Alexey arakcheev short biography. Arakcheev: Despot or Conscientious Executor? From the biography of A.A. Arakcheeva

Count Arakcheev was born in September 1769. Thanks to diligence during his studies in the cadet corps, he received the rank of officer. Soon Aleksey Andreevich Arakcheev fell into the army, which, during the reign of Empress Catherine 2, began to create Paul 1. The biography of Arakcheev is closely connected with Paul 1.

Proving himself an excellent performer, Arakcheev received the post of commandant of Gatchina. Later, Paul I entrusted him with the command of all the ground forces. Arakcheev was known as a tough adherent of order and punished soldiers for the slightest deviation from the rules. But, at the same time, it is worth noting that he showed considerable concern for the life of his wards. Officers were punished with the utmost severity for stealing soldiers' money. It is also common knowledge that Arakcheev never took bribes.

By the time of the accession of Paul 1, Arakcheev already had the rank of colonel. Soon he became the commandant of St. Petersburg (1796 November 7). The next day, November 8, he was awarded the rank of major general, and on November 9, 1796, he became a major in the Guard of the Preobrazhensky regiment. But, the series of awards did not end there. On November 12, Arakcheev became a knight of the Order of St. Anna, 1st Art. The next year, 1797, on April 5, he received the title of baron. Also, he was awarded the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky. The emperor granted Arakcheev an estate, allowing him to personally make a choice.

Nevertheless, Arakcheev learned what the disfavor of the sovereign was. But, already in 1798, for diligence in the service, he received the title of count from the emperor. And soon he again fell out of favor with the sovereign, after which he retired to his village, Gruzino. There he began to establish the economy at his own discretion, not ignoring the personal life of the serfs. In 1806 the earl got married. However, the young wife, unable to bear his rudeness, left him a year later.

Arakcheev returned to the service only in 1803, after the death of Paul 1. And under the new emperor, his career was no less successful. In 1803, Arakcheev received the post of Minister of War. He was able to greatly simplify the correspondence between battalions and improve the materiel. Also, he gave a new organization to the artillery. These innovations played a significant role in the war of 1812.

The emperor trusted Arakcheev so much that he was entrusted with the most important tasks. Including the notorious military settlements of Arakcheev. But, the initiative in this matter belonged entirely to the Minister of War, and to the emperor. However, it was difficult to find a better candidate than Arakcheev to implement the will of the emperor. It should also be mentioned that many of the Arakcheev settlements flourished.

Thanks to his service zeal during the reign of Alexander, the heir to Paul 1, Arakcheev was able to rise to the pinnacle of power. It is worth mentioning such Arakcheev's case as the arrest of the participants in the conspiracy after the uprising of 1825.

The death of Emperor Alexander was a heavy blow for Arakcheev. He never appeared at the court of his heir and died without leaving any children on his estate on April 21, 1834.

Arakcheev

Alexey Andreevich

Battles and victories

Count (1799), Russian statesman and military leader, close to Alexander I. Reformer of Russian artillery, general of artillery (1807), chief commander of military settlements (from 1817).

Aleksey Andreevich Arakcheev called himself an "uneducated nobleman of Novgorod", although he collected one of the best libraries in Russia, subscribed to almost all scientific journals of that time, and even set up an institute for training teachers in the military settlements he led. And the natural abilities and talents of the Minister of War, who had long been considered an odious figure, became the key to victory over Napoleon in the Patriotic War of 1812.

Arakcheev was born on September 23 (October 4), 1769 on the estate of his father in the Novgorod province. The exact place of birth is unknown. Some researchers called the ancestral village of his mother Kurgany, other biographers believed that he was born in the village of Garusovo on the shore of Lake Udomlya, Vyshnevolotsk district of the Tver province (today the Udomel district of the Tver region) and even spent his childhood there. It is apparently impossible to give an exact answer to this question, because no documents about the birth of the count have been preserved. The Arakcheev family lived alternately in both of these villages, and in the winter - in their house in Bezhetsk.

A.A. Arakcheev was one of the largest Russian statesmen and military leaders, general of artillery, associate of Alexander I. He was a prominent participant in the Patriotic War of 1812, Minister of War of Russia in 1808-1810, who enjoyed great confidence in Alexander I, especially in the second half of his reign ... He actively reformed the Russian artillery, became the chief commander of military settlements (from 1817), and in 1823 - 24 years. - the head of the so-called. "Russian party".

However, the name of this major statesman and military leader in the mass consciousness is still associated with such a phenomenon as "Arakcheevism", understood as a regime of reactionary police despotism and brutal military clique. Such associations with the name of the former favorite of the two emperors, such as "drill", "military settlements", "pacification of the rebels", "temporary worker", seemed to leave no hope of finding something positive in the life and work of this remarkable man. The term "arakcheevism" is used to designate any gross arbitrariness, and was invented by representatives of the progressive public, mainly of the liberal wing. Arakcheev's activities were categorically negatively assessed as an ugly manifestation of the Russian autocracy by socialist and communist historians and publicists. A serious analysis of Arakcheev's activities as a statesman and military leader, as a rule, was not carried out. Therefore, the term carried an abusively generalizing assessment of the reigns of Paul I and Alexander I.

The liberal intelligentsia, of course, treated Arakcheev and his memory quite negatively. Everyone knows the epigram of the young A.S. Pushkin to Arakcheeva:


All Russia is an oppressor,
Governors tormentor
And he is a teacher of the Council,
And he is a friend and brother to the king.
Full of anger, full of revenge
Mad, no feelings, no honor ...

However, in the more mature Pushkin, the retired Arakcheev evoked sympathy. Responding to the death of Count Arakcheev, Pushkin wrote to his wife: "I am the only one regretting this in all of Russia - I did not manage to meet with him and talk to him."

Turning to the facts, we see that during the years of the Russian-Swedish war of 1808 - 1809. Arakcheev perfectly organized the supply of troops, provided them with reinforcements and artillery. With his personal participation and organization of hostilities, he prompted the Swedes to start peace negotiations. Victories of the Russian army 1812 - 1813 would not have been so brilliant if Arakcheev had not been in the leadership of the military department, logistics and support. It was precisely the good preparation of the army for combat operations even before 1812 that contributed to the successful defeat of the enemy.

Contrary to the generally accepted point of view and his own assertion, Arakcheev was a very educated person, and also the owner of one of the largest libraries in Russia at that time. The library he collected, according to the catalog of 1824, consisted of over 12 thousand books, mainly on Russian history (in 1827, a significant part of it burned down, the surviving books were transferred to the library of the Novgorod Cadet Corps).

Arakcheev received his primary education under the guidance of a village deacon, who taught him grammar and arithmetic (by the way, this deacon was the grandfather of the great Russian chemist D.I.Mendeleev). In the future, Arakcheev even seemed to flaunt this circumstance. So, becoming Minister of War in 1808, Alexey Andreevich gathered his subordinates and turned to them with an extravagant statement: "Gentlemen, I recommend myself, please take care of me, I don't know much about my letter, my father paid 4 rubles in copper for my upbringing."

It was during his studies "on copper money" that Arakcheev became a great admirer of mathematical sciences, which affected his entire future destiny.

During the reign of Emperor Paul I, Arakcheev was appointed inspector of all artillery. He received the same position under Alexander. And here Arakcheev showed himself to the fullest. Thanks to Arakcheev, a reform of the Russian artillery was carried out - the number of calibers was reduced, artillery guns were improved, i.e. lightened without a decrease in combat power, a permanent horse train was introduced in all batteries, guns of the same type and caliber were supplied to all batteries. Thanks to the reform of Arakcheev, the power of the Russian artillery increased, and the mobility increased, and this - without the transition to any new technologies. And it was thanks to the reform of Arakcheev that Russian artillery in the war of 1812 was not only not inferior to the French, but also surpassed it. At the same time, Arakcheev managed to instill an extremely serious attitude towards artillery to the entire command of the Russian army. Thanks to the work of the so-called. Arakcheevskaya commission found out that the effectiveness of fire on the battlefield is 6 - 8 times greater than the effectiveness of rifle fire.

Being engaged in the military department, he provided excellent supplies to the Russian army during the war with Sweden in 1809; it was Arakcheev who was entrusted with providing the Russian army with food and ammunition, training reserves, and he coped with this task perfectly, i.e. During the war, the Russian army had essentially everything it needed, which contributed a lot to the victory of Russian weapons; finally, he managed to turn the military settlements invented by Alexander I into something acceptable.

