Commander Ermolov. General Alexey Ermolov and the (non)conquest of the Caucasus

A little about characteristic properties Chechen ethnic group. Notes of Alexei Petrovich Ermolov during the administration of Georgia. How General Ermolov weaned the Chechens from selling hostages.

“Downstream of the Terek live the Chechens, the most evil of the robbers who attack the line. Their society is very sparsely populated, but has increased enormously in the last few years, because the villains of all other peoples who leave their land for some crime were received in a friendly manner. Here they were found accomplices, immediately ready to either avenge them or participate in robberies, and they served as their faithful guides in lands unfamiliar to them. Chechnya can rightly be called the nest of all robbers.

Its management is divided from clan to clan between several families, which are revered by elders. Those with the strongest connections and rich people are more respected.

In public affairs, but more in cases of an acceptable attack or theft, they gather together for advice; but since they all consider themselves equal, a few opposing voices destroy enterprises, even if they could be useful to society, especially if these voices were cast by one of the strong people.

The population in Chechnya, with the addition of the Kachkalyk society, is estimated to be more than 6,000 families. The land does not correspond in space to the number of inhabitants, or is overgrown with impenetrable forests and is insufficient for arable farming, which is why there are many people who do not engage in any labor and earn their livelihood by mere robbery..."

It is absolutely clear why the current Chechens disliked General A.P. Ermolov so much. The general historically noticed and emphasized the inability of this ethno-people to create. And then even the Russians and Cossacks built roads there... not especially for them, of course... the war with Persia began...

How General Ermolov weaned the Chechens from selling hostages.

During the appointment of General Yermolov as governor of the Caucasus, an incident occurred that shook the Chechens’ confidence in the benefits of the hostage trade.

On the road from Khaziyurt to Kizlyar, Major Shvetsov was kidnapped. The Chechens, not understanding the differences between officers, mistook the major for a person of special national importance. And to celebrate, they demanded a ransom from his relatives - ten arb of silver coins. Russian government I just didn’t know how to react to such an exorbitant price! And there was nowhere to get this amount from. Then Shvetsov’s colleagues announced a collection of donations throughout the country to ransom him from captivity.

While the Russians were collecting money, Ermolov appeared in the North Caucasus. And the first thing he did was to forbid paying a ransom for Shvetsov.

And instead of paying, he ordered all the Kumyk princes and owners through whose lands the Russian officer was transported to be imprisoned in the fortress, and announced that if they did not find a way to free him, he would hang them all.

The arrested princes immediately agreed to reduce the ransom to 10 thousand rubles.

But Ermolov again refused to pay.

Then, very opportunely, the Avar Khan appeared (at the general’s secret request) and ransomed the prisoner.

The general grasped the peculiarities of the national mentality instantly. If you pay money to the local population, it means you are afraid, you are paying off. And therefore Ermolov called for following the logic of the enemy: “I want my name to guard our borders with fear stronger than chains and fortifications, so that my word will be a law for Asians, or rather, inevitable death.

Condescension in the eyes of an Asian is a sign of weakness, and out of love for humanity I am strict and inexorable. One execution will save hundreds of Russians from death and thousands of Muslims from treason." The general used to back up his words with deeds. So the kidnapping of high-ranking officials and wealthy merchants was temporarily erased from the list of "profitables."

