(1765-12 (24) .09.1812) 2 - prince, general of infantry. Born in the city of Kizlyar, Astrakhan province, in the family of a colonel, descended from the old Georgian princely family Bagrationi. In 1782-1783 he studied at the Kizlyar School for the staff and chief officers' children.

In 1783-1794. served in the Caucasian musketeer regiment, then in the Kiev horse-jaeger and Sofia carabinier regiments in the ranks from sergeant to lieutenant colonel.

Taking part in the Russian-Turkish war of 1787-1791. and the Polish campaign of 1793–1794, earned himself the glory of a military officer, was wounded more than once, especially distinguished himself during the assault, and deserved praise for his bold attack near Warsaw. In 1799, with the rank of major general, he took part in the Italian and Swiss campaigns of A. V. Suvorov. Together with him, he led Russian troops across the Alps, stormed the fortress of Brescia, the cities of Bergamo and Lecco, commanded vanguard troops and distinguished himself in all major battles: on the rivers Adda, Tidona and Trebbia, at Novi, at the Saint-Gotthard pass in the Alps, at the Devil's Bridge ... During the war with France 1805-1807. Bagration headed the rearguard of the Russian army.

He distinguished himself in the battles of Austerlitz, Schöngraben, Preussisch-Eylau, Heilsberg and Friedland. During the Russian-Swedish war of 1808-1809. commanded a division, made a transition on the ice of the Gulf of Bothnia and occupied the Aland Islands. For these actions he was awarded the rank of General of Infantry. He took part in the Russian-Turkish war of 1806-1812. In the course of successful battles, Russian troops under his command captured several fortresses on the left bank of the Danube, defeated the 12,000th corps of the best Turkish troops near Rasevat, and also inflicted a major defeat on the Turks near Tataritsa.

In 1809-1810. appointed commander-in-chief of the Moldavian army. From August 1811 he was the commander of the Podolsk army in Ukraine, and from March 1812 he was approved as the commander-in-chief of the 2nd Western Army. At the beginning of the Patriotic War of 1812, Bagration with a skillful maneuver withdrew his army from Volkovysk from under the blow of superior enemy forces and at Smolensk united with the 1st Western Army of M. B. Barclay de Tolly.

Inflicted heavy losses on French troops in heavy battles near Mir, Romanov and Saltanovka. After the union of the Russian armies near Smolensk, Bagration advocated decisive action against the enemy, criticized Barclay de Tolly's retreat strategy, accusing him of 22 Dates of birth and death (in biographical articles), historical events are indicated in two styles - old and (in brackets) new. The absence of dates for two styles means that the sources have a date for only one style. If several dates of birth are given in the literature, then they are indicated in square brackets.6 cowardice and treason. He had a negative attitude to the appointment of MI Kutuzov as commander-in-chief of the Russian armies.

During the Battle of Smolensk, the troops of the 2nd Western Army successfully repelled enemy attacks. But Smolensk had to be surrendered, since the number of Napoleon's troops outnumbered the forces of the two Russian armies. Both Bagration and Barclay de Tolly, together with their troops, began to retreat to Moscow. In the Battle of Borodino, Bagration commanded the left wing of the Russian army, directly supervising the defense of the Semyonov flashes, later called the Bagrationovs.

It was on the flushes that Napoleon's main blow was directed - 45 thousand soldiers, 400 guns - twice as many forces as Bagration's. Russian troops repulsed seven attacks. During the eighth attack on the flushes, Bagration gave the order to launch a counterattack and took part in it himself. During a tense battle, Prince Bagration was seriously wounded by a fragment of an exploding nucleus in the leg.

Taken from his horse and bleeding, he continued to lead his troops until he lost consciousness. The wound was fatal. Bagration died three weeks later from gangrene in the village of Sima, Vladimir province, where he was buried. In 1839, in honor of the 25th anniversary of the victory over Napoleon, on the initiative of his former adjutant D.V. Davydov, Bagration's ashes were transferred to the Borodino field and dedicated to the land whose honor he defended. In 1932 Bagration's grave was destroyed. It was restored in its former form in 1987. The military leadership of Bagration brought him wide popularity.

Possessing a remarkable mind, tremendous willpower, energy and determination, courage in battle, courageous character, Bagration was respected by many prominent military leaders and ordinary soldiers. "God rati - he" - so the Russian army called him. Napoleon considered Bagration the best general in the Russian army. Named in honor of Bagration: the city of Bagrationovsk (since 1946) in the Kaliningrad region, the small planet (1973), the local history museum in the city of Kizlyar, the Volkovysk military history museum. During the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. the operation to liberate Belarus in 1944 was named "Bagration".

