Peter 1 defeated the Swedes. Enemy Encirclement and Surrender

After the Polish battles, the Swedish army was badly exhausted, and therefore retreated to Ukraine to replenish their strength. Peter I understood that the Swedes were a dangerous enemy. Therefore, everything was done so that the enemy did not get the necessary rest - on the route of the Swedish troops, all stocks of food and weapons were destroyed, ordinary people went into the forest, hiding food and livestock there.

Battle of Poltava briefly. The course of the battle.

Before the start of the battle.

In the autumn of 1708, the Swedes reached the suburbs of Poltava and, having settled down for a winter vacation in Budishchi, decided to take the city by storm. The superiority of forces was significant - the Swedish king Charles XII had thirty thousand soldiers at his disposal against the small Poltava garrison.

But the courage of the inhabitants of the city allowed them to hold out against the whole army for two months. Poltava was never surrendered to the Swedes.

Battle of Poltava. Preparing for battle.

While the Swedes were losing time and energy under the walls of Poltava, Peter I was preparing his troops for the most important battle. In early June, having crossed the Vorskla River, Russian soldiers settled down near Yakovtsy, five kilometers from the besieged city, in the rear of the Swedes.

Blocking the only way the Swedes could advance with several redoubts, behind them Peter placed 17 cavalry regiments of his friend and commander, Alexander Menshikov.

The Ukrainian hetman Skoropadsky, meanwhile, cut off the Swedes' path to Poland and Ukraine. Peter did not trust the hetman too much, but nevertheless used his strength.

Battle of Poltava with the Swedes. Battle.

The Battle of Poltava began on the morning of June 27, 1709. At first it might seem that the advantage is on the side of the Swedes - although they lost a lot of soldiers, they still managed to pass through two lines of fortifications. However, under artillery fire, they had no choice but to retreat into the forest and take a breather.

Taking advantage of the pause, Peter moved the main forces into position. And in the next "round" of the battle, the Swedes began to openly lose. The Novgorod regiment, brought into battle in time, brought confusion to the Swedish formation, and the Menshikov cavalry struck from the other side.

In this chaos, the Swedes could not stand it and fled. By 11 o'clock in the morning the battle was over. King Charles XII and his ally, the traitorous hetman Mazepa, managed to escape by crossing the Dnieper, but 15,000 Swedish soldiers and commanders were captured.

Significance and results of the Poltava battle.

After the battle given by Peter I to the Swedish king, this country ceased to be the most powerful military force in Europe. The Swedes lost a third of their troops killed and lost key commanders who were captured.

All participants in the Battle of Poltava became heroes from the hand of Peter, and the Northern War ended with the victory of Russia.

Battles and victories

“Peter attracts our attention first of all as a diplomat, as a warrior, as an organizer of the victory,” Academician E. Tarle said about him. Peter the Great created a new regular Russian army and navy, defeated the Swedes and "cut a window" to Europe. From the reign of Peter begins a new - imperial - period of our history.

The entire course of the 21-year war with Sweden was determined by the will and instructions of Tsar Peter. All campaigns and battles took place with his detailed instructions and under his guiding hand. And often - with his direct participation.

Pyotr Alekseevich Romanov, who went down in world history as Emperor Peter I the Great (1682-1725), was born on May 30, 1672 in Moscow in the family of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich (1645-1676) and his second wife Natalya Kirillovna Naryshkina. The death of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich and the accession of his eldest son Fyodor (from Tsarina Maria Ilyinichna, nee Miloslavskaya) pushed Tsarina Natalya Kirillovna and her relatives, the Naryshkins, into the background. Tsarina Natalya was forced to go to the village of Preobrazhenskoye near Moscow.

Young Peter had to fight for his right to be the autocrat of Russia. On his way there was a hostile court group, and at first he had to share the kingdom with his half-brother Ivan. The imperious and vain princess Sophia, who took care of the young princes (also Peter's half-sister), herself dreamed of the royal crown. So the young and fragile Peter, before achieving his goal, had to learn early lies, deceit, betrayal and slander and go through a series of intrigues, conspiracies and riots that were most dangerous for his life.

Hence his suspiciousness, distrust and suspicion of others, hence his recurring epileptic seizures from time to time - the result of a fright experienced in childhood. Therefore, distrust of his subjects, who could fail, fail to obey orders, betray or deceive, was simply in Peter's blood. Therefore, he had to control everything, if possible, take everything upon himself and do everything himself.

He is extremely cautious, he calculates his steps forward and tries to foresee the dangers that threaten him from everywhere and take appropriate measures. Peter practically did not receive any education (Nikita Zotov taught him to read and write), and the tsar had to acquire all his knowledge after ascending the throne and in the process of leading the country.

The people gathered on the road and waited for the leader.

Characteristics of pre-Petrine Rus' by the historian S.M. Solovyov

The hobbies of the lad Peter were of a constructive nature: his lively mind was interested in military, naval, cannon and weapons business, he tried to delve into various technical inventions, was interested in science, but the main difference between the Russian tsar and all his contemporaries was, in our opinion, in motivation his activities. The main goal of Peter I was to bring Russia out of centuries of backwardness and to introduce it to the achievements of European progress, science and culture and to introduce it on an equal footing into the so-called. European concert.

There is nothing surprising in the fact that the king made a bet on foreigners. Knowledgeable and experienced people were needed to command regiments and study military science. But among the Russian courtiers there were none. The German settlement, which was so close to his palace in Preobrazhensky, was Europe in miniature for young Peter. Since 1683, the Swiss Franz Lefort, the Holsteiner Theodor von Sommer, the Scot Patrick Gordon, the Dutchmen Franz Timmerman and Karsten Brandt have been in his entourage. With their help, "amusing" regiments were created - Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky, which later became the imperial guard, bombardment company, the amusing fortress of Preshburg was built.

Then, in 1686, the first amusing ships appeared near Preshburg on the Yauza - a large shnyak and a plow with boats. During these years, Peter became interested in all the sciences that were associated with military affairs. Under the guidance of the Dutchman Timmerman, he studied arithmetic, geometry, and military sciences. Having discovered a boat in a barn shed in Izmailovo, the sovereign was carried away by the idea of ​​​​creating a regular fleet. Soon, on Lake Pleshcheyevo, near the city of Pereyaslavl-Zalessky, a shipyard was founded and a “funny fleet” began to be built.

Communicating with foreigners, the king became a great admirer of the laid-back foreign life. Peter lit a German pipe, began attending German parties with dancing and drinking, and began an affair with Anna Mons. Peter's mother strongly opposed this. In order to reason with her 17-year-old son, Natalya Kirillovna decided to marry him to Evdokia Lopukhina, the daughter of the okolnichi. Peter did not contradict his mother, but he did not love his wife. Their marriage ended with the tonsure of Empress Evdokia as a nun and her exile to a monastery in 1698.

In 1689, Peter, as a result of a confrontation with his sister Sophia, became an independent ruler, imprisoning her in a monastery.

The priority of Peter I in the first years of autocracy was the continuation of the war with the Ottoman Empire and the Crimea. He decided instead of campaigns against the Crimea, undertaken during the reign of Princess Sophia, to strike at the Turkish fortress of Azov, located at the confluence of the Don River into the Sea of ​​Azov.

The first Azov campaign, which began in the spring of 1695, ended unsuccessfully in September of the same year due to the lack of a fleet and the unwillingness of the Russian army to operate far from supply bases. However, already in the autumn of 1695, preparations began for a new campaign. In Voronezh, the construction of a rowing Russian flotilla began. In a short time, a flotilla was built from different ships, led by the 36-gun ship "Apostle Peter". In May 1696, the 40,000-strong Russian army under the command of Generalissimo Shein again laid siege to Azov, only this time the Russian flotilla blocked the fortress from the sea. Peter I took part in the siege with the rank of captain in a galley. Without waiting for the assault, on July 19, 1696, the fortress surrendered. So the first exit of Russia to the southern seas was opened.

The result of the Azov campaigns was the capture of the fortress of Azov, the beginning of the construction of the port of Taganrog, the possibility of an attack on the Crimean peninsula from the sea, which significantly secured the southern borders of Russia. However, Peter failed to get access to the Black Sea through the Kerch Strait: he remained under the control of the Ottoman Empire. Forces for the war with Turkey, as well as a full-fledged navy, Russia has not yet had.

To finance the construction of the fleet, new types of taxes were introduced: landowners were united in the so-called kumpanships of 10 thousand households, each of which had to build a ship with their own money. At this time, the first signs of dissatisfaction with the activities of Peter appear. The conspiracy of Zikler, who was trying to organize a streltsy uprising, was uncovered. In the summer of 1699, the first large Russian ship "Fortress" (46-gun) took the Russian ambassador to Constantinople for peace negotiations. The very existence of such a ship persuaded the Sultan to conclude peace in July 1700, which left the fortress of Azov to Russia.

During the construction of the fleet and the reorganization of the army, Peter was forced to rely on foreign specialists. Having completed the Azov campaigns, he decides to send young nobles for training abroad, and soon he himself sets off on his first trip to Europe.

As part of the Great Embassy (1697-1698), which had the goal of finding allies to continue the war with the Ottoman Empire, the tsar traveled incognito under the name of Peter Mikhailov.

Peter I with the sign of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called on a blue St. Andrew's ribbon and a star on his chest
Artist J.-M. Natya. 1717

Peter studied artillery in Brandenburg, built ships at Dutch and English shipyards, visited mines, factories, government agencies, met with the monarchs of European countries. For the first time, the Russian tsar undertook a journey outside the borders of his state. The embassy recruited several hundred shipbuilding specialists to Russia and purchased military and other equipment.

He was primarily interested in the technical achievements of Western countries, and not in the legal system. Having visited the English parliament incognito, where the speeches of the deputies before King William III were translated for him, the tsar said: “It’s fun to hear when the sons of the patronymic tell the king clearly the truth, this should be learned from the British.”

And yet, Peter was an adherent of absolutism, considered himself the anointed of God and vigilantly monitored the observance of his royal privileges. He was a man who early "saw through" life from its negative side, but also early matured from the consciousness of the state burden.

The English historian J. Macaulay Trevenyan (1876-1962), comparing Tsar Peter with King Charles, wrote that "Peter, for all his savagery, was a statesman, while Charles XII was just a warrior and, moreover, not wise."

