Kolchak Alexander Vasilyevich (November 4 (16), 1874, St. Petersburg province - February 7, 1920, Irkutsk) - Russian politician, vice admiral of the Russian Imperial Fleet (1916) and admiral of the Siberian Flotilla (1918). Polar explorer and oceanographer, participant in expeditions of 1900-1903 (awarded by the Imperial Russian Geographical Society with the Great Constantine Medal). Participant in the Russian-Japanese, World War I and Civil Wars. Leader and leader of the White movement in the East of Russia. The Supreme Ruler of Russia (1918-1920), was recognized in this position by the leadership of all white regions, “de jure” - by the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, “de facto” - by the Entente states.
Alexander Vasilyevich was born into the family of a representative of this family, Vasily Ivanovich Kolchak (1837-1913), a staff captain of the naval artillery, later a major general in the Admiralty. V.I. Kolchak received his first officer rank after being seriously wounded during the defense of Sevastopol during the Crimean War of 1853-1856: he was one of the seven surviving defenders of the Stone Tower on Malakhov Kurgan, whom the French found among the corpses after the assault. After the war, he graduated from the Mining Institute in St. Petersburg and, until his retirement, served as a receptionist for the Maritime Ministry at the Obukhov plant, having a reputation as a straightforward and extremely scrupulous person.
Mother Olga Ilyinichna Kolchak, née Kamenskaya, was the daughter of Major General, Director of the Forestry Institute F.A. Kamensky, the sister of the sculptor F.F. Kamensky. Among the distant ancestors were Baron Minich (the brother of the field marshal, an Elizabethan nobleman) and Chief General M.V. Berg (who defeated Frederick the Great in the Seven Years' War).
The future admiral received his primary education at home, and then studied at the 6th St. Petersburg Classical Gymnasium.
In 1894, Alexander Vasilyevich Kolchak graduated from the Naval Cadet Corps, and on August 6, 1894 he was assigned to the 1st rank cruiser "Rurik" as an assistant watch commander and on November 15, 1894 he was promoted to the rank of midshipman. On this cruiser he departed for the Far East. At the end of 1896, Kolchak was assigned to the 2nd rank cruiser “Cruiser” as a watch commander. On this ship he went on campaigns in the Pacific Ocean for several years, and in 1899 he returned to Kronstadt. On December 6, 1898, he was promoted to lieutenant. During the campaigns, Kolchak not only fulfilled his official duties, but also actively engaged in self-education. He also became interested in oceanography and hydrology. In 1899, he published the article “Observations on surface temperatures and specific gravities of sea water made on the cruisers Rurik and Cruiser from May 1897 to March 1898.”
Upon arrival in Kronstadt, Kolchak went to see Vice Admiral S. O. Makarov, who was preparing to sail on the icebreaker Ermak in the Arctic Ocean. Alexander Vasilyevich asked to be accepted into the expedition, but was refused “due to official circumstances.” After this, for some time being part of the personnel of the ship "Prince Pozharsky", Kolchak in September 1899 transferred to the squadron battleship "Petropavlovsk" and went to the Far East on it. However, while staying in the Greek port of Piraeus, he received an invitation from the Academy of Sciences from Baron E.V. Toll to take part in the mentioned expedition
In the spring of 1902, Toll decided to head on foot north of the New Siberian Islands together with magnetologist F. G. Seberg and two mushers. The remaining members of the expedition, due to a lack of food supplies, had to go from Bennett Island to the south, to the mainland, and then return to St. Petersburg. Kolchak and his companions went to the mouth of the Lena and arrived in the capital through Yakutsk and Irkutsk.
Upon arrival in St. Petersburg, Alexander Vasilyevich reported to the Academy about the work done, and also reported on the enterprise of Baron Toll, from whom no news had been received either by that time or later. In January 1903, it was decided to organize an expedition, the purpose of which was to clarify the fate of Toll’s expedition. The expedition took place from May 5 to December 7, 1903. It consisted of 17 people on 12 sledges pulled by 160 dogs. The journey to Bennett Island took three months and was extremely difficult. On August 4, 1903, having reached Bennett Island, the expedition discovered traces of Toll and his companions: expedition documents, collections, geodetic instruments and a diary were found. It turned out that Toll arrived on the island in the summer of 1902, and headed south, having a supply of provisions for only 2-3 weeks. It became clear that Toll's expedition was lost.
In December 1903, 29-year-old Lieutenant Kolchak, exhausted from the polar expedition, set off on his way back to St. Petersburg, where he was going to marry his bride Sofia Omirova. Not far from Irkutsk, he was caught by the news of the beginning of the Russo-Japanese War. He summoned his father and bride by telegram to Siberia and immediately after the wedding he left for Port Arthur.
The commander of the Pacific Squadron, Admiral S. O. Makarov, invited him to serve on the battleship Petropavlovsk, which was the flagship of the squadron from January to April 1904. Kolchak refused and asked to be assigned to the fast cruiser Askold, which soon saved his life. A few days later, the Petropavlovsk hit a mine and quickly sank, taking to the bottom more than 600 sailors and officers, including Makarov himself and the famous battle painter V.V. Vereshchagin. Soon after this, Kolchak achieved a transfer to the destroyer "Angry". Commanded a destroyer. By the end of the siege of Port Arthur, he had to command a coastal artillery battery, since severe rheumatism - a consequence of two polar expeditions - forced him to abandon the warship. This was followed by injury, the surrender of Port Arthur and Japanese captivity, in which Kolchak spent 4 months. Upon his return, he was awarded the Arms of St. George - the Golden Saber with the inscription “For Bravery.”
Freed from captivity, Kolchak received the rank of captain of the second rank. The main task of the group of naval officers and admirals, which included Kolchak, was to develop plans for the further development of the Russian navy.
