Raising patriotism attitude is the quality of feeling. Patriotic feelings of modern Russians

200th Anniversary of the Patriotic War of 1812

In the battle of Borodino, the Russians suffered "such terrible losses that they could not resume the secondary battle."

In fact, the fighting enthusiasm passed, giving way to a sober calculation, and it became clear to Kutuzov that there was “no one and nothing to attack” in the morning.

Nevertheless, Mikhail Illarionovich received a field marshal's baton for this "feat" and 100 thousand rubles. At the same time, all the lower ranks who participated in the battle were granted five rubles per person.

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August 31, 1812

RESCRIPT OF ALEXANDER I TO M. I. KUTUZOV

ABOUT ITS PRODUCTION TO THE RANK OF GENERAL FIELD MARSHAL FOR THE BATTLE OF BORODIN

Prince Mikhailo Larionovich!

Your famous feat in repelling the main forces of the enemy, who dared to approach our ancient capital, drew the attention of you and the entire Fatherland to these new merits.

Carry out the work you started so successfully, taking advantage of the acquired advantage and not allowing the enemy to recover. May the hand of the Lord be over you and over our brave army, from which Russia expects its glory, and all Europe its tranquility.

As a reward for your merits and labors, we confer on you the rank of Field Marshal General, grant you one hundred thousand rubles at a time, and command your wife, the princess, to be a state lady of our court.

We grant all the lower ranks who were in this battle five rubles per person.

We expect from you a special report on the chief commanders who have joined with you, and after it, on all other ranks, so that, according to your idea, we can give them a worthy reward.

We are favorable to you

How could this happen? According to the historian A. Yu. Bondarenko, Kutuzov, who “hurried to report on the victory at Borodino,” was simply “very lucky.”

After that, Kutuzov ordered to assemble the Military Council, which entered under the name of the Military Council in Fili.

A few hours before the start of the Council, the Moscow Governor-General Count Rostopchin arrived in the village of Fili near Moscow. They retired with Barclay de Tolly in a hut, which he occupied not far from Poklonnaya Gora. But Rostopchin was not invited to the Council itself, and he was terribly indignant at this fact.

What these two people were talking about, no one knows. This can only be guessed at.

M. I. Kutuzov gathered the military council on September 1 (13), 1812, and he invited generals Barclay de Tolly, Bennigsen, Dokhturov, Yermolov, Osterman-Tolstoy, Raevsky, Konovnitsyn and Uvarov to his hut, owned by the peasant Frolov , as well as Colonel Tolya.

Of the "full" generals, there was no M.A. Miloradovich: he could not leave the rearguard.

“Yes, you will not envy Kutuzov on that sad September night, when the Military Council gathered in the clean peasant hut of the Frolovs. Golenishchev-Kutuzov felt bad: he did not keep a single promise given to the tsar, he was crushed, put to shame before Barclay de Tolly, felt inferior, remembering Austerlitz, and most of all regretted that he had agreed to take command of the army at such an unfavorable moment of the war ".

In this situation, it was important for Kutuzov to ask everyone: “what to do”?

Such a formulation of the question may seem strange, because Kutuzov himself assured his generals and the Moscow governor Count Rostopchin day after day that he would give a new battle to save Moscow.

But according to General Yermolov, Kutuzov at this Council simply wanted to ensure himself a guarantee that "that the idea of ​​\u200b\u200bretreat would not be assigned to him," that his desire was "as much as possible to reject reproaches from himself."

The meeting was started by L. L. Bennigsen, the oldest of the generals, by asking the question:

- Gentlemen, we must decide whether to fight under the walls of Moscow or surrender the city without a fight?

Kutuzov interrupted him with displeasure:

- It is necessary to discuss a different question: should I risk the loss of the army and Moscow, accepting the battle in an unfavorable position, or surrender Moscow without a fight, but retaining the army?

Bennigsen just shrugged his shoulders - his formulation of the question differed little from Kutuzov's, except perhaps in form and a different set of words. Bennigsen insisted on the battle and believed that this is exactly what Kutuzov wants, because the commander-in-chief convinced everyone of this from the very first days as head of the army.

Then Barclay de Tolly took the floor in the debate, declaring that the position near Moscow (by the way, chosen by Bennigsen) was inconvenient for defense.