Peter himself put it this way:

What a great hero who fights for his own glory, and not for the defense of the fatherland, wishing to be the benefactor of the universe!

Julius Caesar, in his opinion, was a more reasonable leader, and the followers of Alexander the Great, who "wanted to be a giant of the whole world", were waiting for "unfortunate success." And his catchphrase: "Brother Charles always dreams of being Alexander, but I am not Darius."

The Grand Embassy did not achieve its main goal: it was not possible to create a coalition against the Ottoman Empire due to the preparation of a number of European powers for the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714). However, thanks to this war, favorable conditions were created for Russia's struggle for the Baltic. Thus, there was a reorientation of Russia's foreign policy from the south to the north.

After returning from the Grand Embassy, ​​the tsar began to prepare for a war with Sweden for access to the Baltic Sea. In 1699, the Northern Alliance was created against the Swedish king Charles XII, which, in addition to Russia, included Denmark-Norway, Saxony and, since 1704, the Commonwealth, headed by the Saxon elector and the Polish king Augustus II. The driving force behind the union was the desire of August II to take away Livonia from Sweden, Frederick IV of Denmark - Schleswig and Skane. For help, they promised Russia the return of lands that previously belonged to the Russians (Ingermanland and Karelia). No one then suspected that the Great Northern War (1700-1721) would last for twenty-one years.

Two giant figures towered in the first quarter of the 18th century, obscuring all the acting characters of both the Northern War and Europe in general - the Russian reformer Tsar Peter I and the Swedish warrior king Charles XII. Each of them in their own country and in their field left an indelible mark in the minds of their descendants, although not always a grateful memory.

Fate brought them into a cruel and uncompromising confrontation, from which one emerged victorious and lived to the unanimous and universal reverence and recognition of his subjects, and the second found his premature and dramatic death, either from an enemy bullet, or as a result of an insidious conspiracy, providing his subjects with a pretext for fierce and still ongoing disputes regarding their deeds and personality.

Peter I demonstrated in the confrontation with Charles XII the genuine art of a talented and cautious (but far from cowardly, as Charles XII mistakenly believed) strategist. It seems to us that the king, already at an early stage, unraveled the explosive and carried away character of the king, who was ready to put everything at stake for the sake of a fleeting victory and satisfaction of his vanity (a vivid example of this is the assault on the insignificant fortress of Veprik), and countered it with cautious maneuvering, far-sightedness and cold calculation. “The search for a general battle is very dangerous, because in one hour the whole thing can be refuted,” he instructs the diplomatic representatives of Baron J.R. who were in Poland. Patkul and Prince G.F. Dolgorukov.

Peter cherishes his army and constantly reminds his generals to be careful in contacts with the Swedish army. “From the enemy to be in fear and to have every caution and send for the sake of conducting frequent parties and having truly found out about the enemy’s condition and his strength and asking God for help, repair the enemy as far as possible,” he teaches the quite experienced General Rodion Bour in 1707 d. “Non-fear harms a person everywhere,” he never tires of repeating on the eve of Poltava.

At the same time, he correctly and boldly recommends to his generals not to sit behind the walls of fortresses, because sooner or later any fortress surrenders or is taken by storm, and therefore it is necessary to seek meetings with the enemy in open battle: “True, the fortress rebuffs the enemy, but the Europeans not for long. Victory will be decided by the art of war and the courage of the commanders and the fearlessness of the soldiers ... It is convenient to sit behind the wall against the Asians.

Peter is a talented diplomat, his policy towards all European powers was balanced and cautious. There is no hint of adventurism in his diplomacy. He knew, for example, that Augustus II was an unreliable ally who deceived him at every turn, but Peter understood that he had no other allies. And he needed August, on the one hand, to distract the Swedes from the invasion of Russia longer, and on the other, as a counterbalance to Stanislav Leshchinsky, the henchman of Charles XII, in order to have at least part of the Poles on his side. After Poltava, he worked hard and hard to recreate the destroyed anti-Swedish coalition and achieved success. He also skillfully played on the interest of Holland and England in trade relations with Russia and significantly neutralized the hostility of these countries to his plans.

And one more thing: Peter was constantly learning, especially from Karl and in general from the Swedish army and state. The Narva of 1700 served him as a great lesson. Peter looked at the war as a school for the people, in which the teachers (Swedes) gave the Russians hard lessons, and they severely beat them for a poorly learned lesson, but then the students must study more diligently until they start beating their teachers.

The result of his far-reaching conclusions was the creation of a modern combat-ready army and navy. At the same time, suppressing pride, he was ready to admit his mistakes, as, for example, he did after the unsuccessful Prut campaign: “Now I am in the same condition as my brother Karl was at Poltava. I made the same mistake as he did: I entered the enemy's land without taking the necessary measures to maintain my army.

Peter was a very gifted military leader. Of course, his military abilities were discovered after Narva. Gaining experience, he became more and more convinced that it was dangerous to blindly rely on foreign generals - what a mercenary like Field Marshal de Croix cost him near Narva! In the future, he increasingly began to take on the most important decisions, relying on the advice and recommendations of his associates. After Narva, almost the entire course of the war was determined by the will and instructions of Tsar Peter, and all major campaigns and battles did not take place without his knowledge, detailed instructions and guiding hand.

As the most striking evidence of Peter's talent as a commander, one can cite his idea of ​​building 10 redoubts in the forefield of the Poltava battle, which played an almost decisive role in the defeat of the Swedish army. And his idea of ​​​​artillery as a particularly important type of weapon? It was thanks to him that powerful artillery appeared in the Russian army, which was given exceptionally great importance both during the sieges of fortresses, and in field and naval battles. Recall what a big role artillery played in the battle of Poltava, in which the Swedish army was forced to oppose the Russians with only a few guns, and even those without charges.

Of course, the invited foreigners greatly contributed to Peter's victories, but all or almost all military tasks were solved by the tsar himself and only by him. Turenne, as he said, over time he had his own, Russians - only there was not a single Sully!

The enumeration of Peter's military merits could be continued. Peter understood very well: if he died in battle, his whole work would be lost. Nevertheless, we recall that the tsar, already during the capture of Shlisselburg and Noteburg, was nearby, in the same ranks, with the besiegers of these fortresses. Near Poltava, he was ahead of his regiments, repulsing the attack of Levenhaupt's infantrymen, and in the battle they shot his hat. What about Lesnaya, Nyuenschantz, Narva (1704), Gangut (1714)? Was he not there at the head or in front of the troops? Peter took a direct part in naval battles.

In 1710, Turkey intervened in the war. After the defeat in the Prut campaign in 1711, Russia returned Azov to Turkey and destroyed Taganrog, but due to this, it was possible to conclude another truce with the Turks.

On August 30 (September 10), 1721, the Peace of Nystadt was concluded between Russia and Sweden, which ended the 21-year war. Russia received access to the Baltic Sea, annexed the territory of Ingria, part of Karelia, Estonia and Livonia. Russia became a great European power, in commemoration of which, on October 22 (November 2), 1721, Peter, at the request of the senators, took the title of Father of the Fatherland, Emperor of All Russia.

Compared with Charles XII, with the legacy of Peter the Great in Russia, the situation is still more or less unambiguous. With only rare exceptions, he is criticized for carrying out his reforms too quickly and mercilessly, goading and spurring Russia like a driven horse, paying no attention to either human losses or material and moral costs. Now it is easy to say that the introduction of the country to European values ​​could have been carried out more deliberately, systematically and gradually, without the use of violence. But the question is: did Peter have such an opportunity? And would Russia not have slipped to the margins of world development and become an easy prey for its European neighbors, if it were not for Peter with his accelerated and costly reforms?

You are fighting not for Peter, but for the state handed over to Peter. And about Peter, know that life is not dear to him, if only Russia lived, her glory, honor and prosperity!

The famous appeal of Peter to the soldiers in front of Poltava

Peter I, who constantly pushed his ideas to his assistants and ministers, was not truly understood by any of his contemporaries. The king was doomed to loneliness - such is always the lot of people of genius. And he was outraged and unbalanced.

Peter carried out a reform of public administration, reforms were carried out in the army, a navy was created, a reform of church administration was carried out, aimed at eliminating church jurisdiction autonomous from the state and subordinating the Russian church hierarchy to the Emperor. Financial reform was also carried out, measures were taken to develop industry and trade.

Secular educational institutions began to appear, translations of many books into Russian, and the first Russian newspaper was founded. Success in the service of Peter made the nobles dependent on education.

Peter was clearly aware of the need for enlightenment, and took a number of decisive measures to this end. On January 14, 1700, a school of mathematical and navigational sciences was opened in Moscow. In 1701-1721. Artillery, engineering and medical schools were opened in Moscow, an engineering school and a naval academy in St. Petersburg, mining schools at the Olonets and Ural factories. In 1705, the first gymnasium in Russia was opened. The goals of mass education were to be served by the digital schools created by decree of 1714 in provincial cities, called upon "to teach children of all ranks to read and write, numbers and geometry." It was supposed to create two such schools in each province, where education was supposed to be free. For soldiers' children, garrison schools were opened, for the training of priests, starting from 1721, a network of theological schools was created. Peter's decrees introduced compulsory education for nobles and clergy, but a similar measure for the urban population met with fierce resistance and was canceled. Peter's attempt to create an all-estate elementary school failed (the creation of a network of schools ceased after his death, most of the digital schools under his successors were redesigned into class schools for the training of the clergy), but nevertheless, during his reign, the foundations were laid for the spread of education in Russia.

Peter created new printing houses, in which for 1700-1725. 1312 book titles were printed (twice as many as in the entire previous history of Russian book printing). Thanks to the rise of printing, paper consumption increased from 4,000 to 8,000 sheets at the end of the 17th century to 50,000 sheets in 1719.

There have been changes in the Russian language, which included 4.5 thousand new words borrowed from European languages.

In 1724, Peter approved the charter of the Academy of Sciences being organized (opened in 1725 after his death).

Of particular importance was the construction of stone St. Petersburg, in which foreign architects took part and which was carried out according to the plan developed by the tsar. He created a new urban environment with previously unfamiliar forms of life and pastime (theatre, masquerades).

The reforms carried out by Peter I affected not only politics, economics, but also art. Peter invited foreign artists to Russia and at the same time sent talented young people to study "arts" abroad. In the second quarter of the XVIII century. "Peter's pensioners" began to return to Russia, bringing with them new artistic experience and acquired skills.