In Moscow, the passage (1956), the metro station "Bagrationovskaya" (1961) and the pedestrian bridge across the Moscow River (1999) are named after Bagration, a monument to the commander was unveiled on Kutuzovsky Prospekt (1999, sculptor M.K. Merabishvili, architect B.I. Tkhor ). A monument to Bagration was also erected in Tbilisi (1984, sculptor M. K. Merabishvili, architect N. Mgaloblishvili). Since 1990, the State Borodino Military-Historical Museum-Reserve has been holding the Bagration Readings.

Commander Peter Ivanovich Bagration's Day of Remembrance is held every year on September 25 at the Borodino field. 7 Bagration's Awards: Sardinian Order of Mauritius and Lazarus, 1st class (1799) Austrian Military Order of Maria Theresa, 2nd degree (1799) Order of St. John of Jerusalem (Maltese Cross ) (1799) Order of St. Alexander Nevsky (1799) Order of St. Anna 1st degree (1799) Order of St. George 2nd degree (1806) Prussian Order of the Red Eagle (1807) Prussian Order of the Black Eagle (1807) Golden sword with diamonds " For Courage "(1807) Order of St. Vladimir 1st degree (1808) Order of St. Andrew the First-Called Apostle (1809)

1. Anisimov E. V. General Bagration. Life and War / E. Anisimov. -. - M.: Young Guard, 2011 .-- 820 p. : col. ill., fax., portra., maps. - (The life of remarkable people: ZhZL: Ser. Biogr .; Issue 1539 (1339)).

2. Borodulin A. Faithful son of Russia: general from infantry Pyotr Ivanovich Bagration / A. Borodulin // Landmark. - 2011. - No. 4. - P. 62–64.

3. General Bagration: Sat. doc. and materials / Ch. archive. ex. NKVD of the USSR; [under the editorship of SN Golubov, FE Kuznetsov]. - L.: OGIZ: Gospolitizdat, 1945 .-- 278 p. : ill. - (Russian commanders: documents and materials).

4. Glinka V. M. Pyotr Ivanovich Bagration: 1765–1812 / V. M. Glinka // Military Gallery of the Winter Palace / V. M. Glinka, A. V. Pomarnatsky. -. - L.: Art. Leningrad. department, 1981. - pp. 77–82.

5. Golubov S. N. Bagration / S. N. Golubov. - [Reprint. ed.]. - M.: Publishing house. center children. book - 1993 .-- 335 p. : ill. - (Invincible Rus) (Historical novel series).

6. Gribanov V. K. Bagration in St. Petersburg / V. K. Gribanov. - L.: Lenizdat, 1979 .-- 221 p. : ill.

7. Kafengauz BB Heroes of the Patriotic War of 1812 / BB Kafengauz, GA Novitsky. - M.: Education, 1966 .-- 128 p. : ill., maps. - (Student library) .8

8. Koginov Yu. I. God of ratification: a novel / Yu. I. Koginov. - M.: Armada, 1997 .-- 549 p. : portr. - (Russian generals).

9. Kolomnin S. General of Infantry PI Bagration: “I love warriors, I respect their bravery, so I demand order” / S. Kolomnin // Landmark. - 1997. - No. 9. - P. 46–47.

10. Polovtsov AA Petr Ivanovich Bagration / AA Polovtsov // Russian generals / [comp., Selection of silt. V. Lyudvinskaya]. - M.: Eksmo, 2010. - pp. 397–401: ill., Portr. - (Russian Imperial Library).

11. Popov M. Ya. The wound and death of Bagration / M. Ya. Popov // Vopr. stories. - 1975. - No. 3. - P. 211–214.

12. Rostunov I. I. P. I. Bagration / I. I. Rostunov. - M.: Mosk. worker, 1970 .-- 116 p. : ill. - (Heroes of the Patriotic War of 1812).

13. Shankman G. S. General Bagration / G. S. Shenkman. - SPb. : Aletheya, 2003 .-- 190 p. : ill. - (Petersburg Series) (Heroes of the Patriotic War of 1812).

Carier start
Petr Ivanovich Bagration came from the Kartli Armenian-Georgian clan Bagrationi, whose representatives were asked to serve in the Russian service during the time of Peter the Great. The father of the future general, unlike his grandfather, did not serve and spent most of his life in Kizlyar, where he had his own estate in a Georgian settlement: a small house with a garden.

