Famous Russian military leader, military ataman of the Don Cossack army (since 1801), cavalry general (1809), count (1812). He took part in all the wars of the Russian Empire at the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th centuries. In 1805 he founded Novocherkassk, where he moved the capital of the Don Cossack Army. Matvey Ivanovich Platov by birth belonged to the Old Believers-Priests, although due to his position he did not openly declare this. In “Historical Sketches of Priesthood” P. I. Melnikov directly calls Platov an Old Believer. Matvey Platov was born in the capital of the Don Cossacks, Cherkassk (now the village of Starocherkasskaya, Aksai district, Rostov region). His father is a Cossack Ivan Fedorovich Platov was a military sergeant major. Mother - Platova Anna Larionovna, born in 1733. Married to Ivan Fedorovich, they had four sons: Matvey, Stephen, Andrey And Peter.
Matvey Ivanovich entered service on the Don in the Military Chancellery in 1766 with the rank of constable, and on December 4, 1769 he received the rank of captain. His entire military career was marked by luck. In 1771, he distinguished himself during the attack and capture of the Perekop line and Kinburn. Since 1772 he commanded a Cossack regiment. In 1774 he fought against the highlanders in the Kuban. On April 3, he was surrounded by Tatars near the Kalala River, but managed to fight back and forced the enemy to retreat. Skillfully and independently repelled seven attacks of the “non-peaceful” highlanders on the Cossack camp. For this feat he was awarded a personal gold medal by decree of Empress Catherine II. Then the words of Matvey Ivanovich Platov were heard, which became his life motto:
Honor is more valuable than life!..
In 1774 (according to other sources - in 1775) at the head of his regiment he took part in the pacification Pugacheva. In 1782 - 1783 he fought with the Nogais in the Kuban. In 1784 he participated in the suppression of uprisings of Chechens and Lezgins. Distinguished himself near the city of Kopyl, in battles with the Khan's cavalry Devlet-Gireya. During these years, the young Don officer served under the command of General-in-Chief A.V. Suvorov, having gone through a good combat school in the North Caucasus. In June 1787, Platov received the rank of army colonel. On behalf of G.A. Potemkin he formed four Cossack regiments from single-palace residents of the Yekaterinoslav province.
Platov went through the Russian-Turkish War of 1787 - 1791 from beginning to end. In 1788, he distinguished himself during the assault on Ochakov, for which on April 14, 1789 he was awarded the Order of St. George, 4th class. “For excellent courage shown during the attack on the Ochakov fortress.” His Serene Highness Prince G.A. Potemkin-Tavrichesky transfers the Don colonel to the Chuguev Cossack regiment. At his head, Platov fought bravely in Bessarabia. In 1789, he distinguished himself in the battle of Causeni (September 13), in the capture of the fortified castle of Palanca, in the capture of Akkerman (September 28) and Bender (November 3). For Kaushany he receives the rank of foreman.
Since 1790 - ataman of the Ekaterinoslav and Chuguev Cossack troops. Participated in the capture of Izmail, was noted by A.V. Suvorov as a valiant warrior and on March 25, 1791 was awarded the Order of St. George, 3rd class. “In honor of the diligent service and excellent courage shown during the capture of the city and fortress of Izmail by attack with the extermination of the Turkish army that was there, commanding a column.” On January 1, 1793, he was promoted to major general and awarded the Order of St. Vladimir, 3rd degree. In 1796 he took part in the Persian campaign and was appointed commander of all Cossack units. After the campaign was suddenly canceled by decree from St. Petersburg, having disobeyed the Highest command, he remained with his regiment to guard the headquarters of the commander-in-chief, Count Valeriana Zubova, who was threatened with Persian captivity. For the valor shown during the capture of the ancient fortress of Derbent, he received the Golden Weapon award - a saber decorated with diamonds with the inscription "For bravery".
In 1797, during the reign Paul I, Platov was suspected by the emperor of conspiracy, expelled from service and exiled to Kostroma. In 1800 he was arrested and imprisoned in the Peter and Paul Fortress. In January 1801, he was released and, by order of Paul I, became a participant in the Indian campaign of the Don Army. Only with the death of Paul in March 1801, Platov, who had already advanced to Orenburg at the head of 27 thousand Cossacks, was returned Alexander I. August 26, 1801 M.I. Platov receives the highest rescript appointing him military ataman of the Don Army. On September 15 of the same year, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general, and was awarded the Order of St. Anne, 1st degree.
With the rank of ataman, Matvey Ivanovich began “improving” the Cossack army entrusted to him, doing a lot to improve its military organization and everyday life. Under his leadership, military command and control were reorganized and the Don artillery was reformed. One of the significant events in the history and biography of Matvey Ivanovich Platov is his founding of the city of Novocherkassk, and the transfer of the capital of the Don Cossack Army to a new city.
Founding of Novocherkassk
The founding of the city of Novocherkassk - the idea and its implementation - belongs to M.I. Platov. The reasons for the founding of the new capital of the Don Cossacks were the following: firstly, the village of Starocherkasskaya is located on the right side of the Don River, and it was almost annually flooded by the waters of the Don flooding in the spring; secondly, in the former Cossack capital, built chaotically, without a master plan, there were frequent fires, in the fire of which up to half of the wooden buildings burned out. In addition, there were no reliable land access routes to Cherkassk.
Ataman Platov had long been nurturing the project of creating a new capital of the Don Cossack Army. In 1804, Emperor Alexander I approved the presentation of M.I. Platov “On the foundation of a new city on the Don, which will be called the new Cherkassy.” A famous French engineer worked on the city plan Franz de Volland. He was the first engineer in the armies G.A. Potemkin, And A.V. Suvorov, the first architect of Voznesenko, Odessa, Novocherskassk, Tiraspol, Ovidiopol and other cities, the builder of the first cast iron bridge in St. Petersburg, the first engineer at the head of the Department of Railways, the first member of the Committee of Ministers of this department. Under his leadership, the Tikhvin and Mariinsk water systems were created.
In 1805, on the day of the Ascension of the Lord, the ceremonial foundation of the new city took place. The festively arranged move to New Cherkassk took place on May 9, 1806 and was marked by 101 gun shots. In the same 1806, Emperor Alexander I entrusted Platov with command of all the Cossack regiments of Russia sent to war. In this regard, he is awarded the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky.
All-Russian fame
Platov’s talent as a Cossack commander “became visible and noticeable to everyone” during the wars against Napoleonic France. From 1806 to 1807 There is a Russian-Prussian-French war. Fighting on the territory East Prussia showed that the ataman of the Don Army is capable of skillfully managing thousands of irregular cavalry. In the campaign of 1807, Matvey Ivanovich commanded all the Cossack regiments of the active army. After the battle of Preussisch-Eylau, Platov earned all-Russian fame. He became famous for his dashing raids on the flanks of the French army, defeating several separate detachments. After the retreat from Heilsberg, Platov’s detachment acted in the rearguard, taking on constant blows from the French troops pursuing the Russian army. For successfully covering the Russian army, which was retreating to the city of Tilsit, which stood on the border river Neman, the chieftain was awarded diamond badges to the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky. In Tilsit, where peace was concluded, Platov met Napoleon, who recognized the chieftain’s military successes. However, the chieftain refused the French Order of the Legion of Honor, saying:
I did not serve Napoleon and cannot serve.
On November 22, 1807, Matvey Ivanovich was awarded the Order of St. George, 2nd class “For repeated participation in battles as head of forward posts during the war with the French in 1807.” The Prussian king awarded him the Orders of the Red Eagle and the Black Eagle.
During the Russian-Turkish War of 1806 - 1812. troops under the command of Platov took the city of Babadag and captured the Girsovo fortress by storm, for which the chieftain was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir, 1st degree. Then Platov and his Cossacks contributed to the success of the commander-in-chief of the Russian Moldavian army, general of infantry P.I. Bagration in the battle of Rassevat. The Don Cossacks achieved their greatest victory in that war on September 23, 1809. Then they completely defeated the five thousand strong Turkish corps in a field battle between the enemy fortresses of Silistria and Rushchuk. For this victory, Matvey Ivanovich was promoted to cavalry general on September 27, 1809.
