austria by Catherine II herself.

In 1777, Kutuzov became a colonel and was given command of the Lugansk pikemen regiment in Azov. In 1783 he commanded the Mariupol Light Horse Regiment. In 1784 he managed to suppress the uprising in Crimea, for which he received a major general. In 1785 he formed the Bug Jaeger Corps and developed new tactics. In 1787, the second Russian-Turkish war broke out.

In this campaign, Kutuzov takes part in the battles of Kinburn, Kaushany and Baghdad, in the siege of Ochakov, Bender, Izmail. Becomes right hand A.V. Suvorov, who led the Russian army. During the siege of Ochakov he received a second facial wound. He defeated the Turkish army in the Battle of Machinsky, putting an end to the war.

When it flared up in 1811 new war with Turkey, Kutuzov saved the situation by concluding the beneficial Bucharest Peace Treaty with the Turks.

Russo-French War

Kutuzov was Catherine’s favorite and was able to establish relations with Paul, but Alexander I clearly did not favor the commander. In 1805, Mikhail Illarionovich was appointed commander-in-chief of one of the armies sent to Austria for the war with Napoleon. The Austrian troops were defeated, and the emperor insisted on a battle, which took place near Austerlitz and was lost.

In the Patriotic War of 1812, Kutuzov, appointed commander-in-chief first of the militias and then of the entire army, withstood the Battle of Borodino, in which the Russian troops held out with dignity. With his wisdom, the commander-in-chief in the famous councils in Fili insists on leaving Moscow. It was this tactical move that became decisive in the victory over Napoleon. He led the foreign campaign of the Russian army, where he died.

Personal life

Kutuzov's first love was Ulyana Ivanovna Alexandrovich, who shared his feelings. A wedding day was set, but the tragic circumstances of Ulyana’s illness separated them. The girl remained faithful to her lover until the end of her days, never getting married.

In 1778, Kutuzov married Ekaterina Ilyinichna Bibikova. The marriage produced five children. It is known that while Kutuzov was on campaign, his wife lived in grand style, and Alexander I himself patronized her.

Death

In the spring of 1813, Kutuzov, while on a trip abroad, caught a cold and fell ill. At the end of April in the Prussian city of Bunzlau great commander died. His body was transported to St. Petersburg and buried in the Kazan Cathedral.

Kutuzov's main achievements

• The Russian army, led by Kutuzov as commander-in-chief, won the war with Napoleon in 1812.
• Kutuzov was a participant in such historical battles as the storming of Izmail, the Battle of Austerlitz, and the Battle of Borodino.
• He was awarded the Orders of St. Apostle Andrew the First-Called, St. Alexander Nevsky, St. John of Jerusalem, St. George I, II, III, IV degrees, St. Vladimir I and II degrees, St. Anna I degree, Red and Black Eagles, as well as the Grand Cross of the Military Order Maria Teresa.

Important dates in Kutuzov’s biography

• 1745 (1747) year - birth
• 1759–1761 - training at the Noble Artillery and Engineering School
• 1761 - aide-de-camp to the Prince of Holstein-Beck
• 1762 - captain of the Astrakhan infantry regiment
• 1764 - service in Poland
• 1770–1774 - participation in the Russian-Turkish war
• 1774 - first wounded
• 1774–1776 - treatment in Austria
• 1777 - Lugansk pikemen regiment in Azov
• 1778 - marriage to E. I. Bibikova
• 1783 - Mariupol Light Horse Regiment
• 1784 - suppression of the uprising in Crimea
• 1785 - Bug Chasseur Regiment
• 1787–1991 - second Russian-Turkish war
• 1788 - second wound
• 1790 - capture of Izmail
• 1791 - Battle of Machinsky
• 1805 - Battle of Austerlitz
• 1811 - third Russian-Turkish war
• 1812 - Treaty of Bucharest, Battle of Borodino
• 1813 - death