Historian A. Yu. Bondarenko:

“According to the disposition proposed by the cavalry general Bennigsen, who acted as chief of the main headquarters of the united armies, the troops took up a position stretching for four versts between the bend of the Moscow River and the Sparrow Hills. It was not much smaller than under Borodino, but the army was now different, bloodless, and behind, instead of a flat field, there were ravines, a large river and a huge city, which excluded the possibility of maneuver, regrouping of forces. In a battle in such a position, one could either win or die. The latter seemed much more likely."

Mikhail Bogdanovich said:

- The position is very unfavorable, it is very dangerous to wait for the enemy in it; to overcome him, who has superior forces, is more than doubtful. Having saved Moscow, Russia is not saved from a cruel, ruinous war; but, having saved the army, the hopes of the Fatherland are not yet destroyed - and the war, the only means of salvation, can continue comfortably.

After that, Barclay suggested taking the road to Vladimir, which, in his opinion, was the most important point capable of serving as a link between the northern and southern regions of Russia.

General A. I. Mikhailovsky-Danilevsky writes:

“Barclay de Tolly announced that in order to save the Fatherland, the main subject was the preservation of the army. “In the position we have taken,” he said, “we will probably be defeated, and everything that the enemy does not get at the battlefield will be lost during the retreat through Moscow. It is sad to leave the capital, but if we do not lose courage and are active, then the capture of Moscow will prepare the death of Napoleon.

General Bennigsen challenged Barclay's opinion, "arguing that the position is quite firm and that the army must give a new battle."

General Konovnitsyn "was of the opinion to attack." He "opined that the army should make one more effort before deciding to leave the capital."

There are several versions of what General Raevsky said. "According to some sources, General Raevsky proposed a suicidal plot - to attack Napoleon, and according to others - he joined the opinion of Barclay de Tolly to leave Moscow."

General Dokhturov also said that "it would be good to meet the enemy." However, noting the huge losses of the Russian army in the Battle of Borodino, he stated that in such circumstances there is no "sufficient guarantee of success", and therefore he "offers to retreat."

Regarding the opinion of General Uvarov, historian A. Yu. Bondarenko does not try to hide his bewilderment:

“We don’t know, for example, how sincere the sovereign’s favorite Uvarov was, who offered to go towards the French, attack and die with honor. Under Borodino, he had such an opportunity, but the 1st Cavalry Corps lost only 40 lower ranks.

However, not even an hour had passed, as General Uvarov "gave in one word his consent to the retreat."

General Osterman-Tolstoy “was willing to retreat, but, refuting the proposal to act offensively, asked Baron Bennigsen if he could assure success? With his unshakable coldness, as soon as he turned to him, Bennigsen answered: “If the subject proposed for judgment were not questioned, there would be no need to convene advice, and even less need would be his opinion.”

About his own opinion, General Yermolov writes as follows:

“I did not dare, as an officer, not yet quite well-known, fearing the accusations of my compatriots, to agree to leave Moscow and, without defending my opinion, which was completely unfounded, offered to attack the enemy. Nine hundred versts of uninterrupted retreat does not dispose him to expect something similar from our enterprise; that this suddenness, when his troops go into a defensive state, will no doubt create great confusion between them, which His Serene Highness, as a skilled commander, will have to take advantage of, and that this can make a big turn in our affairs. With displeasure, Prince Kutuzov told me that I give such an opinion because the responsibility does not lie with me.

Passions were running high, and there was no unanimity among the generals.

Barclay de Tolly did not stop arguing with Bennigsen. He said:

- It was necessary to think earlier about the offensive movement and, in accordance with this, arrange the army. And now it's too late. In the darkness of the night it is difficult to distinguish the troops hidden in deep ditches, and meanwhile the enemy can strike at us. The army has lost a large number of generals and headquarters, many regiments are commanded by captains ...

General Bennigsen firmly insisted on his own.

Generals Dokhturov, Uvarov, Konovnitsyn, Platov and Yermolov agreed with Bennigsen; with Barclay - Count Osterman-Tolstoy, Raevsky and Tol, "who proposed, leaving the position, to position the army with the right wing to the village of Vorobyeva, and the left - to the new Kaluga road<…>and then, if circumstances require, retreat to the old Kaluga road.

When everyone was pretty tired of arguing, Count Osterman-Tolstoy said:

— Moscow does not constitute Russia. Our goal is not just to defend the capital, but the entire Fatherland, and to save it, the main subject is the preservation of the army.

