It is unknown what name he was given at birth. He was just a baby when he was picked up by Russian soldiers in the mountain village of Aldy, which was deserted after the raid. And the adoptive father of the Chechen boy was a young seventeen-year-old Russian officer - second lieutenant Nikolai Raevsky - a future hero Patriotic War 1812. He gave the boy the name Alexander and the surname Chechensky, in memory of his homeland. Raevsky tried to give his Chechen pupil a good education at home, which helped Alexander subsequently enter Moscow University and successfully graduate.
Then the years began military service. First, Alexander Nikolaevich Chechensky fought in the Caucasus, where, at the age of 24, he received the rank of second lieutenant for participating in expeditions against the Persians and Turks. Then he submitted a report on transfer to the West. He commanded a hussar regiment and took part in battles with Napoleonic troops in 1805-1807. For courage, he was awarded, together with Bagration, the Order of St. George with a bow. And for the battle near Gutstadt he was awarded a golden weapon - a saber with the inscription “For bravery.”
During the war between Russia and the Napoleonic invasion in 1812, A. Chechensky’s detachment, as part of Ataman Platov’s cavalry corps, took part in the famous Battle of Borodino. Then - in partisan raids together with the hero of the Patriotic War, Denis Davydov. And invariably, the authorities noted in their reports the desperate courage of A. Chechensky and the skillful actions of the detachment he led.
A. Chechensky and his detachment fought from Smolensk to Poland. For the capture of Grodno he was awarded the rank of major. Then there was the siege of Dresden. Denis Davydov’s report informed his superiors: “... Captain Chechensky, commander of the 1st Bug Regiment, distinguished himself, this is his habit.” In the battle at Reichenbaum, A. Chechensky’s regiment defeated a superior French unit, capturing a colonel, a front banner, and many soldiers and officers. The new commander of the Russian army, Barclay de Tolly, who replaced the deceased Kutuzov, awarded A. Chechensky the rank of lieutenant colonel. In the liberation campaigns of the Russian army, the regiment distinguished itself both in the historical “Battle of the Nations” near Leipzig, and in the Netherlands, during the storming of the fortresses of Breda and Willemstadt. For the battle near Leon (France), A. Chechensky was awarded the Order of Anna with Diamonds and promoted to rank.
After the fall of Paris, Colonel A. Chechensky, in the tsar’s retinue, next to generals N.N. Raevsky and D. Davydov, participated in the solemn procession and parade of the winners on the Champs Elysees.
At the end of his foreign campaign, Alexander Chechensky resigned with the rank of general. He married the daughter of the Privy Councilor Ekaterina Bychkova. He named his six children Sophia, Alexander, Ekaterina, Nikolai, Vera, Nadezhda.
In December 1825, General A. Chechensky participated in the ceremony of enthroning Nicholas I. The life of Alexander Chechensky is an example of the inextricable unity of the historical destinies of the peoples of Russia.
Alexander Chechensky - hero of the Patriotic War of 1812
A. Chechensky after the war
Denis Davydov
In the history of the Caucasian War, there were many cases when captured Chechen children were brought up by noble Russian families and, having received a good education, have achieved outstanding success in one field or another.
It was precisely this kind of fate that was in store for the hero of the Patriotic War of 1812, Alexander Chechensky (real name Ali).
As a boy, he was captured during one of the raids of the royal troops on the ancestral village of Imam (Sheikh) Mansur - Aldy.
His mother, Rakhimat, the first beauty in the village, died while giving birth to him. Father, Alkhazur, died in battle with the troops that occupied the village.
Strange as it may sound, he was lucky; he was taken in by sixteen-year-old second lieutenant Nikolai Nikolaevich Raevsky. It is about Raevsky that Napoleon Bonaparte will say: “Marshals are made from such generals.”
Raevsky gave Ali's relatives his word to do everything for his upbringing.
The teenager was christened Alexander Nikolaevich Chechensky. He grew up in Kamenka in Ukraine with Nikolai Raevsky’s mother, Ekaterina Nikolaevna. The boy received an excellent education: he graduated from Moscow University. Then his military career began.
Alexander Nikolaevich Chechensky, under the influence of his guardian, became a military man and achieved outstanding success in this matter. Very little is known about his biography, and only thanks to the entries in the diary of the famous poet and hero of the war with Napoleon Denis Davydov, as well as the memoirs of his guardian N.N., Raevsky, we can piece by piece reconstruct the picture of his biography as an already formed Russian officer.
He begins his service (from 1794) with the rank of sergeant in Kizlyar in the Nizhny Novgorod Dragoon Regiment, where his adoptive father was the commander. Participated in expeditions against the Persians in the Caspian Sea and the Ottoman Turks in the Black Sea region.
At 24, Alexander becomes a second lieutenant. In 1805, Chechensky was transferred to the Grodno Hussar Regiment, where he commanded a half-squadron.
In 1805-1807, with his half-squadron, Alexander Chechensky participated in battles with Napoleonic troops near Myshenitsy, Gutstadt, Akkendorf, as well as in expelling the enemy across the Posarzhu River. For courage in the battle near the city of Preussisch-Eylau, Chechensky was awarded the Order of George, 4th degree with a bow.
General P.I. received the same order for these battles. Bagration.
In the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, erected under Alexander III, in honor of the salvation of the Fatherland in 1812, on wall No. 16, among the names of other heroes, the name of captain A.N. Chechensky was carved as a recipient of the Order of St. George, IV degree.
The courage of Chechensky near Gutstadt is celebrated with the golden weapon of St. George - a saber with the inscription “For courage”.
By the beginning of the war with Napoleon, he was already in the rank of lieutenant colonel. IN personal diary Denis Davydov, a hero of the partisan war, a legend of the Russian struggle against Napoleon, gives a personal description of the qualities of Alexander Chechensky: “He could only be a friend or an enemy, he had no middle ground. True, he was kind and generous in character, although he had an aquiline nose, a menacing appearance, and he himself “came from Chechnya.”
In 1812, A. Chechensky’s detachment, as part of Ataman Platov’s cavalry corps, took part in the famous Battle of Borodino.