Arakcheev was an honest, conscientious officer, always, with all his might, with full dedication, carried out the order given to him by the command. One of the richest nobles of his time, Alexey Andreevich was neither greedy nor money-grubbing, refusing most of the awards of Alexander I. When Alexander bestowed upon Arakcheev his portrait, decorated with diamonds, the count left the portrait (with him he was usually depicted in all portraits of the last period his life), and sent the diamonds back. Also, in his portraits, we will not see the signs of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called, granted by Emperor Alexander, - the highest of the awards received by Arakcheev from Paul I was the Order of Alexander Nevsky.

So, the initial education under the guidance of a rural deacon consisted in the study of Russian literacy and arithmetic. The boy felt a great inclination for the latter science and was diligently engaged in it.

Wanting to place his son in a military educational institution, Andrei Andreevich Arakcheev (1732 - 1797) took him to St. Petersburg. In 1783, as a young man, Arakcheev Jr. could count on being accepted first into the "preparatory" classes of the Artillery and Engineering Corps. Just at this time (November 25, 1782) the previous director of the corps died, and a new one was appointed only on February 22. Andrei Andreevich with his son, who was about to leave the capital, went on the first Sunday to Metropolitan Gabriel of St. Petersburg, who distributed money to the poor that Catherine II had sent for this subject. The landowner Arakcheev got three silver rubles from the metropolitan. Having received some more allowance from Mrs. Guryeva, Andrei Andreevich, before leaving St. Petersburg, decided to try his luck again: together father and son came to the newly appointed director of the corps, Peter Ivanovich Melissino. For several months, having submitted a petition and practically starving, they came to the reception every day, silently met Mellisino and dutifully awaited an answer to their petition for the boy's enrollment in the corps. Once, on July 19, the child could not stand it, rushed to the general, told about his misfortune and begged Peter Ivanovich to accept him into the corps. He was one of those poor nobles, for whom only elementary classes opened the way to further study and officer service in the Russian army.

Rapid advances in science, especially mathematics, soon brought him (in 1787) the rank of officer. Later P.I. Mellisino, who especially fell in love with Alexei Andreevich for his "serviceability" in studies and service, recommended him to the heir to the throne. book Pavel Petrovich for the head of the Gatchina artillery. Until the end of his life, Arakcheev appreciated and remembered that it was Mellisino who recommended him, then an unknown officer, to the future emperor.

In his free time, Arakcheev gave lessons in artillery and fortification to the sons of Count Nikolai Ivanovich Saltykov, to whom he was also recommended by Melissino. After some time, the heir to the throne, Pavel Petrovich, turned to Count Saltykov with a demand to give him a quick artillery officer. Count Saltykov pointed to Arakcheev and recommended him from the best side. In September 1792, at the request of the future Emperor Paul I, Arakcheev was sent to Gatchina, and soon after his diligence and success in the artillery service he was appointed commander of the Gatchina artillery team. Alexey Andreevich fully justified the recommendation by the exact execution of the assignments entrusted to him, tireless activity, knowledge of military discipline, strict submission to the established order, which soon won over the Grand Duke.

Since 1794, Arakcheev - inspector of the Gatchina artillery, since 1796 - at the same time of the infantry. The new inspector reorganized the Tsarevich's artillery, dividing the artillery team into 3 foot and 1 equestrian squad (corporality), with a fifth of their staff in auxiliary positions; drew up a special instruction for each officer in the artillery. Arakcheev developed a plan for the deployment of artillery squads in companies and the creation of a four-company artillery regiment, introduced a method of practical training for artillerymen and created "classes for teaching military science", took an active part in drawing up new regulations. The innovations he proposed were subsequently introduced throughout the Russian army.

Alexey Andreevich was granted by the commandant of Gatchina and subsequently by the head of all the land forces of the heir. Arakcheev loved and respected Emperor Paul, he was in awe of his memory.

Three emperors Arakcheev -
Pavel I Petrovich

Upon his accession to the throne, Emperor Pavel Petrovich presented Arakcheev with many awards: as a colonel, he was granted on November 7, 1796 (on the day of Emperor Paul's accession to the throne) by the St. Petersburg commandant; November 8 promoted to major general; November 9 - Major in the Guard of the Preobrazhensky Regiment; November 13 - Chevalier of the Order of St. Anne, 1st degree; the next year, 1797, on April 5, he was awarded the baronial dignity and the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky. In addition, the sovereign, knowing the insufficient state of Baron Arakcheev, granted him two thousand peasants with the choice of the province. Arakcheev chose the village of Gruzino in the Novgorod province.

Severity and impartiality, observance of the rule of law and the desire to exactly fulfill the decisions of the monarch distinguished Arakcheev when bringing order to the troops. But Arakcheev did not have to use the disposition of the emperor, who was inconstant in his passions, for long. On March 18, 1798, Alexey Andreevich was dismissed from service with the rank of lieutenant general.

And then there was a new takeoff. Arakcheev was recruited again in the same 1798 and enlisted in the retinue of Emperor Paul I. On December 22, 1798 he was ordered to be quartermaster general, and on January 4, 1799 he was appointed commander of the Life Guards Artillery Battalion and an artillery inspector. On January 8, 1799, he was awarded by the Commander of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, and on May 5, 1799 - by the Count of the Russian Empire for excellent diligence and work for the benefit of the service. He was ordered to be present at the Military Collegium and to restore order in the Artillery Expedition.

On October 1, 1799, he was dismissed for the second time by the emperor from service and sent to Gruzino. The removal of Arakcheev from St. Petersburg was beneficial to those representatives of the aristocracy who at that time began to prepare a conspiracy against Paul I. This time, the resignation continued until the new reign.

Three emperors Arakcheev -
Alexander I Pavlovich

In 1801, Emperor Alexander Pavlovich ascended the throne, with whom Alexei Andreevich became close in service. In 1802, Alexander again called him into service, appointing him a member of the Commission for the preparation of approximate staffs of artillery, and on May 14, 1803 - again inspector of all artillery and commander of the Life Guards Artillery Battalion.

The experience of Arakcheev's activities in the "Gatchina troops" of Tsarevich Pavel came in handy when it was necessary to create the first horse artillery company in the Guards brigade. Horse artillery at the beginning of the 19th century is a type of field artillery, in which not only guns and ammunition, but also each number of the gun crew were transported by horses, due to which the servants were trained not only to operate with a gun, but also to fight in a mounted formation. Horse artillery was intended for fire support of cavalry and the creation of a mobile artillery reserve, therefore it was armed with lightweight unicorns and six-pound cannons. In 1803 - 1811 Arakcheev prepared and carried out a reform of the Russian artillery, as a result of which it turned into an independent branch of the military, its organization was improved (regiments and battalions were replaced by artillery brigades), the first integrated artillery system was created (field artillery was limited to guns of four calibers of lightweight design, the ammunition load of each gun was determined , states were revised, unified design documentation was introduced, exemplary reference parts for manufacturers were developed, etc.). The army infantry divisions were assigned with foot artillery brigades of 3 companies (battery and 2 light), and cavalry - horse artillery companies, mobile artillery arsenals were created.

Arakcheev established exams for artillery officers, wrote a number of instructions for them. Even upon his arrival in Gatchina to the artillery units of Tsarevich Pavel Petrovich, Arakcheev discovered that there were no instructions: what does each number do with the gun. The artilleryman did what the officer ordered, who was assigned to two guns. Arakcheev determined the composition of the teams with the guns, wrote to each number what he was doing, what he was holding in his hands, which bag was hanging on him, etc. The officers of the Guard, naturally, did not like such detailed regulations, the observance of which was entrusted to them.

The converted artillery proved to be successful during the Napoleonic wars. Strict towards the negligent, he did not skimp on rewards for those who regularly performed service: about 11 thousand rubles were spent on awards in the Artillery Expedition. in year. In December 1807, Arakcheev was appointed to serve under Alexander I "in the artillery unit", and two days later the emperor ordered that his orders, announced by Arakcheev, be counted as imperial instructions. In 1804, on his initiative, the Temporary Artillery Committee was formed to consider scientific and technical issues, which was renamed in 1808 as the Scientific Committee for the Artillery Unit; the "Artillery Journal" began to be published.

In 1805 A.A. Arakcheev was with the sovereign in the battle of Austerlitz.


In 1807 Arakcheev was promoted to general of artillery. To restore order in the military department, on January 13, 1808, Alexander I appointed Arakcheev minister of the military land forces (until 1810), in addition, on January 17 - inspector general of all infantry and artillery (until 1819), with subordination to him commissariat and provision departments. On January 26, 1808, Arakcheev became the head of the imperial military field office and the courier corps. Under his leadership, the introduction of the divisional organization of the army was completed, its manning, supply and training of troops improved. During the management of the ministry by Arakcheev, new rules and regulations were issued for various parts of the military administration, correspondence was simplified and reduced, the recruitment depots and training grenadier battalions created were preparing replenishment for line units. A new organization was given to the artillery, measures were taken to raise the level of special education of officers, and the material part was streamlined and improved. The positive consequences of these improvements were not slow to show up during the wars of 1812-1814.