Such disagreements gave Kutuzov complete freedom to reject all proposals in which there was not a single one completely devoid of flaws.

Historian S. Yu. Nechaev writes:

“The question under consideration can also be presented in this form: what is more profitable for saving the Fatherland - the preservation of the army or the capital? Since the answer could not be otherwise than in favor of the army, it followed from this that it would be imprudent to endanger the first in order to save the second. In addition, it was impossible not to admit that entering into a new battle would be a very unreliable matter. True, in the Russian army, located near Moscow, there were still about 90 thousand people in the ranks, but in this number there were only 65 thousand experienced regular troops and six thousand Cossacks. The rest consisted of militia recruits, who, after the battle of Borodino, were placed in different regiments. More than ten thousand people did not even have guns and were armed with lances. With such an army, an attack on 130,000-140,000 people who still had Napoleon would mean a very likely defeat, the consequences of which would be all the more pernicious because then Moscow would inevitably become the grave of the Russian army, forced to retreat through the tangled streets of a big city. .

For all these reasons, Kutuzov, unexpectedly for Bennigsen, did not agree with him at all, but with his opponent Barclay de Tolly, but offered to retreat to Tarutino, along the Ryazan road.

Unfortunately, it is impossible to know exactly who said what. The arguments of the Russian generals were preserved only in reports and memoirs, and for some reason the protocol of the Military Council that took place in Fili was not drawn up.

In conclusion, Kutuzov allegedly got up from his seat and said:

- I know that the responsibility will fall on me, but I sacrifice myself for the good of the Fatherland. I order you to retreat.

Surprisingly, Mikhail Illarionovich said this phrase for some reason in French. Apparently, from an excess of patriotism.

* * *

I would like to dwell on this phrase of Kutuzov in more detail, but at the same time it would be necessary to dispel the myth that "Kutuzov alone could decide to give Moscow to the enemy."

The Soviet historian P. A. Zhilin claims that Kutuzov ended the Military Council with the phrase: “With the loss of Moscow, Russia has not yet been lost<…>But when the army is destroyed, Moscow and Russia will perish. I order you to retreat."

This phrase has become winged, moving from the pages of one book to the pages of another. And surprisingly, on September 1 (13) this phrase was said by a man who, on the day of his arrival in the army, that is, on August 17 (29), in a letter to Count Rostopchin, stated the opposite: “In my opinion, the loss of Russia is connected with the loss of Moscow” .

Historian N. A. Troitsky:

“From Stalinist times to the present, the Soviet in Fili is depicted in our literature, as a rule (not without exceptions of course), with a cherished desire to exaggerate the role of Kutuzov: they say, after listening to the discord in the speeches of their generals (Barclay de Tolly is often not even mentioned), Kutuzov delivered his “famous”, “full of deep meaning and at the same time tragedy speech” that Moscow must be sacrificed in order to save Russia. “Kutuzov’s decision to leave Moscow without a battle is evidence of the great courage and willpower of the commander. Only a person who possessed the qualities of a major statesman, who firmly believed in the correctness of his strategic plan, could decide on such a step, ”P. A. Zhilin wrote about Kutuzov, not admitting that Barclay was such a person. “Only Kutuzov could make such a difficult decision,” Zhilin is echoed today<…>

But the documents show that even before the council in Fili, Barclay de Tolly outlined to Kutuzov “the reasons why he considered the retreat necessary,” and responsibly argued them at the Council itself, after which the field marshal had only to join Barclay’s arguments, and all the “famous” , "full of meaning, tragedy ...", etc. Kutuzov's speech was only a repetition of what Barclay expressed and convinced the generals (some of them were convinced of).

* * *

Be that as it may, after the completion of the Military Council, Kutuzov, as General Ermolov writes, “ordered to make a disposition for retreat. With decent dignity and importance, listening to the opinions of the generals, he could not hide the pleasure that leaving Moscow was a demand that did not give room to his will, although in appearance he wanted to appear ready to accept the battle.

"Sorry old man. They say he spent the whole night in Frolov's hut without a wink of eyes. From his room came muffled sobs, then the creaking of the floorboards. It was heard how Kutuzov approached the table, apparently leaning over the map. But it was difficult for Golenishchev-Kutuzov to blame anyone other than himself for the situation. He<…>turned out to be a hostage of his own character, ambitions, self-confidence and hope that the all-merciful God will help to get out of the most difficult situation even now, as he helped Kutuzov survive twice after terrible wounds. Was he the only one? No, but it was he who was the commander in chief, he led the army to this impasse.

