Significance in the history of Rumyantsev. Literary and historical notes of a young technician

Military encyclopedic lexicon,

vol. XI. SPb., 1856

Rumyantsev-Zadunaisky Petr Alexandrovich - Count, son of General-in-Chief Count Alexander Ivanovich, Field Marshal of the Russian troops and holder of the orders: St. Andrew the First-Called, St. George I degree, St. Alexander Nevsky, St. Vladimir; St. Anne and the Prussian Black Eagle, born in 1725.

Enrolled in the sixth year for military service, he first studied in the village, under the supervision of his parent; in 1736 he was sent to Little Russia, and from there he went, in 1739, to Prussia, where he was assigned to our embassy to acquire necessary knowledge on the diplomatic side.

AT next year, returning to the fatherland, he entered the gentry land corps, but the ardent young man could not obey the monotonous occupations and after four months, having left the corps, he entered active military service.

Rumyantsev rose rapidly: in 1743, he was already a captain and brought from Abo to Empress Elizaveta Petrovna a peace treaty that ended the war with Sweden and brought significant acquisitions to Russia. The empress granted the nineteen-year-old captain directly to the colonels.

In 1748, Rumyantsev participated in the campaign of the Russian auxiliary corps under the command of Prince Repnin in Franconia; in 1757, already in the rank of major general, he was in the army operating against Frederick the Great. This is where the line starts famous exploits our commander: in July of the same year, Tilsit surrendered to him in surrender; in 1758 he was promoted to lieutenant general and appointed commander of a separate corps, about which he defeated the enemy in various skirmishes; in 1759, during the battle of Kunnersdorf, commanding the center of the Russian army, he contributed to the defeat of Frederick the Great together with the Austrian general Laudon and put the enemy cavalry to flight, for which awarded the order St. Alexander Nevsky; after this brilliant victory, the commander-in-chief, Count Saltykov, used Rumyantsev in various negotiations with the Austrian field marshal Daun; in 1761, leading a separate corps of twenty-four thousand, he besieged Kolberg and forced him to surrender on December 5th.

Peter III promoted Rumyantsev in 1762 to general-in-chief and awarded him the Order of St. Anna and St. Andrew the First-Called. After the end of the war with Prussia, Peter III decided to return from Denmark his hereditary property - Holstein. Rumyantsev was elected commander-in-chief of the army destined for the execution of this plan; but at the very time when he was preparing to start hostilities, the emperor suddenly died, and his wife rose to the throne of All Russia, Great Catherine; she immediately canceled the intended trip.

In 1764, the Empress entrusted Count Pyotr Aleksandrovich with the administration of Little Russia, naming him president of the collegium there, chief commander of the Little Russian and Zaporozhye Cossacks, and head of the Ukrainian division.

The conqueror of Kolberg justified the confidence of the wise monarch: Little Russia prospered under his rule; he destroyed the abuses that had crept into the public places; with strict justice, he destroyed the fear and distrust that the inhabitants of that region had for the Great Russian troops, and delivered various benefits to the people subject to him and the right to be guided in civil matters by the statute of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.

At the beginning of the war with the Ottoman Porte, Catherine called Rumyantsev to lead the 2nd active army, entrusting the 1st Prince Golitsyn.

As soon as Rumyantsev learned about Golitsyn's retreat from Khotin to the left bank of the Dniester, he immediately crossed the Dnieper in order to entertain the forces of the numerous enemy marching from behind the Danube under the leadership of the supreme vizier.

The empress, dissatisfied with Golitsyn's slowness and not knowing that he had meanwhile succeeded in defeating the Turks and capturing Khotin in Iasi, replaced him with Rumyantsev. On September 16, 1769, he took command of the 1st Army and soon cleared Wallachia of the enemy. Neither winter nor pestilence weakened the courage of the Russians: in 1770 they captured Zhurzha and defeated the Muslims at all points; On June 17, Rumyantsev put to flight a 20,000-strong Turkish corps near the Ryaba Mogila, and on July 7 he won a complete victory across the Larga River. The Empress awarded him the Order of George I degree.