Patriotic War and Foreign Campaign
During Patriotic War In 1812, Matvey Ivanovich Platov first commanded all the Cossack regiments on the border, and then, covering the retreat of the army, had successful dealings with the enemy near the towns of Mir and Romanovo. The battle near Mir in July 1812 is called the “case of Platov’s Cossacks.”
The main forces of the French Grand Army crossed the Neman in Lithuania; the 1st and 2nd Russian armies stationed there were separated by the advancing French. The commander of the 2nd Army Bagration, who was in Volkovysk, received an order to urgently move to join the 1st Army Barclay de Tolly. Bagration was pursued from the west by an army Jerome Bonaparte. On July 1, Bagration’s retreating army headed for the junction, but on July 3, avoiding a battle with the marshal’s army Davout, turned back to Nesvizh. On July 8, Bagration’s army stopped to rest near Nesvizh, and Bagration ordered Ataman Platov to send patrols and hold back the enemy’s movement while the army rested.
Under the command of Platov there were 5.5 Cossack regiments, numbering 2,600 sabers. On July 9, the ataman ordered an ambush and detained the enemy's advance detachment. V. A. Sysoev(Lieutenant General, also a Don Cossack) divided his regiment into three groups: one hundred were defiantly put forward; two hundred were placed before the World; On the road south of Mir, the main Cossack forces with mobile artillery were secretly positioned. This is how the “Cossack Venter” ambush was prepared. The Polish lancers were ambushed, and during two days of fighting near Mir, 6 lancer regiments were defeated; Platov captured 18 officers and 375 lower ranks. Almost all the prisoners were wounded due to the extremely fierce battle.
Platov's rearguard battle delayed the movement of Napoleon's troops and ensured the withdrawal of Bagration's 2nd Army to Slutsk. Napoleon Bonaparte was furious; he blamed his own brother Jerome, the commander of the right wing of the army, for the defeat of the division, and he returned to the Kingdom of Westphalia. Marshal Davout took command of Jerome's troops.
In the battle near the village of Semlevo, Platov’s army defeated the French and captured a colonel from the marshal’s army Murat. Part of the success belongs to Major General Baron Rosen, to whom Ataman Platov gave complete freedom of action. After the battle of Saltanovka, the ataman covered Bagration’s retreat to Smolensk. On July 27 (August 8) he attacked the general’s cavalry near the village of Molevo Boloto Sebastiani, overthrew the enemy, took 310 prisoners and Sebastiani's briefcase with important papers. After the Battle of Smolensk, Platov commanded the rearguard of the united Russian armies.
From August 17 (29) to August 25 (September 6), Matvey Ivanovich fought daily battles with the French vanguard units. At the critical moment of the Battle of Borodino, together with Uvarov directed to bypass Napoleon's left flank. Near the village of Bezzubovo, the cavalry was stopped by the general's troops Ornano and came back. The chieftain called on the Cossacks to join the militia, and already in Tarutino the Cossack contingent reached 22 thousand people. After the battle of Maloyaroslavets, Field Marshal General M.I. Kutuzov Platov was entrusted with command of the vanguard of the Main Army and the organization of the pursuit of the retreating Great Army. Ataman did this great thing for the history of Russia together with the troops of the general M.A. Miloradovich successfully and efficiently. Strong blows were dealt to the troops of the famous Marshal Davout, from whom the Cossacks recaptured 27 guns near the Kolotsky Monastery.
The Platov cavalry took part in the battle of Vyazma, in which the French marshal corps suffered complete defeat Michel Ney, the same Davout and the Italian viceroy. Then Platov organized the pursuit of the corps Beauharnais. On October 27 (November 8) on the Vop River between Dorogobuzh and Dukhovshchina, the Cossack cavalry cut off part of the Beauharnais corps and took 3.5 thousand prisoners, including the corps chief of staff, General Sansona, and 62 guns. For his merits, by a personal Highest decree of October 29 (November 10), 1812, the ataman of the Don army, cavalry general Matvey Ivanovich Platov, with his descendants, was elevated to count's dignity of the Russian Empire .
On November 8, the flying corps of the cavalry general Count M.I. Platov, while crossing the Dnieper River, completely defeated the remnants of Marshal Ney's corps. Three days later, the Cossacks occupied the city of Orsha. On November 15, they captured the city of Borisov in battle, and the enemy lost about 5 thousand killed and 7 thousand prisoners. The irregular cavalry had great success on November 28 in the battle of the city of Vilno (Nene - Vilnius, Lithuania), where a 30,000-strong enemy corps, which tried to cover the retreat of the remnants of the Great Army beyond the border Neman, was completely defeated. For three days, Platov pursued the retreating enemy army from Vilna to Kovno and, without giving him time to reorganize his forces, on December 3 entered Kovno (modern Kaunas). On that day, the Cossacks successfully crossed the Neman River and transferred the fighting of the Russian army to the territory of East Prussia. Emperor Alexander I more than once expressed his royal “favor” to the Cossack commander from the banks of the Don.
The effectiveness of the combat activities of the Cossack troops under the command of Ataman Count M.I. Platov during the Patriotic War of 1812 is amazing. They captured 546 (548) enemy guns, 30 banners and captured more than 70 thousand Napoleonic soldiers, officers and generals; and also recaptured a huge amount of valuables looted in Moscow. Commander M.I. Golenishchev-Kutuzov wrote to M.I. Platov the following words:
The services you provided to the Fatherland have no examples; you proved to the whole of Europe the power and strength of the inhabitants of the blessed Don...
During the Foreign Campaign, Matvey Ivanovich was at the Main Apartment, and from time to time he was entrusted with the command of individual detachments operating on enemy communications. In 1813, Platov fought in Prussia and took part in the siege of the powerful fortress of Danzig. On September 16, in the first foreign campaign, Platov’s cavalry near the city of Oltenburg (Altenburg) defeated the general’s French corps Lefebvre and pursued him to the city of Zeiss. The reward was a precious portrait (decorated with diamonds) of the All-Russian sovereign to be worn on the chest.
In September, Matvey Ivanovich received command of a special corps, with which he participated in the battles of Leipzig on October 4, 6 and 7, 1813. The Cossack regiments of Ataman Platov's flying corps, pursuing the enemy, captured about 15 thousand soldiers and officers.
For his services, on October 8, 1813, M. I. Platov was awarded the highest award of the Russian Empire - the Order of St. Apostle Andrew the First-Called. For his persecution of the French, he was given a diamond feather with the monogram of Emperor Alexander I to wear on his headdress. On October 10, the Don Ataman's flying corps inflicted a new defeat on the French troops of General Lefebvre. The battle took place near the German city of Weimar. From October 16 to 18, the Cossack regiments provided support to the allied Bavarian troops under the command of General Vrede in the battle of Hanau. Matvey Ivanovich’s golden saber “For Bravery” was decorated with golden laurels.
The year 1814 was marked for the Cossack cavalry under the command of Platov with many victories already on French soil. The Flying Corps distinguished itself in its battles at Laon, Epinal, and Charm. Matvey Ivanovich fought at the head of his regiments during the capture of the fortified city of Nemours (Namur) (February 4), in the defeat of the enemy at Aris, at Arcy-sur-Auba (the battle on March 20-21 between Napoleon’s army and the Main Allied Army on the Ob River during campaign in France in 1814. This was the last battle of Napoleon, where he personally commanded the troops before his first abdication), Cézanne and Villeneuve. Near the city of Cezanne, Platov's Cossacks captured a detachment of the selected troops of Emperor Napoleon I - part of the forces of his Old Guard. Then they took the outskirts of the enemy’s capital, the town of Fontainebleau. Ataman M.I. Platov, at the head of his light horse regiments, which surprised Europe for three years - from 1812 to 1814 - as part of the Russian army, solemnly entered defeated Paris. The Donets then set up their bivouac on the famous Champs Elysees.
Also in 1814, after imprisonment Parisian world, cavalry general M.I. Platov accompanied the emperor Alexandra I to London, where he was received with special attention. Together with three particularly distinguished commanders of the armies of the anti-Napoleonic coalition - the Russian field marshal Barclay de Tolly, Prussian field marshal Blucher and Austrian field marshal Schwarzenberg received as a reward from the City of London a special honorary saber made of jewelry (located in Novocherkassk in the Museum of the History of the Don Cossacks).