A. Chechensky and his detachment fought from Smolensk to Poland.
In 1813, the legendary Davydov and Chechensky, with their loyal regiments of hussars and Cossacks, took part in the defeat of the Saxons at Kalisz and, with advanced detachments, took the outskirts of the city of Dresden. At the beginning of March, Chechensky with a small detachment besieged Dresden. The city was surrendered to him without a fight. On March 9, 1813, Colonel Denis Davydov reported to Major General Lansky: “Yesterday I made a strong reconnaissance in the vicinity of the city of Dresden. Chechensky, who led the Bug regiment, with his well-known courage, attacked the enemy and drove him to the city, and drove him behind the palisades.” In another report, D. Davydov reported: “Yesterday I undertook an intensified survey of the city of Dresden. Captain Chechensky, commander of the 1st Bug Regiment, distinguished himself, this is his habit.” At Reichenbaum, the Chechen regiment defeated a French detachment, capturing a lieutenant colonel, two lower officer ranks, about a hundred privates, a regimental banner and destroyed over 150 enemy soldiers. In 1813, Chechensky took part in the battles near the cities of Bautzen and Lucin. The new army commander, Barclay de Tolly, who replaced Kutuzov, who died in the Silesian town of Bunzlau, awarded A. Chechensky the rank of colonel for his bravery and courage. For successful actions, he was transferred as commander to the Life Guards Hussar Regiment. This regiment captured the city of Osnabrück without losses, and then distinguished itself in the battles for the cities of Delitzsch and Tolch.
Alexander Chechensky and his regiment also took part in the historical “Battle of the Nations” near Leipzig. After this, by order of the commander, the Chechen hussar regiment is sent to the Netherlands. There he, united in the province of North Brabant with three Cossack regiments, stormed the Breda fortress. Following this, Alexander Chechensky, through negotiations, without a fight, occupied the heavily fortified fortress of Willemstadt with his regiment. In 1814, Chechensky fought to capture the French city of Soissons. Near the city of Lyon, Alexander's regiment takes part in a battle with superior French forces. Here, a 14,000-strong army under the command of Count Vorontsov saved the allied Austrian troops from Napoleon’s 70,000-strong army. On the second night of the battle, the Russian cavalry overthrew and drove the French infantry. Chechensky was wounded in the arm and leg, but did not leave the battlefield. For this battle, Alexander Chechensky was awarded the Order of St. Anna with diamonds. For his participation in the capture of Paris, Alexander Chechensky was awarded silver medals “For entering Paris” and “In memory of 1812”.
After the fall of Paris, Colonel Chechensky in the Tsar's retinue, next to generals Nikolai Raevsky and Denis Davydov, participates in the solemn procession and parade of the winners on the Champs Elysees.
After the military campaign, which ended triumphantly in Paris, Alexander Chechensky was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir II degree and St. Anne II degree with diamonds. At this time, Alexander Chechensky served in the Life Guards Hussar Regiment - the most prestigious regiment of the Russian army.
Upon returning from France in October 1814, his regiment was placed in permanent quarters in Tsarskoe Selo near St. Petersburg. It is assumed that this is where the meeting between Alexander Chechensky and Alexander Pushkin could have taken place. It is known that Alexander Sergeevich really liked the places in his domain.
In the correspondence of A.S. Pushkin with his neighbor P.A. Osipova, there is a letter stating that the plot of land that Pushkin would like to buy is located in the village of Savkino, the owner of which is Alexander Nikolaevich Chechensky. But it is known that this purchase did not take place.
The long-awaited peace has arrived. Alexander marries the daughter of an actual state councilor, Ekaterina Bychkova. They had six children: Sophia, Alexandra, Nikolai, Vera, Nadezhda, Ekaterina.
There are legends among the Chechen people that at a military review he was presented to the emperor, and he remarked that even an Asian, it turns out, can be a good Russian officer, to which Alexander Chechensky replied that if this had been said by someone else, then he could not avoid a duel. Outraged by the daring behavior of Alexander of Chechnya, the emperor dismissed him. Perhaps this is just a legend.
In 1822, he was promoted to major general in cavalry (with the appointment to stand under the head of the 2nd Hussar Division). He serves for another two years, until his health, undermined by military campaigns, forces him to resign.
In December 1825, General A. Chechensky participated in the ceremony of enthroning Nicholas I.
To his credit, Alexander Chechensky did not come to court. He had no awards and favors, except for those that he earned with his blood, defending the Fatherland.
It is known that he died with the rank of major general in January 1834.
Combat officer Alexander Chechensky knew how to instill anxiety in the enemy
In the year when they began to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the foreign campaigns of the Russian army, it is impossible not to remember one of the heroes of the Patriotic War of 1812 - Major General Alexander Nikolaevich Chechensky. His fate is unique, and many pages of his biography have not yet been fully clarified and require additional years of archival research.
Alexander Chechensky has a direct connection to the Pskov land. He lived here and was buried here, although he died in 1834 in Dresden, precisely in the places where he fought in 1813.
In order to deliver the body of the major general to his homeland, a special imperial decree was required.
To his homeland does not mean to Chechnya, where he was born. His homeland was Russia, for which he shed blood.
In the archival “Case of permission to transport the body to Novorzhevsky district on March 30, 1834” There is a “Decree of His Imperial Majesty the Autocrat of All Russia: the highest permission to cross from abroad to Russia the body of Major General Chechensky, who died in Dresden.
Alexander of Chechnya was buried according to the Orthodox rite. The burial ceremony was performed by Pyatnitsky dean priest Simeon Nikolsky with sexton Pyotr Alexandrov.
I. "Obvious Friend or Foe"
The biography of Alexander Chechensky is similar to an adventure novel. Moreover, some pages seem to be a not very convincing fiction, designed to illustrate the friendship of peoples.
However, a lot happened in reality, including the first years of his life, when a Chechen boy who lost his parents during a military campaign in Chechnya was taken in by a sixteen-year-old Russian second lieutenant. The second lieutenant's name was Nikolai Raevsky, and he would later become famous general. This is the same Raevsky about whom Vasily Zhukovsky wrote in “The Singer in the Camp of Russian Warriors”:
Raevsky, the glory of our days,
Praise! in front of the rows
He is the first chest against swords
With brave sons...
And the Chechen orphan boy taken into care seemed to be called Ali, but after the appearance of a guardian he received Russian name- Alexander - and Russian patronymic - Nikolaevich.
While Nikolai Raevsky served in the army, Alexander Chechensky was raised in Ukraine by Nikolai Raevsky’s mother, Ekaterina Nikolaevna.
Alexander Chechensky studied at Moscow University, but chose a military career, going from a sergeant in Kizlyar to a major general who participated in the ceremony of enthroning the Russian emperor.