But all these victories were only a harbinger of the Cahul triumph. On July 21, thunder struck on the shores of Lake Cahul, and its rumble was heard at all ends of Europe, elevating Rumyantsev to the ranks of the first commanders of the 18th century. 17 thousand Russians utterly defeated 150 thousand infidels. The rank of Field Marshal was the reward of this famous feat.

In 1771, the victorious Russian eagles for the first time appeared beyond the Danube; our troops cleared both banks of this majestic river from the Turks and occupied Izmail, Kiliya, Bendery, Akkerman and Brailov.

In 1772, peace negotiations were opened in Focsani and Bucharest, but ended without the desired success. In 1773, Weisman, Potemkin and Suvorov fought the enemy in various places with new glory for Russian weapons.

Meanwhile, Rumyantsev besieged Silistria, repeatedly defeated numerous enemies and scattered their camp, but could not take possession of the fortress, having only 23 thousand people under arms, exhausted by labors and incessant battles. The attempt to conquer Varna also failed, and Rumyantsev withdrew the army to the left bank of the Danube. The following year, the theater of war was again transferred to Bulgaria. The vizier withdrew more than 150 thousand troops against 30 thousand Russians, but, avoiding pitched battle, located his camp on the heights near Shumla. The Cahul hero with part of his army went around the Turkish camp and cut off the vizier's communication with Adrianople. The Turks were horrified, refused to obey their superiors, and the vizier, seeing the inevitable death of his troops, agreed to peace.

All the conditions proposed by Rumyantsev were accepted under the Kuchuk-Kainarji Treaty, concluded on July 10. Russia received Azov with its region, was given free navigation on the Black Sea and through the Dardanelles, and, in addition, many other benefits and 4 million 500 thousand rubles for military expenses.

Great were the merits rendered to the Fatherland by Rumyantsev, but the awards he received from the just empress were no less brilliant. On July 10, 1775, on the day of the triumph of peace, the Empress granted Count Peter Alexandrovich the name of Zadunaisky, a letter describing his victories, a field marshal's baton, laurel and olive wreaths adorned with diamonds, and the same cross and star of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called; gave a village in Belarus worth 5,000 souls, 100,000 rubles from the office to build a house, a silver table service and paintings for decorating rooms.

Not limited to these bounties, Catherine, wanting to distinguish Rumyantsev from Golitsyn, who was higher in seniority on the list of field marshals, wrote with her own hand before his title "master"; she also wanted the Count of Transdanubia, following the example of Roman heroes, to enter the capital through triumphal gate in a chariot, but the modest winner refused this celebration.

Having brilliantly ended the war with the Porte, Rumyantsev again took control of Little Russia. In 1776, he was summoned to Petersburg to accompany the Tsarevich to Prussia, who was traveling there on the occasion of his intended marriage to the Princess of Wirtemberg, the niece of Frederick the Great. The king showered the field marshal with expressions of respect: he ordered his military headquarters to come to him with respect and congratulations; assigned him the Order of the Black Eagle and gathered the entire garrison in Potsdam, presented an exemplary battle of Cahul, and he personally led.

Returning to the fatherland, Count Peter Alexandrovich again took control of Little Russia. The empress continued to shower him with favors: she built an obelisk in Tsarskoe Selo in his honor; in 1784 she was granted a lieutenant colonel of the horse guard, and in 1787 she was named commander in chief Ukrainian army against the Turks.

One of the most difficult tasks fell to the share of Rumyantsev-Zadunaisky Pyotr Aleksandrovich - in the conditions of dominance in the Russian army of foreigners and admirers of Western European military doctrine, stubbornly fight for the revival and development in Russia of advanced views on military affairs. Petr Alexandrovich Rumyantsev ("Russian Belisarius") became the first great military leader and administrator in Russia in one person.

The son of an associate of Peter I A.I. Rumyantsev as a child was enrolled in the guard, in 1740 he was promoted to officer and during Russian-Swedish war 1741-1743 was in the army with his father. He brought to St. Petersburg the text of the Abos peace treaty of 1743, for which he received the rank of colonel and was appointed commander infantry regiment. During the seven-year war, he successfully commanded a brigade near Gross-Jegersdorf (1757) and a division in the battle of Kunersdorf. Commanding a corps, he led the siege and capture of the Kolberg fortress (1761).