Matvey Ivanovich Platov became the first Russian to be awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the aristocratic University of Oxford. A Royal Navy ship was named after him, and bronze medals were struck in his honor by the London Mint.
Last years of life. Death
After 1815, the commander settled on the Don, in the military capital - the city of Novocherkassk, where he worked a lot for the benefit of the city and the entire Don Cossacks. IN last years During his life, Platov founded a gymnasium and a military printing house in Novocherkassk. Matvey Ivanovich died three years later, on January 3 (January 15, new style) 1818. Initially, the ataman was buried in Novocherkassk, in the family crypt near the Ascension Cathedral in 1818. In 1875, his reburial took place at the Bishop's dacha (on the Mishkin farm), and on October 4 (17), 1911, his ashes were transferred to the tomb of the Military Cathedral in Novocherkassk. After October 1917, Platov's grave was desecrated. The ashes were reburied in the same place in the military cathedral on May 15, 1993.
Count family of Platovs
It is known that Matvey Ivanovich Platov was married twice, and from him comes the count family of the Platovs. In February 1777 he married Nadezhda Stepanovna, daughter of the marching chieftain Stepan Efremov and the granddaughter of Major General Daniil Efremov. From his first marriage, Matvey Ivanovich had a son Ivan(Ist) (1777 - 1806). After the death of N.S. Platova (November 15, 1873), M.I. Platov married again.
In 1785 his second wife became Marfa Dmitrievna(b. about 1760 - December 24, 1812/1813), widow of a colonel Pavel Fomich Kirsanov(1740 - 1782), sister of the ataman Andrey Dmitrievich Martynov. She was awarded the Order of St. Catherine of the Small Cross on August 11, 1809. In his second marriage, Matvey Ivanovich had four daughters and two sons:
Marfa(1786 - 1821) was married to a colonel Stepan Dmitrievich Ilovaisky (1778 — 1816);
Anna(1778 - ?) - married Kharitonov;
Maria(1789 - 1866) - wife of a major general Timofey Dmitrievich Grekov;
Alexandra (1791 — ?);
Matvey(1793 - after 1814) - Major General, awarded the Order of St. George, 4th class. “For distinction in battles with the French” (1813);
Ivan(II) (1796 - 1874) - colonel, participant in the Patriotic War of 1812.
In addition, Marfa Dmitrievna’s children from her first marriage were brought up in the Platov family - Khrisanf Kirsanov, future major general, and Ekaterina Pavlovna Kirsanova, later the wife of the punishment chieftain Nikolai Ilovaisky.
Ataman Platov and the Old Believers
Matvey Ivanovich Platov rendered an invaluable service to the Old Believers: while in Moscow after the expulsion of Napoleon, he donated to the Rogozhsky cemetery at the request of the priest Fr. Ioanna Yastrebova a marching linen church in the name of the Most Holy Trinity, consecrated before Nikon, which, together with an Old Believer priest (possibly a guide), was with his detachment during the campaign against Napoleon. Moscow Old Believers received permission from the authorities to serve liturgy in this church. Before that, the liturgy at Rogozhsky was served secretly and therefore very rarely. Since 1813, liturgy began to be celebrated at the Rogozhskoe cemetery on major holidays, installing a camp church right in the altar. This camp church was later created through the efforts of the Moscow Metropolitan Philareta (Drozdova) taken away from the Old Believers.
Old Believers still preserve the memory of Ataman Platov. So, in 2012, in the spiritual center of the Russian Orthodox Church on Rogozhsky, anniversary celebrations dedicated to the heroes of the Patriotic War of 1812 took place, and on December 7, 2013, the Metropolitan took part in the grand opening of the monument to Ataman Matvey Ivanovich Platov, which was installed in the Cossack Glory Park of the district Lefortovo South-Eastern administrative district Moscow.
Memory of Matvey Platov
In 1853, using public money collected on the Don by subscription, a monument was erected in the city of Novocherkassk (authors P. K. Klodt, A. Ivanov, N. Tokarev) the most famous Cossack chieftain in the history of Russia. The inscription on the monument read “To Ataman Count Platov, for his military exploits from 1770 to 1816, grateful people of the Don.” In 1923, the monument was demolished, and in 1993 it was recreated. Currently, Novocherkassk is the capital of the world Cossacks, and in the center of the city, near the Military Cathedral, there is a monument to the founder of the city - Ataman Matvey Ivanovich Platov.
There is also an equestrian monument to M.I. Platov in Novocherkassk, erected in 2003 to mark the 250th anniversary of the birth of the ataman. In the same city there is a monument to the All-Great Don Army.
On August 26, 1904, the 4th Don Cossack Regiment began to bear the name of Matvey Ivanovich Platov, as the eternal chief.
The railway brand train “Rostov - Moscow” is named after Matvey Platov.
In Moscow in 1976, Platovskaya Street was named in honor of the chieftain. The name was transferred from the built-up Platovsky Proezd, which was so named back in 1912.
The village of Budyonnovskaya (Proletarsky district of the Rostov region) was formerly called Platovskaya.
September 1, 2008 in the Moscow Cossack Cadet Corps named after. Sholokhov" a bust of M.I. was installed. Platov as part of the “Walk of Russian Glory” project.
Until the first half of the 1920s, there was Platovskaya Street in Novocherkassk, renamed Podtyolkovsky Avenue. Now called Platovsky Prospekt.
The square in Kamensk-Shakhtinsky, which previously bore the name of Shchadenko, has been named after Platov since September 2010, on whose instructions the architect De Vollan completed the initial layout of the village of Kamenskaya. A memorial stele and a bronze bust of the ataman are installed on the square.
The well-known Don Cossack Choir, led by Ataman General Platov, was named after N. Kostryukova.
In 2012, the Central Bank Russian Federation A coin was issued (2 rubles, steel with nickel galvanic coating) from the series “Commanders and Heroes of the Patriotic War of 1812” with a portrait of Ataman Platov on the reverse.
Platov’s name was given to a new airport, opened near Rostov-on-Don on December 7, 2017. The decision was made by the Government of the Rostov Region based on the results of a vote held in March 2016; the final decision on the name of the airport was made at the federal level.
The memory of Matvey Platov is preserved not only in Russia, but also abroad. Some personal belongings of Ataman Platov, in particular the saddle and cup, are in the Museum of the Life Guards Cossack Regiment near Paris in France.
M. Kochergin. Platov, Ivan Matveevich (sr.) // Russian Biographical Dictionary: in 25 volumes / Under the supervision of the Chairman of the Imperial Russian Historical Society A. A. Polovtsev. - St. Petersburg, 1905. - T. 14: Plavilshchikov - Primo. — P. 21.
. Sulin I.M. Pages of the past // Don Regional Gazette. 1902. January 1 (No. 1). S. 3.
. V. G. Levchenko. Heroes of 1812: collection. Young Guard, 1987. Pp. 114.
. Matvey Ivanovich Platov. General Ataman. Graph. Founder of Novocherkassk.
. Astapenko M., Levchenko V. M.I. Platov // Heroes of 1812. - M: Young Guard, 1987. - P. 53-118. — 608 p. — (Life of remarkable people). — 200,000 copies.
. Ladies of Cavalry of the Lesser Cross // Court calendar for 1824.
Platov was born in the capital of the Don Cossacks, Cherkassk (now the village of Starocherkasskaya, Aksai district, Rostov region). “From the senior children of the Don Army”— his Cossack father was a military foreman. By birth he belonged to the Old Believers-Priests, although due to his position he did not advertise this. Mother - Platova Anna Larionovna, born in 1733. Married to Ivan Fedorovich, they had four sons - Matvey, Stefan, Andrei and Peter.
Matvey Ivanovich entered service on the Don in the Military Chancellery in 1766 with the rank of constable, and on December 4, 1769 he received the rank of captain.
In 1771 he distinguished himself during the attack and capture of the Perekop line and Kinburn. Since 1772 he commanded a Cossack regiment. In 1774 he fought against the highlanders in the Kuban. On April 3, he was surrounded by Tatars near the Kalala River, but managed to fight back and forced the enemy to retreat.