In 1906, the Naval General Staff was created (including on Kolchak’s initiative), which took over the direct combat training of the fleet. Alexander Vasilyevich was the head of his department, was involved in developments for the reorganization of the navy, and spoke in the State Duma as an expert on naval issues. Then a shipbuilding program was drawn up. To obtain additional funding, officers and admirals actively lobbied their program in the Duma. The construction of new ships progressed slowly - 6 (out of 8) battleships, about 10 cruisers and several dozen destroyers and submarines entered service only in 1915-1916, at the height of the First World War, and some of the ships laid down at that time were already being completed in the 1930s.
Considering the significant numerical superiority of the potential enemy, the Naval General Staff developed new plan protection of St. Petersburg and the Gulf of Finland - in the event of a threat of attack, all ships of the Baltic Fleet, at an agreed signal, had to go to sea and place 8 lines of minefields at the mouth of the Gulf of Finland, covered by coastal batteries.
Captain Kolchak took part in the design of special icebreaking ships "Taimyr" and "Vaigach", launched in 1909. In the spring of 1910, these ships arrived in Vladivostok, then went on a cartographic expedition to the Bering Strait and Cape Dezhnev, returning back to the autumn Vladivostok. Kolchak commanded the icebreaker Vaygach on this expedition. In 1908 he went to work at the Maritime Academy. In 1909, Kolchak published his largest study - a monograph summarizing his glaciological research in the Arctic - “Ice of the Kara and Siberian Seas” (Notes of the Imperial Academy of Sciences. Series 8. Physics and Mathematics Department. St. Petersburg, 1909. T.26, No. 1.).
Participated in the development of an expedition project to study the Northern Sea Route. In 1909-1910 The expedition, in which Kolchak commanded the ship, made the transition from the Baltic Sea to Vladivostok, and then sailed towards Cape Dezhnev.
Since 1910, he was involved in the development of the Russian shipbuilding program at the Naval General Staff.
In 1912, Kolchak transferred to serve in the Baltic Fleet as a flag captain in the operational department of the fleet commander's headquarters. In December 1913 he was promoted to captain of the 1st rank.
To protect the capital from a possible attack by the German fleet, the Mine Division, on the personal order of Admiral Essen, set up minefields in the waters of the Gulf of Finland on the night of July 18, 1914, without waiting for permission from the Minister of the Navy and Nicholas II.
In the fall of 1914, with the personal participation of Kolchak, an operation to blockade German naval bases with mines was developed. In 1914-1915 destroyers and cruisers, including those under the command of Kolchak, laid mines at Kiel, Danzig (Gdansk), Pillau (modern Baltiysk), Vindava and even at the island of Bornholm. As a result, 4 German cruisers were blown up in these minefields (2 of them sank - Friedrich Karl and Bremen), 8 destroyers and 11 transports.
In addition to successfully laying mines, he organized attacks on caravans of German merchant ships. From September 1915 he commanded a mine division, then naval forces in the Gulf of Riga.
In April 1916 he was promoted to rear admiral.
In July 1916, by order of the Russian Emperor Nicholas II, Alexander Vasilyevich was promoted to vice admiral and appointed commander of the Black Sea Fleet.
After the February Revolution of 1917, in the spring of 1917, Headquarters began preparing an amphibious operation to capture Constantinople, but due to the disintegration of the army and navy, this idea had to be abandoned (largely due to active Bolshevik agitation). He received gratitude from the Minister of War Guchkov for his quick and reasonable actions, with which he contributed to maintaining order in the Black Sea Fleet.
In June 1917, the Sevastopol Council decided to disarm officers suspected of counter-revolution, including taking away Kolchak’s St. George’s weapon - the golden saber awarded to him for Port Arthur. The admiral chose to throw the blade overboard with the words: “The newspapers don’t want us to have weapons, so let him go to sea.” On the same day, Alexander Vasilyevich handed over the affairs to Rear Admiral V.K. Lukin. Three weeks later, the divers lifted the saber from the bottom and handed it to Kolchak, engraving on the blade the inscription: “To the Knight of Honor Admiral Kolchak from the Union of Army and Navy Officers.” At this time, Kolchak, along with the General Staff infantry general L.G. Kornilov, was considered as a potential candidate for military dictator.
It was for this reason that in August A.F. Kerensky summoned the admiral to Petrograd, where he forced him to resign, after which he, at the invitation of the command of the American fleet, went to the United States and at the request of the Provisional Government to advise American specialists on the experience of Russian sailors using mine weapons on the Baltic and Black Seas in the First world war.
In San Francisco, Kolchak was offered to stay in the USA, promising him a chair in mine engineering at the best naval college and rich life in a cottage on the ocean. Kolchak refused and went back to Russia.
Arriving in Japan, Kolchak learned about the October Revolution, the liquidation of the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief and the negotiations begun by the Bolsheviks with the Germans
On October 13, 1918, he arrived in Omsk, where at that time a political crisis erupted. On November 4, 1918, Kolchak, as a popular figure among officers, was invited to the post of Minister of War and Navy in the Council of Ministers of the so-called “Directory” - the united anti-Bolshevik government located in Omsk, where the majority were Socialist Revolutionaries. On the night of November 18, 1918, a coup took place in Omsk - Cossack officers arrested four Socialist Revolutionary leaders of the Directory, led by its chairman N.D. Avksentiev. In the current situation, the Council of Ministers - the executive body of the Directory - announced the assumption of full supreme power and then decided to hand it over to one person, giving him the title of Supreme Ruler of the Russian State. Kolchak was elected to this post by secret ballot of members of the Council of Ministers. The admiral announced his consent to the election and with his first order to the army announced that he would assume the title of Supreme Commander-in-Chief.
In January 1919, His Holiness Patriarch Tikhon blessed the Supreme Ruler of Russia, Admiral A.V. Kolchak to fight against the God-fighting Bolsheviks. Earlier, Patriarch Tikhon refused to bless the command of the “democratic” Volunteer Army of the South of Russia, organized by generals Alekseev and Kornilov, the perpetrators of the abdication and subsequent arrest of Sovereign Nicholas II. Admiral Kolchak was not involved in these tragic events. That is why at the beginning of January 1919 (crossing the front line) a priest sent by Patriarch Tikhon came to see Admiral Kolchak. The priest brought the admiral a personal letter from the Patriarch with a blessing and a photograph of the image of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker from the St. Nicholas Gate of the Moscow Kremlin, which was sewn into the lining of a peasant scroll.