By the spring of 1818, the headquarters of General Ermolov, proconsul of the Caucasus (then Khloponin) was inundated with reports of bloody atrocities committed by the Chechens in Cossack lands. The scale of the raids became more and more threatening; Yermolov’s deputy even ordered the removal of all posts along the Terek, due to their uselessness and the danger of being cut out themselves. The situation was deplorable, the residents of the villages were afraid to leave the gates, they moved between the villages accompanied by a military patrol, once a day, and then only after a preliminary inspection of the road. The Chechens attacked suddenly from wolf ambushes, carried out massacres, stole livestock, grabbed women and children, destroyed and burned villages. This state of affairs required certain decisions and actions, and they were not long in coming. Ermolov decided to act tough, he understood that the so-called “peaceful Chechens” living in the nearest villages near Terek are the main suppliers of information about movements Russian troops . It was in these “peaceful” villages that the robbers set up their bases, prepared for raids, and brought loot and prisoners here. Having reported to the top about the state of affairs and the bloody attacks being carried out, having approved his plan of “pacification” with Emperor Alexander I, the proconsul began to act. Strict demands were made on the residents of the villages; in particular, in the appeals to the Chechens it was said: “In case of theft, the villages are obliged to extradite the thief. If the thief escapes, hand over his family. If the village residents give the criminal’s family the opportunity to escape, then they are obliged to hand over his closest relatives. If your relatives are not handed over, your villages will be destroyed and burned, your families will be sold to the mountains, your prisoners will be hanged.” The proconsul also summoned the elders of the villages and announced to them that if even one detachment of bandit animals was allowed through their lands, the entire population of their villages would be driven into the mountains, where they would be destroyed by pestilence and famine, all those taken prisoner would be hanged: “Better from the Terek to the Sunzha I will leave the scorched, deserted steppes, rather than suffer robberies and robberies in the rear of Russian fortifications. Choose either - submission or terrible extermination,” the general told them in conclusion. Then, following the planned plan, the troops were transported across the Terek and on June 10, 1818, a six-bastion citadel was solemnly founded, which received the telling name Grozny. The next goal of the Yermolov pacification plan was to clear the territory adjacent to the Terek from hostile population. Knowing the mentality of the locals, the proconsul understood that peaceful evacuation would not work; this could only be achieved by force “by example of horror.” To carry out a demonstrative punitive action, the village of Dady-Yurt, a gangster den of all the surrounding abreks, was chosen. On September 15, 1819, at dawn, Russian troops under the command of the marching ataman General Sysoev settled down near Dada-Yurt. The ataman's detachment consisted of 5 companies of Kabardian infantrymen, a company of the Trinity Regiment, 700 Cossacks and five guns. The residents of the village were presented with an ultimatum; they were asked to voluntarily leave the village and go after Sunzha. But the residents, considering the ultimatum an empty threat, rejected it and prepared to defend the village. A desperate, bloody battle began, one of the first brutal battles of Russian troops in the Caucasus. Each yard in the village was surrounded by a stone fence, which had to be shot from cannons, dragging the guns by hand to each house under hurricane fire from the Chechens, who were shooting almost point-blank. Soldiers rushed into the gaps made by the cannons and a brutal and bloody hand-to-hand fight began. The soldiers had nowhere to retreat; the Chechens fought for their families. Desperate bitterness grew with every second of the bloody battle, but the pressure of the Russian army could not be stopped. The Chechens, realizing that they could not defend the village, stabbed their wives and children to death in front of the attackers and rushed into battle. Losses on both sides quickly grew, and dismounted Cossacks entered the battle. The assault on the village lasted several hours and ended only after the complete extermination of all the defenders of the village. Of the living inhabitants of Dada-Yurt, only 140 women and children and several seriously wounded men remained. The village was burned and completely destroyed by artillery fire. The total losses of the Russian troops amounted to a quarter of their original strength, and General Sysoev himself was wounded. The destruction of Dada-yurt forced the residents of the remaining villages to send their families to the mountains. And the next village, Isti-Su, was taken by Russian troops in just thirty minutes, without much resistance in a bayonet attack. Only in the village mosque did a fierce battle take place with a group of religious fanatics who refused to surrender; all of them were killed in a bayonet fight. Then the villages of Nain-Berdy and Allayar-aul were taken without any problems, but the next village of Khosh-Geldy greeted Yermolov with bread and salt and was forgiven. The remaining villages were abandoned by locals. Robberies and robberies temporarily stopped. Such a cruel attitude of the Russian proconsul towards the Chechen villages led to an explosion of rage and the spread of muridism throughout the North Caucasus. But we must understand that such actions of Ermolov were based not on a barbaric attitude towards the Chechens, but on bitter experience negotiation processes, placating the mountaineers, which never led to constructive results. Although this practice of bloody cleansing did not produce significant results in establishing good neighborly relations. After the resignation of Proconsul Ermolov, his successors tried many more techniques, methods and means to establish peace in the Caucasus. But even non-supporters of Yermolov’s methods had to turn to them again and again, using the general’s legacy to pacify the wild mountaineers.

Portrait of A.P. Ermolov. Hood. D. Doe. 1825

Ermolov Alexey Petrovich - Russian general, hero of the Patriotic War of 1812, one of the most famous Russian military leaders. It is very popular and famous person of its time.

He was born in 1777, in the family of a poor landowner, in the Oryol province. Mother is the aunt of known partisan Denis Davydov. Alexey Petrovich received his education at Moscow University.

In 1794 it began military career. Soon Alexey received his first award - the Order of George, 4th degree, from the hands of Suvorov himself. Paul I ascended the throne, and Ermolov’s career was cut short. Based on a false report, he was imprisoned in the Peter and Paul Fortress.

After some time, the emperor said that he forgives the prisoner. Alexey will ask why he forgives him, and why he put him in prison? The ambitious Paul I could not tolerate such insolence and sent Ermolov to Kostroma, into exile. After the death of Paul, the disgraced warrior returned to service. Alexey is given command of a horse artillery company.

In 1805, his company became part of the army of Mikhail Kutuzov, who highly appreciated the actions of Ermolov and his soldiers in foreign campaigns. The Yermolovites were distinguished by their courage and masculinity. But, despite his successes, Alexey Angdreevich received neither titles nor awards. The difficult relationship with Arakcheev took its toll.

In the battles near Austerlitz, Ermolov still earned the rank of colonel in the Russian army. He performs well in the foreign campaigns of the Russian army. In the battles of Peterswald, Gudstadt, Heilsberg and Friedland, Alexey was in the very center of the fighting. He was wounded but survived. For his fearlessness he was nominated to several orders. But he never received the rank of major general, which the young officer so strived for. Again, difficulties in relations with Arakcheev affected.