Peter tried to change the position of women in Russian society. He by special decrees (1700, 1702 and 1724) forbade forced marriage and marriage. Legislative prescriptions 1696-1704 about public festivities introduced the obligation to participate in the celebrations and festivities of all Russians, including "female".

From the "old" in the structure of the nobility under Peter, the former serfdom of the service class remained unchanged through the personal service of each service person to the state. But in this enslavement, its form has somewhat changed. Now they were obliged to serve in the regular regiments and in the navy, as well as in the civil service in all those administrative and judicial institutions that were transformed from the old ones and arose anew. The decree on uniform inheritance of 1714 regulated the legal status of the nobility and secured the legal merger of such forms of land ownership as an estate and an estate.

Portrait of Peter I
Artist P. Delaroche. 1838

From the reign of Peter I, the peasants began to be divided into serfs (landlords), monastic and state peasants. All three categories were recorded in the revision tales and subjected to a poll tax. Since 1724, the owner's peasants could leave their villages to work and for other needs only with the written permission of the master, witnessed by the zemstvo commissar and the colonel of the regiment that was stationed in the area. Thus, the landowner's power over the personality of the peasants received even more opportunities to increase, taking both the personality and property of the privately owned peasant into their unaccountable disposal. From that time on, this new state of the rural worker received the name of the "serf" or "revisionist" soul.

In general, Peter's reforms were aimed at strengthening the state and familiarizing the elite with European culture while strengthening absolutism. In the course of the reforms, Russia's technical and economic backwardness from a number of other European states was overcome, access to the Baltic Sea was won, and transformations were carried out in many areas of Russian society. Gradually, among the nobility, a different system of values, worldview, aesthetic ideas took shape, which was fundamentally different from the values ​​and worldview of most representatives of other estates. At the same time, the people's forces were extremely exhausted, the preconditions were created (Decree on the succession to the throne of 1722) for the crisis of the supreme power, which led to the "epoch of palace coups". The decree of 1722 violated the usual way of succession to the throne, but Peter did not have time to appoint an heir before his death.

In the last years of his reign, Peter was very ill. In the summer of 1724, his illness intensified, in September he felt better, but after a while the attacks became more painful. (An autopsy after death showed the following: "a sharp narrowing in the back of the urethra, hardening of the neck of the bladder and anton fire." Death followed from inflammation of the bladder, which turned into gangrene due to urinary retention).

In October, Peter went to inspect the Ladoga Canal, against the advice of his life physician Blumentrost. From Olonets, Peter traveled to Staraya Russa and in November went to St. Petersburg by water. At Lakhta, he had to, standing waist-deep in water, rescue a boat with soldiers that had run aground. The attacks of the disease intensified, but Peter, not paying attention to them, continued to deal with public affairs. On January 17, 1725, he had such a bad time that he ordered a camp church to be built in the room next to his bedroom, and on January 22 he confessed. The strength began to leave the patient, he no longer screamed, as before, from severe pain, but only moaned.

At the beginning of the sixth hour in the morning on January 28 (February 8), 1725, Peter the Great died in his Winter Palace near the Winter Canal. He was buried in the Cathedral of the Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg. The palace, cathedral, fortress and city were built by him.

BESPALOV A.V., Doctor of History, Professor

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Tsar Peter and King Charles. Two rulers and their peoples. M., 1999

Shafirov P.P. Reasoning, what are the legitimate reasons for e.v. Peter the Great to start a war against King Charles XII of Sweden in 1700 had ... SPb., 1717

Stenzel A. History of wars at sea, M.: Izographus and EKSMO-PRESS, 2002

Englund P. Poltava. The story of the death of one army. M., 1995

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Vatutin Nikolai Fyodorovich

Operations "Uranus", "Little Saturn", "Jump", etc. etc.
A true war worker

Zhukov Georgy Konstantinovich

He made the greatest contribution as a strategist to the victory in the Great Patriotic War (it is also the Second World War).

Kazarsky Alexander Ivanovich

Captain Lieutenant. Member of the Russian-Turkish war of 1828-29. He distinguished himself in the capture of Anapa, then Varna, commanding the Rival transport. After that, he was promoted to lieutenant commander and appointed captain of the Mercury brig. On May 14, 1829, the 18-gun brig "Mercury" was overtaken by two Turkish battleships "Selimiye" and "Real Bey". Having accepted an unequal battle, the brig was able to immobilize both Turkish flagships, one of which was the commander of the Ottoman fleet himself. Subsequently, an officer from Real Bey wrote: “In the continuation of the battle, the commander of the Russian frigate (the infamous Raphael, which surrendered without a fight a few days earlier) told me that the captain of this brig would not give up, and if he lost hope, then he would blow up the brig If in the great deeds of ancient and our times there are feats of courage, then this act should overshadow all of them, and the name of this hero is worthy to be inscribed in gold letters on the temple of Glory: he is called Lieutenant Commander Kazarsky, and the brig is "Mercury"

Ushakov Fedor Fedorovich

A man whose faith, courage, and patriotism defended our state

Bagration, Denis Davydov...

The war of 1812, the glorious names of Bagration, Barclay, Davydov, Platov. An example of honor and courage.

Eremenko Andrey Ivanovich

Commander of the Stalingrad and South-Eastern fronts. The fronts under his command in the summer-autumn of 1942 stopped the advance of the German 6th field and 4th tank armies on Stalingrad.
In December 1942, the Stalingrad Front of General Eremenko stopped the tank offensive of the group of General G. Goth on Stalingrad, in order to unblock the 6th army of Paulus.

Ushakov Fedor Fedorovich

The great Russian naval commander, who won victories at Fedonisi, Kaliakria, at Cape Tendra and during the liberation of the islands of Malta (Ioanian Islands) and Corfu. He discovered and introduced a new tactic of naval combat, with the rejection of the linear formation of ships and showed the tactics of "alluvial formation" with an attack on the flagship of the enemy fleet. One of the founders of the Black Sea Fleet and its commander in 1790-1792

Suvorov Alexander Vasilievich

For the highest art of military leadership and boundless love for the Russian soldier

Kolchak Alexander Vasilievich

A person who combines the totality of knowledge of a naturalist, scientist and great strategist.

Yulaev Salavat

The commander of the Pugachev era (1773-1775). Together with Pugachev, having organized an uprising, he tried to change the position of the peasants in society. He won several dinners over the troops of Catherine II.

Benigsen Leonty

An unfairly forgotten commander. Having won several battles against Napoleon and his marshals, he drew two battles with Napoleon, losing one battle. Participated in the battle of Borodino. One of the contenders for the post of commander-in-chief of the Russian army during the Patriotic War of 1812!

Batitsky

I served in the air defense and therefore I know this surname - Batitsky. Do you know? By the way, the father of air defense!

Yudenich Nikolai Nikolaevich

One of the most successful Russian generals during the First World War. The Erzerum and Sarakamysh operations carried out by him on the Caucasian front, carried out in extremely unfavorable conditions for the Russian troops, and ending in victories, I believe, deserve to be included in a row with the brightest victories of Russian weapons. In addition, Nikolai Nikolayevich, distinguished by modesty and decency, lived and died an honest Russian officer, remained faithful to the oath to the end.

Minich Burchard-Christopher

One of the best Russian generals and military engineers. The first commander who entered the Crimea. Winner at Stavucany.

Golovanov Alexander Evgenievich

He is the creator of the Soviet long-range aviation (ADD).
Units under the command of Golovanov bombed Berlin, Koenigsberg, Danzig and other cities in Germany, attacked important strategic targets behind enemy lines.

Monomakh Vladimir Vsevolodovich

Rumyantsev Petr Alexandrovich

Russian military and statesman, during the entire reign of Catherine II (1761-96) who ruled Little Russia. During the Seven Years' War he commanded the capture of Kolberg. For the victories over the Turks at Larga, Kagul and others, which led to the conclusion of the Kyuchuk-Kainarji peace, he was awarded the title of "Transdanubian". In 1770 he received the rank of Field Marshal. Cavalier of the orders of the Russian St. Andrew the Apostle, St. Alexander Nevsky, St. George 1st class and St. Vladimir I degree, the Prussian Black Eagle and St. Anna I degree

Kuznetsov Nikolai Gerasimovich

He made a great contribution to the strengthening of the fleet before the war; conducted a number of major exercises, became the initiator of the opening of new maritime schools and maritime special schools (later Nakhimov schools). On the eve of Germany's sudden attack on the USSR, he took effective measures to increase the combat readiness of the fleets, and on the night of June 22 he gave the order to bring them to full combat readiness, which made it possible to avoid the loss of ships and naval aviation.

Uborevich Ieronim Petrovich

Soviet military leader, commander of the 1st rank (1935). Member of the Communist Party since March 1917. Born in the village of Aptandriyus (now the Utena region of the Lithuanian SSR) in the family of a Lithuanian peasant. He graduated from the Konstantinovsky Artillery School (1916). Member of the 1st World War 1914-18, second lieutenant. After the October Revolution of 1917 he was one of the organizers of the Red Guard in Bessarabia. In January - February 1918 he commanded a revolutionary detachment in battles against the Romanian and Austro-German invaders, was wounded and captured, from where he fled in August 1918. He was an artillery instructor, commander of the Dvina brigade on the Northern Front, from December 1918 the head of the 18 divisions of the 6th Army. From October 1919 to February 1920 he was commander of the 14th Army during the defeat of the troops of General Denikin, in March - April 1920 he commanded the 9th Army in the North Caucasus. In May - July and November - December 1920 the commander of the 14th Army in battles against the troops of bourgeois Poland and the Petliurists, in July - November 1920 - the 13th Army in battles against the Wrangelites. In 1921, assistant commander of the troops of the Ukraine and Crimea, deputy commander of the troops of the Tambov province, commander of the troops of the Minsk province, led the fighting in the defeat of the gangs of Makhno, Antonov and Bulak-Balakhovich. From August 1921 commander of the 5th Army and the East Siberian Military District. In August - December 1922 Minister of War of the Far Eastern Republic and Commander-in-Chief of the People's Revolutionary Army during the liberation of the Far East. He was commander of the North Caucasian (since 1925), Moscow (since 1928) and Belorussian (since 1931) military districts. Since 1926 he was a member of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR, in 1930-31 he was deputy chairman of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR and head of armaments of the Red Army. Since 1934 he has been a member of the Military Council of the NPO. He made a great contribution to the strengthening of the defense capability of the USSR, the education and training of command personnel and troops. Candidate member of the Central Committee of the CPSU (b) in 1930-37. Member of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee since December 1922. He was awarded 3 Orders of the Red Banner and Honorary Revolutionary Weapons.

Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich

“As a military figure I.V. Stalin, I studied thoroughly, since I went through the whole war with him. I.V. Stalin mastered the organization of front-line operations and operations of groups of fronts and led them with full knowledge of the matter, well versed in large strategic questions...
In leading the armed struggle as a whole, JV Stalin was assisted by his natural mind and rich intuition. He knew how to find the main link in a strategic situation and, seizing on it, to counteract the enemy, to conduct one or another major offensive operation. Undoubtedly, he was a worthy Supreme Commander"

(Zhukov G.K. Memoirs and reflections.)

Baklanov Yakov Petrovich

An outstanding strategist and a mighty warrior, he earned respect and fear of his name from the invincible highlanders who forgot the iron grip of the "Thunderstorm of the Caucasus". At the moment - Yakov Petrovich, a model of the spiritual strength of a Russian soldier in front of the proud Caucasus. His talent crushed the enemy and minimized the time frame of the Caucasian War, for which he received the nickname "Boklu" akin to the devil for his fearlessness.

Romanov Petr Alekseevich

Behind the endless discussions about Peter I as a politician and reformer, it is unfairly forgotten that he was the greatest commander of his time. He was not only an excellent rear organizer. In the two most important battles of the Northern War (the battles of Lesnaya and Poltava), he not only developed battle plans himself, but also personally led the troops, being in the most important, responsible areas.
The only commander I know of was equally talented in both land and sea battles.
The main thing is that Peter I created a national military school. If all the great commanders of Russia are the heirs of Suvorov, then Suvorov himself is the heir of Peter.
The Battle of Poltava was one of the greatest (if not the greatest) victory in Russian history. In all other great predatory invasions of Russia, the general battle did not have a decisive outcome, and the struggle dragged on, went to exhaustion. And only in the Northern War did the general battle radically change the state of affairs, and from the attacking side the Swedes became the defender, decisively losing the initiative.
I think that Peter I deserves to be in the top three in the list of the best commanders of Russia.

It's simple - It was he, as a commander, who made the greatest contribution to the defeat of Napoleon. He saved the army in the most difficult conditions, despite misunderstanding and heavy accusations of betrayal. It was to him that our great poet Pushkin, practically a contemporary of those events, dedicated the verse "Commander".
Pushkin, recognizing the merits of Kutuzov, did not oppose him to Barclay. To replace the common alternative “Barclay or Kutuzov”, with the traditional resolution in favor of Kutuzov, Pushkin came to a new position: both Barclay and Kutuzov are both worthy of the grateful memory of their descendants, but everyone honors Kutuzov, but Mikhail Bogdanovich Barclay de Tolly is undeserved forgotten.
Pushkin mentioned Barclay de Tolly even earlier, in one of the chapters of "Eugene Onegin" -

Thunderstorm of the twelfth year
It has come - who helped us here?
The frenzy of the people
Barclay, winter or Russian god?...

Paskevich Ivan Fyodorovich

Hero of Borodin, Leipzig, Paris (division commander)
As commander in chief, he won 4 companies (Russian-Persian 1826-1828, Russian-Turkish 1828-1829, Polish 1830-1831, Hungarian 1849).
Knight of the Order of St. George 1st class - for the capture of Warsaw (according to the statute, the order was awarded either for saving the fatherland or for taking the enemy capital).
Field Marshal.

Rurikovich Svyatoslav Igorevich

He defeated the Khazar Khaganate, expanded the boundaries of Russian lands, successfully fought with the Byzantine Empire.

Kolovrat Evpaty Lvovich

Ryazan boyar and governor. During the Batu invasion of Ryazan, he was in Chernigov. Having learned about the invasion of the Mongols, he hastily moved to the city. Having caught Ryazan all incinerated, Evpaty Kolovrat with a detachment of 1700 people began to catch up with Batu's army. Having overtaken them, he destroyed their rearguard. He also killed the strong heroes of the Batyevs. He died on January 11, 1238.

Prince Monomakh Vladimir Vsevolodovich

The most remarkable of the Russian princes of the pre-Tatar period of our history, who left behind great fame and a good memory.

Senyavin Dmitry Nikolaevich

Dmitry Nikolaevich Senyavin (August 6 (17), 1763 - April 5 (17), 1831) - Russian naval commander, admiral.
for courage and outstanding diplomatic work shown during the blockade of the Russian fleet in Lisbon

Wrangel Pyotr Nikolaevich

Member of the Russo-Japanese and World War I, one of the main leaders (1918−1920) of the White movement during the Civil War. Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Army in the Crimea and Poland (1920). General Staff Lieutenant General (1918). Georgievsky Cavalier.

Rurikovich Yaroslav the Wise Vladimirovich

He devoted his life to defending the Fatherland. Defeated the Pechenegs. He established the Russian state as one of the greatest states of his time.

Markov Sergey Leonidovich

One of the main characters of the early stage of the Russian-Soviet war.
Veteran of Russian-Japanese, World War I and Civil War. Cavalier of the Order of St. George 4th class, Orders of St. Vladimir 3rd class and 4th class with swords and bow, Orders of St. Anna 2nd, 3rd and 4th class, Orders of St. Stanislaus 2nd and 3rd th degrees. The owner of the St. George's weapon. Outstanding military theorist. Member of the Ice Campaign. Son of an officer. Hereditary nobleman of the Moscow province. He graduated from the Academy of the General Staff, served in the Life Guards of the 2nd Artillery Brigade. One of the commanders of the Volunteer Army at the first stage. Died a heroic death.

Gagen Nikolai Alexandrovich

On June 22, trains with units of the 153rd Infantry Division arrived in Vitebsk. Covering the city from the west, the Hagen division (together with the heavy artillery regiment attached to the division) occupied a 40 km long defense zone, it was opposed by the 39th German motorized corps.

After 7 days of fierce fighting, the battle formations of the division were not broken through. The Germans no longer contacted the division, bypassed it and continued the offensive. The division flashed in the message of the German radio as destroyed. Meanwhile, the 153rd Rifle Division, without ammunition and fuel, began to break through the ring. Hagen led the division out of the encirclement with heavy weapons.

For the steadfastness and heroism shown during the Yelninskaya operation on September 18, 1941, by order of the People's Commissar of Defense No. 308, the division received the honorary name "Guards".
From 01/31/1942 to 09/12/1942 and from 10/21/1942 to 04/25/1943 - commander of the 4th Guards Rifle Corps,
from May 1943 to October 1944 - commander of the 57th Army,
from January 1945 - the 26th Army.

The troops under the leadership of N. A. Hagen participated in the Sinyavino operation (moreover, the general managed to break out of the encirclement for the second time with weapons in his hands), the Battles of Stalingrad and Kursk, battles in the Left-Bank and Right-Bank Ukraine, in the liberation of Bulgaria, in Iasi-Kishinev, Belgrade, Budapest, Balaton and Vienna operations. Member of the Victory Parade.

Khvorostinin Dmitry Ivanovich

Outstanding commander of the second half of the XVI century. Oprichnik.
Genus. OK. 1520, died on August 7 (17), 1591. At the voivodship posts since 1560. Participated in almost all military enterprises during the independent reign of Ivan IV and the reign of Fyodor Ioannovich. He has won several field battles (including: the defeat of the Tatars near Zaraisk (1570), the Battle of Molodin (during the decisive battle he led the Russian detachments in Gulyai-gorod), the defeat of the Swedes at Lyamits (1582) and not far from Narva ( 1590)). He led the suppression of the Cheremis uprising in 1583-1584, for which he received the boyar rank.
According to the totality of the merits of D.I. Khvorostinin is much higher than M.I. Vorotynsky. Vorotynsky was more noble and therefore he was more often entrusted with the general leadership of the regiments. But, according to the commander's talents, he was far from Khvorostinin.

He was the Supreme Commander of all the armed forces of the Soviet Union. Thanks to his talent as a Commander and an Outstanding Statesman, the USSR won the bloodiest WAR in the history of mankind. Most of the battles of the Second World War were won with his direct participation in the development of their plans.

Kotlyarevsky Petr Stepanovich

General Kotlyarevsky, son of a priest in the village of Olkhovatka, Kharkov province. He went from private to general in the tsarist army. He can be called the great-grandfather of the Russian special forces. He carried out truly unique operations ... His name is worthy of being included in the list of the greatest commanders of Russia

Slashchev Yakov Alexandrovich

Denikin Anton Ivanovich

One of the most talented and successful commanders of the First World War. A native of a poor family, he made a brilliant military career, relying solely on his own virtues. Member of the REV, WWI, graduate of the Nikolaev Academy of the General Staff. He fully realized his talent commanding the legendary "Iron" brigade, then deployed into a division. Participant and one of the main characters of the Brusilov breakthrough. He remained a man of honor even after the collapse of the army, a prisoner of Bykhov. Member of the ice campaign and commander of the All-Russian Union of Youth. For more than a year and a half, having very modest resources and far inferior in number to the Bolsheviks, he won victory after victory, freeing a huge territory.
Also, do not forget that Anton Ivanovich is a wonderful and very successful publicist, and his books are still very popular. An extraordinary, talented commander, an honest Russian man in a difficult time for the Motherland, who was not afraid to light a torch of hope.

Chuikov Vasily Ivanovich

"There is a city in vast Russia to which my heart is given, it went down in history as STALINGRAD ..." V.I. Chuikov

Margelov Vasily Filippovich

Uvarov Fedor Petrovich

At the age of 27 he was promoted to general. Participated in the campaigns of 1805-1807 and in the battles on the Danube in 1810. In 1812 he commanded the 1st artillery corps in the army of Barclay de Tolly, and later - the entire cavalry of the combined armies.

Vasilevsky Alexander Mikhailovich

The greatest commander of the Second World War. Two people in history were awarded the Order of Victory twice: Vasilevsky and Zhukov, but after the Second World War, it was Vasilevsky who became the Minister of Defense of the USSR. His military genius is unsurpassed by ANY military leader in the world.

Romanov Mikhail Timofeevich

The heroic defense of Mogilev, for the first time all-round anti-tank defense of the city.

