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Lieutenant General Alexei Petrovich Ermolov was appointed commander of the Separate Georgian Corps in 1816 at the personal request of the all-powerful “temporary worker” Count Arakcheev. Hero of the Battle of Borodino (defender of Raevsky’s battery), one of the arbiters of victory in the Battle of Kulm during the period foreign trip(for this feat Ermolov was awarded the order St. Alexander Nevsky), the initiator and leader of the capture of Belleville and all of Paris, after the end of the wars of the sixth coalition, he himself repeatedly hinted to high-ranking dignitaries about his desire to go to conquer the restless Caucasus.

The first step of the new military governor was the demarcation of the borders of Georgia and Persia and confirmation of the terms of the Gulistan Peace Treaty, concluded following the war of 1804 - 1813. Under the terms of the agreement, Dagestan, the Georgian principalities of Kartli, Kakheti, Megrelia, Imereti, Guria, Abkhazia and a number of territories of modern Azerbaijan were annexed to Russia. Ermolov went as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the court of the Persian Shah Feth-Ali, showing himself to be an unyielding and strong-willed parliamentarian in the negotiations. Thus, the Russian envoy was extremely proud of his supposed relationship with Genghis Khan and repeatedly reminded the eastern ruler of the conquest of Persia by the Tatar-Mongols. At the same time, Ermolov had generosity and a sense of justice: he had the opportunity to significantly enrich himself through the ambassador’s salary, however, he refused it, being content with the allowance due to him as a state official.

In A. Kivshenko’s painting “” Ermolov stands at the table on the right side of the image

As commander Caucasian troops in the summer of 1817, Ermolov ordered the construction of a line of defensive fortifications - Pregradny Stan, the construction of which caused considerable indignation among the mountain peoples. The response was an increase in the number of raids, which they did not fail to report to the general with annoyance in St. Petersburg, accusing him of deliberate provocation in order to strengthen his own influence in the Caucasus. Ermolov perfectly understood the specifics of the so-called “raiding policy” of the highlanders, who obtained their livelihood through robbery, and therefore did not doubt the impossibility of peaceful “re-education” of the local population. The Russian governor decided to take active fighting, and on May 24, 1818, imperial troops invaded the territory of Chechnya. Ermolov became famous for the construction of a number of border defensive fortresses, consisting of four or even six bastions. One of these strategic outposts was the Grozny fortress, which occupied an extremely important position in the blockade of the Khankala Gorge from enemy troops.

Ermolov paid attention to the construction of fortresses and the development of trade

Taking very decisive tactical steps, Ermolov declared that all those who wanted to live peacefully in the annexed Russian territory would be provided with protection, however, all opponents would be deported back to the mountains and certain death: “It is better to leave bare steppes from the Terek to the Sunzha than to tolerate robbers in the rear of our fortifications.” Ermolov often used the practice punitive expeditions against those auls and villages from which the mountaineers carried out their raids. Thus, the commander-in-chief destroyed several villages that were seen as aiding the robbers, and resettled their inhabitants beyond Sunzha.

Having quickly conquered Dagestan, Ermolov set to work on the rebellious Chechens. Realizing that even such a well-fortified fortress as Grozny will not be able to withstand constant enemy raids, Ermolov decides to cut down trees throughout the Khankala Gorge, thereby clearing the way for troops to settlements hidden behind the valley local residents. A further victory near the village of Urum pacified the resistance of the mountaineers, which made it possible to take control of an important strategically Chirakh post. History has gone down in history related to tragic fate defenders of Chirakh. In the morning, the Chechens quietly crept up to the post and killed 80 sleeping people, however, some survivors managed to hide in safe place and form a defensive detachment. For several days they desperately fought with an enemy detachment superior in numbers and weapons (400 Russians against 5 thousand Chechens). The mountaineers managed to capture the detachment commander Shcherbina, who was painfully killed in front of the besieged to intimidate him. The siege lasted three days - during this time the soldiers of the garrison ran out of food and water supplies, and to quench their thirst they had to eat gunpowder. On the fourth day of the siege, reinforcements approached the defenders of Chirakh, and the siege was successfully lifted.