In 1775, at the head of his regiment, he took part in the defeat of the Pugachevites.
Yaik Cossacks on a campaign (watercolor of the late 18th century). Unknown artist
In 1782-1783 he fought with the Nogais in the Kuban. In 1784 he participated in the suppression of uprisings of Chechens and Lezgins.
In 1788 he distinguished himself during the assault on Ochakov. In 1789 - in the battle of Kaushany (September 13) during the capture of Akkerman (September 28) and Bender (November 3). During the assault on Izmail (December 11, 1790) he led the 5th column.
Ya. Sukhodolsky. "Storm of Ochakov"
Engraving by S. Shiflyar “The Assault of Izmail on December 11 (22), 1790” (colorized version). Made according to a watercolor drawing by the famous battle painter M. M. Ivanov. The drawing was based on full-scale sketches made by the artist during the battle.
Since 1790, ataman of the Ekaterinoslav and Chuguev Cossack troops. On January 1, 1793, he was promoted to major general.
In 1796 he took part in the Persian campaign. After the campaign was suddenly canceled by decree from St. Petersburg, having disobeyed the Highest command, he remained with his regiment to guard the headquarters of the commander-in-chief, Count Valerian Zubov, who was threatened with Persian captivity.
Valerian Alexandrovich Zubov
Artist I. M. Grassi, 1796
He was suspected by Emperor Paul I of conspiracy and in 1797 exiled to Kostroma, and then imprisoned in the Peter and Paul Fortress. In January 1801, he was released and became a participant in Paul’s most adventurous enterprise—the Indian Campaign. Only with the death of Paul in March 1801, Platov, who had already advanced to Orenburg at the head of 27 thousand Cossacks, was returned by Alexander I.
Triple portrait: M.I. Platov, F.P. Denisov, V.P. Orlov
On September 15, 1801, he was promoted to lieutenant general and appointed military ataman of the Don Army. In 1805 he founded the new capital of the Don Cossacks - Novocherkassk. He did a lot to streamline army command and control.
Matvey Ivanovich Platov
Matvey Ivanovich Platov
In the campaign of 1807, he commanded all the Cossack regiments of the active army. After the battle of Preussisch-Eylau he earned all-Russian fame. He became famous for his dashing raids on the flanks of the French army, defeating several separate detachments. After the retreat from Heilsberg, Platov’s detachment acted in the rearguard, taking on constant blows from the French troops pursuing the Russian army.
Battle of Preussisch Eylau, Jean-Charles Langlois
Matvey Ivanovich Platov
Battle of Heilsberg
In Tilsit, where peace was concluded, Platov met Napoleon, who, in recognition of the ataman’s military successes, gave him a precious snuff box. The chieftain refused the French Order of the Legion of Honor, saying:
I did not serve Napoleon and cannot serve.
Patriotic War and Foreign Campaign
During the Patriotic War of 1812, he first commanded all the Cossack regiments on the border, and then, covering the retreat of the army, had successful dealings with the enemy near the towns of Mir and Romanovo. In the battle near the village of Semlevo, Platov’s army defeated the French and captured a colonel from the army of Marshal Murat. Part of the success belongs to Major General Baron Rosen, who was given complete freedom of action by Ataman Platov. After the battle of Saltanovka, he covered Bagration’s retreat to Smolensk. On July 27 (August 8) he attacked the cavalry of General Sebastiani near the village of Molevo Boloto, overthrew the enemy, took 310 prisoners and Sebastiani’s briefcase with important papers.
In the photo: “Portrait of Count M. I. Platov” (1814) by Thomas Lawrence.
Native of Cherkassk Matvey Ivanovich Platov- one of the most famous Don atamans. Having become the hero of Leskov’s “Lefty,” he even ended up in fiction, and such things always emphasize the significance of a historical figure.
Ataman Platov - a life spent in battles
Ataman Matvey Platov born in 1753 in Cherkassk in the family of a military foreman, was baptized in the Peter and Paul Church. He did not receive any systematic education, but he knew how to read and write from early childhood, preferring historical novels to any other reading. True, he hardly had much time left for reading, because the Cossack had been sitting on a horse almost from the cradle. At the age of 13 he was already a constable, at 20 he commanded a Cossack regiment.
Such ups just don’t happen - Platov was literally born for military life. Since 1788, he fought under the command of Suvorov, taking Ochakov and Izmail. The young Cossack general was favored by Empress Catherine II, which backfired on him when Paul ascended the throne and began persecuting his mother’s favorites. Removed from military service, Platov went into exile in Kostroma, and then was completely imprisoned in the Peter and Paul Fortress. He was released when Pavel needed an energetic leader for his planned trip to India. The Cossack troops prepared for this purpose were led by Ataman Matvey Platov. The news of the death of Paul I overtook Platov in Orenburg - Alexander I canceled the crazy campaign, and appointed Platov as military chieftain.
Matvey Ivanovich's first most important task in this post was the transfer of the Don capital to a new location and the construction of Novocherkassk. But he did not engage in peaceful affairs for long - in 1805 the war with Napoleon broke out. From then on until 1815, Ataman Platov fought almost without rest - his Cossacks rushed like a whirlwind across the European continent, calming down only, as one would expect, in Paris. All of Europe applauded them, and most of all - Ataman Platov, who, one must think, seemed to foreigners to be an expression of the mysterious Russian spirit.
On April 13, 1813, Emperor Alexander I signed a manifesto “expressing royal gratitude to the Don Army for its services in the Patriotic War”: “The courageous and tireless vigilance of the military ataman Platov,” it said, “as well as all the brave generals who fought with him.” , officers and all Don police officers and Cossacks in general, contributed greatly to overcoming the great enemy forces and to achieving complete and famous victories over them...”
Six months earlier, Platov was elevated to the rank of count. By 1816, he had amassed a collection of all the highest awards, including the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called, became a doctor at Oxford University, and even the ship Ataman Platov appeared in the British Navy. All that remained was to rest on our laurels, but Vikhor-Ataman did not know how to do this. Returning to the Don in 1816, Matvey Ivanovich did not live long - he died in January 1818. His grave is located in the Novocherkassk Ascension Military Cathedral.
Sasha Mitrakhovich 04.09.2017 20:04
Speaking about the Cossacks, our contemporaries will most likely describe them with a number of “clichés,” but among them there will certainly be the epithets “dashing” and “daring.” It is curious that they were characterized in approximately the same way by foreign generals and officers who had ever entered into battle with Cossack detachments. Thus, Napoleonic general de Braque, who took part in the “Russian campaign,” wrote in the book “Outposts of the Light Cavalry”: “Cossacks are the best light cavalry in Europe... They are characterized by the instincts of a wolf and a fox, they are accustomed to war and are distinguished by their strength of body , and their horses are extremely hardy.”
The general knew what he was saying. During the Patriotic War of 1812, one significant incident occurred. The famous Cossack ataman Matvey Platov vowed to marry his daughter to the one who would capture Napoleon. There were rumors that it was for this reason that the French emperor tried not to move away from his old guard.
Platov, Count Matvey Ivanovich
Born on August 6, 1751 in the Staro-Cherkasskaya village, on the Don. Platov's father is a military foreman, a very smart, respected and strong character, in the sense scientific education was not much different from other Don Cossacks, and therefore the initial education of young Platov was limited to just learning to read and write. Discovering a lively character and a love of warlike fun from childhood, P., having barely reached the age of 13, had already entered the royal service as a constable. The outbreak of the Russian-Turkish War of 1768 -1774, in which P. received his baptism of fire, gave him the opportunity to distinguish himself in affairs with the enemy. Commander-in-Chief of the Army, Prince. You. Mich. Dolgorukov immediately noticed the young Cossack and distinguished him: P. was promoted to officer and received a Cossack hundred on a mission.
Soon after, at the request of Prince. Dolgorukov, followed by the Highest permission to promote Platov to the rank of military foreman, in order to entrust him with command of the Don regiment.
In 1771, P. participated in the capture of the Perekop line, as well as near Kinburn. After the conclusion of peace at Kuchuk-Kainardzhi, P. was sent to Kuban.