Margelov Vasily Filippovich

Creator of the modern Airborne Forces. When for the first time the BMD parachuted with the crew, the commander in it was his son. In my opinion, this fact speaks of such a remarkable person as V.F. Margelov, everyone. About his devotion to the Airborne Forces!

Kutuzov Mikhail Illarionovich

After Zhukov, who took Berlin, the brilliant strategist Kutuzov, who drove the French out of Russia, should be second.

Loris-Melikov Mikhail Tarielovich

Known mainly as one of the secondary characters in the story "Hadji Murad" by L.N. Tolstoy, Mikhail Tarielovich Loris-Melikov went through all the Caucasian and Turkish campaigns of the second half of the middle of the 19th century.

Having shown himself excellently during the Caucasian War, during the Kars campaign of the Crimean War, Loris-Melikov led intelligence, and then successfully served as commander-in-chief during the difficult Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878, having won a number of important victories over the united Turkish troops and in the third once captured Kars, by that time considered impregnable.

Kappel Vladimir Oskarovich

Without exaggeration - the best commander of the army of Admiral Kolchak. Under his command, in 1918, Russia's gold reserves were captured in Kazan. At the age of 36 - lieutenant general, commander of the Eastern Front. The Siberian Ice Campaign is associated with this name. In January 1920, he led 30,000 "Kappelevites" to Irkutsk to capture Irkutsk and release the Supreme Ruler of Russia, Admiral Kolchak, from captivity. The death of the general from pneumonia largely determined the tragic outcome of this campaign and the death of the Admiral ...

Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich

Stalin during the Patriotic War led all the armed forces of our country and coordinated their combat operations. It is impossible not to note his merits in the competent planning and organization of military operations, in the skillful selection of military leaders and their assistants. Joseph Stalin proved himself not only as an outstanding commander who competently led all fronts, but also as an excellent organizer who did a great job of increasing the country's defense capability both in the pre-war and war years.

A short list of military awards I.V. Stalin received during the Second World War:
Order of Suvorov, 1st class
Medal "For the Defense of Moscow"
Order "Victory"
Medal "Gold Star" Hero of the Soviet Union
Medal "For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945"
Medal "For the Victory over Japan"

Ivan the Terrible

He conquered the Astrakhan kingdom, to which Russia paid tribute. Destroyed the Livonian Order. Expanded the borders of Russia far beyond the Urals.

Stalin (Dzhugashvilli) Joseph

Platov Matvei Ivanovich

Ataman of the Great Don Army (since 1801), cavalry general (1809), who took part in all the wars of the Russian Empire in the late 18th - early 19th centuries.
In 1771 he distinguished himself in the attack and capture of the Perekop line and Kinburn. From 1772 he began to command a Cossack regiment. During the 2nd Turkish war, he distinguished himself during the assault on Ochakov and Ishmael. Participated in the battle of Preussisch-Eylau.
During the Patriotic War of 1812, he first commanded all the Cossack regiments on the border, and then, covering the retreat of the army, he defeated the enemy near the town of Mir and Romanovo. In the battle near the village of Semlevo, Platov's army defeated the French and captured a colonel from the army of Marshal Murat. During the retreat of the French army, Platov, pursuing her, defeated her at Gorodnya, the Kolotsk Monastery, Gzhatsk, Tsarevo-Zaimishcha, near Dukhovshchina and while crossing the Vop River. For merit he was elevated to the dignity of a count. In November, Platov occupied Smolensk from battle and defeated the troops of Marshal Ney near Dubrovna. At the beginning of January 1813 he entered the borders of Prussia and overlaid Danzig; in September, he received command of a special corps, with which he participated in the battle of Leipzig and, pursuing the enemy, captured about 15 thousand people. In 1814 he fought at the head of his regiments in the capture of Nemur, at Arcy-sur-Aube, Cezanne, Villeneuve. He was awarded the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called.

Izylmetiev Ivan Nikolaevich

Commanded the frigate "Aurora". He made the transition from St. Petersburg to Kamchatka in a record time for those times in 66 days. In the bay, Callao eluded the Anglo-French squadron. Arriving in Petropavlovsk, together with the governor of the Kamchatka Territory, Zavoyko V. organized the defense of the city, during which the sailors from the Aurora, together with the locals, threw into the sea an outnumbering Anglo-French landing force. Then he took the Aurora to the Amur Estuary, hiding it there .After these events, the British public demanded trial of the admirals who lost the Russian frigate.

Skopin-Shuisky Mikhail Vasilievich

A talented commander who proved himself during the Time of Troubles at the beginning of the 17th century. In 1608, Skopin-Shuisky was sent by Tsar Vasily Shuisky to negotiate with the Swedes in Novgorod the Great. He managed to agree on Swedish assistance to Russia in the fight against False Dmitry II. The Swedes recognized Skopin-Shuisky as the undisputed leader. In 1609, with the Russian-Swedish army, he came to the rescue of the capital, which was under siege by False Dmitry II. In the battles near Torzhok, Tver and Dmitrov, he defeated detachments of adherents of the impostor, liberated the Volga region from them. He removed the blockade from Moscow and entered it in March 1610.

Suvorov Alexander Vasilievich

Well, who else if not him - the only Russian commander who did not lose, who did not lose more than one battle !!!

Stalin (Dzhugashvili) Joseph Vissarionovich

Comrade Stalin, in addition to the atomic and missile projects, together with General of the Army Alexei Innokentevich Antonov, participated in the development and implementation of almost all significant operations of the Soviet troops in the Second World War, brilliantly organized the work of the rear, even in the first difficult years of the war.

Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich

People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR, Generalissimo of the Soviet Union, Supreme Commander. Brilliant military leadership of the USSR in World War II.

Dolgorukov Yury Alekseevich

An outstanding statesman and military leader of the era of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, prince. Commanding the Russian army in Lithuania, in 1658 he defeated hetman V. Gonsevsky in the battle of Verki, taking him prisoner. This was the first time after 1500 when a Russian governor captured the hetman. In 1660, at the head of an army sent under Mogilev, besieged by the Polish-Lithuanian troops, he won a strategic victory over the enemy on the Basya River near the village of Gubarevo, forcing hetmans P. Sapega and S. Czarnetsky to retreat from the city. Thanks to the actions of Dolgorukov, the "front line" in Belarus along the Dnieper was preserved until the end of the war of 1654-1667. In 1670, he led an army sent to fight against the Cossacks of Stenka Razin, in the shortest possible time suppressed the Cossack rebellion, which later led to the Don Cossacks swearing allegiance to the tsar and turning the Cossacks from robbers into "sovereign servants".

Govorov Leonid Alexandrovich

Kondratenko Roman Isidorovich

Warrior of honor without fear and reproach, the soul of the defense of Port Arthur.

Alekseev Mikhail Vasilievich

An outstanding member of the Russian Academy of the General Staff. The developer and executor of the Galician operation - the first brilliant victory of the Russian army in the Great War.
Saved from the encirclement of the troops of the North-Western Front during the "Great Retreat" of 1915.
Chief of Staff of the Russian Armed Forces in 1916-1917
Supreme Commander of the Russian Army in 1917
Developed and implemented strategic plans for offensive operations in 1916-1917.
He continued to defend the need to preserve the Eastern Front after 1917 (the Volunteer Army is the basis of the new Eastern Front in the ongoing Great War).
Slandered and slandered in relation to various so-called. "Masonic military lodges", "conspiracy of generals against the Sovereign", etc., etc. - in terms of emigrant and modern historical journalism.

Platov Matvei Ivanovich

Military ataman of the Don Cossack army. He began active military service at the age of 13. A member of several military companies, he is best known as the commander of the Cossack troops during the Patriotic War of 1812 and during the subsequent Foreign Campaign of the Russian Army. Thanks to the successful actions of the Cossacks under his command, Napoleon's saying went down in history:
- Happy is the commander who has Cossacks. If I had an army of Cossacks alone, then I would conquer all of Europe.

Kosich Andrey Ivanovich

1. During his long life (1833 - 1917) A. I. Kosich went from non-commissioned officer to general, commander of one of the largest military districts of the Russian Empire. He took an active part in almost all military campaigns from the Crimean to the Russian-Japanese. He was distinguished by personal courage and bravery.
2. According to many, "one of the most educated generals of the Russian army." He left many literary and scientific works and memoirs. He patronized the sciences and education. He has established himself as a talented administrator.
3. His example served the development of many Russian military leaders, in particular, Gen. A. I. Denikin.
4. He was a resolute opponent of the use of the army against his people, in which he disagreed with P. A. Stolypin. "The army should shoot at the enemy, not at its own people."

Oktyabrsky Philip Sergeevich

Admiral, Hero of the Soviet Union. During the Great Patriotic War, the commander of the Black Sea Fleet. One of the leaders of the Defense of Sevastopol in 1941 - 1942, as well as the Crimean operation of 1944. During the Great Patriotic War, Vice Admiral F. S. Oktyabrsky was one of the leaders of the heroic defense of Odessa and Sevastopol. Being the commander of the Black Sea Fleet, at the same time in 1941-1942 he was the commander of the Sevastopol Defense Region.

Three orders of Lenin
three orders of the Red Banner
two orders of Ushakov 1st degree
Order of Nakhimov 1st class
Order of Suvorov 2nd class
Order of the Red Star
medals

Brusilov Alexey Alekseevich

One of the best Russian generals of the First World War. In June 1916, the troops of the Southwestern Front under the command of Adjutant General Brusilov A.A., simultaneously striking in several directions, broke through the enemy’s defense in depth and advanced 65 km. In military history, this operation was called the Brusilovsky breakthrough.

Suvorov Alexander Vasilievich

A commander who has not lost a single battle in his career. He took the impregnable fortress of Ishmael, the first time.

Minikh Khristofor Antonovich

Due to the ambiguous attitude to the period of the reign of Anna Ioannovna, the largely underestimated commander, who was the commander-in-chief of the Russian troops throughout her reign.

Commander of the Russian troops during the War of the Polish Succession and architect of the victory of Russian arms in the Russo-Turkish War of 1735-1739.

Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich

He was the Supreme Commander during the Great Patriotic War, in which our country won, and made all strategic decisions.

Antonov Alexey Inokent'evich

Chief strategist of the USSR in 1943-45, practically unknown to society
"Kutuzov" World War II

Humble and dedicated. Victorious. The author of all operations since the spring of 1943 and the victory itself. Others gained fame - Stalin and the commanders of the fronts.