The activities of Rumyantsev as a commander largely determined the development of Russian military art in the 2nd half. XVIII - beginning. 19th century AT European countries in the second half of the XVIII century. the so-called cordon strategy continued to dominate with the linear tactics of the troops. This meant that the commanders distributed the troops in cordons (obstacles) evenly along the entire front line. The troops were maneuvering, the war was going to deplete the enemy's forces. The main points of defense in this case were considered fortresses. On the battlefield, the armies were built in two lines, each of which had three lines: in the center - infantry, on the sides - cavalry, and between them - artillery. Large reserves, regiments in reserve, were not left, since it was believed that their introduction into battle would disrupt the formation and interfere with the movement of the lines. The cordon strategy was born in Germany, and the famous Prussian army of Frederick II the Great followed it.

An integral part of this strategy, and indeed of the whole Prussian military school There was a strict discipline of the soldiers. Troops in literally trained, achieving the iron execution of general orders by officers, officers - by soldiers. The private initiative of officers, and even more so privates, was perceived as a misdemeanor, for which one should be punished. “A soldier should be more afraid of the corporal's stick than of the enemy,” this formula of the enlightened King Frederick II clearly shows what was emphasized in the training and education of troops.

At Petre III, a passionate admirer of Frederick II, in Russia they tried to organize the Russian army according to Prussian principles, which in many respects diverged from the foundations of the Russian regular army. The victories of the Russian army in the Seven Years' War caused the Russian military to be skeptical of the Prussian military school.

General P.A. Rumyantsev began to abandon the cordon doctrine and linear tactics. He was the first to assemble troops into a shock group on a decisive sector of the front. In the field command of the troops, Rumyantsev carried out a reasonable decentralization, trusting the commanders to make their own decisions, encouraging the private initiative of officers and soldiers in achieving victory over the enemy. Rumyantsev's views were shared by most of the prominent Russian military: Orlov, Potemkin and, of course,.

This strategy has produced brilliant results during Russian-Turkish war 1768-1774 The Russian army under the command of Rumyantsev (up to 38 thousand people) in June 1770 defeated the Turks (70 thousand people) at the Ryaba Mogila. And then, she won a brilliant victory at the place where the Larga flows into the Prut. Russia's opponents left about 1,000 dead on the battlefield, while Russian losses amounted to 29 people.

However, the most big win Rumyantsev won at the river. Cahul. With only 27,000 soldiers and 118 guns, he utterly defeated the 150,000 Turkish army with 150 guns. The success of the Russian army was due to the fact that Rumyantsev ignored the rules linear construction. He advanced the main forces to the battlefield in several columns under the cover of forward detachments. This made it possible to strike at the Turks with such force that they did not expect. To repel a possible attack by the Turkish cavalry, the Russians lined up in a special battle formation - a divisional square (a rectangular formation of infantry, artillery was installed in its corners, and cavalry was inside).

For these victories, General Rumyantsev was awarded the Order of St. George, 1st class, and promoted to field marshal. Later, for actions on the river. Danube, he was awarded the title of Count of Transdanubia.

Rumyantsev (Rumyantsev-Zadunaysky) Petr Alexandrovich (January 4 (15), 1725, Stroentsy, Moldova - December 8 (19), 1796, Tashan, Ukraine), count, field marshal general, an outstanding Russian commander and statesman.

Born into an old noble family. His father, general-in-chief Alexander Ivanovich Rumyantsev, was an associate of Peter I, a participant in all major battles Northern war and Persian campaign, later Kazan governor and senator. His mother Maria Andreevna is the granddaughter of A. S. Matveev, in whose family the mother of Peter I, Tsaritsa Natalya Kirillovna, was brought up. The rumor of that time considered Peter Alexandrovich the son of the emperor. The baby's godmother was Catherine I. Pyotr Aleksandrovich was already enlisted in the regiment at the age of six. At home he was taught to read and write foreign languages, and in 1739 he was assigned to the Russian embassy in Berlin, apparently believing that his stay abroad would contribute to his education. Here, the young man, who escaped from under the strict supervision of his father, fully showed his character as an unrestrained spendthrift and rake and was recalled to St. Petersburg to continue his studies in the gentry corps. But, apparently, even in the capital, he so compromised his father with his behavior that he sent him to a distant regiment in Finland.