Appearance of Ermolov's troops

On December 29, 1819, the military governor Alexei Petrovich Ermolov went to Derbent to appoint a Russian administration in most of the territory of Dagestan instead of the recalcitrant khans. As a result of a series of successful military operations, the resistance of the mountaineers was completely broken, and they themselves did not interfere with the conquest. All this could have brought the desired results and forever pacified the Caucasians, subordinating them to imperial power, if not for the leaders and ideologists of the mountain movement who soon appeared - the “thunderstorm of the Caucasus” Beibulat Taimiev as a military commander and the founder of Muridism Magomed Yaragsky as a spiritual preacher and philosopher.

Thanks to Ermolov, Georgian peasants received the right to buy out

One of the most significant moments in the history of pacification Caucasian peoples was the episode with the release of the captive Major Pavel Shvetsov, who, returning from military service from Georgia to Russia, was kidnapped by Chechens and spent 14 months in an earthen pit on the outskirts of a mountain village. Using their usual tactics, the kidnappers demanded a ransom of 250 thousand rubles (that’s more than $10 million in today’s dollars). Otherwise, the Chechens threatened to sell the prisoner in the slave markets of the Middle East. A large-scale campaign to raise funds for the release of the Russian officer began throughout the country. However, Ermolov did not succumb to manipulation, but ordered the arrest of the owners of the lands on whose territory Shvetsov was kidnapped (they were placed in a fortress in Kizlyar) with the condition that they collect the required funds within 10 days, otherwise they would all be hanged. The retaliatory step on the part of the mountaineers was sharp decline ransom amount (up to 10 thousand rubles), and the obligation to pay was assigned to one of the Dagestan rulers, who, under the threat of extermination of his lands, managed to come to an agreement with the kidnappers.

Ermolov in old age

Ermolov’s methods were fully consistent with his ideas about the mentality of the mountaineers. The need to restore order in the Caucasus as quickly as possible was dictated, as Ermolov wrote, “by the tears of our residents on the Line (Caucasian line of fortifications), where a rare family did not escape murder or ruin from predation... Leniency in the eyes of Asians is a sign of weakness, and I am right from I am unforgivingly strict in my love for humanity. One execution will save hundreds of Russians from death and thousands of Muslims from treason.” With his 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 “robbers” (the most frequently used euphemism for local peoples) used to hide, declare that “the homes of their accomplices will be destroyed to the ground.”

Ermolov's enemies persuaded Nicholas I to remove the governor from office

Taking advantage of the death of Alexander I and the accession to the throne of Nicholas I, Ermolov's enemies managed to persuade the emperor to remove the governor from his position. However, the witty coincidences of events and facts became a kind of symbolic ending to this story. At Ermolov’s grave, soldiers of the Russian troops installed an unquenchable lamp made of a cast iron grenade with a memorable inscription: “Servants on Gunib Caucasian soldiers" It was in the surrounded mountain village of Gunib that the legendary Imam Shamil announced his surrender in 1859. And when the imam was brought to Central Russia and asked who he would like to meet with, he named Ermolov first. Their meeting took place two years before the general’s death.

General from infantry, general from artillery. General Ermolov was one of the most famous and popular people in Russia's first half of the 19th century V. He achieved this glory by participating in three wars with Napoleon, by managing the Caucasus, state mind, independent and noble character. “You are a military brother, you are the life of the regiments,” the poet V. Zhukovsky wrote about Ermolov after Borodino. Alexander Griboyedov called the ruler of the Caucasus “the Sphinx of modern times.” “I ask you to allow me to be your historian,” A. Pushkin addressed Ermolov.

Alexey Petrovich came from an old but poor noble family Oryol province. According to the custom of that time, while still a child he was enlisted in the Life Guards. Preobrazhensky Regiment. He received his education at the Noble boarding school at Moscow University, and subsequently supplemented it with great erudition. With the rank of captain, he served as an adjutant to Prosecutor General A. Samoilov, then, dissatisfied with this service, he transferred to the artillery. Most Ermolov's life will be connected with this formidable weapon of war.

In 1794, a young artillery officer as part of Suvorov’s troops acted against the rebels in Poland, and for his courage he received the Order of St. George, 4th degree, from the hands of the commander. Two years later he participated in Persian campaign army of V. Zubov, for valor during the storming of Derbent he was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir, 4th degree and the rank of lieutenant colonel.