• Kutuzov lost an eye at the age of 29 (Russian-Turkish War, battle near the village of Shumy in 1774), when a bullet hit the left temple, pierced the nasopharynx and flew out through the right eye, knocking it out. 13 years later, in 1788, in a battle with the Turks near Ochakov, a grenade fragment hit Kutuzov in the right cheekbone, went through his head, flew out of the back of his head, knocking out almost all his teeth. Doctors considered both wounds fatal. In the Battle of Austerlitz, a bullet once again injured the commander’s face: it hit him in the right cheek, but did not cause serious damage.
• Very often in films and in portraits, Kutuzov is depicted wearing a bandage over his injured eye. This is the speculation of directors and artists: Mikhail Illarionovich never wore it in his life.
• Kutuzov met with Germaine de Stael, the famous French writer, who noted that Mikhail Illarionovich owns French much better than Napoleon.
• While in Constantinople on a diplomatic mission, Kutuzov managed to visit the harem Turkish Sultan and even communicate with its inhabitants, although this was punishable by death in Turkey.
• Kutuzov had a talent for imitation and often, in his youth, entertained his friends by brilliantly parodying either Rumyantsev or Catherine the Great herself.

There are few people in the world who do not know for what merits Mikhail Illarionovich received laurels of honor. This brave man was sung in praises not only by the poet, but also by other literary geniuses. The field marshal, as if possessing the gift of foresight, won a crushing victory in the Battle of Borodino, freeing the Russian Empire from its plans.

Childhood and youth

September 5 (16), 1747 in the cultural capital of Russia, the city of St. Petersburg, with Lieutenant General Illarion Matveevich Golenishchev-Kutuzov and his wife Anna Illarionovna, who, according to documents, came from the family of the retired captain Bedrinsky (according to other information - the ancestors of the woman were noblemen Beklemishev), a son was born, named Mikhail.

Portrait of Mikhail Kutuzov

However, there is an opinion that the lieutenant had two sons. The second son's name was Semyon; he allegedly managed to receive the rank of major, but due to the fact that he lost his mind, he was under the care of his parents for the rest of his life. Scientists made this assumption because of a letter written by Mikhail to his beloved in 1804. In this manuscript, the field marshal said that upon arriving at his brother, he found him in his previous condition.

“He talked a lot about the pipe and asked me to save him from this misfortune and got angry when he began to tell him that there was no such pipe,” Mikhail Illarionovich shared with his wife.

The father of the great commander, who was a comrade-in-arms, began his career under. After graduating from a military engineering educational institution, he began to serve in the engineering troops. For his exceptional intelligence and erudition, contemporaries called Illarion Matveyevich a walking encyclopedia or a “reasonable book.”

Of course, the field marshal’s parent made a contribution to the development Russian Empire. For example, even under Kutuzov Sr. he compiled a model of the Catherine Canal, which is now called the Canal.

Thanks to the project of Illarion Matveevich, the consequences of the flood of the Neva River were prevented. Kutuzov's plan was carried out during the reign. As a reward, Mikhail Illarionovich's father received a golden snuffbox decorated with precious stones.

Illarion Matveevich also took part in the Turkish War, which lasted from 1768 to 1774. From the outside Russian troops Alexander Suvorov and commander Count Pyotr Rumyantsev commanded. It is worth saying that Kutuzov Sr. distinguished himself on the battlefield and gained a reputation as a person knowledgeable in both military and civil affairs.

Mikhail Kutuzov’s future was predetermined by his parents, because after the young man graduated home schooling, in 1759 he was sent to the Artillery and Engineering Noble School, where he showed extraordinary abilities and quickly advanced through the ranks. However, one should not exclude the efforts of his father, who taught artillery sciences at this institution.

Among other things, since 1758 in this noble school, which now bears the name of the Military Space Academy named after. A.F. Mozhaisky, lectured on physics and was an encyclopedist. It is worth noting that the talented Kutuzov graduated from the academy as an external student: the young man, thanks to his extraordinary mind, spent a year and a half on the school bench instead of the required three years.

