Golenishchev‑Kutuzov Mikhail Illarionovich
Mikhail Illarionovich Golenishchev‑Kutuzov is an outstanding Russian commander, statesman and diplomat, Field Marshal General, His Serene Highness Prince Smolensky, the first full knight of the Order of St. George. He played a key role in the victory over Napoleon in the Patriotic War of 1812 thanks to the strategy of saving the army and competent maneuvers.
Years of life: September 5 (16), 1747 — April 16 (28), 1813
The main milestones of the biography
Education and the beginning of service. He studied at the Artillery and Engineering Noble School, where he later taught mathematics. Already in his youth, he showed an aptitude for languages (he spoke French and German fluently, understood Latin).
Injury and survival. In 1774, in a battle with the Crimean Tatars, he received a severe bullet wound to the head (the bullet went straight through his temple), and lost sight in his left eye. In 1788, during the siege of Ochakov, he was seriously wounded again. He survived both times, which his contemporaries considered almost a miracle.
Connection with Suvorov. He served under Alexander Suvorov and was considered one of his favorite and most talented students.
Russian‑Turkish wars. He distinguished himself in the battles of Larga and Cahul (1770), participated in the storming of Izmail (1790), won important victories in the war of 1806-1812 (in particular, near Ruschuk), which allowed Russia to conclude a beneficial peace with the Ottoman Empire shortly before the invasion of Napoleon.
Diplomacy. In 1792-1794, he was Ambassador Extraordinary to the Ottoman Empire; he managed to achieve serious diplomatic successes that strengthened Russia's position in the south.
The Patriotic War of 1812. On August 17 (29), 1812, he was appointed Commander-in-chief of the Russian army. The key decisions were the preservation of the army at the cost of retreat, the Battle of Borodino, and then the Tarutino maneuver and the pursuit of the retreating enemy — all this led to the defeat of Napoleon's "Great Army".
An overseas trip and recent months. He led the actions of the Russian army at the beginning of the 1813 campaign, but died on April 28, 1813 in Bunzlau (now Boleslavets, Poland). He was buried in the Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg.‑St. Petersburg.
Features of the military style
Kutuzov is often described not as a proponent of one decisive blow, but as a master of the strategy of attrition and maneuver. His approach included:
saving troops and avoiding deliberately risky battles;
using space and climate as a factor of war;
calculation of the enemy's logistical problems (stretched communications, lack of supplies);
the ability to choose the exact moment for a counterattack.
His famous phrase reflects his attitude to the parade and reality of war.: "Sire, that's why I'm not attacking, because we're not on Tsaritsyn Meadow," said before the Battle of Austerlitz.
Memory and cultural institutions
Kutuzov's personality has become firmly embedded in the cultural memory of Russia:
Kazan Cathedral (St. Petersburg‑Petersburg). The grave of the commander is located here; the cathedral became one of the main monuments of the victory of 1812.
The Battle of Borodino Panorama Museum (Moscow). The exhibition contains materials about Kutuzov, the central place is occupied by the panorama of the Battle of Borodino by Franz Roubaud.
Kutuzovskaya hut in Fili (Moscow). The historical site of the military council on September 1 (13), 1812, where Kutuzov decided to leave Moscow for the sake of preserving the army; now it is part of the museum complex.
Monuments and toponymy. The most famous monument is in front of the Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg.‑St. Petersburg (sculptor B. I. Orlovsky). In Moscow, the monument to Kutuzov is located on Kutuzovsky Prospekt. Streets, avenues, and stations across the country bear his name.
Awards. During the Great Patriotic War, the Order of Kutuzov was established in three degrees — they were awarded for the skillful organization of defensive and offensive operations.
Iconic images in art
Painting. Kutuzov is depicted on a number of ceremonial and historical canvases; the last lifetime portrait by R. M. Volkov (1813) is known.
Literature. The figure of the commander appears in Leo Tolstoy's epic novel War and Peace, where he is shown as a people's leader embodying the "simple, modest and therefore truly majestic" power of history.