Ermolov's military career was unexpectedly interrupted in 1798: for his participation in the officer's political circle "Freethinkers" he was imprisoned Peter and Paul Fortress, and then Paul 1 exiled him to Kostroma. There he often spent time in the company of another disgraced Cossack general M. Platov. By the decree of Alexander 1, who ascended the throne, “On forgiveness of people,” Alexei Petrovich was pardoned.

Upon returning from exile, he was given command of a horse artillery company in Vilna. Despite his diligent service, Ermolov had the misfortune of not liking the inspector of all artillery, General A.A. Arakcheev. When checking the company, he tormented the soldiers and officers with nagging, and when at the end he expressed satisfaction with the maintenance of horses in the company, Ermolov gloomily replied: “It’s a pity, Your Excellency, that in the army the reputation of an officer often depends on cattle.” For a long time Arakcheev could not forgive Ermolov for such sarcasm. “It remains for me,” said Alexey Petrovich, “either to resign, or to wait for war, so that from the end of my sword I can get for myself everything that I have lost.” Fortunately, the wait for war was short-lived.

In 1805, with the beginning of the Russian-Austro-French War, Ermolov’s company became part of M. Kutuzov’s army and earned highly appreciated their actions in the campaign. For courage and stewardship in the battle of Austerlitz, Alexey Petrovich received the rank of colonel. In the Russian-Prussian-French war of 1806 - 1807. He proved himself to be a valiant artillery commander, distinguished himself in battles and battles near Golymin, Morungen, Preussisch-Eylau, Gutstadt, Heilsberg, Friedland. In the battle of Preussisch-Eylau, Ermolov sent horses and gun limbers to the rear, telling his subordinates that “they shouldn’t even think about retreat.” Near Heilsberg, in response to the remark that the French were close and it was time to open fire, he replied: “I will shoot when I distinguish the blond from the black-haired.” In the battle of Friedland, he was in the thick of the battle, but miraculously survived. He received three orders and a golden sword for his exploits, but due to Arakcheev’s unkind attitude he was left without the rank of major general, to which he was twice introduced by the tsar’s brother himself, Konstantin Pavlovich. Ermolov wanted to leave the army, but Alexander 1, who valued him, prevented this.

After explanations with Ermolov, Arakcheev changed his attitude towards him and from then on began to patronize him. In 1809, Alexey Petrovich received the rank of major general and appointment as inspector of horse artillery companies, then became commander of a detachment of reserve troops on the southwestern borders. The young hot general asked more than once to go to the theater of war with Turkey, but did not receive permission to do so. In 1811 he was transferred to St. Petersburg as commander of the Guards artillery brigade.

With the beginning Patriotic War 1812 Ermolov was appointed chief of staff of the 1st Western Army of Barclay de Tolly. Like the commander of the 2nd Western Army P. Bagration, Alexey Petrovich was burdened by the retreat and Barclay’s plan, but still humbled his pride “for the benefit of the fatherland.” At Alexander's personal request, I wrote to him about everything that was happening. As chief of staff, he did a lot to smooth relations between Barclay de Tolly and Bagration and to successfully unite the two armies near Smolensk; He was the organizer of the defense of this city, then successfully led the troops in the battle of Lubin, and was promoted to lieutenant general.

In the battle of Borodino, Ermolov was with the commander-in-chief M. Kutuzov. At the height of the battle, Kutuzov sent him to the left flank, to the 2nd Army, where Bagration was seriously wounded, and Ermolov helped overcome the confusion of the troops there. Seeing that Raevsky's central battery had been taken by the French, he organized a counterattack, recaptured the battery and led its defense until he was shell-shocked by grapeshot.

Kutuzov highly appreciated fighting qualities Ermolov, but, considering him confidant the emperor, did not really favor him (for Borodino, Barclay de Tolly nominated Yermolov to the Order of St. George, 2nd degree, but the commander-in-chief limited himself to the Order of St. Anne, 1st degree). In turn, the energetic Ermolov complained about Kutuzov’s defensive strategy and caused his displeasure when, at the military council in Fili, he spoke out against leaving Moscow without a battle.