Military service

In February 1761, the future field marshal was awarded a matriculation certificate, but remained at the school because Mikhail (with the rank of ensign engineer), on the advice of Count Shuvalov, began teaching mathematics to the academy students. Next, the capable young man became the aide-de-camp of Duke Peter August of Holstein-Beck, managed his office and showed himself to be a diligent worker. Then, in 1762, Mikhail Illarionovich rose to the rank of captain.

In the same year, Kutuzov became close to Suvorov because he was appointed company commander of the Astrakhan 12th Grenadier Regiment, which at that time was commanded by Alexander Vasilyevich. By the way, Pyotr Ivanovich Bagration, Prokopiy Vasilyevich Meshchersky, Pavel Artemyevich Levashev and other famous personalities once served in this regiment.

In 1764, Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov was in Poland and commanded small troops against the Bar Confederation, which in turn opposed the comrades of the Polish king Stanislav August Poniatowski, a supporter of the Russian Empire. Thanks to his innate talent, Kutuzov created victorious strategies, made rapid forced marches and defeated the Polish Confederates, despite a small army, inferior in number to the enemy.

Three years later, in 1767, Kutuzov joined the ranks of the Commission for the Drawing up of a New Code - a temporary collegial body in Russia, which was engaged in developing the systematization of the codes of laws that took place after the Tsar adopted the Council Code (1649). Most likely, Mikhail Illarionovich was brought into the board as a secretary-translator because he was fluent in French and German languages, and also spoke Latin fluently.

The Russian-Turkish wars of 1768–1774 are a significant milestone in the biography of Mikhail Illarionovich. Thanks to the conflict between the Russian and Ottoman Empires Kutuzov got enough combat experience and showed himself as outstanding military leader. In July 1774, the son of Illarion Matveyevich, commander of a regiment intended to storm enemy fortifications, was wounded in a battle against the Turkish landing in the Crimea, but miraculously survived. The fact is that the enemy bullet pierced the commander’s left temple and exited near his right eye.

Fortunately, Kutuzov’s vision was preserved, but his “squinting” eye reminded the field marshal all his life of the bloody events of the operation of the Ottoman troops and navy. In the fall of 1784, Mikhail Illarionovich was awarded the primary military rank of major general, and also distinguished himself in the Battle of Kinburn (1787), the capture of Izmail (1790, for which he received military rank Lieutenant General and was awarded the Order of George, 2nd degree), showed courage in the Russian-Polish War (1792), the War with Napoleon (1805) and other battles.

War of 1812

The genius of Russian literature could not ignore the bloody events of 1812, which left a mark on history and changed the fate of the countries participating in the Patriotic War - France and the Russian Empire. Moreover, in his epic novel “War and Peace,” the author of the book tried to scrupulously describe both the battles and the image of the leader of the people, Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov, who in the work took care of the soldiers as if they were children.

The reason for the confrontation between the two powers was the refusal of the Russian Empire to support the continental blockade of Great Britain, despite the fact that the Peace of Tilsit was concluded between Napoleon Bonaparte and Napoleon Bonaparte (in force since July 7, 1807), according to which his son undertook to join the blockade. This agreement turned out to be unfavorable for Russia, which had to abandon its main business partner.

During the war, Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov was appointed commander-in-chief of the Russian armies and militias, and thanks to his merits, he was awarded the title of His Serene Highness, which raised the morale of the Russian people, because Kutuzov acquired a reputation as an undefeated commander. However, Mikhail Illarionovich himself did not believe in a grandiose victory and used to say that Napoleon’s army could be defeated only through deception.