* * *

After the decision to leave Moscow, Barclay de Tolly wrote to his wife:

“Whatever the outcome, I will always be convinced that I did everything necessary to preserve the state, and if His Majesty still has an army capable of threatening the enemy with defeat, then this is my merit. After numerous bloody battles, with which I delayed the enemy at every step and inflicted significant losses on him, I handed over the army to Prince Kutuzov when he took command in such a state that she could measure her strength with an arbitrarily powerful enemy. I handed it to him at the moment when I was filled with the firmest determination to expect an attack from the enemy in an excellent position, and I was sure that I would beat it off.<…>If the army was not completely and completely defeated in the battle of Borodino, this is my merit, and the conviction of this will serve as a consolation to me until the last minute of my life.

Unfortunately, now Barclay found himself in a very ambiguous position: while formally retaining his post, he was actually removed from the real control of the troops. There was no place for him in the army of M.I. Kutuzov, and the only way out of this situation could be resignation.

As a result, saying he was ill, he asked permission to leave the army.

He wrote to his wife:

“Our affairs have taken such a turn that one can hope for a happy and honorable outcome of the war - only more activity is needed. I cannot be accused of indifference; I expressed my opinion directly, but they seem to avoid me, and they hide a lot from me.

Yevsey Grechena. War of 1812 in rubles, betrayals, scandals

/Guard/ - One-eyed where?
/We/ - ???
/Guard/ - Where is the one-eyed one, I say?!
/we/ - What, sorry?
/Guard/ - Where is the one-eyed one?! Ato arranged a council here in Fili!

(Incident at school)

This post is dedicated to the painting by A. Kivshenko "Council in Fili", painted in 1882. I’m not a master of identification and I don’t understand uniforms and orders well, but still I’ll try to recognize who is who here, and at the same time tell a little about each. So:

The Council in Fili took place approximately at the same place where the Borodino Battle panorama now stands, on September 1 (13), 1812, a week after the Battle of Borodino. The agenda consisted of one single question: whether to surrender Moscow without a fight or accept the battle on Sparrow Hills.

This glorious Areopagus was made up of: Kutuzov, Bennigsen, Barclay de Tolly, Tol, Dokhturov, Uvarov, Osterman-Tolstoy, Raevsky, Konovnitsyn, Kaisarov and Yermolov. In total - 11 people. All of them are shown in the picture. In addition, in the picture, in the upper left corner, a peasant girl is depicted, which, apparently, refers us to Tolstoy's novel War and Peace. Tolstoy depicts this scene through her eyes.

Kutuzov I think everyone knows. He began the council with the words that the position on Sparrow Hills was extremely inconvenient and left no hope of victory over twice as strong an enemy. "Should we expect an attack in an uncomfortable position or retreat behind Moscow?" - asked the Prince.

Opinions were divided as follows:

It draws attention to the fact that it was mainly the “Germans” who spoke in favor of leaving Moscow, and, let’s say, the “natural Russians” were in favor of a hopeless battle. An interesting illustration of national characters!

Who were these people who decided the fate of the Fatherland and its ancient capital?

The main inspiration for the new battle was bennigsen, chief of staff Kutuzov. He sits with his back to the viewer right in the center. A blue ribbon of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called is thrown over his shoulder - a reward for the battle of Preussisch-Eylau. He chose the position for the army on Sparrow Hills. Bennigsen was one of the main instigators of the murder of Paul, for which Alexander did not really like him. There are a lot of bad rumors about him. So, they say that Bennigsen achieved a place at the headquarters of Kutuzov in the hope of "siding up" the old prince and taking his place. Their relationship was strained, and soon after leaving Moscow, Kutuzov would send Bennigsen to resign.

Bennigsen's main opponent was Barclay de Tolly. He, with gray whiskers, sits directly under the icon. Barclay is a truly tragic man. At the beginning of the war, he saved the army when it was in the most difficult situation, but for this he had to sacrifice his reputation. Because of the constant retreat, he was accused of cowardice, of treason, they did not shake hands with him. As a result, all the laurels went not to him, but to Kutuzov, who arrived in the army a week before Borodin. On the Borodino field, he sought death, about which he frankly wrote to the emperor, but fate did not give him eternal rest. (However, I was always surprised how he managed not to find death on the Borodino field, since he had such a desire). Barclay continued to insist on his own: the main thing is to save the army.