By the time of his foreign campaigns, Alexander Chechensky was an experienced officer. In 1805-1807, he took part in battles with Napoleonic troops near Myshenitsy, Gutstadt, Akkendorf, and in 1812, as part of Ataman Platov’s cavalry corps, he fought near Borodino.
One of the most striking pages in the biography of Alexander Chechensky is associated with the capture of Neustadt, a suburb of Dresden.
In his report dated March 9 (21), 1813, to the chief of the Belarusian Hussar Regiment, Major General Sergei Lansky, the head of the partisan detachment, Colonel Denis Davydov, reported: “Yesterday I made a strong reconnaissance in the vicinity of Dresden. Captain Chechensky, who led the 2nd Bug Regiment, with the courage known to him, attacked the enemy, drove him to the city and drove him behind the palisades. In this case, 1 officer was killed, 7 Cossacks were wounded and 15 horses were wounded.”
“Driven and driven” is something that Alexander Chechensky, who fought in the hussar and Cossack units, did very well.
Probably half of all known mentions of Alexander Chechensky are associated with the notes of Denis Davydov.
It was Davydov who left the most striking and now textbook description of the future Pskov landowner and real military officer Alexander Chechensky: “Small in stature, lean, hook-nosed, bronze complexion, black hair like a raven’s wing, an eagle’s gaze. The character is ardent, passionate and indomitable; obvious friend or enemy; boundless enterprise, instant intelligence and determination.”
Denis Davydov himself also had a penchant for entrepreneurship. Otherwise, he would not have entered into an agreement with the French general Durut on the surrender of the Dresden suburb of Neustadt.
It would seem that the Russian command should have rejoiced, but negotiations with the enemy were not going to forgive Davydov easily.
Denis Davydov was accused of violating the ban of Alexander I.
This was a very curious and revealing episode of that war, which has not been fully clarified.
Neustadt, and after him Dresden, were taken by Russian troops, but instead of awards, Denis Davydov and his subordinates were subjected to superior condemnation. Moreover, Denis Davydov was briefly removed from command - formally precisely because he entered into negotiations with the enemy.
However, the agreement only concerned the surrender of the French.
II. "Indomitable, boundless enterprise"
| Sergeant Bugsky Cossack Army, 1812-1817 |
Judging by the memories left behind, Denis Davydov and Alexander Chechensky were somewhat similar. Here it is appropriate to talk not only about courage, but about their special daring, a penchant for risk, bordering on adventurism. Without such people, especially in the camp of the winners, not a single war can be fought.
Davydov left characteristics of several of his military comrades. And not all characteristics are so complimentary.
One of them is an “ordinary officer”, the other is a “brave executor of orders without thinking”, the third is generally a “thug, demoted several times for riotousness and debauchery and awarded several times for bravery...”.
But Alexander Chechensky, who represented the vanguard of Denis Davydov’s detachment, is “indomitable, boundless enterprise, quick-wittedness and instant determination.” That is, he is clearly not one of those who carries out orders without thinking.
Denis Davydov and his comrades misled the French during the capture of Neustadt at night. On the heights between the pine trees, bivouac fires were laid out in four places - at least twenty fires per bivouac, creating a false impression of the number of troops.
This was preceded by a report sent by Chechensky to Denis Davydov. It said: “Father Denis Vasilyevich! The burgomaster appeared from the city and told me that the city commandant wanted to speak with our officer; why Levenstern went to the city, but the commandant told him that if we had even the smallest infantry, he would have left the city that very minute; but that he cannot surrender the cities to the Cossacks alone. Alexander Chechensky."
After this, the “sheer trifle of the infantry” was immediately “found.” One hundred Cossacks represented a large number of troops at about four in the morning, and at this time the remaining four hundred and fifty Akhtyrsky hussars united with the Cossacks of Alexander Chechensky.
But at this time a messenger from Major General Lansky suddenly galloped up. Initially, Lanskoy, in his note sent with the previous messenger, gave permission to “participate” and wrote: “Go with God.”
The new message said: “My dear colonel! Despite the permission I have given, I am forced to change your direction due to the command now received from the corps commander.”
Military reports from that time are something special. “Father Denis Vasilyevich!”, “My dear colonel!”... Reminds me of friendly correspondence or fiction. However, Denis Davydov was outraged by Lansky’s letter.
At the last moment he was not allowed to go to Dresden. But Denis Davydov, considering that the job was almost done, angrily compared the message to a “bomb”, disobeyed, defused the “bomb”, sending a truce to the commandant of Dresden.
And General Durat, confused by the maneuvers of the hussars and Cossacks, wavered.
The capital of Saxony was surrendered, and Denis Davydov, amid the cries of the townspeople “Hurray, Alexander! Hurray, Russia! solemnly entered the city. Following next to him were officers Khrapovitsky, Chechensky, Levenstern, Beketov, Makarov and Alyabyev.
The commander of the main Russian vanguard, Baron Ferdinand Wintzingerode, who found himself in the city the next morning, sternly reprimanded the hussars and Cossacks for being hussars and Cossacks.
According to Denis Davydov, this attitude was due to the fact that people like Wintzingerode themselves loved to solemnly enter defeated cities and receive glory and keys. In Dresden, Davydov deprived the baron of this opportunity.
Denis Davydov and Alexander Chechensky had many more opportunities to distinguish themselves. And they took advantage of them.
To the credit of Cavalry General Baron Ferdinand Wintzingerode, in his report to Alexander I he did not forget to mention Alexander of Chechnya, telling the emperor: “On the 5th in the morning I ordered the expulsion of the enemy from Taukha, which Colonel Chechensky and the 2nd Bugsky did regiment, capturing more than 400 people."
III. “The Chechen was ordered to disturb the enemy”
Exactly two hundred years ago, in December 1813, Alexander Chechensky participated in the liberation of the Netherlands from Napoleonic troops, as evidenced in detail by the memoirs of Alexander Benckendorff.
The future chief of gendarmes during the war was a cavalry general and, in particular, liberated the Netherlands.
Benckendorff repeatedly recalled Alexander Chechensky in his memoirs and letters to Count Vorontsov. The combination Le Colonel Tschizenski (Colonel Chechensky) appears in Benckendorff every now and then. For example: “Colonel Chechensky was immediately sent with two regiments of Cossacks to try to pacify the Willemstadt garrison. The colonel arrived in Willemstadt towards the end of the day. The French, at the sight of our troops, so quickly boarded the ships that they left us more than 100 guns, 52 fully armed gunboats and a lot of different ammunition.”