MESSAGE OF PATRIARCH TIKHON TO ADMIRAL KOLCHAK
“As is well known to all Russians and, of course, Your Excellency, before this Icon, revered throughout Russia, every year on December 6, on the day of winter St. Nicholas, a prayer was offered, which ended with the nationwide singing of “Lord, save Thy people” by all those praying on their knees. And so on December 6, 1918, the people of Moscow, faithful to Faith and tradition, at the end of the prayer service, knelt down and sang: “God save us!” The arriving troops dispersed the worshipers, firing at the Icon with rifles and cannons. The saint on this icon of the Kremlin wall was depicted with a cross in his left hand and a sword in his right. The bullets of the fanatics fell all around the Saint, not touching the Pleasant of God anywhere. The shells, or rather fragments from explosions, knocked off the plaster on the left side of the Wonderworker, which destroyed almost the entire left side of the Saint with the hand in which the cross was on the Icon.
On the same day, by order of the authorities of the Antichrist, this Holy Icon was hung with a large red flag with a satanic emblem. An inscription was made on the Kremlin wall: “Death to faith is the opium of the people.” The next day, December 7, 1918, many people gathered for a prayer service, which, undisturbed by anyone, came to an end! But when the people, kneeling down, began to sing “God Save!” - the flag fell from the Image of the Wonderworker. The atmosphere of prayerful ecstasy is beyond description! It had to be seen, and whoever saw it remembers and feels it today. Singing, sobbing, screams and raised hands, rifle fire, many wounded, some were killed, and the place was cleared.
The next early morning, by my Blessing, the Image was photographed by a very good photographer. The Lord showed the Perfect Miracle through His Saint to the Russian people in Moscow. I am sending a photographic copy of this Miraculous Image as Mine to you, Your Excellency, Alexander Vasilyevich - Blessing - to fight the atheistic temporary power over the suffering people of Rus'. I ask you to consider, venerable Alexander Vasilyevich, that the Bolsheviks managed to recapture the left hand of the Pleasant with the cross, which is, as it were, an indicator of the temporary trampling of the Orthodox Faith. But the punishing sword in the right hand of the Wonderworker remained to help and Blessing Your Excellency, and your Christian struggle for salvation Orthodox Church and Russia."
Admiral Kolchak, having read the Patriarch’s letter, said: “I know that there is a sword of the state, a surgeon’s lancet. I feel that it is the strongest: a spiritual sword, which will be an invincible force in the crusade - against the monster of violence!
On the initiative of the Siberian bishops, a Temporary Higher Church Administration was created in Ufa, headed by Archbishop Sylvester of Omsk. In April 1919, the Omsk Council of the Clergy of Siberia unanimously approved Admiral Kolchak as the temporary head of the Orthodox Church in the Siberian territories liberated from the Bolsheviks - until the liberation of Moscow, when His Holiness Patriarch Tikhon will be able (not constrained by the atheists) to fully take up his duties. At the same time, the Omsk Council decided to mention Kolchak’s name during official church services.
Admiral Kolchak actually announced crusade against the atheists. He gathered more than 3.5 thousand Orthodox clergy, including 1.5 thousand military clergy. On Kolchak’s initiative, separate combat units were even formed, consisting only of clergy and believers (including Old Believers), which was not the case with Kornilov, Denikin and Yudenich. These are the Orthodox squad of the “Holy Cross”, “333rd regiment named after Mary Magdalene”, “Holy Brigade”, three regiments of “Jesus Christ”, “Virgin Mary” and “Nicholas the Wonderworker”. On Kolchak’s personal instructions, investigator for especially important cases Sokolov organized an investigation into the villainous murder Royal family In Ekaterinburg.
In March 1919, Kolchak’s troops launched an attack on Samara and Kazan, in April they occupied the entire Urals and approached the Volga. However, due to Kolchak’s incompetence in organizing and managing the ground army (as well as his assistants), the militarily favorable situation soon gave way to a catastrophic one. The dispersion and stretching of forces, the lack of logistics support and the general lack of coordination of actions led to the fact that the Red Army was able to first stop Kolchak’s troops and then launch a counteroffensive.
In May, the retreat of Kolchak’s troops began, and by August they were forced to leave Ufa, Yekaterinburg and Chelyabinsk.
In June 1919, the Supreme Ruler of Russia rejected K. G. Mannerheim’s proposal to move a 100,000-strong army to Petrograd in exchange for recognizing the independence of Finland, declaring that he would never give up “the idea of a great indivisible Russia” for any minimal benefits.
On January 4, 1920, in Nizhneudinsk, Admiral A.V. Kolchak signed his last Decree, in which he announced his intention to transfer the powers of the “Supreme All-Russian Power” to A.I. Denikin. Until the receipt of instructions from A.I. Denikin, “the entirety of military and civil power throughout the entire territory of the Russian Eastern Outskirts” was granted to Lieutenant General G.M. Semyonov.
On January 5, 1920, a coup took place in Irkutsk, the city was captured by the Socialist-Revolutionary-Menshevik Political Center. On January 15, A.V. Kolchak, who left Nizhneudinsk on a Czechoslovak train, in a carriage flying the flags of Great Britain, France, the USA, Japan and Czechoslovakia, arrived on the outskirts of Irkutsk. The Czechoslovak command, at the request of the Socialist Revolutionary Political Center, with the sanction of the French General Janin, handed over Kolchak to his representatives. On January 21, the Political Center transferred power in Irkutsk to the Bolshevik Revolutionary Committee. From January 21 to February 6, 1920, Kolchak was interrogated by the Extraordinary Commission of Inquiry.