In fact, the prince did not receive any education. According to A.P. Ermolova, “from a young age without a mentor, completely without a fortune, Prince Bagration did not have the means to receive education. Naturally gifted with happy abilities, he was left without education and decided on military service. "

Despite his noble origins, Bagration began his military service in 1782, joining the Astrakhan infantry regiment as a private. He received his baptism of fire the following year on a military expedition to the territory of Chechnya. In 1785 he was captured by the highlanders, but then either he was ransomed by the tsarist government, or returned to his father as a sign of respect, or he was not taken prisoner at all.

In general, during the first 7 years of service, the young nobleman participated in countless clashes. For example, here is his short track record: “1783 - on the Caucasian line when the Chechens and Circassians were defeated; 1784 - during the conquest of the Kabardians; 1785 - in the mountains against Shah Monsura; that year in Kizlyar when it was destroyed, when the Tatars and Kipchaks were conquered in the mountains; 1786 in the Kuban across the Laboyu River during the defeat of the Kuban; 1788 in the campaign and at the storming of Ochakov; 1790 in the Caucasus, during the conquest of the Chechens ”. However, Bagration received the rank of captain only in 1790.

Nevertheless, one should not think that Bagration made his career absolutely without anyone's help. In those days, it was almost impossible. It often happened that, having entered the army as a private, a person after 30-40 years of service sought only the captain. They asked for Bagration. Among these petitioners, A.A. Golitsyna, who came from an old Georgian family, and her first husband A.A. Delitsyn, and the second husband, A.A. Golitsyn.

Of course, this does not mean that these brilliant courtiers made a career as a young officer, but after their patronage, Peter Ivanovich receives a number of promotions and appointments. So, during the Russian-Turkish war of 1787-1792, where he distinguished himself during the storming of Ochakov, and the suppression of the Polish uprising of 1794, in which he participated after being transferred to the Sofia carabinieri regiment, one of the closest to the court, he served under the leadership of G.A. Potemkina, A.V. Suvorov, V.A. Zubova. For impeccable service he was promoted to colonel in 1798, and the next year he was promoted to major general. As we can see, despite the fact that the prince lagged behind his peers for a long time in ranks, over the last 10 years of the 18th century he caught up and overtook them.

In October 1798, he set out for Austria together with the Jaeger regiment of his own name, and in 1799 he was transferred under the command of Suvorov during the Italian campaign. During this campaign, he was the first Russian general to meet with French troops, and the last to come into contact with the enemy. Especially Bagration distinguished himself in the battles on the Adda and Trebbia rivers, as well as at Novi and Saint Gotthard, and, despite the fact that he was the youngest general in production, he was so enterprising and successful that at the end of the campaign his name was on the officer's lists immediately after field marshal A.V. Suvorov.

By the way, Suvorov often mentioned Bagration in his reports and recommended him as a worthy general deserving of promotion. When the troops left Switzerland, he commanded the rearguard and withstood many battles, was twice wounded, shell-shocked, but did not leave the troops. General A.P. Ermolov wrote in his memoirs that the prince returned from the war in the glory of the fearless victor of the French. The emperor even appointed him commander of the Life Guards Regiment, which meant a lot in the Pavlovian hierarchy.

Bagration and Suvorov
The friendship between Suvorov and Bagration after the Austrian and Swiss campaigns became extraordinary. It was Bagration who accompanied the field marshal, already seriously ill, to his estate, and it was he who, by order of the emperor, came to the dying old man, deprived of the last honors of triumph. This is how he (according to Starkov's note) described their last meeting: “I found Alexander Vasilyevich lying on the bed, he was very weak, fainted, and they rubbed his whiskey with alcohol and gave him a sniff. Coming to his senses, he looked at me and the look of life did not shine in his big genius eyes. For a long time he looked, as if recognizing me, then he said: “Ah! It's you, Peter! Hello!" and fell silent, forgotten. A minute later he looked at me again, and I told him everything that the emperor had commanded. Alexander Vasilyevich seemed to liven up, but with difficulty said: "Bow ... my ... at the feet ... to the Tsar ... do it, Peter!., Wow ... it hurts!" and groaned and fell into delirium. I reported everything to the Emperor and stayed with His Majesty after midnight. Every hour they reported to the Emperor about Alexander Vasilievich. Between many speeches, His Majesty deigned to say: “Pity him! Russia and I, with his death, are losing a lot, we will lose a lot, and Europe is everything. "

After his Italian adventures, Prince Bagration began climbing the court ladder from the post of chief of the Life Guards of the Jaeger Battalion. His further service under Paul was similar to constant hostilities, only the enemy in them was not strictly defined. The emperor was cruel and extravagant, which Bagration did not like very much. He spoke out quite harshly about his reforms in the aftermath. So, for example, in a note submitted to Alexander I about the reasons for the defeat of Austerlitzkolgo, Bagration spoke about the imperfection of the Pavlovian recruiting system, where the regiments were not recruited according to the divisional system, as a result of which it turned out that the commanders did not know the soldiers and junior officers. Some time after the submission of the note, the emperor, heeding the voice of Bagration, issued a corresponding decree to change the system.