Or here’s another: “Le Colonel Tschizenski se porta a Tilborg...” - that is, speaking in Russian, “Colonel Chechensky approached Tilburg to disturb the enemy and guard my message with General Bülow...”.
In November-December 1813 in Holland, Alexander Chechensky had 17 chief officers, 7 non-commissioned officers and 411 privates at his disposal.
Thus, Alexander Chechensky became one of the main characters in the liberation of the Netherlands by Russian troops, constantly being in the vanguard.
Then, as before, his best qualities- courage, swiftness, unpredictability.
Flying detachments led by Chechensky made sudden raids behind enemy lines and baffled him.
Benckendorff says: “Colonel Chechensky was detached with two Cossack regiments in order to intimidate the Willemstadt garrison, where he arrived in the evening.
The garrison, to his great surprise, so hastily boarded the ships to retire to Bergen-Opzoom that he left us up to 100 guns, 52 armed boats and a lot of ammunition. The capture of this fortress was all the more important because the arriving English troops could make a sortie there, finding an advantageous and well-fortified harbor there.”
What Chechensky did best was “disturb the enemy,” which was Benckendorff’s favorite expression (“Colonel Chechensky was ordered to disturb the enemy on his way, without leaving the road from Turngut to Breda”).
Alexander Chechensky, like few others, could instill anxiety in the enemy, and this is proven both by his foreign campaigns and by his rapid raids during the fighting in Russia.
IV. “All our Asian attacks collapse at the close European formation”
Chechensky did not always have the mission of breaking into cities. The beginning of the Patriotic War was in Napoleon's favor. They had to retreat, and Russian counterattacks often ended in failure.
“Seeing that all our Asian attacks were collapsing at the close European formation,” recalled Denis Davydov, “I decided in the evening to send the Chechen regiment forward to break the bridges on the way to Krasnoye, block the road and try in every way to block the enemy’s march.”
But even in these circumstances, they managed to capture a carriage overflowing with manuscripts and papers with maps of Napoleon’s topographical office.
Denis Davydov says in his memoirs: “Meanwhile, the Chechensky with the Bug regiment completely blocked the path of the attacked battalion, which, waiting for reinforcements, imagined holding out in the village until its arrival and intensified the fire on us from the huts and vegetable gardens...
The battalion began to run out of the village in all directions. The Chechen noticed this, hit him and took nineteen privates and one captain prisoner.”
Chechensky's raids against the French are a classic example of guerrilla warfare.
One of the most notable military operations took place near Vyazma.
“At one time, Captain Chechensky met wagons with provisions that had spent the night in the forest on the road from Vopka to Vyazma. The enemy, noticing the Cossacks, hurried to form the convoy in a semicircle in order to defend themselves because of it. But Chechensky did not give them time to complete this formation, he struck and took possession of the transport.
Then the cover, left without infantry, rushed into the middle of the forest, continuing continuous fire... Ardent Chechensky hurried his troops, rushed into the forest and hit the enemy with darts. This daring act completed the defeat, but cost the best Bug Cossacks, who fell seriously wounded and killed.”
V. “I sent a parliamentarian to thank Chechensky for his condescending act”
That is, Alexander Chechensky was true to himself both during the retreat and during the offensive. Ultimately, one way or another, he always advanced, which is why he earned numerous military awards.
As a rule, operations with his participation ended like this: “The second squad under the command of Captain Chechensky attacked a transport consisting of 41 large trucks... dismounted, took a few prisoner, because half fell victim to their stubbornness.”
But it would be wrong to think that his military art was limited only to swift attacks and destruction of the enemy.
An illustrative example is the story of the liberation of Grodno, where Alexander Chechensky again distinguished himself.
Denis Davydov said: “The Chechen encountered an Austrian outpost near Grodno, captured two hussars and, as a result of my instructions, immediately sent them to General Freilich, who commanded a detachment of 4 thousand cavalry and infantry and thirty guns in Grodno.
Freilich sent a parliamentarian to thank Chechensky for this condescending act, and Chechensky took advantage of this opportunity, and negotiations began between them.”
The ability to negotiate helped Chechensky out more than once.
In Grodno, everything was going to the point that before the Russians arrived, all provision warehouses and commissariat stores, “which contained more than a million rubles worth of supplies,” should have caught fire.
Chechensky managed to convince not to set fire to warehouses and shops, because “everything will fall on the residents of this province.”
The Russians got the city with all the supplies. Warehouses and shops were sealed, and Major Chechensky personally placed guards near them.
Almost the first thing in Grodno after liberation was “the opening of a Greek-Russian church.”
At a time when Chechensky was still a captain, Mikhail Kutuzov personally noted him in a letter to Denis Davydov: “My dear sir, Denis Vasilyevich! The general on duty brought to my attention your report about your latest successes over the enemy detachments between Vyazma and Semlev... I informed the Council, established from the cavalrymen of that order, that the commander of the 1st Bug Regiment, Captain Chechensky, was awarded the Military Order... October 10th, 1812 . D. Letashevo. Prince M. Kutuzov."
Less than a month passed, and Alexander Chechensky, in his characteristic manner, attacked the French, capturing an important officer: “On October 27 (November 8), the partisans stopped several miles from the enemy, in the village of Belkino. The most advanced regiment in the abandoned farmstead was occupied by the Chechen regiment... A detachment of about 40 French foragers appeared on the road, traveling without any precautions. Davydov ordered Chechensky to attack. A hundred Cossacks entered the rear of the French in a deep ravine. When the Russian cavalry was noticed in the convoy, it was already too late. The French surrendered. Among the prisoners was General Augereau's adjutant. He confirmed the information the partisans had. We learned from the officer that the commander of the entire corps, Barage d’Hillier, was located in Dolgomostye, a few miles from Lyakhov.”
One could go on and on about the military exploits of Alexander Chechensky. The military part of his biography is more or less known and is full of heroic pages. "Battle of the Nations", the capture of Paris...
Much less is known about what Alexander Chechensky did after the defeat of Napoleon.
More precisely, there are also enough publications on this topic. However, they contain more speculation than facts.
VI. “Incidents on the estate of Major General Chechenskaya”
People often like to say that Alexander Chechensky knew Alexander Pushkin.
Theoretically, this was possible. The metropolitan noble world at that time was narrow. Moreover, they could have crossed paths not only in St. Petersburg, because both were related to the Pskov province.