Ermolov asked to resign, but Emperor Alexander I himself did not let the young and brave officer leave the army. In 1808, he finally received the rank and was appointed commander of the reserve troops. The young soul of the officer demands the romance of war, and the general asks to be transferred to the Caucasus or Turkey, where there is trouble. My request was refused.

In 1812, he was appointed chief of staff of the 1st Western Army. Ermolov did a lot for the successful formation of the 1st and 2nd Russian armies near Smolensk, and was the organizer of its defense. After the retreat, he fought very successfully with the French at Lubin. When Kutuzov led the army, Ermolov remained idle for some time. At the most crucial moment of the Battle of Borodino, when the left flank of the Russian defense was thinning and the French took the central battery of Russian troops, Kutuzov sent Alexei Petrovich to help. Ermolov quickly assessed the situation and regained our positions in a counterattack. He also showed himself excellently in the battles near Maloyaroslavets, preventing Napoleon from leaving for the grain-producing regions.

In 1813 he commanded the grenadier corps during the capture of Paris. In 1817, he was sent to the Caucasus, where the general concentrated military and civil power in his hands. For many years, Alexey Petrovich Ermolov ruled the Russian Caucasus with a firm and skillful hand. Conducted a number of major military operations in Chechnya, Dagestan, and Kuban. Thanks to him, the following lands were annexed to Russia: Abkhazia, Karabakh and Shirvan khanates. Ruling the Caucasus, he surrounded himself with smart and educated people. Under him, the Caucasian lands began to develop.

Russian statesman and military leader. General of infantry (1818) and artillery (1837). Participant in the Caucasian War.

Family, education and the beginning of a military career

Born on May 24 (June 4 according to modern style) 1777 in Moscow. A.P. Ermolov came from an old but poor noble family. His father, Pyotr Alekseevich Ermolov (1747–1832), was the owner of a small estate of 150 peasants in the Mtsensk district of the Oryol province.

A.P. Ermolov was educated at home and at the Noble boarding school at Moscow University.

At the age of 10, A.P. Ermolov was enrolled in the Preobrazhensky Regiment. Since 1792, it began to operate military service with the rank of captain.

In 1794, A.P. Ermolov took part in the war against Poland and was awarded the Order of St. George, 4th degree, by A.V. Suvorov.

In 1796, A.P. Ermolov took part in the Persian campaign of V. Zubov’s army, and was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir, 4th degree, and the rank of lieutenant colonel for valor during the storming of Derbent.

In 1798, A.P. Ermolov’s military career was unexpectedly interrupted: for participating in the officer’s political circle “Freethinkers,” he was imprisoned in the Peter and Paul Fortress, and then exiled “to eternal life” in Kostroma. In 1801, after the assassination of Emperor Paul I, A.P. Ermolov, among many, was forgiven and continued to serve, but was disliked by many influential persons for his “insolence” and independence.

Napoleonic Wars

In June 1801, A.P. Ermolov was appointed commander of a horse artillery company.

In 1805 - 1807 he participated in the wars of the Third and Fourth Coalitions with France, and was at Austerlitz. In 1808 he was promoted to major general.

During the Patriotic War of 1812, A.P. Ermolov was the chief of staff of the 1st Western Army, played significant role in the battles of Valutina Gora, Borodino and Maloyaroslavets; near Borodino he personally led troops into the attack. After the Battle of Borodino, he was chief of staff of the united armies and played a prominent role in the battle of Maloyaroslavets, where he gave orders on behalf of the commander-in-chief. Having advanced Dokhturov's corps onto the Kaluga road, Ermolov blocked the path of Napoleon's army and fought all day until the main forces arrived. Napoleon was forced to retreat along the devastated Smolensk road.

After the Russian army crossed the Neman, Ermolov headed the artillery of the allied armies, and from April 1813 he commanded various formations.

In 1813-1814 he skillfully acted in the battle of Bautzen, covered himself with glory in the battle of Kulm, led the grenadier corps in the battles for Paris, and was awarded the Order of St. George, 2nd degree.

Activities of A.P. Ermolova in the Caucasus

In 1816, Alexey Petrovich Ermolov was appointed commander of the Separate Georgian (from 1820 - Caucasian) corps, managing the civil part in Georgia, Astrakhan and Caucasus provinces, and ambassador extraordinary to Persia.

A. Ermolov believed that it was impossible to establish lasting peace with the inhabitants of the Caucasus due to their historically developed psychology, tribal fragmentation and established relations with the Russians. As Ermolov wrote, “Leniency in the eyes of Asians is a sign of weakness, and out of love for humanity I am strict and inexorable. One execution will save hundreds of Russians from death and thousands of Muslims from treason.” By order, Ermolov ordered that “those caught in robbery should be hanged at the scene of the crime,” and that the residents of those villages where the robbers used to hide should announce that “the homes of their accomplices will be destroyed to the ground.”