The artist depicted Aleksey Petrovich opposing Kutuzov Eromolov. He is standing with a heated look, as if he had just jumped up, on the right side of the picture. Before conquering the highlanders of the Caucasus, Yermolov served in the headquarters of the First Western Army. Chance provided this ardent general to play a crucial role in the Battle of Borodino. At the first French attack on Raevsky's battery, our troops faltered and fled. The center was actually broken through, and our army could easily be divided into two parts. Having happened to be nearby, Yermolov stopped the fleeing soldiers and led the counterattack of the Ufa Infantry Regiment. It is not surprising that such a decisive and ardent man as Yeromolov was, could not accept the idea of ​​​​retreating for Moscow without a fight.

As if not paying attention to disputes, Karl Fedorovich is depicted in the picture Tol, quartermaster general of our army. He stands behind Kutuzov in the shade of the stove with a notebook in his hands. Toll was the most important, although not very visible person in the army. The Quartermaster General is responsible for organizing the supply, movement and disposition of our troops. It was he who chose the position at Borodino, where the battle was given to the French. Talking about Tol, Clausewitz writes that he was one of the most educated officers and was distinguished by harshness and lack of tact. So, when Bagration, for no apparent reason, opposed the position found by Tol near Dorogobuzh, Colonel Tol did not want to refuse his proposal. As a result, Bagration was forced to pull him up: "Mr. Colonel! Your behavior deserves to be sent with a gun behind your back!" Those. temporarily demoted to the soldiers, which, by the way, was practiced.

Directly at the window, to the left of Barclay sits, looking sadly to the side, Count Osterman-Tolstoy, commander of the 4th Corps. Just a week ago, he was shell-shocked on the battlefield of Borodino. The count is famous for his words, spoken by him in the battle near Ostrovno: “The enemy artillery thundered furiously and pulled out whole ranks of the brave Russian regiments. It was difficult to transport our guns, the charges were fired, they fell silent. They ask the count: “What to do?” “Nothing,” he answers, “to stand and die!” (S.N. Glinka). Count Osterman remained true to his motto in the next 1813, when his finest hour came. In the battle of Kulm, he was able to hold back the enemy twice as large all day, preventing him from surrounding the army. In this fight, his arm will be torn off by a ball.

Crossing his legs, the fair-haired man sits closest to Kutuzov. Konovnitsyn, commander of the 3rd Infantry Division, and after Borodin - the 3rd Infantry Corps, instead of the deceased Tuchkov. His division staunchly defended Smolensk, taking the main blow. Konovnitsyn was wounded in the arm. His son became a Decembrist and was exiled to Siberia, and his daughter also went to Siberia after her Decembrist husband.

Sitting between Konovnitsyn and Osterman, leaning over the table and looking at Kutuzov, N. Raevsky, commander of the 7th Infantry Corps. According to legend, he led his underage sons to the attack near Saltanovka, but apparently this still did not happen. No less glorious was his defense of Smolensk until the approach of the main forces, but any cornet knows Raevsky's battery. Again, it is a shame not to know about Pushkin's friendship with the Raevsky family, with whom he rested in the Caucasus.

To the right of Barclay with a map in his hands sits Uvarov, the only cavalryman on the council. He commanded the 1st Cavalry Corps. He did not have a relationship with Kutuzov. The prince was very dissatisfied with his raid on the rear of Napoleon at Borodino and even surrounded him with awards for the battle. Military writers, indeed, have difficulty finding the fruits of this raid and often scold Uvarov for it. I'm already talking about the case when Uvarov submitted a letter of resignation in connection with the rudeness that V.Kn. Konstantin Pavlovich in relation to his subordinate.

To the right of Uvarov sits and looks testily at Kutuzov Dokhturov, commander of the 6th Infantry Corps. With his back to us, next to Bennigsen sits the youngest member of the council - Paisius Kaisarov, army general on duty and Kutuzov's protégé. It is not known what his opinion was about the possible abandonment of Moscow. Unfortunately, I can't say much about the two of them.

Under the cover of a special rearguard, now under the command of General of Infantry Mikhail Andreevich Miloradovich, who replaced the Cossack chieftain Matvey Platov, whose actions Kutuzov was still dissatisfied with, the Russian army retreated behind Mozhaisk, Nara, Bolshie Vyazemy and on September 13 approached Moscow.