With the beginning of the Russian-Swedish war of 1741-1743. Rumyantsev took part in the fighting with the rank of captain. The Peace of Abo that followed was signed by his father, who sent his son to the empress with the text of the treaty. To celebrate, Elizaveta Petrovna promoted the eighteen-year-old captain immediately to colonel. An important rank did not, however, moderate his energy, and the rumor about the scandalous adventures of Peter Alexandrovich reached the ears of the empress; she ordered his father to punish his son, which the obedient general did, with his own hand, whipping the eighteen-year-old colonel with rods.

With the beginning of the Seven Years' War, Rumyantsev, already a major general, first played with his actions decisive role in the victory near Gross-Egersdorf, then participated in a campaign in East Prussia, the capture of Tilsit and Koenigsberg, distinguished himself at Kunersdorf, and in 1761 stormed the Kolberg fortress, which was key to the victory over Prussia. But at the moment when Rumyantsev's report on the assault on Kolberg was being printed in the Senate printing house, Empress Elizaveta Petrovna died. Having ascended the throne, Peter III summoned him to St. Petersburg, promoted him to general-in-chief and ordered him to lead the army against Denmark.

In March 1762, Rumyantsev went to Pomerania, where he began to train troops. Here he was caught by the news of the coup in St. Petersburg. Rumyantsev remained faithful to the oath and did not take a new one until he received news of the death of Peter III. Having sworn allegiance to Catherine II, he began to ask for his resignation. However, the empress answered him that he was wrong to believe that the favor was with former emperor will be blamed on him and that, on the contrary, he will be received in accordance with his merits and ranks. Perhaps the fact that his sister Praskovya (1729-1786), the wife of Count Ya. A. Bruce from 1751, was a lady of state and a close friend of Catherine II played a role in this attitude towards Rumyantsev. However, Pyotr Alexandrovich was in no hurry and returned to St. Petersburg only the following year, so that later he would soon again ask for a vacation. At the end of 1764, Rumyantsev was appointed governor-general of Little Russia and president of the Little Russian collegium.

This appointment followed the abolition of the hetmanship and testified to the the highest confidence empress, who provided Rumyantsev with a spacious secret instruction. The main significance of his new mission was the gradual elimination of the remnants of Ukrainian autonomy and the transformation of Little Russia into an ordinary province. Russian Empire. The result of his activities was the disappearance of the traditional administrative division Ukraine, the destruction of traces of the former Cossack "freemen" and the spread of serfdom. Rumyantsev also did a lot to improve the system of collecting state taxes from Ukrainians, postal services and legal proceedings. At the same time, he tried to fight drunkenness and from time to time sought tax benefits for the inhabitants of the region subject to him.

However, the real "finest hour" of Peter Alexandrovich struck with the beginning of the Russian-Turkish war in 1768. True, he spent the first year of the war as commander of the 2nd Army, which was assigned an auxiliary role in the plans of the St. Petersburg strategists. But since he turned out to be more active in this post than A. M. Golitsyn, who commanded the 1st Army, by the beginning of the second campaign, Rumyantsev took his place. Having reorganized and significantly strengthened the army, the general in the spring of 1770 went on the offensive and won a series of brilliant victories, first at the Ryaba Mogila, then at Larga, where the Turks lost about 3 thousand people against a hundred killed Russians and, finally, at the river. Cahul. In the next few months, Rumyantsev's army successfully moved forward, capturing more and more fortresses. And although the war continued for several more years, during which the commander continued to command the Russian troops with the same brilliance, its fate was decided precisely under Larga and Cahul. When, in July 1774, Rumyantsev concluded a peace favorable to Russia, the empress wrote to him that this was "a most famous service ... to us and the fatherland." A year later, during the official celebration in St. Petersburg of the victory over the Turks, Pyotr Alexandrovich received a field marshal's baton, an honorary title - Transdanubian, a star of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called, a laurel wreath and an olive branch, showered with diamonds, and, according to the custom of those times, five thousand souls of peasants.