A. Ermolov developed a consistent and systematic plan of offensive action, which provided for the creation of a base and organization of bridgeheads at the first stage, and only then the start of phased but decisive offensive operations.

General Ermolov re-created the fortified Caucasian line as a support for a systematic offensive on the territory of the mountain peoples of the Caucasus. In 1818, the Grozny fortress (now the city of Grozny) was founded, then a chain of other fortresses along the Sunzha, Terek, and Kuban rivers, where Cossacks were settled and regular troops were stationed. Roads were laid, clearings were cut in the forests. The construction of fortresses and roads was carried out not only by Russian soldiers: for this work, the local population was also rounded up in droves, for whom the construction of a fortified line was a heavy duty.

Ermolov began with the conquest and “pacification” of Chechnya and Mountainous Dagestan. It was carried out using harsh military-colonial methods. Rebellious villages were burned, gardens were cut down, cattle were stolen, conquered peoples were sworn to allegiance to the Russian Emperor, were subject to tribute, hostages were taken from them ("amanates"). Ermolov punished not only the “robbers” and those mountaineers who cover for them, but also those who do not fight them.

The name of Alexei Ermolov became a household name; the mountaineers used it to scare their children. Back in the 40s of the 19th century, Avar and Chechen residents could tell the Russian generals: “You have always destroyed our property, burned villages and intercepted our people!”

At the beginning of 1818, the peoples of Dagestan rebelled. It was joined by the Avar, Kazikumyk khanates, the possessions of the Mehtulinsky, Karakaydak, Tabasaran and free Akushinsky society. Acting decisively, Ermolov defeated the Mehtulin Khanate in the winter of 1818, and in 1819 General V. G. Madatov conquered Tabasaran and the entire Karakaydag. Using decisive measures, Ermolov suppressed protests in 1819–1820 by the local secular and church nobility in Imereti, Guria and Mingrelia.

In 1818, A. Ermolov was promoted to infantry general.

In 1822, Ermolov launched an attack on Kabarda, while simultaneously creating a line of fortresses in this region.
Ermolov's policy was aimed at destroying the traditional mountain lifestyle and introducing Russian customs. In 1822, the Sharia courts (mekhkeme), which had been operating in Kabarda since 1806, were dissolved. Instead of them, a Temporary Court was established in Nalchik civil cases under the full control of Russian officials. Concentrated efforts were made to include the upper strata of mountain society into the class of Russian nobility.

While pursuing a brutal policy of suppressing the resistance of local tribes, Ermolov at the same time encouraged the development of trade and industry in the Caucasus. He improved the Georgian Military Road, under him medical institutions on mineral waters were created, Pyatigorsk was founded, and the city of Kislovodsk grew from the Kisloy fortress.

In 1827, General A. Ermolov was recalled by Nicholas I and sent into retirement due to suspicion of sympathy for the Decembrists. Ermolov knew about the existence of secret Decembrist organizations, and his closeness with many of those who took part in the 1825 uprising was well known.

Later life

A.P. Ermolov spent the subsequent years of his life mainly in Moscow and Orel. In 1831 Nicholas I appointed him a member State Council, however, Ermolov avoided participating in council meetings. Subsequently, A.P. Ermolov occasionally went out to inspect troops and attend military reviews.
In 1837 he was awarded the title of artillery general.

After the start Crimean War 1853-1856, the Moscow nobility elected Alexei Ermolov as head of the provincial militia, but for 76-year-old Alexei Petrovich this position was only honorary.
Alexey Petrovich Ermolov died in Moscow on April 11 (23), 1861 and, according to his will, was buried in Orel, next to his father, in the Church of the Trinity Cemetery.

Modern assessments of A. Ermolov’s activities in the Caucasus

Modern assessments of A. Ermolov’s activities in the Caucasus are extremely contradictory.
The perception of Yermolov by residents of the Caucasian republics is, for the most part, sharply negative. He is called a "bloody general", an executioner, a punisher, and is even accused of organizing the genocide of the Caucasian peoples.

In October 2008, a monument to General Ermolov was erected in Mineralnye Vody, Stavropol Territory. It causes a mixed reaction among representatives of various nationalities of the Stavropol Territory and the entire North Caucasus. On October 22, 2011, unknown persons desecrated the monument.

Historians have differing views on the consequences of Ermolov’s policies.

Supporters of the Russian imperial interpretation of the events of the Caucasian War emphasize, first of all, the achievements of the Ermolov administration in the Caucasus: the construction of roads, bases, fortresses, on the site of which cities later arose. Ermolov attracted to Russian public service Chechens, Avars, Kumyks. He encouraged the development of trade and industry in the Caucasus. Punitive raids are explained by the need to combat highlander raids and the slave trade).