Accession of Alexander
With the accession of Alexander in the life of Prince Bagration, a new stage began: in St. Petersburg he had his own salon, at court he was treated kindly in every possible way, and after the Austrian and Prussian campaigns he became one of the leading Russian generals. For example, for his distinction in the Shengraben battle, Prince Bagration was awarded the Order of St. George of the 2nd degree, without having the 4th and 3rd - a truly extraordinary case in Russian military history.

Bagration covered himself with glory in the battle of Preussisch-Eylau, about which Napoleon said that he declared himself the winner only because the Russian troops withdrew. Bagration also confirmed his reputation as a brave commander in the battle of Friedland, fatal for the Russian army. Napoleon personally saw the courage and skill of Bagration and considered him the best general in the Russian army.

It should be noted that in all these wars Bagration constantly commanded the vanguard (during the offensive) or the rearguard (during the retreat) of the Russian army, i.e. always had direct contact with the enemy and showed truly Suvorov's wisdom in his maneuvers, repeatedly destroying individual units of the Great Army.

World War II: fatal wound
In 1812, Bagration was appointed to command the Second Western Army, although many expected that he would become the commander-in-chief of all Russian troops. However, the emperor was more sympathetic to the cold mind of Barclay and, perhaps, was right in his preferences. After all, Bagration throughout the war opposed the continuous retreat and luring Napoleon deep into Russia, calling for a battle already near Smolensk. It was in this war that all the southerner's fervor of the general was manifested, his passionate desire to go on the attack.

Nevertheless, Bagration's army very successfully withdrew the entire first part of the campaign and twice managed to avoid a complete defeat. After all, it was precisely the destruction of the Second Western Army that was the main task of Napoleon after the Russian troops began to retreat.

The soldiers adored Bagration, giving his name even the following decoding: "God rati he," and when in the battle of Borodino on August 26 (September 7), during his next reckless counterattack on the Semyonovskie flashes, Prince Bagration was wounded by a grenade fragment in his left leg and was replaced by a general D.S. Dokhturov, a noticeable gloomy mood reigned among the army, in which a thirst for revenge for the "soldier's general" and a kind of despondency due to his absence on the battlefield were mixed.

Artist A.I. Vepkhvadze. 1948 g.

The wound received at Borodino was not fatal, but Bagration began to have gangrene. By the time Bagration was delivered to the Golitsyn estate near Yuriev-Polsky, it had spread greatly. To heal, the prince needed an amputation of the leg below the knee, which he, to the horror of his friends, refused. When it became clear that blood poisoning was inevitable, Bagration, just as coolly, as on the battlefields, gave the order to attack, ordered to bring himself a priest for the last communion.

Bagration's ashes were buried in the church of the village of Sima. Since the prince had no children, no family, no family nest of his own, and the tsar since the beginning of the 1812 campaign was extremely cold towards the obstinate general, there was no talk of transferring the ashes of the hero of the Patriotic War. Only on the 25th anniversary of the war, Nicholas I, at the request of Bagration's student, Denis Davydov, agreed to transfer his ashes to the Borodino field. True, it turned out to be done only in 1839.

The grave of General Pyotr Ivanovich Bagration is located on Red Hill, a mound height, where during the Battle of Borodino was located Raevsky's battery.

The general's ashes were seen off by crowds of people and the higher clergy, near the grave of Bagration the main monument to the heroes of Borodin was erected in 1839. With the advent of Soviet power, the church in the village of Sima and the Main Monument were blown up, and the bones of the general were scattered across the field, but collected by well-wishers. In 1987, Bagration's ashes were again buried.

BAGRATION PETR IVANOVICH (1765 - 1812) - Russian general from infantry, prince, hero of the Patriotic War of 1812, "Lion of the Russian army", "the most excellent general, worthy of the highest degrees." Descendant of the Georgian royal house of Bagration.