Gr. A.A. Arakcheev took an active part in the war with Sweden. Alexander ordered to immediately and decisively move the theater of war to the Swedish coast, taking advantage of the opportunity (the rarest in the history of the usually ice-free bay) to get there on the ice. Since a number of generals, in view of the order of the sovereign to move the theater of war to the Swedish coast, presented various difficulties, Alexander I, extremely dissatisfied with the inaction of the Russian command, sent his Minister of War to Finland. Arriving on February 20, 1809 in Abo, Arakcheev insisted on the speediest fulfillment of the highest will. Arakcheev literally "pushed" the generals onto the ice of the Gulf of Bothnia. In response to Barclay de Tolly's objection that food and ammunition might lag behind, Arakcheev, together with Barclay himself, built a complete scheme of not only troops, but also mobile warehouses, so that they, keeping up with, move synchronously with the troops.

The Russian troops had to endure many obstacles, but Arakcheev acted vigorously, as a result of which the Russian troops that marched on March 2 to the Aland Islands quickly captured them, and on March 7 a small Russian cavalry detachment had already occupied the village of Grisselgam on the Swedish coast (now part of the Norrtelje commune).

During the movement of Russian troops to the Aland Islands in Sweden, a change in government followed: instead of Gustav-Adolf, who was deposed from the throne, his uncle, the Duke of Südermanland, became the king of Sweden. The defense of the Aland Islands was entrusted to General Debeln, who, upon learning of the Stockholm coup, entered into negotiations with the commander of the Russian detachment Knorring about the conclusion of an armistice, which was done. But Arakcheev did not approve of Knorring's deed and, when meeting with General Debelny, told the latter that he had been sent from the sovereign "not to make a truce, but peace."

The subsequent actions of the Russian troops were brilliant: Barclay de Tolly made a glorious crossing over Kvarken, and Shuvalov occupied Torneo. On September 5, the Russian and Swedish plenipotentiaries signed the Treaty of Friedrichsgam, according to which Finland, part of Västerbotten to the Torneo River and the Aland Islands were ceded to Russia. It can be safely argued that it was Arakcheev's arrival in the active army as the personal representative of the emperor that accelerated the end of the Russian-Swedish war.

On January 1, 1810, Arakcheev left the War Ministry and was appointed a member of the then newly established State Council (in 1810 - 1812 and 1816 - 1826 he was the chairman of the Department of Military Affairs in it), with the right to be present in the Committee of Ministers and the Senate. For the post of Minister of War, leaving this post, Arakcheev recommended Barclay de Tolly.

On March 31, Arakcheev was relieved of his post as chairman of the military department of the State Council, and on June 17, he was appointed head of the office of Alexander I. Now he was aware of all the affairs in the country. On December 7, 1812, it was transformed into His Imperial Majesty's Own Chancellery - a body that, as is known, played a huge role in the history of the country. Arakcheev actually stood at its origins, leading it until 1825. In many ways, thanks to his efforts, the Russian army was well prepared for the Patriotic War of 1812.

On June 14, 1812, in view of the approach of Napoleon, Count Arakcheev was again called up to manage military affairs.


From that date, the entire French war went through my hands, all the secret orders, reports and personal orders of the sovereign.

A.A. Arakcheev

Count A.A. Arakcheev.
Artist I.B. Lumpy the Elder

During the Patriotic War, Arakcheev's main concern was the formation of reserves and the supply of food to the army. During the war, he was also in charge of recruiting troops and replenishing artillery parks, organizing militias, etc. After the establishment of peace, the emperor's confidence in Arakcheyev increased to the point that he was entrusted with the execution of the highest destinies not only in military matters, but also in matters of civil administration. In 1815, Alexey Andreevich was appointed the only rapporteur to the emperor on the affairs of the Committee of Ministers and the State Council. Since that time, Alexander I led the empire through Arakcheev, who regularly reported to him, and in fact led the country. Arakcheev carried out the development of the necessary regulatory legal acts, transforming all military legislation and thereby completing the reform of the army.

It was Arakcheev who managed to persuade the emperor to abandon his claims to the supreme command of the Russian armies in the Patriotic War. He was very fond of Kutuzov, and it is possible that it was thanks to Arakcheev that Kutuzov was appointed commander of all Russian armies in August 1812.

Arakcheev's strictness and inflexibility in the implementation of the emperor's plan became one of the reasons for the formation of a negative attitude towards him personally, the spread of rumors defaming the count. For Alexander I, Arakcheev was a kind of "screen" that obscured the tsar from the indignation of his subjects by his mistakes, blunders, and negative consequences of the reign.

Alexander I spoke about the importance of Arakcheev to P.A. Kleinmichel, who was then Arakcheev's adjutant: “You don't understand what Arakcheev is for me. All that is done bad, he takes upon himself, all the good ascribes to me. "


We will do everything: we Russians need to demand the impossible from us in order to achieve the possible.

A.A. Arakcheev

He was just as demanding, above all, to himself. This principle allowed Arakcheev to do the impossible, but it also made him extremely unpopular in society.

He himself was well aware of this. D.V. Davydov quotes in his "Notes" the words of A.A. Arakcheev, told by him to General A.P. Ermolov: "A lot of undeserved curses will fall on me." The phrase turned out to be prophetic.

Arakcheev all his life fiercely hated bribery, traditionally rooted in Russian society. Those caught red-handed were immediately expelled from their posts, regardless of their faces. Red tape, extortion in order to receive a bribe were persecuted by him mercilessly. Arakcheev demanded an immediate resolution of issues and strictly followed the deadlines, so the clerical community hated him. No wonder that the cut of this society determined the mood of the writers and publicists who invented the "Arakcheevism".

But the main phenomenon in the military life of Russia, with which the name of Arakcheev is associated, is the organization of military settlements. Count Alexei Andreevich is usually considered the creator of this system. However, military settlements were proposed by Alexander I himself, and Arakcheev was against this project. M.M.Speransky formalized the idea in decrees and instructions. Arakcheev became only a performer.

In the war of 1812, Alexander I faced a shortage of trained reserves, the difficulty of carrying out more and more recruits, and the high cost of maintaining the army. The emperor put forward the idea that every soldier should be a peasant and every peasant should be a soldier. This was originally done through the introduction of the soldiers to the camp in the village.

Alexander I was fascinated by the idea of \u200b\u200bthe organization of military settlements on a vast scale. According to some reports, we repeat, Arakcheev at first showed a clear disagreement with this thought. But in view of the unyielding desire of the sovereign - in 1817, Alexander I entrusted him with the development of a plan for the creation of settlements - he led the matter abruptly, with merciless consistency, not being embarrassed by the murmur of the people, forcibly torn away from age-old, historically established customs and the usual order of life.

Perhaps the military settlements were an attempt by Alexander I to create a class in Russia, based on which the tsar could carry out liberal reforms.


Arakcheev, a believer and pious from a young age Orthodox Christian, gifted with brilliant organizational skills and administrative talent and, perhaps most importantly, who worked not for the sake of self-interest and glory, as well as, like the Emperor, following his moral duty ... such an employee was endlessly needed by Alexander.

A. Zubov

“The emperor knew perfectly well the weaknesses and shortcomings of his Gatchina friend - lack of culture, resentment, envy, jealousy of royal favor, but all this was outweighed in the eyes of the king by his merits. Alexander, Arakcheev and Prince A.N. The three of Golitsyn made up that powerful lever that almost turned Russia on the path to a national catastrophe, outlined by the deeds of the "great" monarchs of the 18th century - Peter and Catherine. " ( Zubov A... Reflections on the causes of the revolution in Russia. The reign of Alexander the Blessed. New world. 2006, no. 7).

A number of riots among the military settlers were suppressed with unrelenting severity. The outer side of the settlements has been brought to an exemplary order. Only the most exaggerated rumors about their welfare reached the sovereign. Many of the dignitaries, either not understanding the matter, or out of fear of a powerful temporary worker, extolled the new institution with exorbitant praise.

Arakcheev and Speransky -
through the eyes of Pushkin

The idea was the emperor, the design of this idea into a more or less integral picture is the work of Speransky, and it was only Arakcheev who was to blame for everything. He always conscientiously carried out all the orders of his emperor, even if he considered them wrong. In situations where other generals objected to the emperor (Kutuzov), Arakcheev accepted the order for execution, and carried it out, making every effort to do so. An honest soldier did his duty strictly.