Even if we look at the policy of “appeasement” pursued by Ermolov from an imperial perspective, it can only be called successful in the short term. Strategically, it was precisely this that led in many ways to an increase in the intensity of armed confrontation in the Caucasus and, in particular, to the growth of radical Islamism.
Carrying out a brutal policy of “pacification” through mass indiscriminate repression, Ermolov turned the entire mountain society against himself.

His policy of integrating the mountain nobility into the Russian nobility, instead of the expected increase in the loyalty of Caucasian society, led to a noticeable extent to the discrediting of the former mountain elite, creating a power vacuum.

Religious figures who called for an armed struggle for the establishment of Sharia and the rejection of the power of the “infidels” and the local rulers who recognized it began to receive increasing support among the people, taking the place old elite- partially destroyed, partially discredited by cooperation with the Russians. A religious movement arose, later called “Muridism,” which later led to the formation of the Imamate. After Yermolov’s recall Caucasian War flared up with new strength, and radical Islam has survived in the Caucasus to this day.

Sources:

Introductory article to the publication "Notes of A.P. Ermolov. 1798–1826." / Comp., prepared. text, intro. Art., comment. V. A. Fedorova. - M.: Higher. school, 1991.
Zalessky K.A. Napoleonic Wars 1799-1815. Biographical encyclopedic dictionary, Moscow, 2003.
Danilov A.A. Reference materials on the history of Russia of the 9th - 19th centuries.
Maria Pozdnyakova. Terrible Yarmul: how General Ermolov developed the Caucasus. - Weekly "Arguments and Facts" No. 1 01/09/2013.
Letter from Avar and Chechen residents to generals Gurko and Kluki von Klugenau about the reasons for opposing Russian tsarism. No later than January 3, 1844 TsGVIA, f. VUA, no. 6563, ll. 4-5. A modern document translation from Arabic. Quote on the site "Oriental Literature".
Kovalevsky N.F. History of the Russian State. Biographies of famous military figures of the 18th - early 20th centuries. M. 1997
Shikman A.P. Figures national history. Biographical reference book. Moscow, 1997
General Ermolov - warrior and creator - "Pyatigorskaya Pravda", No. 71, July 6, 2010.
Dmitry Kartsev. The curse of Ermolov. - Newspaper "Hour" (Latvia), 04/21/2011. Translation on the InoSMI website.
Dmitry Oleynikov. Big war. - Rodina magazine, No. 1, 2000

(1777-1861) Russian commander

In 1812, the Russian army defeated the French Emperor Napoleon, who brought virtually all of Europe under his bayonets. Among the Russian commanders who brought victory to Russia, the name of General Ermolov must be mentioned.

This man enjoyed well-deserved respect and love in the most diverse strata of Russian society. It is no coincidence that A.S. Pushkin wrote to him: “...Your glory belongs to Russia, and you have no right to hide it...”. Great poet persuaded the general to write notes about the wars in which he participated, offered to be their publisher and expressed a desire “to be his historian.”

Alexey Petrovich Ermolov was born in Moscow. His father, Pyotr Alekseevich, belonged to a poor but ancient noble family from the Oryol province. Contemporaries called him “a wonderful old man, smart and stern.” From his father, Alexey inherited a “serious, business-like mind,” and from his mother, Maria Denisovna, née Davydova, “a lively wit and a caustic tongue” - qualities that gave him great fame and at the same time caused a lot of harm.

The customs of that time allowed the children of nobles to enroll in military service almost from the cradle. At the age of 15-17 they were already considered officers. In January 1787, Alexey Petrovich Ermolov was registered as a non-commissioned officer of the Preobrazhensky Life Guards Regiment and the following year he was promoted to sergeant, and in 1791, already having the rank of lieutenant of the guard, he came to St. Petersburg. However, he did not want to serve in the guard; he couldn’t afford it.

In those days, all nobles had to serve as officers in the army for at least some time; failure to do so was considered indecent. Even representatives of noble and wealthy families served in the army as officers “out of honor.” At the same time, they had to support themselves, and service in the guard and some cavalry regiments required much greater expenses than the officer's salary allowed.

Alexey Ermolov really wanted to take part in Russian-Turkish war, which ran from 1787 to 1791. In 1791, already with the rank of captain, since upon transfer to the army the officer received the next rank, Ermolov transferred to the 44th Nizhny Novgorod Dragoon Regiment, which was stationed in Moldova. But by the time he arrived at the regiment, the war had already ended. Nevertheless, Ermolov still made the right decision: here he became acquainted with artillery, which determined his future fate. From then on, all his thoughts were focused only on artillery. This branch of the military was in a special position in the Russian army - in Peter’s Table of Ranks, artillery ranks were listed as a separate column.

Having brilliantly passed the exam required at that time for transfer to artillery, Alexey Petrovich Ermolov was “renamed” artillery captain in August 1793. At the same time, he met Captain A.A. Arakcheev, who served as commander of the “artillery team” of Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich in Gatchina. Their relationship was already difficult at that time, and later this man did a lot of bad things to Ermolov. But this is all in the future.