On the night of February 6-7, 1920, Admiral A.V. Kolchak and the Chairman of the Council of Ministers Russian government V.N. Pepelyaev were shot on the banks of the Ushakovka River without trial, by order of the Irkutsk Military Revolutionary Committee. The resolution of the Irkutsk Military Revolutionary Committee on the execution of the Supreme Ruler Admiral Kolchak and Chairman of the Council of Ministers Pepelyaev was signed by A. Shiryamov, the chairman of the committee and its members A. Snoskarev, M. Levenson and the committee manager Oborin. The text of the resolution on the execution of A.V. Kolchak and V.N. Pepelyaev was first published in an article by the former chairman of the Irkutsk Military Revolutionary Committee A. Shiryamov
At the end Civil War in the Far East and in subsequent years in exile, February 7, the day of the admiral’s execution, was celebrated with memorial services in memory of the “killed warrior Alexander” and served as a day of remembrance for all fallen participants in the White movement in the east of the country, primarily those who died during the retreat of Kolchak’s army in the winter of 1919-1920 gg. (the so-called “Siberian Ice March”). Kolchak’s name is carved on the monument to the heroes of the White movement (“Gallipoli Obelisk”) at the Parisian cemetery of Saint-Genevieve-des-Bois.
In the post-Soviet “democratic” Russian Federation, Irkutsk and other patriotic organizations repeatedly tried to achieve the rehabilitation of A.V. Kolchak. In 1999, this issue was considered by the military court of the Trans-Baikal Military District in accordance with the Law of the Russian Federation “On the rehabilitation of victims of political repression.” By a court ruling, Kolchak was declared not subject to rehabilitation. This definition appealed to the Military Collegium of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, which came to the conclusion that there were no grounds for canceling the court decision made in the case. The last time the prosecutor's office of the Omsk region refused rehabilitation was in January 2007.
Alexander Vasilievich
Battles and victories
Military and political figure, leader of the White movement in Russia - Supreme Ruler of Russia, admiral (1918), Russian oceanographer, one of the largest polar explorers of the late 19th - early 20th centuries, full member of the Imperial Russian Geographical Society (1906) .
Hero of the Russian-Japanese and First World Wars, leader of the White movement, one of the most striking, controversial and tragic figures in Russian history of the early 20th century.
We know Kolchak as the Supreme Ruler of Russia during the Civil War, a man who unsuccessfully tried to become the very dictator who would lead the White armies to victory with an iron fist. Depending on their political views, some love and praise him, while others consider him a fierce enemy. But if not for the fratricidal civil war, who would Kolchak remain in our memory? Then we would see in him the hero of several wars with an “external” enemy, a famous polar explorer and, perhaps, even a military philosopher and theorist.
A.V. Kolchak. Omsk, 1919
Alexander Vasilyevich was born into a family of hereditary military men. He began his studies at the 6th St. Petersburg Gymnasium (where, by the way, among his classmates was the future head of the OGPU V. Menzhinsky), but soon after at will entered the Naval School (Naval Cadet Corps). Here he showed very extensive academic abilities, excelling primarily in mathematics and geography. He was released with the rank of midshipman in 1894, but in terms of academic performance he was second in the class, and only because he himself refused the championship in favor of his friend Filippov, considering him more capable. Ironically, during the exams, Kolchak received the only “B” in mine work, in which he distinguished himself during the Russo-Japanese and First World Wars.
After graduation, Alexander Vasilyevich served on various ships in the Pacific and Baltic fleets, and was promoted to the rank of lieutenant. However, the young and energetic officer strived for more. The end of the 19th century was marked by increased interest in geographical discoveries, which were supposed to reveal to the civilized world the last unexplored corners of our planet. And here the public’s special attention was focused on polar research. It is not surprising that the passionate and talented A.V. Kolchak also wanted to explore the Arctic expanses. For various reasons, the first two attempts turned out to be failures, but the third time he was lucky: he was included in the polar expedition of Baron E. Tol, who became interested in the young lieutenant after reading his articles in the “Sea Collection”. A special petition from the President of the Imperial Academy of Sciences, Vl. book Konstantin Konstantinovich. During the expedition (1900-1902), Kolchak supervised hydraulic work, collecting a number of valuable information about the coastal regions of the Arctic Ocean. In 1902, Baron Tol, together with a small group, decided to separate from the main expedition and independently find the legendary Sannikov Land, as well as explore Bennett Island. During this risky campaign, Tolya's group disappeared. In 1903, Kolchak led a rescue expedition, which managed to establish the actual death of his comrades (the corpses themselves were not found), and also to explore the islands of the Novosibirsk group. As a result, Kolchak was awarded the highest award of the Russian Geographical Society - the gold Konstantinovsky medal.
The completion of the expedition coincided with the beginning of the Russo-Japanese War. Kolchak, being, first of all, a naval officer, imbued with duty to the Fatherland, submitted a petition to be sent to the front. However, upon arrival at the theater of operations in Port Arthur, he was disappointed: Admiral S.O. Makarov refused to give him command of a destroyer. It is not known for certain what motivated this decision: either he wanted the lieutenant to rest after the polar expeditions, or he thought it was premature to appoint him to a combat position (especially in military conditions!) after a four-year absence from the fleet, or he wanted to reduce his temperament zealous lieutenant. As a result, Kolchak became the watch commander on the cruiser Askold, and only after the tragic death of the admiral was he able to transfer to the minelayer Amur, and four days later received the destroyer Angry. So Kolchak became one of the participants in the legendary defense of the Port Arthur fortress, which became a glorious page in the history of Russia.
The main task was to clear the outer raid. At the beginning of May, Kolchak took part in laying minefields in the immediate vicinity of the Japanese fleet: as a result, two Japanese battleships were blown up. At the end of November, a Japanese cruiser was blown up by the mines he had laid, which became a resounding success for the Russian fleet in the Pacific Ocean during the war. In general, the young lieutenant established himself as a brave and proactive commander, comparing favorably with many of his colleagues. True, even then his excessive impulsiveness was evident: during short-term outbursts of anger, he did not shy away from assault.
In mid-October, due to health reasons, Kolchak was transferred to the ground front and took command of a 75-mm artillery battery. Right up until the surrender of the fortress, he was directly on the front line, conducting an artillery duel with the enemy. For his services and bravery, Kolchak was awarded the St. George's Arms at the end of the campaign.