The problem was aggravated by the general bribery of the authorities, starting with the officers: Arakcheev, who demanded from the chiefs, first of all, external order and improvement, could not eradicate general robbery, and only in rare cases were the perpetrators subject to deserved punishment. It is not surprising that among the military settlers every year a dull discontent increased. During the reign of Emperor Alexander I, it was expressed only in single outbreaks. At the same time, the indignation among the soldiers and peasants was suppressed by force. In those military settlements that Arakcheev personally worked on, the soldiers and peasants lived more or less tolerably.

With the accession to the throne of Nicholas I, Count Arakcheev soon retired, and Count Kleinmichel was put in charge of the administration of military settlements with the rank of chief of staff of military settlements.

Arakcheev and Speransky -
through the eyes of a contemporary artist

What is less known about Arakcheev is that in 1818, on behalf of Alexander I, he developed one of the projects for the emancipation of the peasants, which included the purchase of landlord estates by the treasury together with the peasants "at voluntarily set prices with the landlords" and granting the peasants personal freedom. Of course, this project, like many similar plans for the reign of Alexander, remained unrealized.

And, finally, the clean signed forms of the decrees of Alexander I, which the tsar left to Arakcheev when leaving the capital, testify to the decency of Arakcheev. The temporary worker could use these blank forms for his own purposes to deal with the unwanted, for he had enough enemies. But none of the forms entrusted by the tsar was used by Arakcheev for personal purposes.

Modern researchers often characterize him as one of the most effective administrators in Russian history, and believe that he was an ideal performer, capable of realizing grandiose plans.

Arakcheev's influence on affairs and his power continued throughout the reign of Emperor Alexander Pavlovich. Being the most influential nobleman, close to the sovereign, Arakcheev, having the Order of Alexander Nevsky, refused other orders granted to him: in 1807 - from the Order of St. Vladimir, and in 1808 - from the Order of St. Apostle Andrew the First-Called, and only left a rescript of the award for himself. He also did not accept the rank of Field Marshal (1814), although his merits in the anti-Napoleonic wars were great. Alexey Andreevich was also awarded the Prussian Orders of the Black and Red Eagles of the 1st class, the Austrian Order of St. Stephen of the 1st class, as well as the above-mentioned portrait, from which he returned the diamonds.

They say that Emperor Alexander Pavlovich granted Arakcheev's mother a state lady. Alexey Andreevich refused this favor too. The emperor said with displeasure: "You do not want to accept anything from me!" “I am pleased with the goodwill of Your Imperial Majesty,” answered Arakcheev, “but I beg you not to favor my mother as a state lady; she spent her whole life in the country; if he comes here, he will draw on himself the ridicule of the ladies of the court, and for a solitary life he has no need for this adornment. " Retelling about this event to those close to him, Alexey Andreevich added: “only once in my life, and in this very case, I have been guilty against the parent, hiding from her that the sovereign had favored her. She would have been angry with me if she knew that I had stripped her of this distinction. "

Arakcheev's patronage was named after Arakcheev, and later the Rostov Grenadier Prince Friedrid of the Netherlands regiment.

Three emperors Arakcheev -
Nicholas I Pavlovich

Alexander I died on November 19, 1825. Arakcheev did not take part in suppressing the Decembrist uprising, for which he was dismissed by Nicholas I. According to other sources, Arakcheev himself refused the new emperor's urgent requests to continue the service.

Be that as it may, on December 20, 1825, he was freed from the affairs of the Committee of Ministers by Nicholas I, who did not favor him, and was expelled from the State Council, and in 1826 he was removed from the leadership over military settlements. He was dismissed on indefinite leave for treatment, and was listed in the service until 1832. Arakcheev went abroad and unauthorizedly published there the publication of confidential letters to him from Alexander I, which caused a scandal in Russian society and government circles.

A devoted friend of the monarchs Pavel and Alexander, who reached unprecedented heights during their reign, Arakcheev devoted the last years of his life to his estate Gruzino. Returning to the estate in 1827, Alexander Andreevich took up its arrangement, opened a hospital, was engaged in the previously created peasant loan bank, tried to regulate the life of serfs in accordance with his ideas. His striving to create an exemplary economy in all respects led to the most favorable results. The beginning of the construction of Gruzin marked the brightest and most brilliant period of the heyday of the Russian estate. This estate was the best for its time. Now from the paradise on the banks of the river. Volkhov not even ruins remained - all buildings were destroyed during the hostilities of 1941-1944.




Retaining the title of a member of the State Council, Arakcheev went to travel abroad; his health was already broken. In 1833, Arakcheev contributed 50,000 rubles to the state loan bank. banknotes so that this amount remained in the bank for ninety-three years inviolable with all interest. Three quarters of this capital should be a reward to the one who wrote the best history of the reign of Alexander I by 1925 (in Russian). The remaining quarter is intended for the costs of publishing this work, as well as for the second prize, and two translators for an equal share, who will translate from Russian into German and French the story of Alexander I. Arakcheev erected a magnificent bronze monument to Alexander in front of the cathedral church of his village, on which the following inscription is made: "To the Sovereign Benefactor, after His death."

The last thing Arakcheev did for the benefit of the general was to donate to them 300 thousand rubles for the education of the poor nobles of the Novgorod and Tver provinces from the percentage of this capital in the Novgorod cadet corps, as well as 50 thousand rubles. Pavlovsk Institute for the education of the daughters of the nobility of the Novgorod province. After the death of Arakcheev, the Novgorod Cadet Corps received the name Arakcheevsky in connection with the transfer of the Arakcheev estate and capital in the amount of 1.5 million rubles. Back in 1816, Alexander I approved the spiritual will of Arakcheev, entrusting the keeping of the will to the Governing Senate. The testator was left to choose an heir, but Arakcheev did not fulfill this. Nicholas I recognized it as the best way to give forever the Georgian volost and all movable property belonging to it into full and indivisible possession of the Novgorod cadet corps, so that he could use the income received from the estate to educate noble youth and take the name and coat of arms of the testator.


Meanwhile, Arakcheev's health was weakening, his strength was changing. Nicholas I, having learned about his painful condition, sent the physician-in-chief Villier to him in Gruzino, but the latter could no longer help, and on the eve of the Resurrection of Christ, on April 21 (May 3) 1834, Arakcheev died, “without taking his eyes off the portrait Alexandra, in his room, on the same sofa that served as a bed for the All-Russian Autocrat. " He kept shouting to have his life extended by at least a month, and finally, sighing, he said: “Cursed death,” and he died.

Before the funeral, they put on a canvas shirt, in which the Emperor Alexander had died, and clothed him in a ceremonial general's uniform. The ashes of the outstanding military and statesman, count and cavalier Alexei Andreevich Arakcheev, was buried in the village of Gruzino. Count Alexei Andreyevich took care of his death and burial long before his death. The tomb with the epitaph was prepared inside the capital-looking St. Andrew's Cathedral next to the monument to Emperor Paul. The Arakcheevsky regiment and an artillery battery were summoned to the funeral.

The remains of Arakcheev were found as a result of excavations in 2009. Proposals were discussed to reburial them in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra in St. Petersburg, where many of Arakcheev's companions are buried, as well as in the ancient St. George monastery of the 12th century. near Veliky Novgorod. At the end of 2008, the administration and the public of the Chudovsky district, on the territory of which Gruzino is located, turned to the regional authorities with a request to transfer the remains for reburial in the former count's estate.

Since childhood, gloomy and uncommunicative, Arakcheev remained so throughout his life. With an extraordinary mind and disinterestedness, he knew how to remember the good that had ever been done to him by someone. In addition to pleasing the will of the monarch and fulfilling the requirements of the service, he was not shy about anything. His severity often degenerated into cruelty, and the time of his almost unlimited dominion (the last years, the first quarter of the 19th century) was characterized by a kind of terror, since everyone was in awe of him. In general, he left an unkind memory for himself.

The kings appreciated in him rigidity, reaching relentlessness, experience and knowledge, especially in the field of artillery, using his services when it was necessary to "put things in order." In Soviet times, Arakcheev was constantly defined as "a reactionary, a persecutor of the Suvorov school, a tsarist slave and saint." But already in 1961, in an article about Arakcheev in the Historical Encyclopedia, several lines appeared about his merits in the development of Russian artillery. Modern domestic historians, evaluating his activities, admit that Arakcheev was one of the most worthy military and administrative figures in the history of the Russian Empire.