Dovator Lev Mikhailovich

Soviet military leader, major general, Hero of the Soviet Union. Known for successful operations to destroy German troops during the Great Patriotic War. The German command appointed a large reward for the head of Dovator.
Together with the 8th Guards Division named after Major General I.V. Panfilov, the 1st Guards Tank Brigade of General M.E. Katukov and other troops of the 16th Army, his corps defended the approaches to Moscow in the Volokolamsk direction.

Kolchak Alexander Vasilievich

Russian admiral who gave his life for the liberation of the Fatherland.
Scientist-oceanographer, one of the largest polar explorers of the late 19th - early 20th centuries, military and political figure, naval commander, full member of the Imperial Russian Geographical Society, leader of the White Movement, Supreme Ruler of Russia.

Vladimir Svyatoslavich

981 - the conquest of Cherven and Przemysl. 983 - the conquest of the Yatvags. 984 - the conquest of the natives. 985 - successful campaigns against the Bulgars, the taxation of the Khazar Khaganate. 988 - the conquest of the Taman Peninsula. 991 - the subjugation of the White Croats. 992 - successfully defended Cherven Rus in the war against Poland. in addition, the saint is equal to the apostles.

Margelov Vasily Filippovich

The author and initiator of the creation of technical means of the Airborne Forces and methods of using units and formations of the Airborne Forces, many of which embody the image of the Airborne Forces of the USSR Armed Forces and the Russian Armed Forces that currently exists.

General Pavel Fedoseevich Pavlenko:
In the history of the Airborne Forces, and in the Armed Forces of Russia and other countries of the former Soviet Union, his name will remain forever. He personified a whole era in the development and formation of the Airborne Forces, their authority and popularity are associated with his name, not only in our country, but also abroad ...

Colonel Nikolai Fedorovich Ivanov:
Under the leadership of Margelov for more than twenty years, the landing troops became one of the most mobile in the combat structure of the Armed Forces, prestigious service in them, especially revered by the people ... The photograph of Vasily Filippovich in demobilization albums went from the soldiers at the highest price - for a set of badges. The competition for the Ryazan Airborne School overlapped the numbers of VGIK and GITIS, and applicants who failed their exams for two or three months, before snow and frost, lived in the forests near Ryazan in the hope that someone would not withstand the stress and it would be possible to take his place .

Nakhimov Pavel Stepanovich

Successes in the Crimean War of 1853-56, victory in the Battle of Sinop in 1853, defense of Sevastopol in 1854-55.

Barclay de Tolly Mikhail Bogdanovich

Participated in the Russian-Turkish war of 1787-91 and the Russian-Swedish war of 1788-90. He distinguished himself during the war with France in 1806-07 at Preussisch-Eylau, from 1807 he commanded a division. During the Russo-Swedish War of 1808-09 he commanded a corps; led a successful crossing through the Kvarken Strait in the winter of 1809. In 1809-10, the Governor-General of Finland. From January 1810 to September 1812, the Minister of War, did a lot of work to strengthen the Russian army, singled out the intelligence and counterintelligence service into a separate production. In the Patriotic War of 1812 he commanded the 1st Western Army, and he, as Minister of War, was subordinate to the 2nd Western Army. In the conditions of a significant superiority of the enemy, he showed the talent of a commander and successfully carried out the withdrawal and connection of the two armies, which earned such words from M.I. Kutuzov as THANK YOU FATHER !!! SAVE THE ARMY!!! SAVE RUSSIA!!!. However, the retreat caused discontent in the noble circles and the army, and on August 17, Barclay handed over the command of the armies to M.I. Kutuzov. In the Battle of Borodino, he commanded the right wing of the Russian army, showing stamina and skill in defense. He recognized the position near Moscow chosen by L. L. Bennigsen as unsuccessful and supported the proposal of M. I. Kutuzov to leave Moscow at the military council in Fili. In September 1812 he left the army due to illness. In February 1813 he was appointed commander of the 3rd, and then the Russian-Prussian army, which he successfully commanded during the foreign campaigns of the Russian army of 1813-14 (Kulm, Leipzig, Paris). He was buried in the Beklor estate in Livonia (now Jõgeveste Estonia)

Budyonny Semyon Mikhailovich

Commander of the First Cavalry Army of the Red Army during the Civil War. The First Cavalry Army, which he led until October 1923, played an important role in a number of major operations of the Civil War to defeat the troops of Denikin and Wrangel in Northern Tavria and the Crimea.

Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich

Victory in the Great Patriotic War, saving the entire planet from absolute evil, and our country from extinction.
Stalin from the first hours of the war exercised control over the country, front and rear. On land, at sea and in the air.
His merit is not one or even ten battles or campaigns, his merit is the Victory, made up of hundreds of battles of the Great Patriotic War: the battle of Moscow, the battles in the North Caucasus, the Battle of Stalingrad, the battle of Kursk, the battle of Leningrad and many others before the capture Berlin, success in which was achieved thanks to the monotonous inhuman work of the genius of the Supreme Commander.

Miloradovich

Bagration, Miloradovich, Davydov - some very special breed of people. Now they don't do that. The heroes of 1812 were distinguished by complete recklessness, complete contempt for death. And after all, it was General Miloradovich, who went through all the wars for Russia without a single scratch, who became the first victim of individual terror. After Kakhovsky's shot on Senate Square, the Russian revolution followed this path - right up to the basement of the Ipatiev House. Removing the best.

Yudenich Nikolai Nikolaevich

October 3, 2013 marks the 80th anniversary of the death in the French city of Cannes of a Russian military figure, commander of the Caucasian Front, hero of Mukden, Sarykamysh, Van, Erzurum (due to the complete defeat of the 90,000th Turkish army of Russia, Constantinople and the Bosphorus with the Dardanelles retreated), the savior of the Armenian people from the complete Turkish genocide, holder of three orders of George and the highest order of France, the Grand Cross of the Order of the Legion of Honor, General Nikolai Nikolayevich Yudenich.

Kotlyarevsky Petr Stepanovich

Hero of the Russo-Persian War of 1804-1813 At one time they called the Caucasian Suvorov. On October 19, 1812, at the Aslanduz ford across the Araks, at the head of a detachment of 2221 people with 6 guns, Pyotr Stepanovich defeated the Persian army of 30,000 people with 12 guns. In other battles, he also acted not by number, but by skill.

Drozdovsky Mikhail Gordeevich

He managed to bring his subordinate troops to the Don in full force, fought extremely effectively in the conditions of the civil war.

Denikin Anton Ivanovich

Russian military leader, political and public figure, writer, memoirist, publicist and military documentary.
Member of the Russo-Japanese War. One of the most productive generals of the Russian Imperial Army during the First World War. Commander of the 4th Rifle "Iron" Brigade (1914-1916, since 1915 - deployed under his command into a division), 8th Army Corps (1916-1917). Lieutenant General of the General Staff (1916), commander of the Western and Southwestern Fronts (1917). An active participant in the military congresses of 1917, an opponent of the democratization of the army. He expressed support for the Kornilov speech, for which he was arrested by the Provisional Government, a member of the Berdichevsky and Bykhov sittings of generals (1917).
One of the main leaders of the White movement during the Civil War, its leader in the South of Russia (1918-1920). He achieved the greatest military and political results among all the leaders of the White movement. Pioneer, one of the main organizers, and then commander of the Volunteer Army (1918-1919). Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the South of Russia (1919-1920), Deputy Supreme Ruler and Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Army, Admiral Kolchak (1919-1920).
Since April 1920 - an emigrant, one of the main political figures of the Russian emigration. The author of the memoirs "Essays on the Russian Troubles" (1921-1926) - a fundamental historical and biographical work about the Civil War in Russia, the memoirs "The Old Army" (1929-1931), the autobiographical story "The Way of the Russian Officer" (published in 1953) and a number of other works.

Saltykov Pyotr Semyonovich

The commander-in-chief of the Russian army in the Seven Years' War, was the main architect of the key victories of the Russian troops.

Romodanovsky Grigory Grigorievich

An outstanding military leader of the 17th century, prince and governor. In 1655, he won his first victory over the Polish hetman S. Pototsky near Gorodok in Galicia. Later, being the commander of the army of the Belgorod category (military administrative district), he played a major role in organizing the defense of the southern border of Russia. In 1662, he won the biggest victory in the Russian-Polish war for Ukraine in the battle of Kanev, defeating the traitorous hetman Y. Khmelnitsky and the Poles who helped him. In 1664, near Voronezh, he forced the famous Polish commander Stefan Czarnecki to flee, forcing the army of King Jan Casimir to retreat. Repeatedly beat the Crimean Tatars. In 1677 he defeated the 100,000th Turkish army of Ibrahim Pasha near Buzhin, in 1678 he defeated the Turkish corps of Kaplan Pasha near Chigirin. Thanks to his military talents, Ukraine did not become another Ottoman province and the Turks did not take Kyiv.

Dragomirov Mikhail Ivanovich

Brilliant crossing of the Danube in 1877
- Creation of a tactics textbook
- Creation of the original concept of military education
- Leadership of the NAGSH in 1878-1889
- Huge influence in military matters for the whole 25th anniversary

Yaroslav the Wise

Kovpak Sidor Artemevich

Member of the First World War (he served in the 186th Aslanduz Infantry Regiment) and the Civil War. During the First World War, he fought on the Southwestern Front, a member of the Brusilov breakthrough. In April 1915, as part of the guard of honor, he was personally awarded the St. George Cross by Nicholas II. In total, he was awarded St. George's crosses III and IV degrees and medals "For Courage" ("George" medals) III and IV degrees.

During the Civil War, he led a local partisan detachment that fought in Ukraine against the German invaders together with the detachments of A. Ya. .Denikin and Wrangel on the Southern Front.

In 1941-1942, Kovpak's formation carried out raids behind enemy lines in the Sumy, Kursk, Oryol and Bryansk regions, in 1942-1943 - a raid from the Bryansk forests on the Right-Bank Ukraine in the Gomel, Pinsk, Volyn, Rivne, Zhytomyr and Kyiv regions; in 1943 - the Carpathian raid. The Sumy partisan formation under the command of Kovpak fought over 10 thousand kilometers in the rear of the Nazi troops, defeated the enemy garrisons in 39 settlements. Kovpak's raids played a big role in the deployment of the partisan movement against the German occupiers.