Returning after the war to his former duties as Little Russian governor-general, Rumyantsev, however, was soon pushed into the background by the appearance of G. A. Potemkin on the Russian political horizon. About twenty subsequent years of the commander's life passed in rivalry with him, and when in 1787 the new war with the Turks, who did not want to be subordinate to the favorite, Rumyantsev was sick. But even after the death of Potemkin, having received in 1794 the appointment of commander of the troops sent to Poland to suppress the uprising of T. Kosciuszko, Rumyantsev could not accept him and led the army only formally, having given the reins of government into the hands of A. V. Suvorov.

As a commander, theoretician and practitioner of military art, Rumyantsev became one of the initiators of the transition from linear tactics to tactics of columns and loose formation. In battle formations, he preferred to use divisional, regimental and battalion squares, he preferred light cavalry to heavy. In his opinion, it was necessary to evenly distribute troops in the theater of operations, he was convinced of the advantage of offensive tactics over defensive ones, great importance attached to the training of troops, their morale. Rumyantsev outlined his views on military affairs in the General Rules and the Rite of Service, which had a significant impact on G. A. Potemkin and A. V. Suvorov.

In 1799, a monument to Rumyantsev was erected on the Field of Mars in St. Petersburg in the form of a low black stele with the inscription: "Rumyantsev's victories." Currently, the monument is located in the Rumyantsev Square on the University Embankment.

Annotation. The article highlights life path, military, military and pedagogical experience Field Marshal P.A. Rumyantsev.

Summary . The article highlights the life way, combat, military and teaching experience of Field Marshal P.A. Rumyantsev.

generals and commanders

FOMIN Valentin Antonovich- Professor of the Department of Humanitarian and Socio-Economic Disciplines of the Military educational and scientific center ground forces « Combined Arms Academy Armed Forces of the Russian Federation", retired colonel, candidate historical sciences, professor, honored worker high school RF

(Moscow. E-mail: [email protected])

the victories of the Russian army gained him world fame

Field Marshal P.A. Rumyantsev

Pyotr Aleksandrovich Rumyantsev was born on January 4 (15), 1725 in Moscow. His father Alexander Ivanovich, one of the closest assistants of Peter I, was a capable military administrator and diplomat. Mother Maria Andreevna was known for her time as well educated. All this largely determined the life path and beliefs of the future commander. From an early age, Alexander was identified as a private in the Life Guards Preobrazhensky Regiment with parental care. When he was 14 years old, his father sent him to Berlin to acquire skills diplomatic service, but soon returned to St. Petersburg for admission to the land cadet corps. In 1740, without waiting for the end of his studies, the young Rumyantsev, at the request, was promoted to ensign. From 1741 he served in Finland under his father already as a captain. In 1743 (with the rank of colonel) he was appointed commander of the Voronezh infantry regiment, in 1748 he participated in the campaign of Russian troops on the Rhine.

He took his first serious steps in the military field during the so-called Seven Years' War *, commanding a brigade, then a division. Rumyantsev especially distinguished himself near Gros-Egersdorf (1757) and Kunesdorf (1759), where Russian troops inflicted a crushing defeat Prussian army Friedrich II. In 1761, at the head of the corps, Rumyantsev successfully led the siege and capture of the Kolberg fortress.

In 1764 he was appointed (without leaving military activities) President of the Little Russian Collegium and Governor-General of Little Russia. However, "the battlefield again called him to feats of arms". With the beginning of the Russian-Turkish war of 1768-1774. the "president-military leader" commanded the 2nd army, and then (1769) led an expedition to take Azov with the subsequent appointment as commander of the 1st army.

For the victory over the Turks at Larga and Cahul P.A. Rumyantsev received a field marshal's baton, and soon an honorary addition to his family name - "Zadunaisky" and an appointment as commander of heavy cavalry.

With the beginning of the next Russian-Turkish war of 1787-1791, again commanding the 2nd army, he came into conflict with the commander-in-chief G.A. Potemkin, "withdrew from the duties of a military leader", for which in 1789 he was recalled from the front "to control Little Russia." Five years later, the "retired field marshal" actively participated in the training of troops sent to Poland to suppress the uprising under the leadership of T. Kosciuszko. The chronology of his military activity is "indicated" by numerous awards: the orders of St. Andrew the First-Called, St. George 1st degree, St. Vladimir 1st degree, St. Alexander Nevsky 1st degree, golden weapons (twice), foreign orders.