KURKOV K.N., Doctor of History, Professor, Moscow State University for the Humanities M.A. Sholokhov

Literature

Anderson V.M. Correspondence of Emperor Alexander I with Napoleon and Count Arakcheev. SPb, 1912

Autobiographical notes of Count Arakcheev. Russian archive. 1866. no. nine

From the stories of gr. A.A. Arakcheeva. Historical Bulletin. 1894 / T. 58, No. 10

Letters 1796. 1797 Message A.I. Maksheev. Russian antiquity. 1891 / T. 71, No. 8

Letter from Count Arakcheev to Countess Kankrina. Note. P.A. Vyazemsky. Russian archive. 1868. Ed. 2nd. M., 1869

Arakcheev A.A., Karamzin N.M. Letters to the Grand Duke Tsarevich Konstantin Pavlovich. Message G. Alexandrov. Russian archive. 1868. Ed. 2nd. M., 1869

Arakcheev and military settlements: Memoirs of contemporaries: 1. Memoirs of M.F. Furrow. 2. From the notes of von Bradke. Russian true story. Series 1. Issue. 10.M., 1908

Bogdanovich P.N. Arakcheev Count and Baron of the Russian Empire: (1769–1834). P.N. Bogdanovich Gen. Headquarters Regiment. Buenos Aires, 1956

Bogoslovsky N.G. Arakcheevshchina: Stories. Op. N. Bogoslovsky. SPb., 1882

Bogoslovsky N.G. Tales of the Past: War Times. Settlements. Op. Slovsky [pseudo]. Novgorod, 1865

Bulgarin F.G. Drive to Gruzino. SPb., 1861

Wrangel N., Makovsky S., Trubnikov A. Arakcheev and art. The old years. 1908. No. 7

Count A.A. Arakcheev. (Materials). Russian antiquity, 1900. T. 101. No. 1

Gribbe A.K. Count Alexey Andreevich Arakcheev. (From the memories of the Novgorod military settlements). 1822-1826. Russian antiquity. 1875.Vol. 12, No. 1

Davydova, E.E., comp. Arakcheev: testimonies of contemporaries. Comp. HER. Davydova et al. M., 2000

Jenkins M. Arakcheev. Reformer-reactionary. M., 2004

Evropyus I.I. Memories of Evropeus about service in a military settlement and about his relationship to Count Arakcheev. Russian antiquity. 1872. T. 6, No. 9

Ivanov G. Famous and well-known residents of Bege. Issue 1: From Alexey Arakcheev to Alexey Smirnov. B.m., 2003

Kaigorodov V. Arakcheevshchina. Op. V. Kaigorodova. M., 1912

Kizevetter A.A. Historical silhouettes. Essays. A.A. Kiesewetter; Entry. Art. O.V. Budnitsky. Rostov n / a, 1997

Kovalenko A.Yu. The era of Alexander I in the context of state activities A. A. Arakcheev: Textbook. allowance. Komsomolsk-on-Amur, 1999

Nikolsky V.P. The state of the Russian army by the end of the reign of Alexander I. In the book: History of the Russian army, 1812-1864. SPb., 2003

Otto N.K. Features from the life of Count Arakcheev. Ancient and New Russia. 1875. T. 1, No. 1

Panchenko A.M. Library of Count A.A. Arakcheeva in Gruzino. A.M. Panchenko. Berkovsky readings. Book culture in the context of international contacts. Central Scientific Library of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus; Moscow: Science. Minsk, 2011

D.L. Podushkov "He was a real hare ..." (About Count AA Arakcheev) Udomel antiquity: Almanac of local lore. 2000, January. No. 16

D.L. Podushkov The role of Count A.A. Arakcheev in the Patriotic War of 1812. Almanac of local lore "Udomelskaya starina", No. 29, September 2002

D.L. Podushkov (compiler), Vorobiev V.M. (scientific editor). Famous Russians in the history of the Udomel region. Tver, 2009

Ratch V.F. Information about Count Alexei Andreevich Arakcheev. SPb., 1864

Romanovich E.M. The days of death and the death of Count Arakcheev. (From the story of the retired staff captain Evgeny Mikhailovich Romanovich). Message P.A. Musatovsky. Russian archive. 1868. Ed. 2nd. M., 1869

Russian conservatives. M., 1997

Sigunov N.G. Features from the life of Count Arakcheev. Major General Nick's Tales. Grigor. Sigunova. Message M.I. Bogdanovich. Russian antiquity. 1870. T. 1. Ed. 3rd. SPb., 1875

Dictionary of Russian generals, participants in the hostilities against the army of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1812-1815. Russian archive: Sat. M., 1996.T. VII

Tomsinov V.A. Arakcheev (series "Life of Remarkable People"). M., 2003, 2010

Tomsinov V.A. Temporary worker (Historical portrait of A.A. Arakcheev). M., 2013

Troitsky N. Russia at the head of the Holy Union: Arakcheevshchina

Ulybin V.V. Betrayed Without Flattery: The Experience of Life of Count Arakcheev. Vyacheslav Ulybin. SPb., 2006

Fedorov V.A. M.M. Speransky and A.A. Arakcheev. M., 1997

Shevlyakov M.V., ed. Historical people in anecdotes: from the life of statesmen and public figures. Ed. M.V. Shevlyakov. SPb., 2010

Shubinsky S.N. Historical sketches and stories. SPb., 1896; 1913

Yakushkin V. Speransky and Arakcheev. SPb., 1905; M., 1916

Extensive material to characterize Count Arakcheev and his time is placed in the publications: "Russian antiquity" (1870 - 1890), "Russian archive" (1866 No. 6 and 7, 1868 No. 2 and 6, 1872 No. 10, 1876 \u200b\u200bNo. 4); "Ancient and New Russia" (1875, Nos. 1 - 6 and 10); Glebov, "The Word about Arakcheev" (military collection, 1861).

the Internet

Ermolov Alexey Petrovich

Hero of the Napoleonic Wars and the Patriotic War of 1812, Conqueror of the Caucasus. Smart strategist and tactician, strong-willed and brave warrior.

Rurik Svyatoslav Igorevich

Year of birth 942 Date of death 972 Expansion of state borders. 965g the conquest of the Khazars, 963g a campaign to the south to the Kuban region, the capture of Tmutarakan, 969 the conquest of the Volga Bulgars, 971g the conquest of the Bulgarian kingdom, 968g the foundation of Pereyaslavets on the Danube (the new capital of Russia), 969g the defeat of the Pechenegs during the defense of Kiev.

Kazarsky Alexander Ivanovich

Lieutenant Commander. Participant in the Russian-Turkish war of 1828-29. Distinguished in the capture of Anapa, then Varna, commanding the transport "Rival". After that he was promoted to lieutenant commander and appointed captain of the brig "Mercury". 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. Subsequently, an officer from Real Bey wrote: “As the battle continued, the commander of the Russian frigate (the infamous Raphael, who surrendered without a fight a few days earlier) told me that the captain of this brig would not surrender, and if he lost hope, then the brig would blow up If in the great deeds of ancient and our times there are feats of courage, then this deed should darken 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 brig- "Mercury"

Uborevich Ieronim Petrovich

Soviet military leader, 1st rank army commander (1935). Member of the Communist Party since March 1917. Born in the village of Aptandrijus (now Utena district of the Lithuanian SSR) in the family of a Lithuanian peasant. Graduated from the Konstantinovskoe 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 taken prisoner, from where he fled in August 1918. He was an artillery instructor, commander of the Dvinskaya brigade on the Northern Front, from December 1918, chief of the 18th Infantry divisions of the 6th army. From October 1919 to February 1920, the commander of the 14th Army during the defeat of General Denikin's troops, in March - April 1920 he commanded the 9th Army in the North Caucasus. In May - July and November - December 1920, 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, the assistant to the commander of the troops of the Ukraine and Crimea, the deputy commander of the troops of the Tambov province, the commander of the troops of the Minsk province, led military operations in the defeat of the gangs of Makhno, Antonov and Bulak-Balakhovich. Since 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 the commander of the North Caucasian (from 1925), Moscow (from 1928) and Belarusian (from 1931) military districts. Since 1926, a member of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR, in 1930-31 Deputy Chairman of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR and Chief of Armaments of the Red Army. Since 1934, a member of the Military Council of the NCO. He made a great contribution to strengthening the defense capability of the USSR, educating and training command personnel and troops. A candidate member of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks 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.

Loris-Melikov Mikhail Tarielovich

Known mainly as one of the minor characters in the story "Hadji Murad" by Leo 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 perfectly during the Caucasian War, during the Kars campaign of the Crimean War, Loris-Melikov led intelligence, and then successfully fulfilled the duties of the 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 inaccessible.

Dubynin Victor Petrovich

From April 30, 1986 to June 1, 1987 - Commander of the 40th Combined Arms Army of the Turkestan Military District. The troops of this army constituted the bulk of the Limited Contingent of Soviet Forces in Afghanistan. During the year of his commanding the army, the number of irrecoverable losses decreased by 2 times in comparison with 1984-1985.
June 10, 1992 Colonel General V.P. Dubynin was appointed Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces - First Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation
His merits include keeping the President of the Russian Federation B. N. Yeltsin from a number of ill-considered decisions in the military sphere, primarily in the field of nuclear forces.