The Crimean Khan Devlet-Girey, embittered by the failures in his clashes with Russian troops, decided to deal a decisive blow to the troops stationed in the Kuban. Platov’s feat at the heights of the Kalalakh River dates back to this time. Colonel Stremoukhov instructed Platov to deliver transport with provisions and ammunition to the army located in the Kuban. Devlet-Girey, having united with the mountain princes, decided to attack the Russian transport, taking advantage of the weakness of the cover, which consisted of two regiments with one gun and did not have the opportunity to provide strong resistance. The Cossacks, who did not expect an attack, showed, however, a desperate determination to defend themselves. Platov built a kind of field fortification from the convoy, because of which he and the Cossacks repelled seven attacks of the strongest enemy. At the same time, being surrounded on all sides, he found the opportunity through messengers to notify Colonel Bukhvostov of his hopeless situation, who arrived from the opposite bank of Kalalakh to the rescue of the convoy and its defenders. The Tatars were put to flight, the convoy was delivered safely, and Platov’s personality, his influence on the Cossacks, resourcefulness and courage aroused general respect.
From here P. with his regiment was sent to search for Pugachev, and later, when the impostor was caught, to the Voronezh and Kazan provinces to disperse Pugachev’s gangs. After a three-year persecution of the rebels, P. in 1782 and 1783, under the command of Suvorov, was again in the Kuban and on the Crimean Peninsula and in 1784 was sent against the Lezgins and Chechens. Before the second Turkish War of 1787-1791. P. was already a colonel. In the campaign of 1788, he was in the so-called Yekaterinoslav Army, led by Prince Potemkin, and took part in the most outstanding moments of this campaign.
During the siege and assault of Ochakov, P. acted with one thousand dismounted and two hundred mounted Cossacks. The attack on the Hassan-Pashinsky castle was left to the column of Major General Baron Palen, which, by the way, included the Cossacks of Colonel Platov. After the assault, the castle was occupied and the Don Cossacks, led by Platov, were entrusted with monitoring it. The latter's successful actions were awarded the Order of St. George 4th degree. On September 13th, the Cossacks approached Kaushany and made such a quick attack on the Turks that they forced them to flee. The result of the victory was the capture of three guns, two banners and 160 prisoners with Pasha Hassan. For this distinction, P. was promoted to brigadier and appointed marching ataman of the Don Army.
In the fall, Ackermann's occupation was undertaken. Platov was supposed to take control of Palanka, located on the Dniester, but then he was moved to Ackerman himself, who was occupied without shedding blood, thanks to successful demonstrations on the part of the Russians. In 1790, P. participated in the capture of Izmail; During the assault on the fortress, he led the 5,000 Cossacks of the fifth column, which had a particularly difficult task. After Major General Bezborodok received a wound, command of both columns, the fourth and fifth, of the left wing passed to Platov, and he, either contributing to the success of the other columns or acting separately with his part, rendered invaluable services. “Everything was overturned, beaten, everywhere, wherever P. appeared, victorious cheers thundered! He replaced the multitude, his fearlessness turned everyone into heroes and all his orders were crowned with success.” The assault on this fortress seemed inevitable to Platov, and he was the first to make this decision at the military council assembled by Suvorov.
For his participation in the capture of Izmail, P. was awarded the Order of St. George 3rd Art. and promoted to major general.
The war between Russia and Persia, which began in 1796, awarded P., for the distinctions he had shown, the Order of St. Vladimir 3rd degree and a saber decorated with diamonds with the inscription “for bravery.”
From the time of Emperor Pavel Petrovich's accession to the throne, Platov's glory and fame were already so great that they created many envious people for him and were the reason that Platov, slandered before Emperor Paul for his disloyalty to the monarch and treacherous plans against Russia, was first exiled to Kostroma, and then imprisoned in the Peter and Paul Fortress. However, false slander came to light: P. was released and awarded the Commander's Cross of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem. The Emperor personally appointed Platov as the main and immediate assistant to the military ataman of the Don Cossacks.
Paul I's attention and mercy to Platov increased; the emperor appointed Platov to the most prominent role in the planned campaign against India and ordered him to immediately go to the Don, where the Highest decree was already awaiting him: “gather the entire Don army to assembly places; so that all available chief officers and lower ranks will certainly march within 6 days about two horses and a month and a half of provisions." In January 1801, P. gathered about 27,000 Cossacks, with whom he went on a campaign, heading to Orenburg. There he received translators from the governor, a caravan of camels, with all the cargo necessary for the campaign, and then went deeper into the steppes. Difficult trials came for the Cossacks. Frosts struck, diseases appeared, many died from them or froze to death. The camels fell, and the survivors were secretly taken away by the fleeing Kyrgyz guides. The loss of spirit in the detachment was complete; muted murmurs turned into cases of open disobedience; the more submissive ones begged their chieftain to return back. The position of the ill-fated detachment was critical, and only the death of Emperor Paul I stopped this useless and painful campaign. In March, a messenger from St. Petersburg caught up with Platov and, informing him of the accession of a new sovereign to the throne, gave him the order to return back to the Don.
During the reign of Emperor Alexander I, after the death of the military ataman of the Don Army, cavalry general Orlov, P., promoted to lieutenant general in 1801, took his place. This appointment was greeted by the Don Army with delight: Platov’s name was then repeated with admiration everywhere - at court, in the army, among the people. And it would be difficult to find a person more suited to the new appointment and more worthy than P. With outstanding military talents, he was distinguished by the typical features of a purely Russian person and knew perfectly well the life and needs of the Cossack army, in which he passed through all the stages, from constable to military chieftain , having won the unchanging and enthusiastic love of all the Cossacks. Having been a military ataman since 1801, P. devoted all his energy and all his abilities to the military and economic organization of the army. Here his administrative abilities were revealed. Through Platov’s petition, the regional city of the Don Army, Starocherkassk, was moved to a new place, where residents could be safe from the annual destructive floods of the Don - to Novocherkassk. Through the efforts of Platov, the new city was brought into a flourishing state. The Cossack Military Chancellery owes its transformation to Platov. Accommodating the functions of all provincial government offices (Provincial Government, Treasury, Criminal and Civil Chambers, as well as the Military Administration), the Military Chancellery could not satisfactorily and quickly resolve incoming cases, which is why neglect and disorder occurred in office work. P., with the Highest permission, allocated part of the military command to the so-called Military Expedition, under the direct command of the Military Ataman. Other matters of civil administration of the lands of the Don Cossacks were concentrated in the Civil and Economic Expeditions. Matters in these two Expeditions were to be prepared by clerks and decided at general meetings by majority vote. All three parts of the Military Chancellery - Military Administration, Civil and Economic Expeditions constituted one inseparable whole, under the chairmanship of the Military Ataman.
Platov’s activities also affected changes in the combat units of the Don Army. Its reforms were mainly expressed in various measures regarding the recruitment of Don regiments (the number of headquarters and chief officers was calculated for 60 regiments), on the promotion of ranks ("only for vacancies, not exceeding the complement"), on resignations (resignation was not allowed previously 25-30 years of service) and maintenance.
Platov's administrative and organizational activities were interrupted by Russia's war with Napoleon, in which the Don Cossacks played a historical role. P. began his exploits from the second war between Russia and Napoleon, when Russia came to the defense of Prussia. Platov was entrusted with command of all Cossack regiments.
On the eve of the Preussisch-Eylaus battle, Platov arrived at the main apartment and “became a courageous leader, crowning his brow with unfading laurels and leading the Don army to repeated victories.” The battle took place on January 27, 1807. Platov with his Don troops pursued the overturned enemy columns and defeated them, capturing up to 500 people. Continuous clashes with the enemy (near Burbusdorf, Berchsdorf, against the village of Ludwigswald, etc.) were very successful, and the honor of these glorious actions rightfully belonged to the Don Cossacks.