After leaving Moscow, Alexey Petrovich, acting as chief of the joint headquarters of the 1st and 2nd armies, 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 to Kaluga road, he 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 crossing 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.

Upon returning to Russia, Ermolov was recommended by Arakcheev for the post of Minister of War. “True, he will start by saying,” said Arakcheev, “that he will squabble with everyone, but his activity, intelligence, strength of character, selflessness and frugality would subsequently justify him.” Alexander 1 preferred to give the 38-year-old general another position. In 1816, Alexey Petrovich was appointed commander-in-chief in Georgia and commander of a separate Georgian (Caucasian) corps; two years later he was promoted to infantry general.

For 11 years, Ermolov ruled the Caucasus with a firm hand, acting systematically and prudently, combining rigidity and severity with respectful attitude to the civilian population. “The assault on the Caucasus will be expensive,” he believed, “so let’s wage a siege.” The commander-in-chief defined his policy in the Caucasus as follows: “I am in a slow hurry.” Ermolov carried out a series of military operations in Chechnya, Dagestan and the Kuban, built new fortresses (Groznaya, Vnezapnaya, Burnaya), pacified disturbances in Imereti, Guria and Mingrelia, and annexed Abkhazia, Karabakh and Shirvan khanates to Russia. He encouraged the development of trade and industry in the Caucasus and improved the Georgian Military Road. Under him, medical institutions were created mineral waters, Pyatigorsk was founded, and the city of Kislovodsk grew from the Kislaya fortress.

The ruler of the Caucasus recruited talented and educated people. He revived Suvorov traditions in the training and education of troops, for which the soldiers and officers responded to him with love. The patriot general patronized the Decembrists exiled to the Caucasus, they even intended him to be a member of the future Provisional Government. After the commander of the Caucasian Corps delayed swearing his troops to the new Tsar, Nicholas 1, rumors intensified in St. Petersburg about the plans of the power-hungry Ermolov to separate the Caucasus from Russia. Alexey Petrovich only grinned ironically and became increasingly gloomy.

Invasion Persian troops to the borders of Georgia in 1826 served as a reason for Nicholas 1 to accuse Ermolov of improvidence and to send General Paskevich to the Caucasus with special powers from the tsar. Having entrusted Paskevich with command of the troops, Ermolov soon submitted his resignation, which was granted in March 1827.

Having barely reached the age of 50, a man of ebullient energy, enormous administrative and combat experience, Ermolov found himself doomed to inaction and lived in Moscow and Orel for more than 30 years. Famous poet I. Krylov responded to Ermolov’s resignation with the fables “Horse” and “Damask Steel” - about the inability of a bad rider to use an excellent war horse and about a damask blade abandoned and rusting without use.

Respect Russian society to the disgraced general remained, so Nicholas 1 in 1831 appointed him a member of the State Council, but Ermolov avoided participating in council meetings. He occasionally went out to inspect troops and attend military reviews. In 1837 he was awarded the title of artillery general. With the beginning Crimean War 1853 - 1856 The Moscow nobility elected Ermolov as head of the provincial militia, but for 76-year-old Alexei Petrovich this position was only honorary. Ermolov died on April 11, 1861 in Moscow and, according to his will, was buried in Orel, next to his father, in the Church of the Trinity Cemetery.

A. P. Ermolov

Alexey Petrovich Ermolov - Russian general - one of the most famous Russian military leaders, was born in 1777, in the family of a poor landowner in the Oryol province. Ermolov’s mother is the aunt of the famous partisan Denis Davydov.

Alexey Petrovich received his education at Moscow University, and in 1794 he began his military career. With the rank of captain, he was an adjutant to Prosecutor General A. Samoilov, then, dissatisfied with this service, he transferred to the artillery. Most of Ermolov's life will be connected with this formidable weapon of war. In 1794, a young artillery officer, as part of Suvorov’s troops, acted against the rebels in Poland, and from the hands of Suvorov himself received his first award - the Order of George, 4th degree.