According to the reference data, Peter Bagration was born in Kizlyar on June 12, 1769. However, according to the petitions of Ivan Alexandrovich, the parents of the future general Bagration moved from Iveria (Georgia) to Kizlyar in December 1766. Thus, there is reason to believe that the future commander was born in Tiflis.

From an early age he showed great interest and love for military affairs, dreaming of devoting himself to the military profession.

Petr Bagration began his military service on February 21, 1782 as a private in the Astrakhan infantry regiment, stationed in the vicinity of Kizlyar. From that time on, his military activity began, which lasted continuously for thirty years.

The troops on the Caucasian borders had to constantly be on alert and repel the raids of enemy detachments. In one of the battles with the mountaineers, Peter was seriously wounded and left on the battlefield in a pile of killed and wounded. He was picked up by the mountaineers, who gathered weapons at night and took young Bagration for their own. They left him, and then, having found out who he was, out of respect for his father, who had once rendered them a service, they took him to the Russians without ransom.

In June 1787 he was awarded the rank of ensign of the Astrakhan regiment, which was reorganized into the Caucasian Musketeer Regiment. As part of this regiment, he takes part in the siege and subsequent assault on Ochakov on December 6, 1788, one of the first to break into the fallen fortress.

Bagration served in the Caucasian Musketeer Regiment until June 1792, successively going through all the stages of military service from sergeant to captain. In 1792 he was promoted to Major Seconds and transferred to the Kiev Cuirassier Regiment, and in 1793 - to the Sofia Carabinieri Regiment. He took part in the Polish campaign of 1794. During the storming of the Warsaw suburb of Prague on October 24, he was spotted by A.V. Suvorov and became his favorite.

In May 1797, Pyotr Ivanovich was appointed commander of the 7th Jaeger Regiment. In February 1798 he was promoted to colonel, and in February 1799 - to major general. In the Italian and Swiss campaigns of A. V. Suvorov in 1799, General Bagration, commanding the vanguard of the army, stormed the citadel of Brescia (April 10), attacked and occupied the city of Lecco, and was wounded by a bullet in the leg, but remained in the ranks, continuing to lead the battle.

On May 6, hearing shots from Marengo, Bagration teamed up with the Austrians, generously yielding general command to the junior in rank, General Lusignan, joined him from both flanks and carried the allies into a swift attack with a drumbeat, simultaneously suppressing all French attempts to bypass the right flank. The French attempt to break through to Genoa failed.

June 6 in the morning, having received the news that MacDonald attacked the Austrians on the river. Tidone, Suvorov immediately took Cossack regiments and Austrian dragoons from the vanguard and, together with Bagration, led them to the place of battle. At three o'clock in the afternoon he was already there and with a dashing cavalry attack delayed the onslaught of the French until the advance of the vanguard infantry. When she showed up, Bagration went up to Suvorov and in an undertone asked him to postpone the attack until the backward ones came up, for there were not even 40 people in the companies. Suvorov answered in his ear: “And MacDonald doesn't even have 20, attack with God! Hurrah!" Bagration obeyed. The troops struck together at the enemy and threw him back in great disarray behind Tidone. MacDonald gathered his army at Trebiya and on June 7, on its left bank, he received a new attack from Suvorov, during which Bagration was wounded a second time, but this wound did not put him out of action.

This was followed by the legendary campaign of Suvorov's troops across the Alps to Switzerland. Bagration went either at the head of the marching column, being the first to take on all the enemy's blows and overcoming natural barriers, then in the rearguard - restraining the onslaught of the French, and by the end of the campaign only 16 officers and 300 lower ranks remained in Bagration's regiment. He himself was wounded for the third time in this war at the battle of Klenthal. Upon his return to Russia, Bagration was appointed chief of the Life-Jaeger Battalion, which was later reorganized into a regiment, and remained so until his death.

The Italian and Swiss campaigns glorified Bagration as an excellent general, and showed his most distinctive character traits - exceptional composure and courage in battle, quickness and decisiveness of actions, the ability to make the most of a convenient moment during a battle. The fame of the courage and fearlessness of Bagration quickly and widely spread among the soldiers and officers of the Russian army.