After returning from a short captivity, Alexander Vasilyevich plunged headlong into military and scientific activities. Thus, he became a member of an informal circle of young naval officers who sought to correct the shortcomings of the Russian fleet identified during the Russo-Japanese War and contribute to its renewal. In 1906, on the basis of this circle, the Naval General Staff was formed, in which Kolchak took the position of chief of the operational unit. At this time, on duty, he often acted as a military expert in the State Duma, convincing deputies (who remained largely deaf to the needs of the fleet) of the need to allocate the required funding.
As Admiral Pilkin recalled:He spoke very well, always with great knowledge of the matter, always thinking what he said, and always feeling what he thought... He did not write his speeches, the image and thoughts were born in the very process of his speech, and therefore he never repeated himself.
Unfortunately, at the beginning of 1908, due to a serious conflict between the naval department and State Duma It was not possible to obtain the required allocations.
At the same time, Alexander Vasiliev was engaged in science. At first, he processed materials from polar expeditions, then compiled special hydrographic maps, and in 1909, the fundamental work “Ice of the Kara and Siberian Seas” was published, which laid the foundations for the study sea ice. It is curious that it was republished in 1928 by the American Geographical Society in a collection that included the works of 30 of the world's most prominent polar explorers.
In May 1908, Kolchak left the Naval General Staff in order to become a member of the next polar expedition, but at the end of 1909 (when the ships were already in Vladivostok) he was recalled back to the capital to the naval department to his previous position.
Here Alexander Vasilyevich was involved in the development of shipbuilding programs, wrote a number of general theoretical works, in which, in particular, he spoke in favor of the development of all types of ships, but proposed to primarily pay attention to the linear fleet. He also wrote about the need to strengthen the Baltic Fleet due to the fear of a serious conflict with Germany. And in 1912, the book “Service of the General Staff” was published for internal use, which analyzed the relevant experience of other countries.
It was then that A.V.’s views finally took shape. Kolchak on the philosophy of war. They were formed under the influence of the ideas of the German Field Marshal Moltke the Elder, as well as Japanese, Chinese and Buddhist philosophies. Judging by the available evidence, for him the whole world was presented through the prism of the metaphor of war, by which he understood, first of all, a natural (“natural”) phenomenon for human society, a sad necessity that must be accepted with honor and dignity: “War is one of the unchangeable manifestations of social life in in a broad sense this concept. Subject as such to the laws and norms that govern the consciousness, life and development of society, war is one of the most frequent forms of human activity, in which the agents of destruction and destruction intertwine and merge with the agents of creativity and development, with progress, culture and civilization.” .
War gives me the strength to treat everything “good and calmly”, I believe that it is above everything that is happening, it is above the individual and my own interests, it contains duty and obligation to the Motherland, it contains all hopes for the future, and finally, it contains the only moral satisfaction.
Note that such ideas about the world historical process (as an eternal war between peoples, ideas, values), which is governed by objective laws, were widespread in the intellectual circles of both Russia and Europe, and therefore Kolchak’s views as a whole differed little from them , although they had certain specifics associated with their military service and selfless patriotism.
In 1912, he was transferred as commander to the destroyer Ussuriets, and in May 1913 he was appointed to command the destroyer Pogranichnik. In December, he was promoted to captain of the 1st rank, as well as transferred to the headquarters of the Baltic Fleet to the position of head of the operational department. The commander then was the outstanding Russian admiral N.O. Essen, who favored him. Already in the summer of 1914, shortly before the start of the war, Kolchak became flag captain for the operational part. It was in this position that he met the First World War.
It was Kolchak who became the ideological inspirer and the most active participant in the development of almost all plans and operations of the Baltic Fleet at this time. As Admiral Timirev recalled: “A.V. Kolchak, who had an amazing ability to draw up the most unexpected and always witty, and sometimes ingenious plans of operations, did not recognize any superior except Essen, to whom he always reported directly.” Senior Lieutenant G.K. Graf, who served on the cruiser Novik when Kolchak commanded the Mine Division, left the following description of his commander: “Short, thin, slender, with flexible and precise movements. A face with a sharp, clear, finely carved profile; proud, hooked nose; the firm oval of a shaved chin; thin lips; eyes flashing and then extinguishing under heavy eyelids. His whole appearance is the personification of strength, intelligence, nobility and determination. Nothing fake, contrived, insincere; everything is natural and simple. There is something about him that attracts eyes and hearts; “At first sight he attracts you and inspires charm and faith.”
Considering the superiority of the German fleet over our Baltic, it is not surprising that both Kolchak and Essen focused on waging a mine war. If in the first months the Baltic Fleet was in passive defense, then in the fall ideas were increasingly expressed about the need to move to more decisive actions, in particular, to laying minefields directly off the German coast. Alexander Vasilyevich became one of those officers who actively defended these views, and later it was he who developed the corresponding operations. In October, the first mines appeared near the Memel naval base, and in November - near the island. Bornholm. And at the end of 1914, on the eve of the New Year (old style), a daring operation was undertaken to lay mines in the Danzig Bay. Although A.V. Kolchak was its initiator and ideological inspirer, direct command was entrusted to Rear Admiral V.A. Kanin. Let us note that Alexander Vasilyevich played a key role in these events: not reaching 50 miles from his destination, Kanin received an alarming report that the enemy was in close proximity, and therefore decided to stop the operation. According to eyewitness accounts, it was Kolchak who insisted on the need to bring the matter to an end. In February, Alexander Vasilyevich commanded a special-purpose semi-division (4 destroyers), which laid mines in the Bay of Danzig, which blew up 4 cruisers, 8 destroyers and 23 transports.
Let us also note the skill with which the minefields were placed directly off our coasts: they made it possible to reliably protect the capital, as well as the coast of the Gulf of Finland, from enemy attack. Moreover, in August 1915, it was the minefields that prevented to the German fleet break into the Bay of Riga, which was one of the reasons for the failure of German plans to capture Riga.