But reliable information about the acquaintance of Chechensky and Pushkin has not yet been found. Although Pushkin could not have known about Chechen. The Pushkin literary magazine “Sovremennik” published documents about the Patriotic War, including a report by Alexander Chechensky related to the preparations for the capture of Dresden, in the same No. 4 of 1836, next to “The Captain’s Daughter.”
Pushkin definitely knew another Alexander Nikolaevich - Raevsky, the natural son of Nikolai Raevsky.
Alexander Raevsky was much younger than Alexander Chechensky, almost the same age as Pushkin... Considering that Chechensky and Raevsky were namesakes and were brought up in the same family, this confusion is understandable.
What is more difficult to explain is why the accumulation of fact and fiction continues to this day.
This became most clearly noticeable when on July 27, 2012, in the Bezhanitsky district of the Pskov region, in the presence of Pskov and Chechen officials, a monument to the hero of the Patriotic War of 1812 Alexander Chechensky was opened, which raised a lot of puzzling questions, and the main one: “Who is the man depicted on the bas-relief ?.
Answer: “What difference does it make?” - did not satisfy the skeptics. Further historical research is required. But he looks too much like the famous image of Alexander Nikolaevich Raevsky.
It is definitely known that after World War II, Alexander Chechensky served in the Life Guards Hussar Regiment, and in 1816 he was appointed commander of the Lithuanian Uhlan Regiment.
He is connected with the Pskov land by an estate on the territory of the present Bezhanitsky district, in which, after retirement, he often lived with his wife and numerous children. In various documents he is referred to as the “Novorzhevsky landowner” or “landowner of the village of Savkino.”
Unexpectedly, the name of Chechensky appears in the report of the Novorzhevsky Zemsky Court - in 1826 (it was in that year that Alexander Chechensky received a long leave “to recover from his wounds”).
This was a reaction to a complaint (“relations in secret”) in which Chechensky - by that time a major general - was accused of ill-treatment of serfs and the manager.
It was necessary to establish: is this really so? Isn't this slander? Is everything in this story pure?
It turned out that not everything.
And if earlier the story of Alexander Chechensky looked like a heroic adventure, now it turns into a detective story. In the literal sense of the word.
An investigation began, initiated by the Novorzhevsk district attorney Demidov and the Pskov military bailiff, Captain Kiribitsyn.
The Pskov archive contains the same report from the Novorzhevsky Zemstvo Court, which lists what the military general was accused of.
He was suspected of violence, which he allegedly used.
The complaint, quoted in the report of the Novorzhevsky Zemstvo Court, stated “about the cruel and inhumane treatment of the Novorzhevsky landowner, Mr. Major General Alexander Nikolaevich Chechensky, with his serfs, of whom up to eight people are kept in shackles, and his steward, the nobleman Bek, and his family are deprived of daily food , is being held by the autocracy of him, Alexander of Chechnya, in his own estate, the village of Savkin, under guard with threats to put him in chains and starve to death...”
The charges are extremely serious. They cast a shadow on the heroic officer.
This story is mentioned by Heinrich Deutsch in the book “The Peasantry of the Pskov Province at the end of the 18th and the first half of the 19th centuries.”
The investigation established that some of the facts were confirmed: “During the inspection, two blacksmiths Efrem Stepanov and Ermolai Denisov were found in the forge located near the village of Savkino, in a people's hut, a yard man Ivan Stepanov, and in a stable, a coachman Fyodor Efimov with horse harnesses on each of their legs. glands..."
True, it was still unclear who gave the order.
Alexander Chechensky himself was not on the estate at that moment, and unscrupulous people could hide behind his name, primarily the manager Bogdan Bek, against whom Alexander Chechensky himself had many claims.
In addition, the manager, Beck, clearly did not resemble a powerless person who, with his family, was being kept on starvation rations, almost as hostages.
The manager, when the investigation came to the estate, was generally away, which was confirmed by his wife, who was at large and in perfect health.
Thus, this part of the accusations that reached the Novorzhevsky Zemstvo Court was not confirmed, although it was the wife of manager Bek who wrote the complaints against Alexander Chechensky.
When, quoting Denis Davydov, they write that Alexander Chechensky was an enterprising man, then, of course, they do not mean at all modern enterprise in the sense of the ability to generate income.
In this sense, apparently, Alexander Chechensky was not a very successful person. As usual, many military personnel, after a change of situation, often find it more difficult in peaceful life than in war.
In this case, a suspicion arose that Chechensky trusted his manager Bek too much, who managed it ineptly and, most likely, robbed the landowner, bringing the estate to disorder, and Chechensky almost to court.
At the same time, it was obvious that the serfs on Chechensky’s estate were indeed punished very cruelly, which was not uncommon for the Pskov province.
There are many known cases of cruel abuse, including against women and children - in Novorzhevsky district, and in Velikoluksky, and in Toropetsk, and in Kholmsky. Some selected egregious examples “from Pskov life” were later included in the book “Past and Thoughts” by Alexander Herzen.
In Savkino it was necessary to find out who was behind all this. The landowner himself? His manager acting on his behalf?
Ekaterina Ivanovna Chechenskaya (Bychkova), the general’s wife, also came under suspicion.
The documents said: “Incidents on the estate of Major General Chechenskaya.”
Ekaterina Ivanovna’s character was truly difficult.
VII. “I could not discover anything that would be contrary to the rules established by laws”
It was a special time. The Decembrist uprising had just happened, dividing the heroes of the Patriotic War into two hostile camps (Chechensky was on the side of Nicholas I). Then, in 1826, Nikolai Raevsky became a member of the State Council.
On the day of the Decembrist uprising, December 14, 1825, Alexander Chechensky was next to Nicholas I almost all the time, after which, in a conversation with Denis Davydov, he gave a not very flattering assessment of the newly-minted emperor: “You know that I know how to appreciate courage, and therefore you will believe in my words. Being near the sovereign on December 14, I watched him all the time. I can assure you with my word of honor that the sovereign, who was very pale all the time, had his soul in his heels.”
A little time passed, and an investigation began in the “estate of Major General Chechenskaya.”
This story is interesting not only because the name of a war hero is involved in it.
It is important to understand what kind of order reigned then in Russia, in particular in the Pskov province.
On the estate of the “Major General Chechen” the order was sadistic.
Corporal punishment, judging by the report, was used constantly. They beat them with rods or sticks (“punishment with sticks, as when punishing soldiers”).
The investigation established that Efrem Stepanov and Ermolai Denisov received 150 blows with rods for starting a fire in the forge.