Mozhayskaya road in 1812
Chromolithography based on the original by P. KOVALEVSKY

Already on September 11, the rescript of Emperor Alexander I to General Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov followed: As a reward for your merits and labors, we confer on you the rank of Field Marshal General, grant you one hundred thousand rubles at a time, and command your wife, the princess, to be our court lady

Portrait of M.I. Kutuzov
Roman VOLKOV

We grant all the lower ranks who were in this battle five rubles per person. We expect from you a special report on the chief commanders who have joined with you, and after them, on all other ranks, in order to make a worthy reward at your suggestion. We are favorable to you. Alexander.

Kutuzov on Poklonnaya Hill in front of the military council in Fili
War and Peace
Alexey KIVSHENKO

Sent for reconnaissance of the alleged battle site, the chief of staff, Infantry General Leonty Bennigsen, reported at the end of the day on September 12 that such a position had been found 3 versts from Moscow. The next day Kutuzov went there. The Commander-in-Chief asked Generals Barclay de Tolly, Yermolov, Tolya to carefully examine the positions and report their opinion. Barclay, who had already been ill for several days, rode around the battlefield and reported on his complete unfitness. Yermolov and Tolya were of the same opinion. Having given the order to notify the military leaders of the convening of the military council, Kutuzov departed for the village of Fili, where the main apartment of the Russian army was located in the hut of Krastyanin Frolov.

Kutuzov hut in Fili
Alexey SAVRASOV

Kutuzov hut in Fili
Alexey SAVRASOV

Kutuzov at the military council in Fili
Illustration for Leo Tolstoy's novel War and Peace
Andrey NIKOLAEV

The military council, held in secrecy and without protocol, was attended by 10 to 15 people. It is well established that Generals Kutuzov, Barclay de Tolly, Bennigsen, Dokhturov, Yermolov, Raevsky, Konovnitsyn, Osterman-Tolstoy, Tol, Uvarov, Kaisarov were present. Bennigsen was a little late, then Toll arrived, and the last to appear after the beginning of the council was General Raevsky. The question was posed by Kutuzov as follows: is it necessary to risk the entire army located in a disadvantageous position, or should Moscow be left without a fight. Contrary to the regulations (a statement from junior to senior), Barclay de Tolly took the floor and clearly, consistently explained why it was impossible to give a battle, it was necessary to retreat. And he was actually the first to voice the idea that with the loss of Moscow, Russia was not lost, but the capture of Moscow will prepare the death of Napoleon... And I must say, Mikhail Bogdanovich was able to convince even military leaders of his rightness, whose courage there was no doubt: Alexander Osterman-Tolstoy, Karl Tol, Nikolai Raevsky.

Military Council in Fili
Illustration for the novel by Leo Tolstoy War and Peace
Alexey KIVSHENKO
(the picture shows from left to right: Kaisarov, Kutuzov, Konovnitsyn, Raevsky, Osterman-Tolstoy, Barclay de Tolly, Uvarov, Dokhturov, Ermolov, Tol, Bennigsen)

Recognizing the hopelessness of the chosen position for the battle, as an alternative, the intention was expressed to show patriotism and beautifully accept death near the walls of the Kremlin. She was supported by Bennigsen, Yermolov (who later wrote that he spoke out because he was afraid of the reproaches of his contemporaries), Dokhturov, Konovnitsyn. That is, there was practically parity.

Military council in Fili.
Alexey KIVSHENKO

Kutuzov at the end of the council summed up these statements and made a final decision:

With the loss of Moscow, Russia is not lost yet. I make it my first duty to preserve the army, to get closer to those troops that go to reinforce it, and by the very concession of Moscow to prepare for the inevitable death of the enemy. Therefore, I intend, after passing through Moscow, to retreat along the Ryazan road. I know that responsibility will fall on me, but I sacrifice myself to save the Fatherland. I order you to retreat!

Kutuzov after the military council in Fili
Illustration for the novel by Leo Tolstoy War and Peace
Dementy SHMARINOV

Kutuzov in Fili
Alexander APSIT

So, at the military council in Fili on the evening of September 13, two very important decisions were made: the surrender of Moscow without a fight and the retreat of the Russian army along the Ryazan road. The passage of troops through Moscow was entrusted to Barclay de Tolly, and the commander of the rearguard, General Miloradovich Kutuzov, ordered through Yermolov honor the ancient capital with the VIEW of the battle under its walls.