By mid-1915, Alexander Vasilyevich began to be burdened by staff work, he strove directly into battle, and in particular, expressed a desire to become the commander of the Mine Division, which happened in September 1915 due to the illness of its commander, Admiral Trukhachev.
At that time, the Russian ground forces of the Northern Front were actively fighting in the Baltic states, and therefore Kolchak’s main goal was to assist the right flank of our front in the Gulf of Riga region. So, September 12 battleship"Slava" was sent to Cape Ragotsem with the aim of shelling the enemy position. During the ensuing artillery battle, the commander of the ship was killed, to which A.V. immediately arrived. Kolchak took command. As Slava officer K.I. Mazurenko recalled: “Under his leadership, Slava, again approaching close to the shore, but without anchoring, opens fire on the firing batteries, which are now quite clearly visible from Mars, and quickly takes aim at them , pelts with a hail of shells and destroys. We took revenge on the enemy for the death of our valiant commander and other soldiers. During this operation we were attacked by airplanes to no avail."
Subsequently, the Mine Division took a number of other measures to provide assistance to ground units from the sea. So, on September 23, enemy positions near Cape Shmarden were fired upon, and on October 9, A.V. Kolchak undertook a bold operation to land troops (two naval companies, a cavalry squadron and a subversive party) on the coast of the Gulf of Riga in order to assist the armies of the Northern Front. The landing force was landed near the village of Domesnes, and the enemy did not even notice the Russian activity. This area was patrolled by small Landsturm detachments, which were quickly swept away, losing 1 officer and 42 soldiers killed, 7 people were captured. The landing party's losses amounted to only four seriously wounded sailors. As Senior Lieutenant G.K. Graf later recalled: “Now, no matter what you say, there is a brilliant victory. Its meaning, however, is only moral, but still it is a victory and a nuisance to the enemy.”
The active support of ground units had an impact on the position of Radko-Dmitriev’s 12th Army near Riga; moreover, thanks to Kolchak, the defense of the Gulf of Riga was strengthened. For all these exploits he was awarded the Order of St. George, 4th class. Officer N. G. Fomin, who served under Kolchak’s command, recalled this as follows: “In the evening, the fleet remained at anchor when I received a telephone message from the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command with approximately the following content: “Transmitted by order of the Sovereign Emperor: Captain 1st Rank Kolchak. I was pleased to learn from the reports of Army Commander XII about the brilliant support provided to the army by ships under your command, which led to the victory of our troops and the capture of important enemy positions. I have long been aware of your valiant service and many exploits... I award you St. George of the 4th degree. Nikolai. Present those worthy of a reward."
Of course, there were some failures. For example, at the end of December, an operation to lay mines near Memel and Libau failed because one of the destroyers itself was blown up by a mine. However, in general, we must highly appreciate Kolchak’s activities as commander of the Mine Division.
In the winter of 1916, when the Baltic Fleet was frozen in ports, many ships were actively rearmed. Thus, by the opening of navigation, due to the installation of new, more powerful artillery guns, the cruisers of the Mine Division turned out to be twice as strong.
With the opening of navigation, the active activity of the Baltic Fleet resumed. In particular, at the end of May the Mine Division carried out a “lightning raid” on German merchant ships off the coast of Sweden. The operation was led by Trukhachev, and Kolchak commanded three destroyers. As a result, the enemy ships were scattered and one of the escorting ships was sunk. Subsequently, historians complained to Kolchak that he did not take advantage of surprise by firing a warning shot and thereby allowing the enemy to escape. However, as Alexander Vasilyevich himself later admitted: “I, having in mind the possibility of meeting with Swedish ships... decided to sacrifice the benefit of a surprise attack and provoke some action on the part of the moving ships that would give me the right to consider these ships enemy.”
In June 1916 A.V. Kolchak was promoted to vice admiral and appointed commander of the Black Sea Fleet. As G.K. Graf recalled: “Of course, it was very difficult to part with him, since the entire division loved him very much, admiring his colossal energy, intelligence and courage.” At a meeting with Supreme Commander-in-Chief Nicholas II and his chief of staff, General M.V. Alekseev received instructions: in the spring of 1917, an amphibious operation was to be carried out to capture the Bosphorus Strait and the Turkish capital of Istanbul.
A.V. Kolchak in the Black Sea Fleet
Kolchak’s assumption of command of the Black Sea Fleet coincided with the receipt of news that the most powerful German cruiser Breslau had entered the Black Sea. Kolchak personally led the operation to capture him, but, unfortunately, it ended unsuccessfully. You can, of course, talk about the mistakes of Alexander Vasilyevich himself, you can also point out that he has not yet had time to get used to the ships handed to him, but it is important to emphasize one thing: personal readiness to go into battle and the desire for the most active actions.
Kolchak saw the main task as the need to stop enemy activity in the Black Sea. To do this, already at the end of July 1916, he undertook an operation to mine the Bosphorus Strait, thereby depriving the enemy of the opportunity to actively operate in the Black Sea. Moreover, a special detachment was constantly on duty to maintain minefields in the immediate vicinity. At the same time, the Black Sea Fleet was engaged in convoying our transport ships: during the entire period the enemy managed to sink only one ship.
The end of 1916 was spent planning a daring operation to capture Istanbul and the straits. Unfortunately, the February Revolution and the bacchanalia that began after it thwarted these plans.
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Kolchak remained faithful to the emperor to the last and did not immediately recognize the Provisional Government. However, in the new conditions, he had to organize his work differently, in particular, in maintaining discipline in the fleet. Constant speeches to the sailors and flirting with committees made it possible for a relatively long time to maintain the remnants of order and prevent the tragic events that occurred at that time in the Baltic Fleet. However, given the general collapse of the country, the situation could not help but worsen. On June 5, the revolutionary sailors decided that officers were required to hand over firearms and bladed weapons.
Kolchak took his St. George saber, received for Port Arthur, and threw it overboard, saying to the sailors:The Japanese, our enemies, even left me weapons. You won't get it either!
Soon he surrendered his command (under the current conditions, nominally) and left for Petrograd.