Twice Hero of the Soviet Union:
By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of May 18, 1942, for the exemplary performance of combat missions behind enemy lines, the courage and heroism shown in their performance, Kovpak Sidor Artemyevich was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal (No. 708)
The second medal "Gold Star" (No.) Major General Kovpak Sidor Artemyevich was awarded by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of January 4, 1944 for the successful conduct of the Carpathian raid
four Orders of Lenin (18.5.1942, 4.1.1944, 23.1.1948, 25.5.1967)
Order of the Red Banner (24.12.1942)
Order of Bogdan Khmelnitsky, 1st class. (7.8.1944)
Order of Suvorov, 1st class (2 May 1945)
medals
foreign orders and medals (Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia)

Donskoy Dmitry Ivanovich

His army won the Kulikovo victory.

Zhukov Georgy Konstantinovich

Successfully commanded the Soviet troops during the Great Patriotic War. Among other things, he stopped the Germans near Moscow, took Berlin.

Prophetic Oleg

Your shield is on the gates of Tsaregrad.
A.S. Pushkin.

Rokossovsky Konstantin Konstantinovich

Soldier, several wars (including World War I and World War II). passed the way to Marshal of the USSR and Poland. Military intellectual. not resorting to "obscene leadership." he knew tactics in military affairs to the subtleties. practice, strategy and operational art.

Denikin Anton Ivanovich

The commander, under whose leadership the white army with smaller forces for 1.5 years won victories over the red army and captured the North Caucasus, Crimea, Novorossia, Donbass, Ukraine, the Don, part of the Volga region and the central black earth provinces of Russia. He retained the dignity of the Russian name during the Second World War, refusing to cooperate with the Nazis, despite his uncompromisingly anti-Soviet position

Kornilov Lavr Georgievich

KORNILOV Lavr Georgievich (08.18.1870-04.31.1918) Colonel (02.1905). Major General (12.1912). Lieutenant General (08.26.1914). Infantry General (06.30.1917). with a gold medal from the Nikolaev Academy of the General Staff (1898). Officer at the headquarters of the Turkestan Military District, 1889-1904. Participant in the Russian-Japanese war of 1904 - 1905: headquarters officer of the 1st rifle brigade (at its headquarters). When retreating from Mukden, the brigade got surrounded. Having led the rearguard, he broke through the encirclement with a bayonet attack, ensuring the freedom of defensive combat operations of the brigade. Military attache in China, 04/01/1907 - 02/24/1911. Participant in the First World War: commander of the 48th Infantry Division of the 8th Army (General Brusilov). During the general retreat, the 48th division was surrounded and General Kornilov, who was wounded on 04.1915, was captured near the Duklinsky Pass (Carpathians); 08.1914-04.1915. Captured by the Austrians, 04.1915-06.1916. Dressed in the uniform of an Austrian soldier, he escaped from captivity on 06.1915. Commander of the 25th Rifle Corps, 06.1916-04.1917. Commander of the Petrograd Military District, 03-04.1917. Commander of the 8th Army, 04.24-07.08.1917. On 05/19/1917, by his order, he introduced the formation of the first volunteer "1st Shock Detachment of the 8th Army" under the command of Captain Nezhentsev. Commander of the Southwestern Front...

Chapaev Vasily Ivanovich

01/28/1887 - 09/05/1919 life. Head of a division of the Red Army, participant in the First World War and the Civil War.
Cavalier of three St. George's crosses and the St. George medal. Cavalier of the Order of the Red Banner.
On his account:
- Organization of the county Red Guard of 14 detachments.
- Participation in the campaign against General Kaledin (near Tsaritsyn).
- Participation in the campaign of the Special Army against Uralsk.
- An initiative to reorganize the Red Guard detachments into two regiments of the Red Army: them. Stepan Razin and them. Pugachev, united in the Pugachev brigade under the command of Chapaev.
- Participation in battles with the Czechoslovaks and the People's Army, from whom Nikolaevsk was recaptured, renamed in honor of the brigade in Pugachevsk.
- Since September 19, 1918, the commander of the 2nd Nikolaev division.
- From February 1919 - Commissar of Internal Affairs of the Nikolaevsky district.
- From May 1919 - brigade commander of the Special Alexander-Gai Brigade. Cavalry General A. A. Brusilov showed the ability to manage large operational military formations - the army (8th - 05.08. May 21, 1917), a group of fronts (Supreme Commander-in-Chief - May 22, 1917 - July 19, 1917).
The personal contribution of A. A. Brusilov manifested itself in many successful operations of the Russian army during the First World War - the Battle of Galicia in 1914, the Carpathian battle of 1914/15, the Lutsk and Czartoryi operations of 1915 and, of course, in the Offensive of the South-Western Front in 1916 city ​​(the famous Brusilovsky breakthrough).

M.D. Skobelev

Why was he called the "white general"? The simplest explanation is a uniform and a white horse. But he was not the only one who wore a white general's military uniform ...

Chernyakhovsky Ivan Danilovich

He commanded a tank corps, the 60th Army, from April 1944 - the 3rd Belorussian Front. He showed a bright talent and especially distinguished himself during the Belarusian and East Prussian operations. Distinguished by the ability to conduct highly maneuverable combat operations. Mortally wounded in February 1945.

Started Peter I the struggle for Russia's access to the Baltic Sea and fortification on these lines was hard and lengthy. The Northern War, in which Russia and Sweden were the main opponents, stretched out for 21 years.

However, the decisive battle, which predetermined the outcome of the confrontation, took place on June 27 (July 8), 1709, six miles from the city of Poltava.

The Northern War began catastrophically for Russia - with a crushing defeat at Narva in 1700.

The defeat at Narva inflicted not only material, but also political damage on Russia - the power of Peter I in Europe was no longer taken seriously, while the Swedish king Charles XII, the winner of the "Russian barbarians", were treated with undisguised sympathy.

However, the discouraging start of the war did not break either the will or the political aspirations of Peter. Guided by the principle “for one beaten they give two unbeaten”, the Russian tsar, avoiding a general battle with the Swedes, again set about capturing their fortresses on the shores of the Baltic.

Charles XII himself contributed to this. The Swedish king, endowed with undoubted military talents, was at the same time endowed with excessive self-confidence. It was she who made the Swedish king consider Russia completely defeated and completely focus on the fight against the ally of Peter I, King of the Commonwealth Augustus II.

The pursuit of the dodgy Augustus dragged on for several years, which the Russian Tsar successfully used to reform and re-equip the army, as well as to gradually conquer Ingermanland. In 1703, Petersburg was founded at the mouth of the Neva, after which the Russians continued the tactics of leisurely "taking Swedish lands."

Charles XII decided, at the end of the war with Augustus II, to invade Russia, capturing and setting Moscow on fire, thereby putting an end to the claims of Peter I.

Route of Charles XII during the Great Northern War. Photo: Public Domain

About the dangers of self-confidence

In 1706, Augustus II was finished, and Charles began to prepare an invasion of Russia.

True, the surprise factor was not an ally of Charles XII - all his plans and intentions were clear to Peter I and his military leaders.

The Russian tsar dragged his opponent into a war of attrition, and soon the Swedish army, which had invaded Russian possessions, began to experience problems with food and ammunition.

Charles XII seriously relied on the help of the Swedish king who had gone over to the side Hetman of Little Russia Ivan Mazepa, who promised the Swedes 50 thousand Cossacks, food and comfortable wintering.

In practice, however, together with Mazepa, about 10,000 Cossacks went over to the side of the Swedes. At the same time, Charles XII, not relying too much on their loyalty, did not use the Cossacks in the Battle of Poltava. It is curious that exactly for the same reason, fearing treason, Peter I also refused to use the Cossack units near Poltava.

Military happiness began to betray Charles XII. The three-month siege of Poltava, which the Swedes at first considered easy prey, ended in nothing.

Charles XII, having learned about the approach of Peter I with an army, was determined to give his enemy a general battle, despite the weakened state of his own troops and the great advantage of the Russians in the size of the army.

The Swedish generals, based on previous experience, believed that the Russians in the battle would behave passively, which would enable the Swedes to overturn the Russian army with decisive actions and put them to flight.

Unlike Charles XII, Peter I did not rely on luck and military happiness, but prepared for battle carefully, building defensive redoubts in the path of enemy movement. In addition, the Russian Tsar managed to achieve an overwhelming advantage in artillery, which would be one of the decisive factors in the battle.

On the eve of the battle, the situation was extremely unfortunate for Charles XII. He did not receive reinforcements, he was not supported by the Ottoman Empire, on whose entry into the war he counted.

In addition, "easy prey" Poltava never passed into the hands of the Swedes.

Denis Martin. "Battle of Poltava" (1726). Photo: Public Domain

Despite all this, Charles XII accepted the plan for a general battle. The essence of the Swedes' plan was a sudden attack by infantry at dawn with a breakthrough into the Russian rear, which was supposed to confuse the Russian army, after which the cavalry was supposed to finish the job.

Of the 37 thousand people of the army of Charles XII in the battle of Poltava, he had 8000 infantry, 7800 cavalry and about a thousand irregular cavalry. Peter I had at his disposal a 60,000-strong army, of which 25,000 infantrymen and up to 12,000 cavalry took part in the Battle of Poltava. And all this, not counting the superiority of the Russians in guns, which they had, according to various sources, from 100 to 300, while the Swedes had no more than 40 guns, which, moreover, did not have enough ammunition.

Knowing all this, the self-confident Charles XII nevertheless decided to give a pitched battle.

Swedish collapse instead of Russian

The Swedes' plan for the battle began to crumble already at the very beginning, when the regiments, intending to take the Russians by surprise, stumbled upon redoubts at night, the construction of which was not even suspected.

The stubborn battle ended with the planned retreat of the Russians to the main positions, but in the Swedish camp the impression was that the enemy had fled.

The illusion turned out to be so strong that those close to him already began to congratulate King Charles on his victory.

While the Swedes were preparing for the holiday, disaster was brewing. Carried away by the assault on the 3rd redoubt, the column of the Swedish General Roos broke away from the main forces and was defeated by the Russians. The same fate befell the cavalry detachment General Schlippenbach. Wolmar Schlippenbach himself became the first Swedish general to fall into Russian captivity that day.