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.

Shein Mikhail Borisovich

He headed the Smolensk defense against the Polish-Lithuanian troops, which lasted 20 months. Under Shein's command, multiple attacks were repelled, despite blowing up and breaching the wall. He kept and bled the main forces of the Poles at the decisive moment of the Troubles, preventing them from moving to Moscow to support their garrison, creating an opportunity to gather an all-Russian militia to liberate the capital. Only with the help of a defector, the troops of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth managed to take Smolensk on June 3, 1611. The wounded Shein was taken prisoner and was taken with his family to Poland for 8 years. After returning to Russia, he commanded an army that tried to return Smolensk in 1632-1634. Executed by boyar libel. Undeservedly forgotten.

Skopin-Shuisky Mikhail Vasilievich

In the conditions of the disintegration of the Russian state during the Troubles, with minimal material and personnel resources, he created an army that defeated the Polish-Lithuanian invaders and liberated most of the Russian state.

Alekseev Mikhail Vasilievich

Outstanding employee 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" in 1915.
Chief of Staff of the Russian Armed Forces in 1916-1917
Supreme Commander-in-Chief 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).
Deceived and slandered in relation to various so-called. "Masonic military lodges", "generals' conspiracy against the Emperor", etc., etc. - in terms of emigre and contemporary historical journalism.

Wrangel Pyotr Nikolaevich

Member of the Russian-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). George Knight.

Dragomirov Mikhail Ivanovich

Brilliant crossing of the Danube in 1877
- Create a tactics tutorial
- Creation of an original concept of military education
- Leadership of NAGS in 1878-1889
- Huge influence in military matters for a whole 25 years

Ermak Timofeevich

Russian. Cossack. Ataman. He defeated Kuchum and his satellites. He approved Siberia as a part of the Russian state. He devoted all his life to military labor.

Brusilov Alexey Alekseevich

One of the best Russian generals of World War I. In June 1916, the troops of the Southwestern Front under the command of Adjutant General A.A. Brusilov, simultaneously striking in several directions, broke through the deeply echeloned enemy defenses and advanced 65 km. In military history, this operation received the name Brusilovsky Breakthrough.

Chichagov Vasily Yakovlevich

Excellent commander of the Baltic Fleet in the campaigns of 1789 and 1790. He won victories in the battle of Öland (15.7.1789), in the battles of Revel (2.5.1790) and Vyborg (22.06.1790). After the last two defeats, which were of strategic importance, the domination of the Baltic Fleet became unmanned, and this forced the Swedes to go to peace. There are few such examples in the history of Russia when victories at sea led to victory in a war. And by the way, the Vyborg battle was one of the largest in world history in terms of the number of ships and people.

Chuikov Vasily Ivanovich

Commander of the 62nd Army in Stalingrad.

Stalin (Dzhugashvili) Joseph Vissarionovich

Comrade Stalin, in addition to the nuclear and missile projects, together with General of the Army Alexei Innokentyevich 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.

Platov Matvey Ivanovich

Army chieftain of the Don Cossack army. He began active military service at the age of 13. Member of several military companies, 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 some Cossacks, then I would have conquered all of Europe.

Nevsky, Suvorov

Undoubtedly, the holy noble Prince Alexander Nevsky and Generalissimo A.V. Suvorov

Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich

The largest figure in world history, whose life and state activities left a deep imprint not only on the fate of the Soviet people, but also of all mankind, will be the subject of careful study by historians for more than one century. The historical and biographical feature of this person is that she will never be consigned to oblivion.
During Stalin's tenure as Supreme Commander-in-Chief and Chairman of the State Defense Committee, our country was marked by victory in the Great Patriotic War, massive labor and front-line heroism, the transformation of the USSR into a superpower with significant scientific, military and industrial potential, and the strengthening of our country's geopolitical influence in the world.
Ten Stalinist strikes is the general name for a number of the largest strategic offensive operations in the Great Patriotic War, carried out in 1944 by the armed forces of the USSR. Along with other offensive operations, they made a decisive contribution to the victory of the countries of the Anti-Hitler coalition over Nazi Germany and its allies in World War II.

Yudenich Nikolay Nikolaevich

One of the most successful generals in Russia during the First World War. The Erzurum 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 the row of the brightest victories of Russian weapons. In addition, Nikolai Nikolaevich, stood out for his modesty and decency, lived and died an honest Russian officer, remained faithful to the oath to the end.

Dokhturov Dmitry Sergeevich

Defense of Smolensk.
Commanding the left flank on the Borodino field after Bagration was wounded.
Tarutino battle.

Yaroslav the Wise Soviet military leader, Major General, Hero of the Soviet Union. Known for successful operations to destroy German troops during the Great Patriotic War. For the head of Dovator, the German command appointed a large award.
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 leader, naval commander, full member of the Imperial Russian Geographical Society, leader of the White movement, Supreme ruler of Russia.

Alekseev Mikhail Vasilievich

One of the most talented Russian generals of the First World War. Hero of the Battle of Galicia in 1914, savior of the North-Western Front from encirclement in 1915, chief of staff under Emperor Nicholas I.

General of Infantry (1914), Adjutant General (1916). An active participant in the White movement in the Civil War. One of the organizers of the Volunteer Army.

Margelov Vasily Filippovich

Svyatoslav Igorevich

I want to propose "candidates" for Svyatoslav and his father, Igor, as the greatest commanders and political leaders of their time, I think it makes no sense to list historians for their services to the fatherland, I was unpleasantly surprised not to see their names in this list. Sincerely.

Barclay de Tolly Mikhail Bogdanovich

Full Commander of the Order of St. George. In the history of military art, according to Western authors (eg: J. Witter), he entered as the architect of the strategy and tactics of "scorched earth" - cutting off the main enemy troops from the rear, depriving them of supplies and organizing guerrilla warfare in their rear. M.V. After taking over command of the Russian army, Kutuzov, in fact, continued the tactics developed by Barclay de Tolly and defeated Napoleon's army.

Platov Matvey Ivanovich

Ataman of the Great Don Army (from 1801), general of the cavalry (1809), who took part in all the wars of the Russian Empire at the end of the 18th - beginning of the 19th centuries.
In 1771 he distinguished himself in the attack and capture of the Perekop line and Kinburn. In 1772 he began to command a Cossack regiment. During the 2nd Turkish War he distinguished himself during the assault on Ochakov and Izmail. 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 won victories over 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, inflicted defeats on her at Gorodnya, Kolotsky monastery, Gzhatsk, Tsarevo-Zaymishche, near Dukhovshchina and while crossing the river Vop. For his merits he was elevated to the count's dignity. In November Platov captured Smolensk from the battle and defeated the troops of Marshal Ney at Dubrovna. At the beginning of January 1813 he entered Prussia and overlaid Danzig; in September he received command over a special corps, with which he participated in the battle of Leipzig and, pursuing the enemy, took about 15 thousand prisoners. In 1814, he fought at the head of his regiments in the capture of Nemur, at Arsy-sur-Oba, Cézanne, Villeneuve. He was awarded the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called.

Barclay de Tolly Mikhail Bogdanovich

In front of the Kazan Cathedral there are two statues of the saviors of the fatherland. Saving the army, exhausting the enemy, the Battle of Smolensk — that's more than enough.

Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich

During the Patriotic War, Stalin was in charge of all the armed forces of our country and coordinated their military operations. One cannot fail 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 the fronts, but also as an excellent organizer who carried out a tremendous amount of work to increase 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 I degree
Medal "For the Defense of Moscow"
Order "Victory"
Medal "Gold Star" of the Hero of the Soviet Union
Medal "For Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945."
Medal "For Victory over Japan"

Kutuzov Mikhail Illarionovich

The Greatest Commander and Diplomat !!! Who totally defeated the troops of the "first European Union" !!!

Romodanovsky Grigory Grigorievich

Outstanding military leader of the 17th century, prince and voivode. In 1655, he won his first victory over the Polish hetman S. Potocki near Gorodok in Galicia. Later, as 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 Yu. 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. He repeatedly beat the Crimean Tatars. In 1677 he defeated the 100-thousandth Turkish army of Ibrahim Pasha at Buzhin, in 1678 he defeated the Turkish corps of Kaplan Pasha at Chigirin. Thanks to his military talents, Ukraine did not become another Ottoman province and the Turks did not take Kiev.

Suvorov Alexander Vasilievich

Well, who else but him is the only Russian commander who has not lost, not lost more than one battle !!!