With the beginning of the first war between Russia and Napoleon, in 1805, the vanguard of Kutuzov's army was entrusted to Bagration. True, due to the surrender of the Austrian army near Ulm, the Russian corps met face to face with seven French corps and was forced to retreat. Bagration, who remained in the rearguard, was supposed to cover the retreat, holding back the enemy's attacks for 400 miles. He had to save the Russian army for the second time, when Ulm was followed by the surrender of Vienna. The situation was even more serious, since Napoleonic troops were thrown across the retreating Russians. Kutuzov ordered to detain the French at all costs, even if for this he had to sacrifice his entire detachment and the last man. Saying goodbye to Bagration, Kutuzov baptized him as doomed to death. She looked at Bagration and his detachment and the whole army in the same way, knowing that her fate depended on his stamina. Bagration vowed to resist. And he kept his word. For 8 hours, his detachment was subjected to fierce attacks, suffered serious losses, but did not surrender its positions. His soldiers did not retreat even when Legrand's division entered the rear. Only after receiving the news that Kutuzov's army was out of danger, Bagration surrendered his positions, hand-to-hand fought his way through the encirclement, even capturing prisoners and one French banner.

For this brilliant feat Bagration was promoted to lieutenant general, and the 6th Jaeger Regiment, the first of the regiments of the Russian army, received silver trumpets with St. George ribbons as a reward.

After the connection of Kutuzov with the corps of Count Buxgewden, the Russian army went on the offensive and Bagration's detachment again became the vanguard. On the way to Austerlitz, Bagration defeated the enemy troops at Vishau and Rausnitsa. On December 2, on the Austerlitz field, the vanguard of Bagration made up the extreme right flank of the combat disposition of the allied army and, when the columns of its center were scattered, underwent a brutal onslaught of the victorious enemy, but resisted and covered the retreat of the defeated army, again becoming its rearguard. For Austerlitz Bagration was awarded the Order of St. George, 2nd class.

In the campaigns of 1806-1807. Bagration distinguished himself in the battles at Preussisch-Eylau and at Friedland in Prussia. Napoleon formed an opinion about Bagration as the best general in the Russian army. At the turning points of the battle, he, sometimes dismounted, went to the attack or to the battle line, spared neither himself nor the enemy. The general attacked fiercely and stubbornly defended, which ruined the enemy's plans and gave the allied troops the opportunity to rebuild or retreat. In the battle at Friedland, Bagration's detachment formed the left flank of the Russian army. When the troops could not stand it and began to retreat in frustration, Bagration, sword in hand, encouraged the Moscow Grenadier Regiment, the remnants of which surrounded his horse, reminding the soldiers of their exploits in Italy with Suvorov ... But it was all in vain. Even the Semenov and Pavlovites wavered and laid siege back. Then Bagration, wishing to somehow restrain the onslaught of the French, ordered Colonel Yermolov to bring some artillery company from the reserve. Bagration stayed for 16 hours in the very heat of this fierce battle and then for another 5 days he held back the enemy, pursuing the defeated Russian army, which was marching towards Tilsit. For Friedland, Bagration was awarded a gold sword, decorated with diamonds, with the inscription "For Bravery".

In the Russian-Swedish war of 1808-1809. commanded a division, then a corps. He led the Aland Expedition in 1809, during which his troops, having overcome the Gulf of Bothnia on the ice, occupied the Aland Islands and reached the shores of Sweden. In the spring of 1809 he was promoted to general of infantry.

During the Russian-Turkish war of 1806-1812. was the commander-in-chief of the Moldavian army, led the hostilities on the left bank of the Danube. Bagration's troops captured the fortresses of Machin, Girsovo, Kyustendzha, defeated the 12-thousandth corps of selected Turkish troops near Rassavet, inflicted a major defeat on the enemy near Tataritsa.

Since August 1811 Bagration was the commander-in-chief of the Podolsk army, which was renamed in March 1812 as the 2nd Western Army. Anticipating the possibility of Napoleon's invasion of Russia, Peter Ivanovich put forward a plan that provided for early preparation to repel aggression.

At the beginning of the Patriotic War of 1812, the 2nd Western Army was located near Grodno and was cut off from the main 1st Army by the advancing French corps. Bagration had to retreat with rearguard battles to Bobruisk and Mogilev, where after the battle at Saltanovka he crossed the Dnieper and on August 3 joined the 1st western army of Barclay de Tolly near Smolensk.

Bagration advocated the involvement of broad layers of the people in the fight against the French, was one of the initiators of the partisan movement. At Borodino, Bagration's army, making up the left wing of the battle formation of the Russian troops. And it was on this wing that the French emperor aimed his main blow. According to the tradition of that time, they always prepared for decisive battles as for a show - people dressed in clean linen, carefully shaved, put on ceremonial uniforms, orders, white gloves, sultans on shako, etc. Exactly as he is depicted in the portrait - with a blue Andreev ribbon, with three stars of the orders of Andrei, George and Vladimir and many order crosses - Bagration's regiments were seen in the battle of Borodino, the last in his combat life.