At nine o'clock in the morning the main battle of the main forces began. The Swedish infantry attacked the Russian system, a fierce hand-to-hand fight ensued. The critical moment for the Russian troops came when, on the left flank, the Swedes overthrew the 1st Battalion of the Novgorod Regiment with a bayonet attack, capturing over a dozen Russian guns.

The authority of the Swedish army was extremely high. The breakthrough of the Swedes threatened to bring confusion and panic into the ranks of the Russian army. However, here Tsar Peter himself intervened in the matter, at the head of the 2nd battalion of the Novgorodians, who stopped the enemy’s advance.

L. Caravak. "Peter I in the Battle of Poltava" (1718). Photo: Public Domain

Meanwhile, the Russian infantry on the right flank under the command of General Mikhail Golitsyn put to flight the Swedish battalions opposing her. The cavalry tried to come to the rescue, but was driven back by the Russian cavalry.

Here the superiority of Russian troops in numbers began to affect. Having not achieved rapid success, the Swedish regiments were exhausted, gaps appeared between them, which led to their encirclement. In the center, the battalions of the Uppland Regiment were almost completely destroyed, where less than two dozen of 700 soldiers survived.

By 11 o'clock in the morning, the worst thing happened for Charles XII - his brave and invincible warriors turned into a disorderly flight.

Feast and surrender

The king himself had to flee, suffering losses among his inner circle.

The defeat of the Swedes was complete: the Russians got only 137 standards and banners of the enemy, the generals and field marshals of the Swedish king and even the first minister of Charles XII were captured.

In the evening of the same day, Peter I celebrated the victory in his tent, where the captured Swedish generals were also invited. The Russian tsar drank for the loyalty and courage of the Swedes and for the health of his teachers in military affairs.

Personal standard of Charles XII, captured during the Battle of Poltava. Peter-Pavel's Fortress. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org / A. Sdobnikov

Despite the celebration, Peter sent part of the troops in pursuit of the retreating. The end of the Swedish army came two days later near the town of Perevolochna. Russian troops drove the Swedes into the arrow of the Vorskla and Dnieper rivers, blocking their escape routes.

Only Charles XII himself, Mazepa, a small number of close associates and a guard detachment managed to cross the Dnieper and get away from the chase. This happened a few hours before the approach of the Russian troops.

When the persecutors appeared, led by Menshikov, the broken Swedes capitulated. 16 thousand people were taken prisoner, including 3 generals, 11 colonels, 16 lieutenant colonels, 23 majors, 1 field officer, 12,575 non-commissioned officers and privates.

The losses of the Swedes directly in the battle of Poltava amounted to 9224 people killed and 2973 prisoners.

The losses of the Russian troops amounted to 1345 people killed and 3290 wounded.

Poor Karl, poor Sweden...

The defeat at Poltava turned out to be much more terrible for Charles XII than the defeat of Peter I at Narva. Poltava not only destroyed the military authority of the Swedish king, it dealt a decisive blow to the Swedish army, which never regained its former power.

The war with Russia lasted another 12 years, but it was, figuratively speaking, a delayed defeat. Russian troops gradually finished off the Swedes, occupying more and more new territories, in the end, bringing the matter to devastating landings that operated almost in the vicinity of Stockholm. To counter this with something other than unwillingness to admit defeat, the Swedes could no longer.

The fate of Charles XII himself was even more deplorable. Hiding in the possessions of the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, the former idol of Europe spent several years in Bendery, having no real strength to continue the war and at the same time losing power in his homeland.

In 1713, the Sultan literally put the "inmate" out of his possessions, and with difficulty, almost secretly, he made his way to the lands belonging to Sweden. True, he never returned to Stockholm - there Karl was no longer perceived as a king. The Swedish nobility was utterly irritated by the unsuccessful and devastating war, which literally destroyed the country's influence in Europe.

In 1718, Charles XII, resigned to the obvious, tried to make peace with Russia, recognizing most of the conquests of Peter I in the Baltic. The parties, however, did not come to an agreement.

In November of the same year, the king of Sweden, during his last campaign in Norway, which at that time was owned by Denmark, was killed by a stray bullet during the siege of the Fredriksten fortress.

There is a version, however, that Charles XII fell victim to the Swedish elite, who decided that she no longer needed such a failed monarch.

But the “shadow of Poltava” also hovered over the heirs of Charles. Three years after his death, in 1721, Sweden concluded the Treaty of Nystadt with Russia on terms much more difficult than those that Charles XII refused in 1718.

During the Time of Troubles, a significant part of the Russian North was captured by Sweden. In 1617, under the Stolbovsky peace treaty, Russia completely lost access to the Baltic, retaining only Veliky Novgorod and the Novgorod estate, and the territory from Ivangorod to Lake Ladoga was forced to transfer to Sweden. In 1656-58, as a result of successful hostilities, Russia again regained a significant part of the Baltic states, but could not hold it and, under the Treaty of Cardis, returned the conquered lands to Sweden.

Peter I, having become a full-fledged monarch, initially tried to win access to the sea in the south, having made two Azov campaigns. But Russia was not yet ready to wage a full-scale war with Turkey, and this idea had to be temporarily abandoned. Then the king turned his gaze to the north, fortunately, European well-wishers strongly pushed him to this.

Denmark was the first to try to draw Russia into the war. From the spring of 1697, the Danish ambassador Paul Gaines waited a whole year in Moscow for a meeting with the tsar in order to propose a military alliance against Sweden on behalf of his king. Negotiations began in October 1698 and continued the following February in Voronezh, where Peter supervised the construction of ships.

In a short time, an agreement was agreed, consisting of 11 open and two secret articles. The open articles contained assurances of friendship, traditional for such documents, and provided for the provision of mutual military assistance in the event of an attack on one of the parties. The secret articles contained two extremely important aspects. Since there was no common border between the parties, they pledged that each would go to war with a common enemy near its borders. In addition, Russia pledged to enter the war with Sweden no earlier than it would conclude a lasting peace with Turkey (Ottoman Empire).

Peter, by and large, did not particularly care about the problems of Denmark, he needed a strong ally to try to win back the Baltic coast from Sweden, and, accordingly, open a direct path to Europe for Russia. Sweden during this period was not going to fight with Russia and tried in every possible way to strengthen peaceful relations, but without prejudice to its territories. The Swedish king Charles XI even sent 300 cannons as a gift to Peter in 1696, and allowed another 280 to be purchased from Stockholm foundry workers. A step that obviously did not imply an aggravation of relations.

Soon, Saxony joined the negotiations with Russia, claiming the part of the Baltic that belongs to Sweden. It is curious that the Saxon ambassador brought to Moscow the text of the treaty, previously signed by King Augustus II. The treaty provided for the recognition of Russia's historical rights to the lands seized by Sweden during the Time of Troubles. The offer for the Russian monarch was extremely tempting. After consulting with the Danes, Peter signed this treaty, after which the allies began to prepare for war.

In July 1699, an embassy from Sweden arrived in Moscow to confirm the Treaty of Cardis, concluded in 1661. Peter in every possible way delayed the decision, urgently leaving "for urgent state affairs" in Voronezh, but in the fall he was forced to confirm the agreement, assuring the Swedish king of "neighbourly friendship and love." Peter knew in advance that this agreement would soon be violated. At that time, such an attitude towards interstate obligations was not something special, treaties were carried out only until they suited both parties.

The first blow to Sweden was delivered by the Saxon troops, who in February 1700 invaded Livonia, where they immediately took several fortresses and laid siege to Riga. At the end of July, Denmark entered the war (then its territory in Europe was much larger than at present). Danish troops successfully advanced in Holstein and laid siege to Tonningen. The allies clearly did not expect a quick reaction from Sweden. The young Swedish king Charles XII, with the support of England and Holland, blocked Copenhagen with ships from the sea and landing from land, threatening to destroy it if peace was not made on his terms.

Denmark immediately made concessions, already on August 7 (18), 1700, having signed an agreement with Sweden, according to which it recognized the independence of Holstein, renounced the alliance with Russia and undertook to reimburse Sweden for military expenses. And in mid-September, Augustus II withdrew his troops from Riga, although by this time Russia had already declared war on Sweden.

It seems that Peter was clearly in a hurry, overestimating both the capabilities of his allies and his own strength. On August 18, news came to Moscow that a 30-year truce with the Ottoman Empire had been concluded, and the next day war was officially declared on Sweden. The pretext for war was, to put it mildly, unintelligible. Peter referred to the grievances that were caused to him in Riga (then it was the territory of Sweden) during his foreign voyage, as well as to the grievances that the northern neighbor inflicted on Russian subjects at various times.

Peter, by the standards of that time, even acted nobly, did not hit on the sly, but openly announced in advance about the break in relations and the start of hostilities. Soon, the Russian troops, having taken some of the cannons donated by the Swedes, began to advance towards Narva. It was not possible to immediately take the fortress, the siege began. The decisive battle took place on 19 (30) November. Its result is well known - the Russian army suffered a heavy defeat, only the stamina of the Semenovites and Preobrazhensky saved it from complete defeat.

Charles XII did not finish off the Russian army, he was not interested in new lands in Russia, he had a difficult war with Saxony ahead of him. It is difficult to say what was more in this decision - the desire to still settle relations with Peter, or disregard for the Russian monarch and his army, which after the defeat could no longer be taken into account. Before Peter, the exit to the Baltic Sea loomed with his own eyes, so he was no longer going to back down, and he learned the lesson taught by the Swedes firmly and drew the proper conclusions.

Soon, on the banks of the Neva, the axes of carpenters and shipbuilders will rattle, under the lamentations of the monks, many-pood copper bells will fly down from the bell towers to turn into formidable tools, recruitment will begin all over the country, then still volunteers, into a new army, which will surprise Europe with its prowess and courage, and the stems of Russian warships will cut the tight Baltic wave. Ahead were the capture of Narva and Noteburg, the brilliant victories of the Russian fleet in the Baltic, the victory at Lesnaya and the triumph at Poltava, when the standards of the Swedish army, which Europe used to consider invincible, were thrown at the feet of Peter.

No one in 1700 could have imagined that Russia would emerge from this war, which was to last 21 years, as a powerful European power, possessing a modern army and a large navy. For Sweden, a long period of military setbacks and loss of territories will begin, a significant part of which will fall under the rule of the Russian crown.

Strange as it may seem, but the first step towards the greatness of Russia was taken precisely on August 19 (30), 1700, when the young Russian monarch declared war on the mighty northern neighbor.