Ermolov’s military career was unexpectedly interrupted in 1798: for participating in the officer’s political circle “Freethinkers,” he was imprisoned in the Peter and Paul Fortress, and then Paul I exiled him to Kostroma. There he often spent time in the company of another disgraced general, M. Platov. By the decree of Alexander I, who ascended the throne, “On Forgiving People,” A.P. Ermolov was pardoned.

In 1805, with the beginning of the Russian-Austro-French War, Ermolov’s company became part of M. Kutuzov’s army and earned high praise for its actions in the campaign. For courage and stewardship in the battle of Austerlitz, Ermolov received the rank of colonel.

In the Russian-Prussian-French war of 1806–1807, Ermolov proved himself to be a valiant artillery commander, distinguished himself in battles and battles near Golymin, Morungen, Preussisch-Eylau, Gutstadt, Heilsberg, Friedland. In the battle of Preussisch-Eylau, Ermolov sent horses and gun limbers to the rear, telling his subordinates that “they should not even think about retreat.”

Near Heilsberg, in response to the remark that the French were close and it was time to open fire, he replied: “I will shoot when I distinguish the blond from the black-haired.” In the battle of Friedland, being in the thick of the battle, he miraculously survived. He received three orders and a golden sword for his exploits, but due to Arakcheev’s unkind attitude he was left without the rank of major general, to which he was twice introduced by the tsar’s brother himself, Konstantin Pavlovich. Ermolov wanted to leave the army, but Alexander I, who valued him, prevented this.

General A.P. Ermolov

After explanations with Ermolov, Arakcheev began to treat him differently - he began to patronize him. In 1809, Ermolov received the rank of major general and appointment as inspector of horse artillery companies, then became commander of a detachment of reserve troops on the southwestern borders. The young general more than once asked to enter the theater of military operations with Turkey, but did not receive permission to do so. In 1811, he was transferred to St. Petersburg as commander of the Guards artillery brigade.

With the beginning of the Patriotic War of 1812, Ermolov was appointed chief of staff of the 1st Western Army of Barclay de Tolly. Like the commander of the 2nd Western Army P. Bagration, Ermolov was burdened by the retreat; at the personal request of Alexander I, he wrote to him about everything that was happening. As chief of staff, he did a lot to normalize relations between Barclay de Tolly and Bagration and to unite the two armies near Smolensk; He was the organizer of the defense of this city, then successfully led the troops in the battle of Lubin, and was promoted to lieutenant general.

In the battle of Borodino, Ermolov was with the commander-in-chief M. Kutuzov. At the height of the battle, Kutuzov sent him to the left flank, to the 2nd Army, where Bagration was seriously wounded, Ermolov helped overcome the confusion of the troops there. Seeing that Raevsky’s central battery had been taken by the French, he organized a counterattack, recaptured the battery and led its defense until he was shell-shocked.

Kutuzov wrote: “The chief of the main staff, Major General Ermolov, seeing the enemy who had captured the battery, the most important in the entire position, with his characteristic courage and determination, together with the excellent General Kutaisov, took only Ufimsky infantry regiment battalion and, having arranged for as many as possible to flee as quickly as possible, setting an example, struck with bayonets. The enemy defended himself brutally, but nothing could resist the Russian bayonet.”

By apt expression Ermolov, in the battle of Borodino " french army I hurt myself on a Russian.”

Praise be to the companions-leaders!

Ermolov, young knight,

You are the brother of the warriors, you are the life of the regiments,

And your fear is Perun.

(V. A. Zhukovsky)

Kutuzov highly valued Ermolov’s fighting qualities, but, considering him a confidant of the emperor, did not really favor him (for Borodino, Barclay de Tolly nominated Ermolov for the Order of St. George, 2nd degree, but the commander-in-chief limited himself to the Order of St. Anne, 1st degree) . In turn, the energetic Ermolov complained about Kutuzov’s defensive strategy and caused his displeasure when, at the military council in Fili, he spoke out against leaving Moscow without a battle.

“You are a military brother, you are the life of the regiments,” the poet V. Zhukovsky wrote about Ermolov after Borodino. Alexander Griboyedov later called the ruler of the Caucasus “the Sphinx of modern times.” “I ask you to allow me to be your historian,” A. S. Pushkin addressed Ermolov.