During the war with Poland on October 19, 1794, being in the vanguard, Ermolov received a military award, which he was always proud of: for excellence in the assault, the 17-year-old captain, on the proposal of A.V. Suvorov himself, was awarded the Order of George, 4th degree. This purely military order was established under Catherine II in 1769 and stood apart among all Russian regalia. He also had his own motto - “For service and courage,” and it was awarded only to officers and only for outstanding military exploits. That's why he was considered the most honorary award in Russia.

Upon returning to St. Petersburg, Alexander Ermolov was appointed to accompany the official F. Wurst, who was going to Italy on diplomatic and financial affairs. During Wurst's stay in Genoa, Ermolov managed to travel almost all of Italy, visiting all of it major cities. He studied monuments of art and antiquity, collected a collection of engravings and bought books, laying the foundation for his library, which later became one of the best in Russia.

In Italy, Ermolov heard about the impending campaign against Persia, immediately returned to St. Petersburg, where he was assigned to Zubov’s corps, and arrived in Kizlyar. For his participation in the siege of Derbent, the young officer was awarded the Order of Vladimir, 4th degree with a bow.

In February 1798, Alexey Petrovich Ermolov was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel. By this time, the young officer - he was 22 years old - had acquired a reputation as a knowledgeable and brave artilleryman. Everything promised him a brilliant military career. However, at the end of 1798, an event occurred that had a serious impact on his military fate.

In the second half of the 90s of the 18th century, under the influence of the activities of Radishchev, Novikov, as well as the advanced part of the Russian officers, a political officer circle was organized in the Smolensk province. It included local officers and officials who were dissatisfied with the transformations of Emperor Paul I, who introduced Prussian orders in the Russian army, which is why everyone’s beloved commander A.V. Suvorov fell into disgrace. This circle was headed by Suvorov’s former adjutant, retired colonel A.M. Kakhovsky and A.P. Ermolov. The circle members spoke out for universal equality, opposed the class system and sharply criticized the church worldview. They campaigned among soldiers, including in the Moscow Grenadier Regiment, stationed in the Smolensk province, and distributed anti-government poems and sayings.

In November 1798 the circle was opened. During the investigation, it turned out that the members of the circle, like the Decembrists later, planned, along with other political actions, the change of the Tsar. Deprived of ranks, titles and nobility, A.M. Kakhovsky was forever imprisoned in a fortress, and his estate was sold at public auction. Ermolov was also brought to justice. On November 28, 1798, he was arrested.

In St. Petersburg he was interrogated by the Secret Expedition, but he denied his guilt and any involvement in this case. Nevertheless, it was placed in the Alekseevsky ravelin Peter and Paul Fortress. Paul I ordered Ermolov to be dismissed from service and sent to permanent settlement in Kostroma.

Here Alexey Petrovich Ermolov rented housing from an elderly woman, whom he helped with housework, and the rest of the time he was engaged in self-education. He thoroughly studied Latin and freely read in the original the works of Roman authors Julius Caesar, Titus Livy, Tacitus, who became his favorite writer. Ermolov also learned to play the clarinet in order to somehow diversify his leisure time.

His fate changed after Alexander I came to power. He returned to St. Petersburg and was restored to his rank of lieutenant colonel. He even managed to get a company of horse artillery under his command. True, the service was hampered by the fact that the artillery inspector was Arakcheev, Ermolov’s longtime enemy.

One day Arakcheev ordered Ermolov’s company to conduct a review. The soldiers showed such excellent training that there was nothing to complain about. Moreover, before this the company made a difficult march, everyone was tired: both people and horses. And yet, Arakcheev noted to the commander that the reputation of officers in the artillery, including him, Ermolov, depended on the maintenance of horses. “It’s a pity,” Ermolov replied, “that in the Russian artillery the reputation of officers too often depends on brutes.” This phrase in countless variations then spread throughout Russia, but Arakcheev hated Ermolov even more and did not miss an opportunity to harm him. And at that time, Alexey Petrovich had already become a hero again.

In 1806, he took part in hostilities against France, for which he was awarded a gold sword with the inscription “For Bravery.” After some time, at the suggestion of P.I. Bagration, Alexey Petrovich Ermolov receives high reward- Order of George, 3rd degree.

After the campaign of 1805 and especially 1806-1807, his name became very popular in Russian artillery. In 1807 he returned to Russia with a reputation as one of the first artillerymen in the Russian army. He was highly regarded by M.I. Kutuzov, M.A. Miloradovich, other Russian military leaders. On March 16, 1808, Alexey Petrovich Ermolov was promoted to major general.

Over the next two years, he served in Kyiv, where he served as city commandant. Before the start of the war with Napoleon, Ermolov became commander of the Guards Infantry Division, and with the outbreak of hostilities, the emperor appointed him chief of staff of the 1st Russian Army. In the Battle of Borodino, Ermolov actually served as chief of staff under Kutuzov. But this did not stop him from taking a personal part in the liberation of Raevsky’s battery, confusing all the cards for the French. Then Ermolov with best side proved himself in the battle of Maloyaroslavets.