Having shown himself to be a skilled leader of troops on the battlefield, a talented educator of subordinates, a gifted administrator and diplomat, Pyotr Alexandrovich gained fame as an interesting, bright personality. Clever by nature, lively, sharp-tongued, deeply educated, courageous, boundlessly energetic, ardent patriot, demanding boss, but easy to communicate with, he inspired deep sympathy with people who came into close contact with him. He developed and deepened this talent good education, extensive reading on both general and purely military issues.

At the same time, Rumyantsev has proven himself to be harsh and demanding, applying even heavy punishments, in the case, of course. Honoring the precepts of Peter I, he sincerely loved the Russian soldier. His subordinates knew this and loved him for his justice. Taking care of the soldier “like Peter's”, he was inexorable towards those whom he convicted of robbing soldiers, and after successful battles, wanting to encourage especially distinguished ones, he sometimes gave out cash awards at his own expense.

Pyotr Alexandrovich knew his veteran soldiers by sight, by last name and first name. However, this is inherent in all great commanders, and their "soldier's sense of brotherhood" was especially warmly perceived by the rank and file. For this, the soldiers loved Peter the Great, Suvorov, Kutuzov. Veterans said about Rumyantsev: "He is a real soldier."

He, as a mentor and educator of his subordinates, got "dashing times". Petrovsky orders in the Russian army, which rallied soldiers and sailors who covered themselves with immortal glory on the battlefield near Poltava, on the Baltic Sea, near Cape Gangut, during the reign of Anna Ioannovna (1730-1740), under which the troops were commanded German generals, were replaced by contempt for the soldier, his robbery, cruel punishments, senseless stupid drill, uncomfortable uniforms. In order to turn a muzzled soldier, a semi-literate officer and a little-skilled general into heroes outstanding in courage and combat skill, other approaches were required in education and combat training. During its 56 years military service Rumyantsev took a rather prominent part in this enormous work. First of all, he developed a "humane system" for the education of troops, striving to develop in every soldier a conscious attitude towards military duty, high moral character. A direct conclusion from this was the formation of initiative, a sense of comradely soldering and mutual support, a strong connection between officer and soldier, "courage in the onslaught and steadfastness in defense"1.

The commander attached particular importance to the education of patriotic feelings of soldiers, believing that "Motherland and Honor come first." Evaluation of a soldier as a conscious defender of the Fatherland, faith in his strength and moral stamina were the basis on which the military system P.A. Rumyantsev. In this, the commander directly continued the traditions of Peter I. “If the position of a military man in the state is considered to be restless, difficult and dangerous in comparison with other people,” noted in the “Instructions for company commanders,” then at the same time it differs from them in undeniable honor and glory, for a warrior overcomes often unbearable labors and, not sparing his life, provides for fellow citizens, protects them from enemies, defends the fatherland.

The instruction, based on the "Rite of Life", demanded respect for the rank and file, increasing their feelings dignity. Concern for the soldier, his physical health, domestic improvement, hospital care was put forward as the first duty of the commander. In all this sound motives that have received further development in the activities of Suvorov, who, not without reason, called Rumyantsev his teacher.

An important point in military education Rumyantsev considered the all-round development of the soldiers conscious attitude to his duties and "always tried to arouse in his subordinates" pride in the "honorary title of a warrior", "noble competition" and self-esteem3.

Another direction of strengthening the military prowess of the soldiers was the widespread cultivation of the combat traditions of each military unit, its military past. “It is necessary to inspire a soldier with love and affection for the regiment in which he serves,” it was indicated in the “Instructions for company commanders,” “by explaining to him the history of the regiment, so that each honor deserved by the regiment would be transferred to himself.” And this meant that initiative, sharpness, endurance and all other qualities of a brave and staunch warrior must be “introduced” into the actions of each soldier.

Rumyantsev attached paramount importance to strengthening discipline in the army. He said that the soul of the service is discipline, and its foundation is education. In the system of education of discipline, he skillfully combined the methods of persuasion and coercion. In addition, he demanded to unquestioningly comply with all orders and orders of commanders and superiors. “In particular, it is necessary for everyone to interpret how necessary order and order are, and that these victories are also obtained, as well as courage, but courage alone does not serve anything without them.” The advantage of this method of education was obvious. If the soldiers, in accordance with the Rumyantsev system, have ambition and "keep their formation unshakable", then no "superior forces" will overcome them, and nothing will stand against them.