Initially, Mikhail Illarionovich, like his predecessor Barclay de Tolly, chose a policy of retreat, hoping to exhaust the enemy and gain support. But Alexander I was dissatisfied with Kutuzov’s strategy and insisted that Napoleon’s army not reach the capital. Therefore, Mikhail Illarionovich had to give a general battle. Despite the fact that the French outnumbered and outgunned Kutuzov's army, the field marshal managed to defeat Napoleon in the Battle of Borodino in 1812.

Personal life

According to rumors, the commander’s first lover was a certain Ulyana Alexandrovich, who came from the family of the Little Russian nobleman Ivan Alexandrovich. Kutuzov met this family as a little-known young man with a low rank.

Mikhail began to often visit Ivan Ilyich in Velikaya Krucha and one day he took a fancy to a friend’s daughter, who responded with mutual sympathy. Mikhail and Ulyana began dating, but the lovers did not tell their parents about their affection. It is known that at the time of their relationship the girl fell ill dangerous disease, for which no medicine helped.

Ulyana's desperate mother swore that if her daughter recovered, she would definitely pay for her salvation - she would never get married. Thus, the parent, who delivered an ultimatum to the girl’s fate, doomed the beauty to the crown of celibacy. Ulyana recovered, but her love for Kutuzov only increased; they say that the young people even set a wedding day.

However, a few days before the celebration, the girl fell ill with a fever and, fearing God’s will, rejected her lover. Kutuzov no longer insisted on marriage bonds: The lovers' paths diverged. But the legend says that Alexandrovich did not forget Mikhail Illarionovich and prayed for him until the end of her years.

It is reliably known that in 1778 Mikhail Kutuzov proposed marriage to Ekaterina Ilyinichna Bibikova and the girl agreed. The marriage produced six children, but the first-born Nikolai died in infancy from smallpox.

Catherine loved literature, theaters and social events. Kutuzov’s beloved spent more money than she could afford, so she repeatedly received reprimands from her husband. Also, this lady was very original; contemporaries said that already in old age, Ekaterina Ilyinichna dressed like a young lady.

It is noteworthy that the little future great writer who invented the nihilist hero Bazarov managed to meet Kutuzov’s wife. But because of her eccentric outfit, the elderly lady, whom Turgenev’s parents revered, made an ambiguous impression on the boy. Vanya, unable to withstand his emotions, said:

“You look just like a monkey.”

Death

In April 1813, Mikhail Illarionovich caught a cold and went to the hospital in the town of Bunzlau. According to legend, Alexander I arrived at the hospital to say goodbye to the field marshal, but scientists have refuted this information. Mikhail Illarionovich died on April 16 (28), 1813. After the tragic event, the field marshal's body was embalmed and sent to the city on the Neva. The funeral took place only on June 13 (25). The tomb of the great commander is located in the Kazan Cathedral in the city of St. Petersburg.

In memory of the talented military leader, artistic and documentaries, monuments were erected in many cities of Russia, and a cruiser and a motor ship were named after Kutuzov. Among other things, in Moscow there is the Kutuzov Izba museum, dedicated to the military council in Fili on September 1 (13), 1812.

• In 1788, Kutuzov took part in the assault on Ochakov, where he was again wounded in the head. However, Mikhail Illarionovich managed to cheat death, because the bullet passed along the old path. Therefore, a year later, the strengthened commander fought near the Moldavian city of Causeni, and in 1790 he showed bravery and courage in the assault on Izmail.
• Kutuzov was a confidant of the favorite Platon Zubov, but to become an ally of the most influential person in the Russian Empire (after Catherine II), the field marshal had to work hard. Mikhail Illarionovich woke up an hour before Platon Alexandrovich woke up, made coffee and took this aromatic drink to Zubov’s bedchamber.