However, the punishment did not end there. After corporal punishment, both blacksmiths were shackled for two days, then released, but soon they were put in shackles again, “in which they were kept without release.”
Who gave the order?
The report says that the peasants were punished with rods “by order of their lord, Major General Chechensky, given to the manager Bek.”
But Ivan Efimov received one hundred rods “for poor supervision of the horses entrusted to him” and plus fifty - “for careless execution of the order given to him by Mr. Chechensky.”
The stories were confirmed by physical examination of the victims.
The body of the serf Fyodor Efimov showed obvious signs of violence.
The report states: "Inspection on the back of the body, shoulders, blue-purple spots on both shoulder blades and both arms."
However, Alexander Chechensky’s personal involvement in the bullying was not proven at that time.
“The disorder of the estate” and “unrest,” according to investigators, occurred due to the fault of manager Beck due to the fact that Alexander Chechensky “was ill for a long time, almost never went anywhere, and manager Beck was in charge of the entire estate.” In some other cases, Chechensky was absent from the estate altogether.
For example, when Ivan Safronov was kept in shackles for nine weeks, the general was away (“the non-existence of Mr. General of the Chechen House”).
Former clerk Ivan Makarov suffered greatly from beatings.
Here it is appropriate to talk not about punishment for educational purposes, but about cruel reprisals bordering on murder.
The report says: “The former clerk of the village of Savkino, Ivan Makarov, who was beaten by Mr. Chechensky by Manager Bek with his own hands, lay paralyzed and without the use of his tongue.”
Moreover, a peasant woman who witnessed that massacre suffered. She was later punished with canings.
On the estate of the “Major General Chechen” they were severely punished for everything: for untimely heating of the stoves in the master’s house (Alexey Mikhailov suffered at the hands of Bek), for the fact that the master’s mare threw away her foal, for poor supervision...
It was established that “Danila Larionov was punished on Palm Week of Lent by the manager Bek with rods for the fact that the master’s mare threw out her foal, and this punishment was carried out so cruelly that from that time he became sick and to this day has not received complete relief.”
The investigators faced a difficult case. The suspect was none other than a military general, a landowner, a respected man...
In the end, taking into account the figure of the suspect, in the same 1826, the leader of the nobility Rokotov wrote a letter to the Pskov civil governor, actual state councilor Alexei Nikitich Peschurov, in which there were comforting words for Alexander of Chechnya: “I could not open anything that would be contrary to the rules, laws established. “No special embarrassment was made to the manager Beck and his wife.”
Major General Chechensky himself would later give a receipt “so that those people would not be allowed to suffer such exhaustion.”
VIII. "In memory of 1812"
For many decades, the name of Alexander Chechensky was hardly remembered in the Pskov region. It is still unknown where exactly he is buried. More precisely, it is known that the funeral took place not far from the St. George Church of the Kudevery churchyard, but in what place?
In the metric book of the St. George Church there is entry No. 8 “On the death on May 7, 1834 of the landowner of the village of Savkino, Major General Alexander Nikolaevich Chechensky, 55 years old.” The mention of the date “May 7” obviously does not fit with the “Case of permission to transport the body to Novorzhevsky district on March 30, 1834.”
Of course, Alexander Chechensky died much earlier than May 7th. In the “St. Petersburg Gazette” in No. 20 of 1834, published on January 25, a short, three-line notice appeared: “On the 19th day... The deceased is excluded from the lists. By cavalry. Major General Chechensky, a cavalry officer."
Novorzhevsky landowner Alexander Chechensky took part in all significant events of the Patriotic War. battle of Borodino, “Battle of the Nations” near Leipzig, the capture of Paris, participation in the solemn procession and parade of winners on the Champs Elysees in the Tsar’s retinue, next to Nikolai Raevsky and Denis Davydov.
Alexander Chechensky received many awards: for his courage he was awarded a golden weapon, received the Order of St. Vladimir IV class, the Order of St. George IV class, the Order of St. Anne II class with diamonds, silver medals “For entering Paris” and “In memory of 1812"…
When, under Alexander III, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior was finally completed in honor of the salvation of the Fatherland in 1812, the name of Alexander of Chechnya was carved on one of the walls.
But under the Bolsheviks, this temple was blown up, the names of many heroes were forgotten or faded into the shadows.
In the confessional paintings of the St. George Church of the Kudeverovsky churchyard of the Novorzhevsky district of the Pskov province in the village of Savkino for 1835, members of the family of Alexander Chechensky were listed: 38-year-old widow Ekaterina Ivanovna, children Alexandra, Ekaterina, Nikolai, Lyubov, Vera and Olga.
The ages of children in records from different years vary significantly. For example, in 1835, according to the confessional list, Alexandra was 16 years old, and in 1836 - for some reason - 14, in 1837 - 18.
But it is definitely known that the Chechensky family lived in the Pskov province for many decades. Just look at the “Provincial Gazette” (No. 35 of September 7, 1855, in its unofficial part), where it is said that “The Chechen landowner donated money for wine portions to the warriors of squad No. 26 (Tver militia”).
The names of the Chechen landowners are also found in the “List of private landowners of the Pskov province subject to state land tax.”
In 1890, such a tax was imposed on “Chechen Lyubov Alexandrovna.”
Lyubov Chechenskaya died in 1905. This follows from the entry on the gravestone, which Valentina Rovenskaya (Soldatenkova) found on her plot of land in Kudeveri, Bezhanitsky district, several years ago.
There is an inscription on the slab: “Chechen Lyubov Alexandrovna, died on October 18, 1905. Daughter of the Chechen partisan of 1812.”
Perhaps now under some house in Kudeveri there is the tombstone of Alexander Chechensky.
After the Nazis blew up the St. George's Church and the surrounding graves during their retreat, many of the slabs were used by local residents to build their houses. Using tombstones from destroyed Russian, German and other cemeteries in post-war years Many houses and roads were built in the Pskov region. As a rule, nothing good came out of this.
The place of gravestones is in cemeteries, and the names of heroes have a place in books and street names.
Alexander Chechensky - “indomitable”, “clear friend or foe”, capable of a “condescending act” - deserves to be remembered not only in anniversary years.