Bagration's regiments repelled all the attacks of Napoleon's army. But the French, using their numerical superiority, further intensified the onslaught on the Russians. At the critical moment of the battle, Bagration personally led his troops to attack the advancing enemy. A fragment of the nucleus shattered the general's tibia of the left leg. The prince refused the evacuation proposed by the doctors. The commander, removed from his horse, still continued to lead his troops, but after losing consciousness he was carried away from the battlefield. “In an instant, a rumor spread about his death, - recalled A. Ermolov, - and the army could not be kept from confusion.” It was short-lived, entailed the abandonment of flushes, but then the Russian soldiers, who had lost their beloved commander, were seized by rage. The battle flared up with renewed vigor. The next day, Bagration mentioned in his report to Tsar Alexander I about the wound:

On September 24, 1812, Pyotr Ivanovich Bagration died of gangrene, 17 days after being wounded. According to the surviving inscription on the grave in the village of Sima, he died on 23 September.

In 1839, at the initiative of the partisan poet D.V. Davydov, the ashes of Prince Bagration were transferred to the Borodino field.

Pyotr Ivanovich Bagration belonged to the generals of the Suvorov school. As a military leader, he was distinguished by the ability to quickly navigate in a difficult combat situation, courage and unexpectedness of decisions, and persistence in their implementation. He showed special concern for the soldiers, for their health and life. He was extremely popular in the army and in Russian society. Throughout his military career, Pyotr Ivanovich Bagration did not suffer a single defeat. The heroic actions of himself and his units saved many lives, and perhaps were decisive in the outcome of the battles.

Bagration briefly Russian general

Peter Ivanovich Bagration short biography for children

Pyotr Ivanovich Bagration, in short, is an outstanding commander of the times of Tsar Alexander. Courage, determination and resourcefulness are some of the many qualities that were inherent in a military leader. Bagration was well oriented on the battlefield. Despite the fact that Pyotr Ivanovich was a senior officer, he showed generosity, was interested in and took care of ordinary soldiers. Pyotr Ivanovich was very popular in society.

The beginning of life
The life of little Peter began in the city of Kizlyar, located in the Tver region, in 1765. Peter's parents were aristocrats, they originated from the ancient Georgian royal dynasty Bagration.

Military activity
At that time, all the boys were undergoing military training, in 1782 he was admitted to the musketeer regiment as a private, in the first battle he was seriously wounded and, later, taken prisoner. However, the Chechens returned Bagration without ransom thanks to the efforts of his father.
Five years later, in 1785, Bagration took part in the Russian-Turkish war, and later in the Polish company. He is entrusted with the command of the vanguard in the Italian and Swiss campaigns. During this period, Peter Ivanovich closely communicates with Suvorov, it is believed that Bagration is a favorite student of Alexander Vasilyevich. In 1799 Bagration was awarded the rank of Major General.
In 1805, a war began with France, at this time Bagration successfully commanded the rearguard of the Russian army, Peter Ivanovich was actively fighting against Napoleon. Performing certain march maneuvers, Major General Bagration ensures a systematic retreat of the main forces. Bagration took command at Austerlitz. For his courage and courage, Pyotr Ivanovich was awarded a new high rank of lieutenant general.
For six years, Lieutenant General Bagration commanded the Moldavian army, then the second Western (Russian-Turkish war).

The last battles
In 1812, Bagration received an order from Barcaley de Tolle to withdraw his troops. However, disregarding the order, Peter Ivanovich leads the army to the city of Smolensk and reunites with the first Western army. Thus, the decision of the lieutenant general saves the Russian army from inevitable encirclement.
At the Battle of Borodino, Bagration commanded the left wing of the battle formation of the Russian army. His team repels all the attacks of Napoleon, however, in August 12th, Peter Ivanovich was seriously wounded. A splinter of a grenade severely wounds his left leg, despite the injury, the officer continues to fight. When all attacks are repelled, he is taken to the Vladimir province, where the lieutenant general ends his life. After a while, the remains of the commander are taken out and buried at the place of his last battle - Borodino.

Biography

Pedigree

The clan of Bagration dates back to Adarnase Bagration, in 742-780 Eristav (ruler) of the oldest province of Georgia - Tao Klarjeti, now part of Turkey, whose son Ashot Kuropalat (died in 826) became the king of Georgia. Later, the Georgian royal house was divided into three branches, and one of the lines of the older branch (princes Bagration) was included in the number of Russian-princely clans, when the seventh part of the General Armorial was approved by Emperor Alexander I on October 4, 1803.