Cruiser-museum "Mikhail Kutuzov"

• Some are accustomed to imagining the appearance of a commander with a bandage over his right eye. But there is no official confirmation that Mikhail Illarionovich wore this accessory, especially since this bandage was hardly necessary. Associations with the pirate arose among history buffs after the release of Vladimir Petrov’s Soviet film “Kutuzov” (1943), where the commander appeared in the guise in which we are accustomed to seeing him.
• In 1772, a significant event occurred in the biography of the commander. While among his friends, 25-year-old Mikhail Kutuzov allowed himself a daring joke: he acted out an impromptu skit in which he mimicked the commander Pyotr Aleksandrovich Rumyantsev. Amid general guffaws, Kutuzov showed his colleagues the count's gait and even tried to copy his voice, but Rumyantsev himself did not appreciate such humor and sent the young soldier to another regiment under the command of Prince Vasily Dolgorukov.

Memory

• 1941 – “Commander Kutuzov”, M. Bragin
• 1943 – “Kutuzov”, V.M. Petrov
• 1978 – “Kutuzov”, P.A. Zhilin
• 2003 – “Field Marshal Kutuzov. Myths and facts”, N.A. Trinity
• 2003 – “Bird-Glory”, S.P. Alekseev
• 2008 – “The year 1812. Documentary chronicle”, S.N. Iskul
• 2011 – “Kutuzov”, Leonty Rakovsky
• 2011 – “Kutuzov”, Oleg Mikhailov

Contrary to popular belief, Kutuzov was not one-eyed. We are, of course, talking about Mikhail Illarionovich Golenishchev-Kutuzov, who commanded the Russian troops in 1812. About that same Kutuzov, whose cunning Napoleon was amazed, calling the Russian field marshal “fox” and “devil.” And about the same one that modern films and illustrations in books constantly depict either with one eye or with an eyepatch.

However, there is not a single historical confirmation of either “one-eyed” or wearing a blindfold. In all lifetime images claiming to be portrait likenesses, M.I. Kutuzov with both eyes. True, on some it is noticeable that the right eye is very “squinty”, but there are no bandages anywhere!

Kutuzov himself, being already at an advanced age, sometimes complains in private letters to his wife, Ekaterina Ilyinichna, about eye fatigue, using precisely plural, for example, in 1800: “I am healthy, but my eyes have a lot of work to do.” And in 1812, in a letter to his daughter Elizabeth: “...my eyes are very tired; don’t think that they hurt me, no, they are just tired from reading and writing...”

However, the myth about " one-eyed commander“did not arise out of nowhere. Kutuzov was repeatedly wounded in the head and had every chance of losing not only his eye, but also his life itself.

The first time this happened near Alushta in 1774, when Kutuzov, at that time still a prime major, commanded a grenadier battalion. Author of the biographical book “The Life of Field Marshal Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov” F.M. Sinelnikov reports that the bullet hit “the left temple and came out near the right eye, but did not destroy it,” the eye was only “slightly squinted.” Sinelnikov was a close friend of Kutuzov, he began work on his book during the life of the commander, and, of course, he knew such details without any speculation.

Even with the current level of medicine, the likelihood of surviving such an injury is microscopically small. Kutuzov not only survived, but also retained both eyes. Moreover, his vision did not appear to have deteriorated much.

The second time Kutuzov’s head was damaged during the siege of the Turkish fortress of Ochakov in 1788. Describing this wound, sources differ in details, showing unanimity that it was also very heavy, and a bullet or a grenade fragment went through the head. However, even after this, Kutuzov still for a long time saw with both eyes, and the wounded eye began to “close” only during the 1805 campaign.

In 1805, he was wounded in the head for the third time, this time lightly: during the battle of Austerlitz, his cheek was damaged.

For a military officer, Kutuzov lived a rather long life. Having survived severe wounds to the head, he died in April 1813 during a foreign campaign of the Russian army from complications resulting from a common cold. By this time, Kutuzov was at the height of his glory as the conqueror of Napoleon, and the rulers of the countries participating in the anti-Napoleonic alliance wanted to see him at the head of the allied forces. Exact date The birth of the great commander has not been established, based on various sources, historians determine the time of his birth approximately in the range of 1745-1747. Thus, death took Kutuzov when he was over 65 years old.