Of course, the strong-willed officer, statesman Alexander Vasilyevich Kolchak could not please the increasingly left-leaning politicians in the capital, and therefore he was sent into virtual political exile: he became a naval consultant to the American Navy.
Symbols of the Supreme Ruler of Russia
Kolchak spent more than a year abroad. During this time there was October Revolution, a Volunteer Army was created in the South of Russia, and a number of governments were formed in the East, which created the Directory in September 1918. At this time A.V. Kolchak returned to Russia. It must be understood that the positions of the Directory were very weak: the officers and broad business circles, who advocated a “strong hand,” were dissatisfied with its softness, politicking and inconsistency. As a result of the November coup, Kolchak became the Supreme Ruler of Russia.
In this position, he tried to restore law and order in the territories under his control. Kolchak carried out a number of administrative, military, financial and social reforms. Thus, measures were taken to restore industry, supply peasants with agricultural machinery, and develop the Northern Sea Route. Moreover, from the end of 1918, Alexander Vasilyevich began to prepare the Eastern Front for the decisive spring offensive of 1919. However, by this time the Bolsheviks were able to bring up large forces. Due to a number of serious reasons, by the end of April the White offensive had fizzled out, and then they came under a powerful counterattack. A retreat began that could not be stopped.
As the situation at the front worsened, discipline among the troops began to decline, and society and higher spheres became demoralized. By the fall it became clear that the white struggle in the east was lost. Without removing responsibility from the Supreme Ruler, we nevertheless note that in the current situation there was practically no one next to him who was able to help solve systemic problems.
In January 1920, in Irkutsk, Kolchak was handed over by the Czechoslovaks (who were no longer going to participate in the Civil War in Russia and were trying to leave the country as quickly as possible) to the local revolutionary council. Before this, Alexander Vasilyevich refused to run away and save his life, saying: "I will share the fate of the army". On the night of February 7, he was shot by order of the Bolshevik Military Revolutionary Committee.
General A. Knox (British representative under Kolchak):I admit that I sympathize with Kolchak with all my heart, more courageous and sincerely patriotic than anyone else in Siberia. His difficult mission is almost impossible due to the selfishness of the Japanese, the vanity of the French and the indifference of the rest of the allies.
Pakhalyuk K., head of the Internet project “Heroes of the First World War”, member of the Russian Association of Historians of the First World War
Literature
Kruchinin A.S. Admiral Kolchak. Life, feat, memory. M., 2011
Cherkashin N.A. Admiral Kolchak. A reluctant dictator. M.: Veche, 2005
Count G.K. On Novik. Baltic fleet in war and revolution. St. Petersburg, 1997
Mazurenko K.I. On the “Slava” in the Gulf of Riga // Marine Notes. New York, 1946. Vol.4. No. 2., 3/4
Internet
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Alexander Kolchak is a Russian military and political figure, oceanographer, polar explorer, naval commander, who went down in history as the leader of the White movement during the Civil War in Russia. Supreme Ruler of Russia and Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Army.
Life of Admiral Kolchak full of glorious and dramatic moments, just like Russia itself at the beginning of the 20th century. We will look at all this in this article.
Biography of Kolchak
Alexander Vasilyevich Kolchak was born on November 4, 1874 in the village of Aleksandrovskoye (). He grew up in a noble noble family. Many of Kolchak’s ancestors performed good service and achieved success in the military field.
He began to harbor ideas about how he could contribute to the revival of the Russian fleet.
In 1906, Alexander Kolchak led a commission that investigated the causes of the defeat at Tsushima. In parallel with this, he repeatedly made reports on this topic in the State Duma, and also asked officials to allocate funds from the treasury for the creation of the Russian fleet.
During the biography period 1906-1908. the admiral led the construction of 4 battleships and 2 icebreakers.
At the same time, he continues to engage in scientific activities. In 1909, his scientific work devoted to the ice cover of the Siberian and Kara seas was published.
When Russian oceanographers studied his work, they praised it very highly. Thanks to research conducted by Kolchak, scientists were able to reach a new level of studying the ice cover.
World War I
Henry of Prussia, who led the German fleet, developed an operation according to which St. Petersburg was to be defeated within a few days.
He planned to destroy strategically important objects and land soldiers in the occupied territories. Then, according to his calculations, the German infantrymen were supposed to capture.
In his thinking, he was like a man who was able to carry out many lightning-fast and successful attacks in his career. However, these plans were not destined to come true.
Admiral Kolchak understood perfectly well that the Russian fleet was inferior in strength and power to German ships. In this regard, he developed mine warfare tactics.
He managed to place about 6,000 mines in the Gulf of Finland, which became reliable protection for St. Petersburg.
Henry of Prussia never expected such a development of events. Instead of easily entering the territory of the Russian Empire, he began to lose his ships every day.
For skillful conduct of the war in 1915, Alexander Kolchak was appointed commander of the Mine Division.
Kolchak on the Chinese-East railway in the form of the CER, 1917 At the end of the same year, Kolchak decided to transfer Russian troops to the shore of the Gulf of Riga to help the army of the Northern Front. He managed to incredibly quickly and accurately plan an operation that confused all the cards for the German leadership.
Less than a year later, Kolchak was promoted to vice admiral and appointed commander of the Black Sea Fleet.
Admiral Kolchak
During the February Revolution of 1917, Kolchak remained loyal to the emperor, refusing to defect to the Bolsheviks.
There is a known case when, having heard an offer from revolutionary sailors to give up his golden saber, the admiral threw it overboard. He said his famous phrase to the mutinous sailors: “I didn’t receive it from you, and I won’t give it to you.”.
Admiral Kolchak Arriving in St. Petersburg, Kolchak accused the Provisional Government of the collapse of the army and navy. As a result, he was sent into political exile in America.
By that time, the famous October Revolution had occurred, after which power was in the hands of the Bolsheviks, led by.
In December 1917, Admiral Kolchak wrote a letter to the British government with a request to accept him into service. As a result, she willingly agreed to accept his offer, since Kolchak’s name was known throughout Europe.
Even though by this time Russian Empire led by the Bolsheviks, many volunteer armies remained on its territory, refusing to betray the emperor.