Tsarevich Alexander (Isaac-beg) Jessevich, the bastard son of the Kartalin king Jesse, left for Russia in 1759 due to disagreements with the ruling Georgian family and served as a lieutenant colonel in the Caucasian division. His son Ivan Bagration (-) moved behind him. He joined the commandant's command at the Kizlyar fortress. Despite the assertions of many authors, he was never a colonel in the Russian army, did not know the Russian language, and retired with the rank of Major Seconds.

Although most authors claim that Pyotr Bagration was born in Kizlyar in 1765, something else follows from archival materials. According to the petitions of Ivan Alexandrovich, the parents of the future General Bagration moved from the principality of Iveria (Georgia) to Kizlyar only in December 1766 (long before the annexation of Georgia to the Russian Empire). Consequently, Peter was born in July 1765 in Georgia, most likely in the capital, Tiflis. Pyotr Bagration spent his childhood in his parents' house in Kizlyar.

Military service

Pyotr Bagration began his military service on February 21 (March 4), 1782 as a private in the Astrakhan infantry regiment, stationed in the vicinity of Kizlyar. He gained his first combat experience in a military expedition to the territory of Chechnya. In an unsuccessful sortie of the Russian detachment under the command of Pieri against the rebellious highlanders of Sheikh Mansur, non-commissioned officer Bagration as adjutant of Colonel Pieri, was captured near the village of Aldy, but then ransomed by the tsarist government.

Bagration served in the Caucasian Musketeer Regiment until June 1792, successively going through all the stages of military service from sergeant to captain, to which he was promoted in May 1790. C served in the Kiev horse-jaeger and Sofia carabiner regiments. Pyotr Ivanovich was not rich, had no patronage, and by the age of 30, when other princes became generals, he barely rose to the rank of major. Participated in the Russian-Turkish War of 1787-92 and the Polish campaign of 1793-94. He distinguished himself on December 17, 1788 during the assault on Ochakov.

Russia has no good generals, except for one Bagration.

Prince Bagration ... Thin and flexible mind, he made strong connections at court. Obligatory and friendly in treatment, he kept equals in good relations, retained the disposition of former friends ... The subordinate was rewarded with dignity, honored for the happiness of serving with him, always idolized him. None of the bosses allowed them to feel less of their power; never the subordinate obeyed with more agreeableness. Getting around him is charming! It is not difficult to use his power of attorney, but only in matters little known to him. In any other case, its character is independent. Lack of knowledge or the weak side of abilities can only be noticed by people, especially those close to him ...
From a very young age, without a mentor, completely without a fortune, Prince Bagration did not have the means to get an upbringing. Gifted by nature with happy abilities, he was left without education and decided on military service. He drew all concepts about the craft of war from experiments, all judgments about it from incidents, as they resembled each other, not being guided by rules and science and falling into errors; often, however, his opinion was sound. Undaunted in battle, indifferent in danger ... Refined dexterity before the sovereign, fascinatingly flattering treatment of those close to him. Mild-tempered, unconventional, generous to the point of extravagance. Not quick to anger, always ready for reconciliation. Does not remember evil, always remembers good deeds.

What can a man do more than follow his best conviction? .. It made me appoint Barclay as commander of the 1st Army on the basis of the reputation he had built for himself during the past wars against the French and against the Swedes. This conviction made me think that he is superior to Bagration in his knowledge. When this conviction was further increased by the capital mistakes that the latter made during the present campaign, and which partly resulted in our failures, then I found him less than ever capable of commanding both armies united at Smolensk. Although not very happy with what I had to see in Barclay's actions, I considered him less bad than that [Bagration] in a matter of strategy of which he had no idea.

The tsar's unflattering review was caused by rumors that his sister was in love with General Bagration. The letter was drawn up immediately after the loss of Moscow, in which the tsar tries to make excuses for the defeat. The tsar, speaking about the lack of a strategic gift from Bagration, blames him for not fulfilling the previously outlined plans to combine the armies, although Bagration's maneuvers were determined by the actions of a superior enemy. However, from the letters of Bagration, his desire for a general battle with Napoleon is known, even on the condition of the numerical superiority of the French, which is why he fell out with the commander of the 1st Army Barclay de Tolly. Bagration did not appreciate the need for a strategic retreat, thanks to which the victory over Napoleon was won.

Awards

• Order of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called (September 27, 1809);
• Order of St. George, 2nd class (28.01.1806, № 34) - “for distinction in the battle of Shengraben on November 4, 1805”;