Rumyantsev believed that military discipline, which he called the soul of service, must be preserved "in the highest degree". In his orders, the field marshal repeatedly pointed out that “all successes depend on good order, obedience and equal service... and thus the mutual trust between the commander and the army and the peace of these are affirmed”4. Without abandoning the use physical punishment, he established individual responsibility for committed misconduct, while trying to reduce punishment for violations of discipline to a minimum: “Punishments must be made for each fault, analyzing it”; “For marching and for receptions, do not beat at all, but show how they should be done”; “The sloven, the drunkard, must be punished, but it must be observed that the punishment does not turn into cruelty”; “You can’t correct a person with this, but only send him to the infirmary”5. Demanding from the officers respect for the soldier and constant communication with the soldier mass, the field marshal strengthened the army by “mutual bond of love and obedience” between the command and rank and file and the education of the consciousness of the soldiers, with whom conversations were systematically held “about service, about obedience, about commitment to the sovereign and to the fatherland, about the preservation of the oath and allegiance”6. His concern for the soldiers was manifested in "facilitating their service", the introduction of comfortable uniforms, the reduction of corporal punishment, which strengthened discipline.

Although Rumyantsev was not as close to the soldiers as his students Suvorov and Kutuzov did, nevertheless, we repeat, he was very popular in the army, and his personal influence on the soldier masses was enormous. It is no coincidence that, according to some reports, the rank and file enthusiastically greeted him after the victory at Cahul with his own words: “You are a direct soldier”, “You are a true comrade”7.

Of great importance in the education of the troops and in increasing their combat effectiveness was the desire of Rumyantsev to weaken the contradictions between the "officers" and the soldiers, recruited from different classes.

As for Peter I, for Rumyantsev, the Russian soldier was not a dumb automaton, designed under threat. cruel punishments only to carry out the orders of the authorities, but as a representative of the Russian people, called to the great and honorable cause of defending the Fatherland, full of readiness to lay down his head on the battlefield. He considered the soldier as his comrade-in-arms, on whose valor success in battle entirely depends. A similar attitude was demanded by the officers. "Instruction to company commanders" charged them with the duty to know all the soldiers of their unit in person, by name and surname, their marital status and the most pressing needs, to constantly take care of the "soldier's well-being."<…>

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NOTES

1 Korobkov N.A. Field Marshal P.A. Rumyantsev-Zadunaisky. M.: Ogiz, 1944. S. 20.

2 Ibid. pp. 21, 22.

3 “Anecdotes explaining the spirit of Field Marshal Count P.A. Rumyantsev-Zadunaisky. SPb., 1811. S. 22.

4 Military collection. 1871. Book. 11. p. 3.

5 Klokman Yu.R. Field Marshal Rumyantsev during the Russian-Turkish war of 1768-1774. M., 1954. S. 171.

6 Field Marshal Rumyantsev (1725-1796). Sat. documents and materials. M.: Ogiz, 1947. S. 12, 13.

7 “Anecdotes explaining the spirit of Field Marshal Count P.A. Rumyantsev-Zadunaisky. S. 22.