Having united in September 1918, they formed the Directory, which claimed to be the “Provisional All-Russian Government”. Kolchak was offered to lead it, to which he agreed.
Admiral Kolchak, his officers and representatives of the Allies, 1919 However, he warned that if working conditions conflict with his views, he will leave this post. As a result, Admiral Kolchak became Supreme Ruler.
Kolchak government
First of all, Alexander Kolchak banned all extremist parties. After this, an economic reform was developed, according to which industrial plants were to be created in Siberia.
In 1919, Kolchak’s army occupied the entire territory of the Urals, but soon began to succumb to the onslaught of the Reds. Military failures were preceded by many different miscalculations:
- Admiral Kolchak's incompetence regarding public administration;
- Negligent attitude towards the settlement of the agrarian issue;
- Partisan and Socialist Revolutionary resistance;
- Political disagreements with allies.
A few months later, Alexander Kolchak was forced to leave and transfer his powers to Anton Denikin. Soon he was betrayed by the allied Czech Corps and handed over to the Bolsheviks.
Personal life
The wife of Admiral Kolchak was Sofya Omirova. When their romance began, he had to go on another expedition.
The girl faithfully waited for her groom for several years, after which they got married in March 1904.
In this marriage they had two girls and one boy. Both daughters died in early age, and his son Rostislav lived until 1965. During the Second World War (1939-1945) he took part in battles against the Germans on the side of the French.
In 1919, Sophia, with the support of British allies, emigrated to, where she lived until the end of her life. She died in 1956 and was buried in the cemetery of Russian Parisians.
IN last years Admiral Kolchak lived with Anna Timireva, who turned out to be his last love. He met her in 1915 in Helsingfors, where she arrived with her husband.
Having divorced her husband after 3 years, the girl followed Kolchak. As a result, she was arrested and spent the next thirty years in exile and prison. She was later rehabilitated.
Sofya Omirova (Kolchak’s wife) and Anna Timireva Anna Timireva passed away in 1975 in Moscow. Five years before her death, in 1970, she wrote lines dedicated to the main love of her life, Alexander Kolchak:
I can’t accept it for half a century -
Nothing can help:
And you keep leaving again
On that fateful night.And I am condemned to go,
Until the deadline passes,
And the paths are confused
Well-trodden roads...But if I'm still alive
Against fate
It's just like your love
And the memory of you.
Death of Admiral Kolchak
After his arrest, Kolchak was subjected to constant interrogation. For this purpose, a special investigative commission was created. Some biographers believe that Lenin sought to get rid of the famous admiral as quickly as possible, because he feared that large forces of the white movement might be sent to his aid.
As a result, 45-year-old Alexander Vasilyevich Kolchak was sentenced to death, which was carried out on February 7, 1920.
The last photograph of Kolchak (taken after January 20, 1920) Naturally, in Soviet period In the history of Russia, Kolchak’s personality was presented in a negative light, since he fought on the side of the whites.
However, after that the assessment and significance of Alexander Kolchak’s personality were revised. Monuments and memorial plaques began to be erected in his honor, as well as biographical films were made in which he was presented as a real hero and patriot of Russia.
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Alexander Vasilyevich Kolchak was born on November 4 (16), 1874, in St. Petersburg. At first he was educated at home, then he was sent to a gymnasium. By religion, Alexander was Orthodox, which he repeatedly emphasized.
On the exam, when he was transferred to the third grade, he received a “3” in mathematics, “2” in Russian and “2” in French, for which he almost ended up being a repeat student. But soon he corrected the “twos” to “threes” and was transferred.
In 1888, young Kolchak became a student at the Naval School. There the situation changed beyond recognition. The former poor student literally “fell in love” with his future profession and began to treat his studies very responsibly.
Participation in a polar expedition
In 1900, Kolchak joined the polar expedition led by E. Toll. The purpose of the expedition was to explore the region of the Arctic Ocean and try to find the semi-mythical Sannikov Land.
According to the expedition leader, Kolchak was an energetic, active and devoted person to science. He called him the best officer of the expedition.
For his participation in the study, Lieutenant A.V. Kolchak was awarded Vladimir of the fourth degree.
Participation in the war
At the end of January 1904, Kolchak submitted a request for transfer to the Naval Department. When it was satisfied, he filed a petition in Port Arthur.
In November 1904, he was awarded the Order of St. Anne for his service. In December 1905 - St. George's weapon. Returning from Japanese captivity, he received the Order of Stanislav, second degree. In 1906, Kolchak was solemnly awarded a silver medal in memory of the war.
In 1914, as a participant in the defense of Port Arthur, he was awarded a badge.
Further activities
In 1912, Kolchak received the rank of flank captain. During the First World War, he worked actively on a plan for a mine blockade of German bases.
In 1916 he received the rank of vice admiral. The Black Sea Fleet was subordinate to him.
A convinced monarchist, after the February Revolution he nevertheless swore allegiance to the Provisional Government.
In 1918 he joined the “Directory,” a secret anti-Bolshevik organization. By this time, Kolchak was already Minister of War. When the leaders of the movement were arrested, he received the post of Commander-in-Chief.
At first, fate favored General Kolchak. His troops took the Urals, but soon the Red Army began to press him. In the end, he was defeated.
He was soon betrayed by the allies and handed over to the Bolsheviks. On February 7, 1920, A. Kolchak was shot.
Personal life
Kolchak was married to S.F. Omirova. A hereditary noblewoman, a graduate of the Smolny Institute, Sophia was a strong personality. Their relationship with Alexander Vasilyevich was not easy.
Sofya Fedorovna gave Kolchak three children. Two girls died in early childhood, and son Rostislav went through World War II and died in Paris in 1965.
The admiral's personal life was not rich. His “late lover,” A. Timireva, was convicted several times after his execution.
Other biography options
- One of the islands in the Taimyr Bay, as well as a cape in the same region, is named after Kolchak.
- Alexander Vasilyevich himself gave the name to another cape. He called it Cape Sophia. This name has survived to this day.
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