The retreat of Napoleon's army after the Battle of Preussisch-Eylaus was directed to the left bank of the river. Passargi, along the Landsberg road. After the departure of the prince. Bagration to St. Petersburg, Platov took command of the vanguard and for several months successfully pursued the French troops. Skirmishes and affairs with the French, who occupied the entire space between Wartenburg and Ostroleka, occurred every day and usually ended with the capture by the Cossacks and the extermination of enemy squadrons, the recapture of guns and convoys, and in a very short time instilled in the French an alarming confidence in the complete impossibility of using what they needed to restore strength rest and peace. Napoleon himself, in impotent anger, called the Cossacks “a disgrace to the human race.” Numerous clashes with the enemy, despite their success, were, so to speak, “in the meantime,” since Platov’s more serious goal was to maintain contact between the army and the Essen corps, which required restoring communications between the scattered detachments that were part of the Essen corps. To counter the enemy, P. had, in accordance with the orders received, to attack him from Ortelsburg and Wilemburg, which he did with success and established himself in Passenheim. From here he continuously harassed Marshal Davout's corps. After a series of brilliant clashes with the enemy (the battle of Ortelsburg), in which the French cavalry units were completely destroyed, P. entered into constant contact with the Cossack regiments of Lieutenant General Essen, stationed near the town of Ostroleka. The enemy was thrown back to Wilemberg on one side and Allenstein on the other, and Platov moved his apartment to Bitovsburg. From here, Cossack detachments harassed the enemy in all directions. Among the countless clashes between the Russians and the French, the following cases should be noted: at the village of Kota, Veseloveno, at the village. Malga and Omuley-Ofene, Klaigenau, near the village of Reidikeinen, near Allenstein. P. reported to Empress Maria Feodorovna that “the pride, and more importantly the insolence of the French, was knocked out of their heads, they were brought to exhaustion, their cavalry, daring by the Don Cossacks, was all destroyed, and they lost a lot of infantry... They are now sitting, except for Danzig, against us, like mice in holes..."
In the month of May, the actions of the Don Cossacks were distinguished by their previous success. Their frequent and successful attacks on French detachments brought forward one after another brave warriors from the ranks of the Don Cossacks, whose names became known to everyone thanks to Platov, who, as a boss, strictly demanded that his subordinates fulfill their duty, but was fair and loved to distinguish the worthy with sincerity and openness. recognition of their merits.
By order of the commander-in-chief, instructions were given regarding further actions. Platov had to cross the river. Alle between Gutstadt and Allenstein and prevent the corps of Marshals Ney and Davout from connecting. Having settled in camp near old Wartenburg, P. gave orders to the detachments separated from him (Ilovaisky's detachment of the 5th - to cross the Alla River to the left; Denisov's detachment - to the right and, delaying the movement of the French from Allenstein, to attack in the rear from Gutstadt), and he himself with his part of the flying detachment he launched an attack on the enemy in the center. Major General Ilovaisky 5th crossed at dawn with three regiments by swimming, under heavy rifle fire from the enemy infantry, attacked them at all points and, putting the enemy to flight, pursued more than four miles and dispersed them through the forests. Major General Denisov 6th also arrived at dawn at the Alla River, but, having crossed the river, he discovered the enemy in large forces of cavalry and infantry with several guns. Having attacked the cavalry with three regiments of darts, he broke the stubborn resistance of the enemy.
At the same time, two regiments, having crossed by swimming, headed for an attack to the left of Major General Denisov on the 6th. Platov himself followed these two regiments with the rest of his forces.
The enemy, numbering more than a thousand people, was attacked on the march and partly destroyed, and partly captured. In addition, the Cossacks captured, along with the cover, a large convoy, which, by the way, contained the office of Marshal Ney. By evening P. with all his strength went to p. Alla repelled the attack of the enemy, who suffered significant damage.
On May 25, P. united with the army located near Geisigenthal and joined the vanguard of Prince Bagration, located on the right bank of the river. Passargi. On the 25th, 26th and 27th of May, the Don Cossack regiments performed many feats of courage and daring courage, and the name of the chieftain became a threat to the enemy.
One of the episodes of this time was the capture from the battle by Major Balabin of an artillery park standing on the river, among 46 decks loaded with firearms, which he immediately blew up without any harm to himself. In general, the actions of the Cossacks were so successful that they forced the enemy to stand for whole nights under arms.
The Battle of Heilsberg was a bloody clash between the Russians and the French. Even before the start of the battle, P. with his Cossacks, covering the army retreating to Heilsberg from Gutstadt, destroyed the bridge on the river. Alle, chopped up the pontoons and withstood a two-hour cannonade from the enemy, and then, when the Russian army occupied the Heilsberg position, P. very skillfully organized observations of the enemy’s movements, showing extraordinary dexterity and insight with his Cossacks. The battle of Heilsberg was one of the brilliant proofs Platov's cavalry talents. Not content with repelling the enemy with significant damage to him, P. took advantage of every convenient moment and attacked the enemy himself, suddenly and unexpectedly changing the direction of attacks, either to the flank or to the rear.
During the retreat of the army, the “flying corps” of Lieutenant General Platov took upon itself all the enemy’s blows, and although the rearguard, made up of only light troops, was too insignificant for the enemy army, the courage and stamina of the Cossacks and the inspired leadership of their ataman Platov did this that the Russian army retreated in order and without any particular losses when circumstances required it (as, for example, when the army retreated to Bertenstein, and from there to Schiepenbeil and when Russian troops moved to Friedland).
Forcing the enemy to linger at every step and waste time deploying his forces, not allowing him to get closer to the Russian army, burning bridges behind him, Lieutenant General P. acted with the same skill and luck during the retreat of Russian troops to Tilsit and for the Neman after the battle under Friedland. This retreat of the army is inextricably linked with the successful actions of Platov’s corps and owes its success entirely to it. Thus, due to the fact that, when leaving Velau, Platov’s rearguard struck a swift blow to the enemy columns on the left bank of the river. Hello, the Russian army was not detained on the way. The clash between Platov’s Cossack regiments and the French at the Pregel River and at the Toplaken Dam had the same significance. The French had to pay especially serious attention to the cover of the Russian army, behind which the latter felt completely safe. Numerous cavalry were advanced against Platov, followed by the French army. But despite the superiority of the enemy forces over the rearguard of the Russian army, despite even some particular failures (in the Kugelk forest, from where the Russian troops were driven out by the French), in general the result of the clashes was favorable for the Russians and created in them confidence in the safety of the march carried out under cover P.
Platov’s last exploits before the conclusion of the Peace of Tilsit were meeting the enemy at Yursaigen, moving (at night) to Taurogen, unnoticed by the French, and a shootout at Raukotinen, as well as crossing the Neman.
For his exploits in the war for the liberation of Prussia, P. was awarded the Order of St. George 2nd degree, Order of St. Vladimir 2nd step, and Alexander Nevsky. The Prussian king granted him the Order of the Red and Black Eagle. The Emperor granted Platov’s native Don Army a letter of commendation and “in fair respect for the excellent exploits of the famous Don Army” - a banner depicting its deeds.
The Peace of Tilsit, which temporarily suspended Russia's struggle with Napoleon, did not give the country complete calm and rest. The war with Turkey had been going on for two years. P. was called upon to take part in it and transfer his actions to the banks of the Danube, to the Moldavian army, then led by Field Marshal Prince Prozorovsky, and after the death of the latter by Prince Bagration.
In August, P. with his Don regiments occupied the Babadag fortress, where he found 12 cannons and large supplies. Having then crossed the Danube, the chieftain reached the so-called Troyan Wall, and on August 22, after a cannonade from 4 batteries he had set up, he occupied Girsovo. In the fortress, guns, military supplies, and weapons were found, and its occupation opened up a completely free path to the Black Sea and established communication between both banks of the Danube, as a result of which they began to build bridges.
In the battle of Rassevat, the Russians defeated a 15,000-strong Turkish detachment. The Don Cossacks distinguished themselves especially when pursuing the enemy who had fled from the camp and thus completed the defeat of the enemy, who opened the way to Silistria for the Russians.
On September 10, the bombardment of Silistria began. P. set out to meet the Rushchuk Turkish corps, which was coming to the aid of the besieged fortress. By the decisive actions of the Cossack regiments, the enemy was scattered, more than 1000 people of the Turkish corps died on the spot and up to 1500 were captured. Among the prisoners, by the way, was Pasha Mahmud. For this victory, Platov was awarded the rank of cavalry general and the Order of St. Vladimir 1st Art.