2. TsGVIA, f. 194, op. 1, d. 1, l. 27. Original.
3. See: D. Davydov. Notes of a partisan. M., Young Guard, 1984. P. 120.
4. See: M. Popov. Denis Davydov. M., Education, 1971. P. 65.
5. See: M. Popov. Denis Davydov. M., Education, 1971. P. 65.
6. See: M. Popov. Denis Davydov. M., Education, 1971. pp. 66-67.
7. Report of the cavalry general Baron Ferdinand Fedorovich Wintzengerode on the participation of his corps in the Battle of Leipzig. TsGVIA, f. VUA, no. 3915, ll. 47-48 o. Script.
8. Notes of Benckendorf. 1813 Liberation of the Netherlands.
9. Notes of Benckendorf. 1813 Liberation of the Netherlands.
10. Notes of Benckendorf. 1813 Liberation of the Netherlands.
11. Denis Davydov. Diary of partisan actions. 1812. Lenizdat, 1985.
12. Military notes. Denis Davydov. Voronezh, 1987. P. 177
13. Military notes. Denis Davydov. Voronezh, 1987. P. 185.
14. 1812. To the 150th anniversary of the Patriotic War. Ed. Academy of Sciences of the USSR. M., 1962.
15. Military notes. Denis Davydov. Voronezh, 1987. P. 257.
16. G.V. Serebryakov. Denis Davydov. M., Young Guard, 1985.
17. N.L. Khataevich. Heroes of the Patriotic War of 1812. Partizan A.N. Seslavin. M., Moscow worker. 1973. P. 58.
18. See: A. Semenov. Masquerade // “PG”, No. 30 (602) from August 8-14, 2012; A. Semenov. “The nose can be corrected if necessary...” // “PG” from No. 31 (603) from August 15-21, 2012; “Shall we be counted as glory?” Letter from the Chairman of the Center for Chechen Culture “Bart” (“Unity”) in Pskov, Said Dukaev. // “PG”, No. 32 (604) from August 22-28, 2012
19. G.M. Deitch. Peasantry of the Pskov province at the end of the 18th and first half of the 19th centuries. Publishing house of the newspaper “Pskovskaya Pravda”, 1957. P. 62.
20. A.I. Herzen, op., vol.5. pp. 82-83. M., 1956
21. A.I. Herzen, soch., vol. 4. M., 1956. P. 136.
Nikolai Nikolaevich Raevsky, when he was in command of the Nizhny Novgorod Dragoon Regiment, picked up a small Chechen prisoner. He became his godfather, gave him the name Alexander Nikolaevich Chechensky and took him into his care. Raevsky took care to give him a good education. Chechensky completed a course at Moscow University, but retained all the typical features of his people. Denis Davydov describes Alexander Nikolaevich this way: “Small in stature, lean, hook-nosed, bronze complexion, black hair like a raven’s wing, eagle’s gaze. The character is ardent, passionate and indomitable; a clear friend or foe; boundless enterprise, quick-wittedness and instant determination.”
Chechensky received his first officer rank in 1796. In 1801, Chechensky, with the rank of ensign, entered the Nizhny Novgorod Dragoon Regiment and was appointed to the post of regimental adjutant. He earned the reputation of an excellent officer, the first hunter and rider in the regiment. For the Kabardian campaign, which took place in the spring of 1804, Ensign Chechensky received his first order - the Order of St. Anne, 3rd degree. With the same rank of ensign of the Nizhny Novgorod regiment, he retired on January 5, 1805.
On June 23, 1806, Chechensky joined the Grodno Hussar Regiment as a cornet. In the 1807 campaign with the French he distinguished himself on May 25 near Ankendorf. On that day, the Grodno hussars, under the command of Yakov Petrovich Kulnev, swam across the Pasargi River in sight of the French and captured a convoy from Kommersdorf consisting of one gun, one mortar and 40 wagons with gunpowder, cannonballs and grenades. The French threw three of their own against our two squadrons. There was no way to transport the convoy across the bridge across the river. Then Lieutenant Colonel Kulnev ordered Chechensky to blow up the convoy. Chechensky instructed hussar Akim Plesh to prepare for the explosion, and 10 hussars under the command of non-commissioned officer Kuzmin to provide cover. Having let our squadrons through to Pasargi and giving time to his cover, pressed by the enemy hussars, to rush to the river, Akim Plesh set fire to the powder path to the wagons. “A terrible crash created alarm in both armies.” When the smoke cleared, it became clear that the squadrons of Kulnev and Rideger were on our side of Pasarga, Plesh was sailing on horseback, and next to him Kuzmin was holding a horse with a captured hussar by the bridle. Not far from the explosion, French squadrons stood rooted to the spot. This episode ended the fighting of that day. Lieutenant Chechensky, like Kulnev, was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir, 4th degree. It was after this battle that people in the army started talking about Kulnev. For the deed on May 29 and June 2, 1807 near Friedland, Chechensky was awarded the golden saber “For Bravery.” And for the 1808 campaign with the Swedes he was awarded the Order of St. Anna 2nd degree with diamonds. With the rank of captain, Alexander Nikolaevich, on December 9, 1811, was dismissed from the regiment “for illness with his uniform.”
At the beginning of the War of 1812, he served under the Chief of the General Staff of the 1st Western Army, Major General Ermolov, with the rank of captain of the army cavalry. During the army's retreat to Smolensk, on the orders of Ermolov, Chechensky, at the head of a team of hunters from the escort (2nd?) Bug Cossack Regiment, carried out reconnaissance along the left bank of the Dnieper in order to inspect the enemy troops on the march. On July 20, Captain Chechensky was appointed commander of the 1st Bug Cossack Regiment.
On September 11, 1812, the Bug Cossack Regiment, at that time numbering 60 Cossacks, under the command of Chechensky, was attached to the partisan detachment of Denis Davydov. Chechensky was an indispensable assistant to Denis Davydov and an active participant in all partisan battles. He distinguished himself in action near Lyakhov on November 28, when General Augereau's two-thousand-strong detachment was defeated. On December 8, commanding the vanguard of a partisan detachment, near Grodno he encountered enemy outposts and captured two Austrian hussars. The Russian command at this time was already negotiating with the Austrians, so Chechensky immediately sent them to the Austrian General Freulich, who commanded the garrison in Grodno. Freilich sent a parliamentarian to thank Chechensky for such a lenient act. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Chechensky entered into negotiations with the general and convinced him not to destroy military supplies in the city. As a result, we got all the provisions and commissariat stores with reserves worth more than a million rubles (4). For the exploits accomplished in the Patriotic War of 1812, Chechensky was awarded the Order of St. George 4th grade.