(Peter Alexandrovich) - Count, Field Marshal (1725-1796). His teacher, when he lived with his father in Little Russia, was a local teacher Timofei Mikhailovich Senyutovich, who took a course first in the Chernigov "collegium", and then studied "in foreign lands different languages". In 1740, we meet Rumyantsev already abroad, in Berlin, where he not only studied, but led a wild and violent life. Rumyantsev gained fame in the seven-year war. He commanded the cavalry in the battle of Gross-Jegersdorf and decided the matter; accepted participation in the campaign of 1758; participated in the Battle of Kunersdorf, forced Kolberg to surrender and with his success aroused the envy of Field Marshal A. B. Buturlin. Under Peter III, Rumyantsev enjoyed a special favor with the emperor. When Empress Catherine II came to the throne, Rumyantsev, suggesting that his career was over, he submitted a letter of resignation. Catherine kept him in the service, and in 1764, after dismissing Hetman Razumovsky, she appointed him governor-general of Little Russia, giving him extensive instructions, according to which Rumyantsev was to contribute to a closer connection of Little Russia with Russia in relation to the administrative In 1765, Rumyantsev arrived in Little Russia and, having traveled around it, proposed Little Russian Collegium to make a "general inventory" of Little Russia. This is how the famous Rumyantsev inventory arose (see). In 1767, a commission was convened in Moscow to draw up a code. Various classes of the Little Russian people also had to send their representatives to it. The policy of Catherine II, which was pursued by Rumyantsev, made us fear that requests could be made to the commission for the preservation of Little Russian privileges; therefore, Rumyantsev carefully monitored the elections and the drafting of orders, intervened in them and demanded harsh measures, as was the case, for example, when choosing a deputy from the gentry in the city of Nizhyn. In 1768, when the Turkish war broke out, Rumyantsev was appointed commander of the second army, which was called only to protect the Russian borders from raids. Crimean Tatars. But soon Empress Catherine, dissatisfied with the slowness of Prince A. M. Golitsyn (see), who commanded the 1st active army, and not knowing that he had already managed to defeat the Turks and capture Khotyn and Yassy, ​​appointed Rumyantsev in his place. Despite his relatively weak forces and lack of food, Rumyantsev decided to act offensively. The first decisive battle took place on July 7, 1770 at Larga (see), where Rumyantsev with a 25,000-strong army defeated an 80,000-strong Turkish-Tatar corps. Rumyantsev’s name was even more glorified by the victory he won on July 21 over ten times the strongest enemy at Cahul (see) and elevated Rumyantsev to the ranks of the first commanders of the 18th century. After this victory, Rumyantsev followed on the heels of the enemy and successively occupied Izmail, Kiliya, Akkerman, Brailov, Isakcha, Bendery. In 1771, Rumyantsev transferred hostilities to the Danube, and in 1773, having ordered Saltykov to besiege Ruschuk and sent Kamensky and Suvorov to Shumla, he himself besieged Silistria, but, despite repeated private victories, he could not capture this fortress, just as like Varna, as a result of which he led the army to the left bank of the Danube. In 1774, Rumyantsev, with a 50,000th army, opposed a 150,000th Turkish army, which, avoiding battle, concentrated on the heights near Shumla. Rumyantsev, with part of his army, bypassed the Turkish camp and cut off the vizier's communication with Adrianople, which caused such a panic in the Turkish army that the vizier accepted everything peaceful conditions. Thus was concluded the Kyuchuk-Kainarji peace (see), which brought the field marshal's baton to Rumyantsev, the name of the Transdanubian and other awards. The Empress immortalized Rumyantsev's victories with obelisk monuments in Tsarskoye Selo and in St. Petersburg. and offered Rumyantsev "to enter Moscow in a triumphal chariot through the solemn gates," but he refused. After the Turkish war, Rumyantsev again returned to Little Russia and prepared the gradual introduction of all-Russian orders in it, which happened in 1782, with the extension of the institution of provinces to Little Russia. Rumyantsev's stay in Little Russia contributed to the combination in his hands of enormous land wealth, which was partly acquired by purchase, partly by grant. He died in the village and alone.

See Sakovich, "Historical review of the activities of Count Rumyantsev from 1775 to 1780"; D. Maslovsky, "Largo-Cahul operation of Count P. A. Rumyantsev" (materials for the biography of Count P. A. Rumyantsev-Zadunaisky, "Kyiv Starina", 1895, v. 48); A. M. Lazarevsky, "On the occasion of a hundred years from the death of Count P. A. Rumyantsev" ("Kyiv Starina", 1896, v. 55). Wed Turkish wars Russia.

In 1811 an anonymous collection of "jokes explaining the spirit of Field Marshal Rumyantsev" was published. It provides evidence that famous commander vividly felt all the horrors of war. The same traits of Rumyantsev were also testified by Derzhavin in the stanza of the ode "Waterfall" related to Rumyantsev:

Blessed when seeking glory
He kept the common good
Was merciful in the bloody war
And he spared the very lives of his enemies;
Blessed in later ages
May this friend of men be.