Having received such an order from the commander-in-chief, Mikhail Andreevich Miloradovich was very surprised, became furious and refused to give battle. Of course, he understood the danger that threatened the Russian army at that moment, and sent his adjutant to Murat with a proposal to conclude a one-day truce, during which the Russian army could freely proceed through Moscow, unambiguously hinting to the marshal that otherwise his detachment would fight for every house and street and leave Moscow in ruins for the French... The French dutifully waited for the Russian army and the inhabitants of Moscow to leave the ancient capital.

The Russian army and residents leave Moscow in 1812.
A.SEMYONOV, A.SOKOLOV

This truce also suited the enemy, since both Murat and Napoleon believed that this was the first signal for peace negotiations, which the French emperor was so eager for. And no one wanted to sacrifice their own forces, pretty battered in the battle of Borodino. Whether a personal meeting took place at that historical moment of two great military leaders - Marshal Murat and General Miloradovich, nicknamed the Russian Murat, these two dandies are not exactly known (there are different opinions on that), but here is what he recalled about their contacts in his Notes General Alexey Ermolov:

General Miloradovich more than once had a meeting with Murat, the king of Naples... Murat would appear now dressed in Guishpan, now in an imaginary stupid costume, with a sable hat, and eyelet pantaloons. Miloradovich - on a Cossack horse, with a whip, with three shawls of bright colors that do not agree with each other, which, with their ends wrapped around the neck, developed to their full length at the behest of the wind. The third such was not in the armies.

In the Russian troops, after the announcement of the decision in Fili, despondency reigned. The officers and soldiers, entangled in the constantly changing statements of the field marshal, were perplexed and did not want to believe: I remember when my adjutant Lindel brought the order for the surrender of Moscow, all minds were in agitation: most of them wept, many tore off their uniforms and did not want to serve after the reprehensible retreat, or better, the surrender of Moscow. My General Borozdin resolutely considered this order treacherous and did not budge until General Dokhturov arrived to replace him.(S.I. Maevsky My age...)

Portrait of Count Fyodor Vasilyevich Rostopchin
Orest Kiprensky

What can we say then about the Governor-General of Moscow, Fyodor Vasilyevich Rostopchin, whom Kutuzov confused and led by the nose with his contradictory declarations: My real subject is the salvation of Moscow; The question has not yet been resolved: should we lose the army, or lose Moscow? In my opinion, the loss of Russia is connected with the loss of Moscow; It is not unknown to each of the chiefs that the Russian army must have a decisive battle under the walls of Moscow (the latter was said on September 12) So you just have to sympathize with this unsympathetic person.

Count Rostopchin and merchant son Vereshchagin in the courtyard of the governor's house in Moscow
Illustration for the novel by Leo Tolstoy War and Peace
Alexey KIVSHENKO

On the morning of September 13, Count Rostopchin committed a senseless and cruel act. At 10 o'clock in the morning, he left his house on Bolshaya Lubyanka to a huge crowd that had gathered to find out from the commander-in-chief himself whether Moscow would really be surrendered. In order to divert her attention and direct the passions of those gathered in a different direction, Rostopchin ordered that the arrested merchant son Vereshchagin be brought, whom he personally accused of betrayal, accusing him of translating old Napoleonic leaflets - Letters from Napoleon to the King of Prussia and Speech delivered by Napoleon to the princes of the Confederation of the Rhine in Dresden. From this, the governor-general inflated the case of a universal scale, presenting Vereshchagin as a malicious drafter of proclamations.

Death of Vereshchagin
Claudius Lebedev

Rostopchin began to shout that Vereshchagin was the only Muscovite who had betrayed the Fatherland, and ordered two dragoon non-commissioned officers to hack him to death with sabers. When Vereshchagin fell, the crowd carried out the massacre...

Of course, not all Muscovites were waiting for the order to retreat, when a couple of weeks before that, the transfer of various state institutions, offices, state property to Vladimir, Nizhny Novgorod and other cities began. More far-sighted and wealthy citizens began to slowly leave the capital. Nevertheless, a lot of people still remained, among them a large number of sick and wounded (according to various sources, about 20 thousand people), evacuated from previous battles to Moscow and those who managed to get out of the Borodino hell and from under Mozhaisk.