Golenishchev-Kutuzov Mikhail Illarionovich

(1745-1813).
1. THE GREAT Russian commander, he was an example for his soldiers. Appreciated every soldier. "MI Golenishchev-Kutuzov is not only the liberator of the Fatherland, he is the only one who outplayed the hitherto invincible French emperor, turning the" great army "into a crowd of ragamuffins, saving, thanks to his genius, the lives of many Russian soldiers."
2. Mikhail Illarionovich, being a highly educated person who knew several foreign languages, dexterous, sophisticated, who knew how to inspire society with the gift of speech, an entertaining story, served Russia as an excellent diplomat - ambassador to Turkey.
3. MI Kutuzov - the first who became a full knight of the highest military order of St. George the Victorious of four degrees.

The commander, who was repeatedly put on the most difficult directions, where he either achieved success in the offensive or in defense, or brought the situation out of the crisis, translated a seemingly inevitable catastrophe into a non-defeat, a state of unstable balance.
G.K. Zhukov showed the ability to manage large military formations numbering 800 thousand - 1 million people. At the same time, the specific losses incurred by his troops (i.e., correlated with the number) turned out to be time after time lower than those of his neighbors.
Also G.K. Zhukov demonstrated remarkable knowledge of the properties of the military equipment that was in service with the Red Army - knowledge that was very necessary for the leader of industrial wars.

Chernyakhovsky Ivan Danilovich

The youngest and one of the most talented Soviet military leaders. It was during the years of the Great Patriotic War that his enormous military leadership talent, the ability to make bold decisions quickly and correctly, was revealed. This is evidenced by his path from the commander of a division (28th Panzer) to the commander of the Western and 3rd Belorussian fronts. For successful military operations, the troops commanded by I.D. Chernyakhovsky were noted 34 times in the orders of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief. Unfortunately, his life was cut short at the age of 39 during the liberation of Melzak (now Poland).

Fedor Ivanovich Tolbukhin

Major General F.I. Tolbukhin showed himself during the Battle of Stalingrad, commanding the 57th Army. The second "Stalingrad" for the Germans was the Jassy-Kishinev operation, in which he commanded the 2nd Ukrainian Front.
One of the galaxy of commanders who were raised and promoted by I.V. Stalin.
The great merit of Marshal of the Soviet Union Tolbukhin is in the liberation of the countries of South-Eastern Europe.

Russian statesman and military leader, baron (1797), count (1799), general of artillery (1807).

Alexey Andreevich Arakcheev was born on September 23 (October 4), 1769 in the family of a poor landowner Andrei Andreevich Arakcheev, a retired lieutenant of the Preobrazhensky Life Guard Regiment. The exact place of his birth is unknown. Most likely, we can talk about one of the estates of the parents - the village of Vyshnevolotsk district of the Tver province (now in) or the village of Bezhetsk district of the Tver province (now). In rural estates, as well as in the house of the Arakcheevs in the city, he spent his childhood.

In 1783-1787 A.A.Arakcheev studied at the Artillery and Engineering Gentry Corps, from where he was released with the rank of second lieutenant. He was left in the building as a teacher and head of the library.

From 1790 A.A. Arakcheev was the senior adjutant of the inspector of all artillery. In 1792 he was sent as an artillery practitioner to serve in the troops of the Tsarevich. Convinced of the experience of A.A.Arakcheev in artillery, the heir to the throne appointed him commander of an artillery company and promoted him to captain of artillery. In a short time, A.A.Arakcheev brought the entire Gatchina artillery and the economic units of the troops into perfect order. In 1793 he was promoted to major in artillery. In 1796 he became a lieutenant colonel and commandant.

With his accession in 1796, A.A.Arakcheev was promoted to colonel, five months later to major general, awarded the Order of St. Anne, 1st degree, and appointed governor general. On the occasion of his coronation in 1797, he was awarded the title of Baron and the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky. After a short disgrace in 1798 he was returned to service with the rank of lieutenant general, became commander of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem and received the title of count. As inspector of all artillery, AA Arakcheev did a great job to strengthen discipline, improve the supply and modernization of this type of troops. His style of activity was distinguished by tough exactingness, pedantry and extreme discipline, personal self-restraint, incredible efficiency. Despite the enormous influence and awards, A.A. Arakcheev in October 1798 was again dismissed.

In 1803, A. A. Arakcheev was reinstated by the emperor as inspector general of artillery. In this post, he made a significant contribution to the reorganization of the entire artillery business in the Russian army. Under his leadership, artillery, first-class for that time, was created, which showed itself perfectly in the Napoleonic wars. In 1805 he was in the retinue of the emperor on the day of the battle of Austerlitz. In 1807 he was promoted to general of artillery. In 1808-1810 A.A.Arakcheev held the post of Minister of War, since 1810 he was the chairman of the Department of Military Affairs of the State Council.

In the initial period of the Patriotic War of 1812, he was in the retinue, was the emperor's personal rapporteur on militia affairs. He was a member of the Extraordinary Committee, which elected commander-in-chief. In 1813-1814 he took part in the foreign campaigns of the Russian army. In the summer of 1814, I wanted to award A. A. Arakcheev with the rank of Field Marshal for his successes in organizing the Russian army, but he categorically turned out to be.

In 1815-1825 A.A. Arakcheev became the de facto leader of the state, concentrated in his hands the leadership of the State Council, the Committee of Ministers and His own Imperial Majesty's Chancellery, was the only rapporteur for most departments.

In 1817-1825, on behalf of A.A. Arakcheev, he was engaged in the organization of military settlements, being appointed their chief. Initially, he was opposed to the creation of military settlements, but then obeyed the will of the monarch. Military settlements, according to the plan, were supposed to significantly reduce government spending on the maintenance of the army, eliminate recruitment in peacetime and thereby alleviate the economic situation of the country, create a prosperous military-agricultural class, provide border coverage and reduce the redeployment of troops in the event of hostilities. In the management of military settlements, purely military functions (combat training of troops) were combined with economic functions (organization of construction and reclamation work, transport, industry and agriculture). At the same time, when they were created, extreme forms of coercion were used (forcible attachment of settlers to the land, deprivation of their right to engage in trade, seasonal work and crafts, regulation of many aspects of life, etc.), which led to the ruin of the settlement peasants, and sometimes to quite large-scale unrest and uprisings.

The accession to the throne of the emperor, who did not favor AA Arakcheev, meant the end of his state activities. In April 1826, Arakcheev resigned and went on indefinite leave abroad.

The last years of his life A. A. Arakcheev spent in the village of the Novgorod district of the Novgorod province. He died at his estate on April 21 (May 3), 1834, and was buried there.

Some statesmen will always be remembered. One of such odious figures was Arakcheev. A short biography will not reveal all the facets of this reformer and close associate of Alexander the First, but it will allow you to get acquainted with the main areas of activity of the talented Minister of War. Usually his surname is associated with drill. He really loved order.

short biography

Alexey Arakcheev was born into a noble family. For a long time, the place of his birth was not fully established. Today it is believed that this happened in Garusovo on September 23, 1769.

The rural deacon provided the young Arakcheev with primary education. In order to enter the artillery cadet corps, two hundred rubles were required. This amount was too much for an impoverished family. Help was provided by Peter Ivanovich Melissino.

The young man did not only study. He gave lessons to the sons of Count Saltykov. This helped him in his future career. It was Saltykov who recommended Alexei Andreevich as an artillery officer for the heir to the throne. Pavel Petrovich appreciated him as a "master of drill".

During the reign of Paul

When Pavel Petrovich ascended the throne, Arakcheev's biography changed significantly. Briefly, we can say that he received a new rank, was awarded several awards, he was granted baronial dignity.

The most important reward was the provision of land with two thousand peasants. Alexey Andreevich chose the village of Gruzino, in which he spent the last years of his life.

The location of the ruler was short-lived. In 1798, Arakcheev was removed from service, making him a lieutenant general. The relationship with the emperor can hardly be called stable. Arakcheev was now and then removed and resumed in the service. In 1799 he was awarded the title of count.

During the reign of Alexander

During his service, Alexey Arakcheev, whose short biography we are considering, became close to Alexander Pavlovich. In 1801 he ascended the throne.

Arakcheev became the chairman of a special commission for the transformation of artillery. The guns have been improved.

In 1805, he personally took part in the Battle of Austerlitz. His infantry division attacked Murat's lancers. The mission was failed, and the commander was wounded.

In 1808 he was appointed Minister of War. A short biography and reforms of Arakcheev were associated with military affairs. So he simplified and shortened the correspondence, established training battalions, raised the level of special education of artillery officers, and improved the material part of the army. All these actions had a positive effect on the wars of the following years.

Role in the war with Napoleon

The Patriotic War with Napoleon did not pass by the biography of Arakcheev. Briefly, we can say that he was engaged in supplying the Russian army with food and reserves. It was he who provided the rear with everything necessary. Secret orders of the sovereign passed through the hands of the count. He was the one who organized the militia.