On December 24, service in the partisans ended. The detachment, including the 1st Bug Regiment, was included in the main vanguard of the army under the command of General Winzengerode. In March 1813, Chechensky took part in the occupation of the New City of Dresden (Dresden was divided into New and Old city). Denis Davydov reported in his report: “Captain Chechensky, commander of the 1st Bug Cossack Regiment, distinguished himself; this is his habit.”
From November 2 to December 22, 1813, Chechensky, already with the rank of colonel, took part at the head of the Bug Cossack Regiment in a campaign to Holland. The regiment was part of the vanguard detachment of the Winzengerode corps under the command of Major General Alexander Benckendorff. The detachment acted independently, penetrated deep into Holland, occupied Amsterdam, and captured fortresses in battle. Colonel Chechensky took an active part in this extraordinary expedition. In early December, Colonel Chechensky was sent with two Cossack regiments to intimidate the garrison of the Willemstadt fortress. The fortress was an important point, as it had a convenient and well-fortified harbor in which English troops could land. Unexpectedly, the garrison was evacuated by sea without a fight. The Chechen trophy included about 100 guns, 52 armed boats and a lot of ammunition. For the campaign of 1813 he was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir 3rd degree.
On January 1, 1816, Colonel Chechensky was appointed commander of the Lithuanian Uhlan Regiment. On August 30, 1822, Alexander Nikolaevich was promoted to the rank of major general. For some time he continued to command the Lithuanian regiment. The regiment surrendered between September 10, 1822 and August 15, 1823. Exact date unknown.
In the early 20s he was the commander of the Tatar (6. Check!) Uhlan regiment. From April 1820 to April 1821, commander of the 1st Drigade of the 3rd Dragoon Division. From April 1821 to August 1822, commander of the 1st Brigade of the 1st Uhlan Division. From August 1822 to December 1826, commander of the 2nd brigade of the 3rd Ulan division (6).
During the uprising in St. Petersburg on December 14, 1825, he was with Emperor Nikolai Pavlovich.
He died in 1834 with the rank of major general in cavalry.
Bibliography
1. “List of Generals with names, insignia and seniority in ranks up to February 26, 1834.”
2. V. Potto “History of the 44th Dragoon Nizhny Novgorod His Imperial Highness Sovereign Heir Tsarevich Regiment.” St. Petersburg. 1895. volume 2.
3. “Notes of Benckendorf. 1813 liberation of the Netherlands." Moscow. 2001.
4. Denis Davydov “Works”. Moscow. 1962.
5. Talanov A.I., Yushko V.L. “Klyastitsky Hussars. Through the pages of the regimental chronicle." Moscow. 2001.
6. V.I. Karpeev "Cavalry: divisions, brigades, corps. Formations of the Russian army. 1810-1917." Moscow. 2012.
On July 27, in the village of Bezhanitsy, a memorial sign to the hero of the Patriotic War of 1812, General Alexander Chechensky, was unveiled:
All photos of Anastasia Grigorieva(C)
The opening of the memorial sign is timed to coincide with the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Borodino and the Patriotic War of 1812.
Among those who bravely fought for the Fatherland was Russian army officer Alexander Nikolaevich Chechensky.
A native of Chechnya, orphan Ali, was raised from childhood in the noble family of Nikolai Nikolaevich Raevsky. In his foster family, he received his guardian's patronymic and surname, which spoke eloquently about his origin. Not without the influence of this family, the pupil chose a career - to serve in the Russian army. Chechensky received his first officer rank in 1796. He served in Kizlyar in the Nizhny Novgorod Dragoon Regiment, where N.N. Raevsky was the commander. He took part in expeditions against the Persians, battles against the Turks, for the Kabardian campaign, which took place in the spring of 1804, Ensign Chechensky received his first order - St. Anne, 3rd degree. Then he continued his military career in Europe, where there was a war with Napoleon. For courage in the battle near the city of Preussisch-Eylau he was awarded the Order of George, 4th degree. For the deed on May 29 and June 2, 1807 near Friedland, Chechensky was awarded the golden saber “For Bravery.” And for the company of 1808 with the Swedes he was awarded the Order of St. Anne, 2nd class. with diamonds. In 1811, he was already a captain and was dismissed from the regiment “for illness with his uniform.”
But the year 1812 came, and Captain Chechensky was appointed commander of the 1st Bug Cossack Regiment. On September 11, 1812, the Bug Cossack Regiment joined the partisan detachment of Denis Davydov. The bold partisan actions of Davydov and Chechensky were successful and effective. On the Borodino field A.N. Chechensky defended the central redoubt, known in history as the “Raevsky battery.” Together with the Russian army, A.N. Chechensky took part in a foreign campaign. He fought near Dresden and Leipzig in the historical “Battle of the Nations”, received a number of awards, participated in the capture of Paris (1813) and the solemn procession and parade of the winners on the Champs-Elysees already with the rank of colonel.
In his diaries, Denis Davydov gives a verbal portrait of his friend Chechensky: “Small in stature, lean, hook-nosed, bronze complexion, black hair like a raven’s wing, an eagle’s gaze. The character is ardent, passionate and indomitable: a clear friend or enemy; boundless enterprise, quick wit and instant determination.”
Upon returning from France, his regiment was stationed in Tsarskoye Selo near St. Petersburg. There are several assumptions, not sufficiently explored, about the acquaintance of A.N. Chechensky and A.S. Pushkin during this period. Next, A.N. Chechensky continues to serve in the Life Guards Hussar Regiment, then is appointed regimental commander of the Lithuanian Uhlan Regiment. In 1822 he was promoted to major general in cavalry. The deprivations of military service and injuries made themselves felt; in 1825 he was dismissed: “To the Carlsbad mineral waters until recovery with payment of salary and expulsion from the cavalry.” In his further “peaceful” biography there are many blank spots; not all of its episodes have been restored. His wife was a Russian noblewoman, Ekaterina Ivanovna Bychkova, who had property - the Vorskla estate (now in the Belgorod region). They had seven children. But as established, the last stage of the general’s life turned out to be connected with the Pskov province.
He and his large family owned, including in the current Bezhanitsky district, land and estates. The most famous of them is the Savkino estate in Kudeversky volost. Historians also associate the name of the village Chechenskoye, and later Chechenskaya Street in Bezhanitsy, with the personality of A.N. Chechensky and his family. General Chechensky died at the age of fifty-five in 1834. The record of his death is contained in the metric book of the Orthodox St. George Church in the village of Kudevery. The Chechensky family continued to live in Savkino for many more decades. This is mentioned in various sources.(