Together with the Russian army, Alexey Ermolov also took part in the foreign campaign. On May 18, 1814, the Treaty of Paris was signed. The war, which lasted almost two years and glorified Russian weapons, ended. Alexander I instructed Admiral A.S. Shishkov to draw up a manifesto on concluding peace with France, and M.B. Barclay de Tolly - an appeal to the Russian troops. However, the tsar did not like these documents, and he instructed Ermolov to rewrite them, which he did. In his draft order, when addressing the troops, the word “comrades” was used for the first time, which Alexander I replaced with the word “warriors”.

Upon returning from Paris, Lieutenant General Alexei Petrovich Ermolov was appointed commander of the Caucasian Corps. He arrived in Tiflis and began his long service in the Caucasus. Ermolov repeatedly traveled to Persia, where he conducted important negotiations, and for the successful fulfillment of the diplomatic mission entrusted to him, on February 8, 1818, he was promoted to infantry general. Since 1821, he was appointed to the high post of governor-in-chief of Georgia.

Thanks to his personal charm and enormous authority, Ermolov was able to unite around him in the Caucasus the leading people of his time, who formed a close circle of like-minded people and friends. Perhaps fearing Ermolov's new political actions, in 1827 he was forced to ask for his resignation. He did not resist and wrote a petition. Having received the consent of Emperor Nicholas I, Alexei Petrovich Ermolov left the Caucasus forever and went to his father’s homeland, Orel. By decree of November 25, 1827, he was finally dismissed from service “for domestic reasons with a uniform and a full salary pension.”

Dressed in civilian dress, which was unusual for him, Ermolov did not easily tolerate his retirement from business, although he did not admit it even to his closest friends. In Orel he was visited by A.S. Pushkin, who later wrote: “Ermolov received me with his usual courtesy. At first glance, I did not find in him the slightest resemblance to his portraits, usually painted in profile. Round face, fiery gray eyes, gray hair on end. The head of a tiger on the torso of Hercules. A smile is unpleasant because it is unnatural. When he thinks and frowns, he becomes beautiful... He, apparently, impatiently endures his inaction... The conversation touched on literature several times... There was not a word about government and politics.”

The meeting with the poet made a strong impression on Ermolov. “I had Pushkin,” he wrote to Denis Davydov. “I saw him for the first time and, as you can imagine, I looked at him with lively curiosity.” The first time they meet is not short, but what a power of high talent! I found in myself a feeling other than involuntary respect...”

Meanwhile, economic affairs caused Ermolov so much trouble that in 1831 he left Orel for Moscow, where he bought a modest wooden house on Gogolevsky Boulevard and acquired the small village of Osorgino near Moscow, where he spent the summer. In Moscow, Ermolov enjoyed special honor and respect. The charm of his personality and past achievements was so strong that when he appeared in society, dressed in a black tailcoat with St. George's Cross in the buttonhole, received “by appointment of Suvorov himself,” everyone, even the ladies, stood up. No one else had ever experienced such an honor.

In 1831, the tsar finally returned Ermolov to service, and for a long time he convinced him through his proxies. Ermolov finally agreed and was appointed a member of the State Council. However, very soon he became convinced of the inaction of this body and subsequently regretted the step taken, moreover, he realized that he had let himself be deceived and had lost a lot in public opinion. In 1839, he left St. Petersburg and no longer took any part in the meetings of the Council.

On May 30, 1853, a joyful event occurred in the life and biography of Alexei Petrovich Ermolov: the Council of Moscow University “in respect of excellent services for the benefit of our Fatherland” elected him an honorary member.

Ermolov’s name was also on everyone’s lips because of his inherent wit. So, one day he was asked about one general, what he was like in battle. “Shy,” answered Ermolov.

Two years later, the general fell seriously ill for the first time in his life. At that time he was already 78 years old. From then on, his health deteriorated more and more, and from March 1861 he could no longer sit in a chair and finally went to bed. On April 11, 1861, the great Russian commander died. The coffin with his body was transported to Oryol, where it was buried at the Trinity Cemetery next to his father’s grave. In 1864, under public pressure, the ashes of Ermolov and his father were transferred to the side of the church.

The future military leader was born into an old but poor noble family of the Oryol province. He was enlisted in military service in infancy, received home education and studied at the Moscow University boarding school, and at the age of 10 he already had the rank of non-commissioned officer in the Preobrazhensky Life Guards Regiment.

At the age of 14, Alexey Petrovich, with the rank of lieutenant, entered the post of senior adjutant under the Prosecutor General of St. Petersburg, but was transferred at his own insistence to the active army, where he became acquainted with artillery. The young officer received his baptism of fire and his first award - the Order of St. George, 4th degree - in 1794 during the suppression of the Polish uprising. For his services in the Persian campaign (1796), he was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir, 4th degree with a bow, and the rank of lieutenant colonel.