The next defeat to the enemy troops was inflicted by Platov at Tataritsa. Was here hit the Turkish army of the Supreme Vizier Yusuf Pasha, who also intended to come to the aid of Silistria. The Russian trophies included 16 banners and 200 prisoners.
The affair at Tataritsa ended Platov’s exploits in the war of 1809, and he returned for a while to his Don to improve his severely weakened health.
The valor of Platov and the Don Army was most evident in the Patriotic War of 1812. Their deeds are surrounded by such glory that even the most accurate historical facts have the character of something fabulous, not to mention the countless mass of stories and memories that were the fruit of the amazement and delight of the people for the exploits of the Don Cossacks and their leader.
The ambitious plans of Napoleon I, which encouraged him to break Russia, which opposed him, on the one hand, and Russia’s dissatisfaction with the terms of the Treaty of Tilsit, on the other, were the cause of the War of 1812.
At the beginning of 1812, Napoleon's "Grand Army", consisting of more than 600 thousand people, moved from different parts of Europe to Prussia and the Duchy of Warsaw and occupied the left bank of the Vistula. At that time, Russia could only deploy about 200 thousand people on its Western border. 14 regiments of Ataman Platov's flying corps were part of composition I western army. The remaining Cossack regiments, under the command of Major Generals Ilovaisky and Tormasov, were distributed between the 2nd and 3rd Western armies. The defensive lines for our army were the Neman, Berezina, Dnieper and Dvina rivers. Platov with seven thousand Cossacks stood in Grodno. He was ordered to strike the enemy's flank as soon as the latter crossed the Neman. Prince Bagration was supposed to provide the rear for Platov's corps. The enemy crossed the Neman at Kovno on June 12 and was met by a Cossack life patrol, which, therefore, was the first to greet the Great Army.
In accordance with the Highest command, Platov now had to “act in accordance with the circumstances and inflict all kinds of harm on the enemy.”
Platov sent his entire corps to Lida, taking supplies, government property, the main pharmacy, weapons, ammunition from Grodno and sending the sick inside the state. At this time, he learned that the King of Westphalia was approaching the Neman and, in order to slow down the enemy’s movement, damaged the bridge across the Neman. The next Highest command directed Platov to cover the march of Prince Bagration, who was marching to join the 1st Army.
Platov set out from Lida to Nikolaev and since he was entrusted with discovering the enemy and notifying the movements of his prince Bagration and the main apartment (located between Vidza and Dvina), he sent out detachments of Cossacks in different directions, who had very successful clashes with the enemy at Karelichi, Mira and Romanov. The actions of the Cossacks during these clashes with the enemy were distinguished not only by courage and fearlessness, but also by great skill. They set up ambushes for the enemy and in small detachments, pretending that they were ready to start business with him, they brought him to the place of the ambush and delivered a decisive blow.
P.'s orders in the battle of Mir on June 28 represented a harmonious combination of caution and determination. Trying, first of all, to lure the enemy into the trap set for him, he was able to instantly assess the situation, and when he was convinced that the enemy, taught by bitter experience, would not be deceived, he did not waste a minute and, taking advantage of his superior forces, resolutely attacked and beat him.
In the battle of Romanov on July 2, P., convinced of the weakness of the enemy, without hesitation, leaves behind a difficult barrier and quickly attacks the enemy, but then, having come into contact with significant forces, quickly retreats and puts this barrier between himself and the enemy.
This disastrous tactic so upset the corps of the King of Westphalia that a dissatisfied Napoleon relieved Hieronymus of Westphalia from command and ordered him to go to his kingdom.
After this P. had to join 1st Army. Having crossed the Dnieper, he turned from Bykhov to Chausy and Gorki and occupied with his Cossacks all the surroundings of Mogilev, thereby stopping the movements of Marshal Davout from Mogilev anywhere.
The Don army became indispensable, and the commanders-in-chief of the first and second armies, Barclay de Tolly and Bagration, each kept it with them, realizing the difficulty of acting against the advancing enemy without the help of Platov’s flying corps, which ensured the success of every movement of the Russian army. From Vitebsk at that time the chief headquarters I army, Ermolov, directly wrote to the ataman: “We have been confronting a large enemy army for the third day. Today the main battle is inevitable. We are in such a position that it is impossible to retreat without terrible danger. If you come, our affairs will not only get better, but will also become completely profitable view. Hurry up." But Platov was detained at Mogilev by Prince Bagration, where on the 11th there was, as Platov said, “a decent battle.” From here Platov marched to Dubrovna, crossed the Dnieper again and opened communications with the 1st Army. At this time, Prince Bagration was moving towards Smolensk, Barclay de Tolly also hurried here to warn Davout here, and on July 22 both armies, numbering 122 thousand people, united at Smolensk.
Thus, Napoleon's plans were frustrated; he could neither defeat our armies piecemeal, nor cut them off from Moscow, nor prevent their unification. The position of the Russian army after the connection near Smolensk changed significantly for the better - the duality of forces disappeared, reinforcements arrived, and the appointment of General Kutuzov as overall commander in chief finally strengthened its position and increased the chances of success.
The Don Cossack regiments of Platov formed the vanguard of the Russian army when Barclay de Tolly, prompted by Emperor Alexander I and general requirements army and people, decided to go on the offensive and move forward to Rudna. The start of the movement was successful. P. opened two French hussar regiments at Molevoy Bolot, struck their flank and drove the enemy two miles, capturing 10 officers and more than 300 privates; he wrote that “the enemy did not ask for pardon, but Russian troops, being enraged, they stabbed and beat him."
The advanced enemy posts retreated along the entire line, except for Porechye. This prompted Barclay de Tolly to move to the Porechensky road, but since the enemy was not here, Barclay de Tolly crossed back to the Rudny road.
Napoleon at this time concentrated all his forces on our left flank, crossed from Dubrovna and Rosasana to the left bank of the Dnieper and intended to occupy Smolensk in the rear of our army. This prompted Barclay de Tolly to rush there. P. covered the army from Rudnya and Porechye. In three days, from August 1 to 4, P. managed to make several successful attacks on enemy forward units, and the Cossacks captured 1,300 prisoners. On August 4, a battle broke out near Smolensk, forcing the Russian army to retreat into the interior of the country. P. formed the rearguard of the army, as always ready to repel an enemy attack.
After the battle at Valutina Mountain, Napoleon pursued our army weakly: he had not yet decided whether to stay in Smolensk for the winter or continue a further offensive. The Russian army, having lost Smolensk, considered a decisive battle inevitable. On August 10, Russian troops took a position near the village of Usvyat, and Platov was instructed to “hold the enemy as far as possible.” The Cossacks withstood stubborn battles at Mikhalev and on the banks of the river. Axis.
On August 17, both Russian armies arrived at Tsarevo-Zaimishch, but the new commander-in-chief, General Kutuzov, found this position uncomfortable and moved to Borodino, where it was decided to give battle.
On August 26, Napoleon attacked the main position of the Russian forces at Borodino and, after an inconclusive battle (in which both sides lost 40 thousand people), retreated to the position he had previously occupied.
The actions of the Cossacks in the Battle of Borodino had an extremely important influence on the fate of the battle. They were at the right end of our position when Kutuzov ordered Platov with the Cossacks and General Uvarov with the cavalry corps to cross Kolocha above Borodino and attack the left wing of the French. Having crossed the Voyna ford, the Cossacks appeared behind enemy lines and caused complete confusion in his convoys, putting the cover to flight. The attack of the Cossacks decisively changed the position of the opponents. Napoleon suspended his attacks, and success, which was leaning on his side, betrayed him.
Soon the Don militia, summoned to the active army by order of Platov, joined the Cossack regiments. The number of Cossack regiments, together with the new arrivals, increased to 45. All of them, both the old ones, already tested in battle, and the new ones, only carried away by the valiant desire to defend the Tsar and the Fatherland, formed one whole both in spirit and in general military techniques , used in battle, and by their unanimous reverence for their beloved chieftain.