Arakcheev was able to persuade the emperor not to become the supreme commander of the Russian army. Perhaps he was one of those who influenced the sovereign's decision to have Kutuzov become the commander. There is information that the count treated Kutuzov very well.

Military settlements

A short biography of Arakcheev will not be complete without mentioning military settlements. It is he who is credited with this crazy idea. In fact, Alexander the First proposed it. Speransky designed the idea. Arakcheev, contrary to his opinion, was entrusted to bring it to life. Why were military settlements needed?

The War of 1812 showed how important it is to have a trained reserve. But it was very expensive for the state. And it was getting more and more difficult to recruit recruits. The emperor decided that a soldier can become a peasant and vice versa.

In 1817, Arakcheev began to make the emperor's wish come true. He did this with merciless consistency, without worrying about people's gossip.

Many military settlements were created according to the same type of plan. People with families were settled in them. Life was strictly regulated, that is, it was planned to the smallest detail. People had to wake up at a strictly appointed time, eat, work and so on. The same was true for children. Men had to undergo military training and run a household, providing themselves with food. They had to live in the settlements always, and if necessary, they went to war.

The problem was that the artificially created settlements did not take into account the human factor. People could not live under constant control. Many found a way out in alcohol, others committed suicide.

The idea failed not only because of ill-considered details. There has always been a problem of bribery in Russia. Arakcheev could not eradicate it. In those settlements that he personally worked on, the soldiers and peasants lived quite well, and in the rest, riots were often organized due to hunger, humiliation, and poverty. They were suppressed by force. After a while, Count Kleinmichel was appointed to manage everything.

Under Nicholas

Alexander the First died in 1825. Nikolai the First came to power. His reign began with the Decembrist uprising. Some of the officers wanted to prevent the troops and the Senate from swearing allegiance to the king. This would prevent Nicholas the First from assuming the throne and would allow the establishment of a provisional government. So the rebels wanted to begin the liberalization of the Russian system.

Count Arakcheev, whose brief biography is discussed in the article, refused to take part in the suppression of the uprising. As a result, the king dismissed him. The participants in the uprising were sent into exile, and five of the most ardent activists were executed.

The count was dismissed on indefinite leave for treatment. He was listed in the service until 1832.

The count's personal life did not work out. In 1806, he married Natalya Khomutova from a noble family. But they soon parted ways. In Gruzino, he cohabited with Nastasya Shumskaya, who ran the entire household on the estate while the owner was not at home. She was killed by peasants in 1825 for countless bullying.

From 1827 he worked on his estate in Gruzino. Arakcheev opened a hospital there, established the life of the peasants.

Aleksey Andreevich died on 04/21/1834. The ashes were buried in Gruzino. The estate itself was completely destroyed during the Great Patriotic War.

Activities

Arakcheev, whose short biography and activities are associated with the reign of Alexander the Great, was distinguished by honesty and decency. He fought against bribery.

The main directions of its activities:

  • public service;
  • military service;
  • reforming the army;
  • the creation of military settlements;
  • a project to provide freedom to serfs.

At various times, the person was assessed as a cruel executor of the monarch's will, a royal servant, a reactionary. Over time, this opinion has changed. Today he is considered a worthy military leader in the history of Russia.

Arakcheev Alexey Andreevich (1769-1834), count, Russian military and statesman.

Born September 23 (October 4) 1769 in the village. Garusovo of the Vyshnevolotsk district of the Tver province of the Novgorod province in a small landed noble family.

The son of a retired lieutenant of the Preobrazhensky Life Guards Regiment A.A. Arakcheev and E.A. Vetlitskaya. He learned writing and arithmetic from the parish deacon. In 1783 he was admitted to the St. Petersburg gentry artillery and engineering corps; showed particular interest in mathematics, artillery, fortification and drill. In September 1787 he graduated from the course with honors and was promoted to second lieutenant.

Under the patronage of the Vice-President of the Military Collegium, Count N.I.Saltykov, he was left with the Corps as a teacher of geometry; in 1790 he became a senior adjutant of its director PI Melissino. Due to the excessively strict treatment of the cadets, he was transferred to the army in 1791. In September 1792, on the recommendation of PI Melissino, he was enlisted in the Gatchina army of Tsarevich Pavel Petrovich as a company commander, and then as chief of artillery. With his diligence, service zeal and strictness towards his subordinates, he won the favor of Paul.

From December 1794 - inspector of the Gatchina artillery, from January 1796 - artillery and infantry.

He made a dizzying career after the accession of Paul I: on November 7 (18), 1796 he was appointed commandant of St. Order of St. Anna, 1st degree, on December 12 (21), awarded by the village of Gruzino in the Novgorod province with two thousand souls.

In April 1797 he was appointed quartermaster general of the entire army, received the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky and the title of baron; in August 1797 he headed the Preobrazhensky regiment. Cruelty towards soldiers and rudeness towards officers caused outrage in the troops. On March 18 (29), 1798, after the suicide of an officer insulted by him, he was dismissed by Paul I with the assignment of the rank of lieutenant general, but already on December 22, 1798 (January 2, 1799) he was reinstated as quartermaster general, and on January 4 (15) he became an inspector all artillery; On May 5 (16), 1799 he was elevated to the dignity of count. On October 1 (12), 1799, for an attempt to hide his brother's misconduct, he was again dismissed with a ban on entry to the capital. He managed to justify himself, but until the end of the reign of Paul I he remained in disgrace; lived in Gruzino.

Returned to service in May 1803 by the new emperor Alexander I; reinstated as an artillery inspector. Carried out a number of reforms to reorganize and re-equip it; gave the artillery units the status of independent combat units, strengthened the artillery fleet, improved the training of artillery personnel, and developed new regulations.

During the 1805 campaign against France, he ensured the operational supply of troops with artillery ammunition. In 1807 he was appointed general of artillery. 13 (25) January 1808 became Minister of War, 17 (29) January - Inspector General of all infantry and artillery.

He introduced a divisional organization in the army, improved the system of manning and training of personnel, and streamlined the structure of command and control. On his initiative, the Artillery Committee was created in 1808 and the publication of the Artillery Journal began. In 1808-1809 he carried out the general leadership of military operations against Sweden; with his support, the Aland expedition was carried out - the transition of the Russian army from Finland to Sweden on the ice of the Gulf of Bothnia (March 1809). 1 (13) January 1810 relieved of the post of Minister of War, but retained the post of inspector general of infantry and artillery; was appointed chairman of the Department of Military Affairs of the State Council.

During the Patriotic War of 1812 he was the emperor's personal rapporteur on militia affairs; was engaged in recruiting troops, organizing their supply, training reservists; did not participate in hostilities. Accompanying Alexander I on the Russian army's foreign campaign in 1813-1814; acquired a great influence on him. At the end of 1815 he was entrusted with the supervision of the activities of the Committee of Ministers.

From that time on, for ten years (1815-1825) he controlled all spheres of domestic politics, imposing Prussian military order and cannon discipline in the army and the police regime in society (Arakcheevism).

Since 1817, he fanatically carried out, despite his initially negative attitude, a project to organize military settlements on state lands in St. Petersburg, Novgorod, Mogilev, Kherson and other provinces, with the aim of creating a special soldier-peasant class; in 1819 he became chief chief of military settlements, in 1821 - chief chief of the Separate Corps of military settlements.

Contemporaries considered him the "evil genius" of the Alexander reign, a symbol of obscurantism and reaction. At the same time, he played an important role in the administrative reform of the army and its technical re-equipment, as well as in the development of military education: with his support, the Engineering (later Nikolaevskoe) and Artillery (later Mikhailovskoe) schools, the School of guards ensigns were organized; at his own expense founded the Novgorod (later Nizhny Novgorod) cadet corps. In 1818 he drew up a draft peasant reform, which provided for the gradual abolition of serfdom.

He was distinguished by his honesty, never took bribes. He was strict with himself; refused awards and titles that he considered undeserved: in 1807 - from the Order of St. Vladimir, in 1809 - from the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called, in 1814 - from the field marshal's baton.

Upon the accession of Nicholas I, on December 20, 1825 (January 1, 1826), he was relieved of the leadership of the Committee of Ministers, and on April 30 (May 12), 1826, he was dismissed from the posts of chairman of the Department of Military Affairs of the State Council and chief chief of the Special Corps of military settlements. He retired from the yard and went abroad for treatment.

Upon his return he lived in Gruzina, where he died on April 21 (May 3), 1834. He was buried in the local St. Andrew's Cathedral. Having no direct heirs, he bequeathed all his property to Nicholas I, which he transferred to the Novgorod Cadet Corps, giving it the name of A.A. Arakcheev.

Related publications