In 1798, on charges of participating in a conspiracy against Emperor Paul I, Ermolov was arrested, imprisoned in the Alekseevsky ravelin of the Peter and Paul Fortress, and a couple of months later he was exiled to his estate for an indefinite period, until Alexander I in 1801. did not grant freedom to all those convicted in this case.

For valor and success in the coalition wars with France of 1805-1807, Ermolov was awarded the Order of St. Anne, II degree, and St. Vladimir. III degree. But his relations with most of the higher ranks remained very strained, due to the independent character and caustic wit of Alexei Petrovich. His response to Count Arakcheev to the latter’s dissatisfaction with the condition of the horses of Ermolov’s company is known: “It’s a pity, Your Excellency, that in the artillery the reputation of officers depends on brutes.”.

The most important period of Ermolov’s biography is Patriotic War 1812 It was then that his talent as a commander fully manifested itself.

In the Battle of Borodino, Ermolov recaptured Raevsky’s battery from the enemy, according to witnesses, “With this feat Ermolov saved the entire army.” During the pursuit of the French, Alexey Petrovich played a decisive role, defeating the corps of Davout and Ney, for which he received the rank of lieutenant general. After the Russian army crossed the Neman, General Ermolov led the artillery of the allied armies.

In 1817, General Ermolov was appointed governor of Georgia, Astrakhan and Caucasus provinces, ambassador extraordinary to Persia and commander of a separate Caucasian corps. He suppressed the unrest that arose in Imereti, Guria, and Mingrelia, and annexed Abkhazia, the Karabakh and Shirvan khanates to the Russian possessions. However, in 1827, Nicholas I dismissed Ermolov, suspecting him of having connections with the Decembrist movement.

In 1831 Ermolov came to Moscow, where he was extremely popular in all levels of society. In 1837, in connection with the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Battle of Borodino, Ermolov was given the rank of artillery general, and in February 1855, Muscovites elected the commander as chief of the militia of their province, of course, only nominally, due to the general’s advanced age.

A.P. Ermolov died in Moscow at the age of 85. And although he bequeathed to bury himself “as simply as possible,” Muscovites saw off their hero for two days, and the residents of Orel, upon the body’s arrival at home, organized a grand funeral service. The general was buried with full honors at the church wall in the Trinity cemetery, next to the grave of his father.

Ermolov Alexey Petrovich - Russian general, hero, one of the most famous Russian military leaders. This is a very popular and famous person of his time.

He was born in 1777, in the family of a poor landowner, in the Oryol province. Mother is the aunt of a known partisan. Alexey Petrovich received his education at Moscow University.

In 1794 his military career began. Soon Alexey received his first award - the Order of George, 4th degree, from the hands of Suvorov himself. Paul I ascended the throne, and Ermolov’s career was cut short. Based on a false report, he was imprisoned in the Peter and Paul Fortress.

After some time, the emperor said that he forgives the prisoner. Alexey will ask why he forgives him, and why he put him in prison? The ambitious man could not tolerate such insolence and sent Ermolov to Kostroma, into exile. After the death of Paul, the disgraced warrior returned to service. Alexey is given command of a horse artillery company.

Ermolov asks to resign, but the emperor himself did not let the young and brave officer leave the army. In 1808, he finally received the rank and was appointed commander of the reserve troops. The young soul of the officer demands the romance of war, and the general asks to be transferred to the Caucasus or Turkey, where there is trouble. My request was refused.

In 1812, he was appointed chief of staff of the 1st Western Army. Ermolov did a lot for the successful formation of the 1st and 2nd Russian armies near Smolensk, and was the organizer of its defense. After the retreat, he fought very successfully with the French at Lubin. When he headed the army, Ermolov remained idle for some time. At the most crucial moment of the Battle of Borodino, when the left flank of the Russian defense was thinning and the French took the central battery of Russian troops, Kutuzov sent Alexei Petrovich to help. Ermolov quickly assessed the situation and regained our positions in a counterattack. He also showed himself excellently in the battles near Maloyaroslavets, preventing Napoleon from leaving for the grain-producing regions.

In 1813 he commanded the grenadier corps during the capture of Paris. In 1817, he was sent to the Caucasus, where the general concentrated military and civil power in his hands. For many years, Alexey Petrovich Ermolov ruled the Russian Caucasus with a firm and skillful hand. Conducted a number of major military operations in Chechnya, Dagestan, and Kuban. Thanks to him, the following lands were annexed to Russia: Abkhazia, Karabakh and Shirvan khanates. While ruling the Caucasus, he surrounded himself with smart and educated people. Under him, the Caucasian lands began to develop.

Ermolov built roads, theaters, libraries... He died in 1861 and was buried in Moscow. Alexey Petrovich Ermolov is an outstanding Russian general, a hero of many wars, whose memory will forever remain in our hearts.