The wounded in the Battle of Borodino arrive in Moscow
Illustration for the novel War and Peace Lev Tolstoy
Alexander APSIT

The wounded in the Rostov courtyard
Illustration for the novel War and Peace Lev Tolstoy
Andrey NIKOLAEV

There were, of course, kind souls, such as the commander of the 2nd Combined Grenadier Division, Count Vorontsov, wounded at Borodino (yeah, exactly the same half lord half ignorant... but there is hope..., glorified later our everything for centuries), who ordered to leave the junk and wealth of several generations of his family, loaded on carts, and give them to evacuate the wounded; he was taken to the estate in the Vladimir province of about 450 people - generals, officers, batmen and soldiers. And then in Andreevsky, Mikhail Semyonovich organized a hospital where these wounded were treated at his expense until full recovery.

Portrait of General Mikhail Vorontsov
George Doe

But others are not so lucky. According to the testimony of the French staff general Jean-Jacques-Germain Pele-Closo, on September 14, Kutuzov ordered Miloradovich to deliver to the French a note signed by the duty general P. Kaisarov and addressed to the Chief of the General Staff of the French Army, Louis-Alexandre Berthier: The wounded remaining in Moscow are entrusted with the philanthropy of the French troops. It is not difficult to guess how this philanthropy turned out in burned Moscow.

My soul was torn apart by the groan of the wounded, left at the mercy of the enemy. ... The troops looked at this with indignation
(General Alexey Ermolov)

As I have already said, Kutuzov entrusted the organization of the passage of troops through Moscow to Barclay de Tolly, who wrote to Rostopchin: The armies are moving out this night in two columns, of which one will go through the Kaluga outpost, and the other will go through the Smolensk ... I ask you to order to take all necessary measures to preserve peace and quiet both on the part of the remaining inhabitants, and to prevent the abuse of troops, placing police teams all over the streets. For the army, it is necessary to have as many guides as possible, to whom all the big and country roads would be known..

Withdrawal of Russian troops through Moscow
I. ARKHIPOV

The withdrawal of Russian troops from Moscow in 1812
Vasily LEBEDEV

Rostopchin carried out the order, and discipline during the passage of troops through Moscow was the strictest. Barclay spent eighteen hours in the saddle and left Moscow with the last detachment at 9 pm. Muscovites, who at first greeted the Russian army cordially and enthusiastically, then realized that it was simply following through Moscow, fell silent in confusion, looking at the departing army. The soldiers felt embarrassed, were gloomy, did not speak, some even cried. Kutuzov, not yet assuming the strength of Muscovites' discontent against him, first rode through the city on horseback, but then got into a carriage and asked his adjutant, Prince A.B. Golitsyn to see him out of Moscow so as not to meet anyone as much as possible.

Together with the army, Fyodor Rostopchin also left Moscow. As the governor-general of Moscow, he considered it his duty to be with the army as long as it remained within the boundaries of the Moscow province.

Residents leave Moscow
Nikolay SAMOKISH

Flight of residents from Moscow
Claudius Lebedev

Flight of residents from Moscow
Alexander APSIT

Following the army or together with it, thousands of carts and carriages, as well as tens of thousands of citizens who left the city on foot, moved through the Moscow outposts. This gigantic full-flowing river, consisting of old men, peasants, women, discharged young ladies, mothers with babies in their arms and young children, carriages, carts and wagons loaded with goods, household belongings and all kinds of domestic animals, gushed at once through all squares, streets and lanes. It was no longer the move of the army, but the movement of entire peoples from one end of the world to the other.(S.I. Maevsky My age, or the history of General Mayevsky)

Departure of residents from Moscow
Illustration for the novel by Leo Tolstoy War and Peace
Andrey NIKOLAEV

Suddenly, in the battalions that were the last to leave the city, music began to play ...
– What rogue told you to play music?- Shouted General of Infantry Mikhail Andreevich Miloradovich to the commander of the garrison, Lieutenant General Brozin.
– According to the charter of Peter the Great, when the garrison leaves the fortress, music plays- answered the pedantic Vasily Ivanovich.
– And where is it written in the charter of Peter the Great about the surrender of Moscow? Miloradovich barked. Please tell the music to stop!

Portrait of General Mikhail Andreevich Miloradovich
Yuri IVANOV

And already on the evening of September 14, the soldiers and officers of the retreating Russian army saw flashes of the Moscow fire on the horizon: it was burning on Solyanka, in Kitay-gorod, behind the Yauza bridge ... During the night, the fire intensified significantly and engulfed most of the city.