The position of the French in Moscow, occupied by them since September 2, was difficult. Napoleon offered Emperor Alexander to make peace, but to no avail. By October 20, it was planned to complete the concentration of all Russian forces.
After the battle of Tarutino, in which, however, P. did not personally take part, Napoleon was forced to leave Moscow. When news was received about Napoleon's appearance from Moscow, everyone expected decisive action from Platov, who with all the Cossack regiments and a company of horse artillery was supposed to go to Maloyaroslavets and observe the road from Mozhaisk to Kaluga through Medyn; during the battle of Maloyaroslavets, he was entrusted with monitoring the road from Borovsk to Maloyaroslavets, as well as disturbing the enemy in the rear and right flank, in order to divert Napoleon’s attention from the main battle.
On the night of October 12th to 13th, an incident occurred near the river. Puddles. The Cossack regiments, leaving the camp, moved along high road with the aim of attacking enemy units that could move towards Maloyaroslavets. Here they met enemy artillery, which they captured among 50 guns. In the next three cavalry platoons met by the Cossacks, there was Napoleon himself, whom, however, the Cossacks did not recognize in the darkness and escaped from captivity, attracted by the spoils of the enemy carts. Taking advantage of the moment, the French even had the opportunity to begin pursuing the scattered Cossacks, but the latter, quickly uniting, repelled the enemy, taking away rich booty in money and 11 guns, and the fire of the Don artillery from the right bank of the Puddle stopped further attempts by the enemy.
On October 14, the general retreat of the Grand Army began. Platov was entrusted with monitoring the movement of the enemy, but he, not limiting himself to the exemplary performance of his task, did not miss a single opportunity during the entire movement of the enemy, so as not to injure the latter possible harm and defeats.
During the pursuit of the enemy along the road from Mozhaisk to the Kolotsky Monastery, the Cossacks took away many carts and horses from the French. Marshal Davout became a special target for the pursuit of Platov, and on the march to Vyazma along the Smolensk road, the Cossacks inflicted a heavy defeat on the French near the Kolotsky Monastery on October 19th. The Cossacks exterminated the remnants of the enemy army with great ferocity and instilled such fear in the enemy that until the end of the pursuit, the mere news of the appearance of the Cossacks forced the French to hastily withdraw from their bivouacs and continue their retreat.
The enemy tried to fight back and took up positions on the road to the city of Gzhatsk, but the skillful action of Cossack detachments and Cossack artillery made his efforts futile. Gzhatsk was occupied by the Cossacks, as well as Teplukhovo and Tsarevo-Zaimishche, where the mission echelons of Davout’s corps were completely scattered. Davout's corps, pressed by Platov, approached the troops of the Viceroy and Poniatowski. With their united forces they wanted to retain Vilna and stop the Russians.
On October 22, P., having learned that Miloradovich wanted to cut off Davout’s corps with his regular cavalry, attacked the French rearguard at dawn and drove it into the village. Fedorovskoe. Poniatowski and the Viceroy hastened to help Davout. A fierce battle ensued. Marshal Davout's corps was completely defeated, and the failure had a detrimental effect on the rest of the French army, which completely lost heart. “The enemies are fleeing in a way that no army could ever retreat,” reported P. Napoleon himself was now hurrying Davout to escape, thinking only about the least losses. The Cossacks acted more tirelessly than before and quickly destroyed the Grand Army with united attacks.
P. took 1,000 prisoners from Semlev, and on the banks of the Vopi inflicted a decisive defeat on the viceroy’s corps, forcing him to abandon his intention to get to Vitebsk. The trophies were 3,000 prisoners, 62 guns and supplies.
Prince Eugene headed towards Smolensk, where on October 31 all of Napoleon’s corps were concentrated.
On November 2, Napoleon set out from Smolensk to Krasnoye. P. did not cease to disturb Ney’s troops, who replaced Davout’s demoralized corps in the rearguard, prevented them from foraging, took away their weapons piece by piece and, finally, gradually driving them into the city, separated them from Napoleon’s army.
Napoleon's hasty flight from Krasny destroyed Marshal Ney's corps, which was left to its own forces. P. had already occupied the outskirts of the city and, gradually weakening the ill-fated corps, brought it to the point that Ney decided to set out from Smolensk. P. also left the city and moved through Katan to Dubrovna, with the intention of going to Orsha. Ney, leaving Smolensk and seeing the impossibility of getting through to Krasnoye, decided to cross the Dnieper at Syrokorenye. Having passed on to Gusiny with heavy losses, Ney was met by Platov’s Cossacks who were waiting for him. A “living resemblance to bestial persecution” began, ending with the complete destruction of the remnants of Ney’s corps.
After the battle of Krasnoye, Platov was tasked with discovering Napoleon's direction of movement - would he go to Borisov or to Senno?
Napoleon hurried to the Dnieper and, after spending the night in Dubrovna on November 7, went to Orsha on the 8th and crossed to the right bank. P. overtook the enemy after his departure from Orsha and, having driven out the remaining French rearguard from here, rushed after Napoleon.
For the French, who had already experienced so many disasters and were completely broken, the Cossacks were the most terrible enemies. The mere news of the approach of the Cossacks gave the French strength and drove them further, in the hope of finding salvation from the tireless and cruel riders. P., who possessed the special art of quickly opening and delivering decisive blows to the pursued enemy, was a real thunderstorm for them. And indeed, hardly any of the Russian heroes of the war of 1812 endured so much continuous labor, sleepless nights, all sorts of hardships and showed so much valiant readiness not to spare themselves for the sake of saving their homeland, as P. His brilliant exploits attracted the special attention of the emperor Alexander I, and P., in consideration of his merits, was elevated to the dignity of count of the Russian Empire.
From Orsha P. drove the French non-stop and could no longer settle accounts of the prisoners he had received. “Every day there were at least a thousand of them,” and in successful clashes with the enemy, the Cossacks took several thousand convoys and prisoners.
Counting on the fact that Napoleon intended to follow Borisov, the strong vanguard of Count Miloradovich from two corps and Count P. with 35 Cossack regiments and 12 infantry battalions were sent on his heels, “with the duty of bypassing the enemy’s right flank,” as well as the detachment of Adjutant General Golenishchev-Kutuzov, which was to be under the command of Count Wittgenstein.
On November 15, P. occupied Borisov, where the French left more than 5,000 people killed and 7,000 prisoners. Here the Main and Danube Army united with the corps of Count Wittgenstein. On the same day, the Cossack regiments gr. Platov were in the town of Krupki, waiting for Napoleon. But Napoleon, by a lucky chance for him, avoided almost inevitable captivity and, having crossed the Berezina the day after the battle of Stakhov and Studyanka, on November 17 he was already on the Vilna road.
P. headed here, taking prisoners and military supplies. His vanguard defeated the enemy at Zembin, and then P. ousted him, together with the vanguard of Admiral Chichagov, from Molodechny. Napoleon fled from Molodechny to France, leaving the army. The pursuit of the enemy was almost over .
Napoleon had to announce his complete defeat and considered the final blow to be made by the Cossacks. “All our columns,” Napoleon announced, are surrounded by Cossacks; like the Arabians in the deserts, they surrounded the carts...” What remained of the army, once called the Great, did not represent any strength and was destroyed piece by piece without any difficulty.
Napoleon hoped to gather some forces and, having established an army in Vilna, would more plausibly retreat from Russia. But still fresh Russian forces were approaching Vilna.
P. walked (November 28th) to Pogulyanka, along the road from Vilna to Kovna, intending to cut off the French retreat from Vilna. The bypassed French tried to resist, but it was immediately broken. Having made artillery preparation for the attack, P. quickly sent detachments of generals Ilovaisky 5th and Dekhterev to the enemy, who broke through the French infantry and inflicted a decisive defeat.
Further orders from the Russian commander-in-chief ordered Platov to finish off the remnants of the Great Army and oust the French marshals located within Russia. Blizzards, frosts, hunger, disease and persistent persecution turned the jumbled and ultimately demoralized French corps into hungry crowds of unfortunates, with frostbitten limbs, ragged disabled people, who were only thinking about escaping from Russia.
Having stopped for a short time in Kovno, Ney’s rearguard strengthened himself on the retrenchments and fired cannon fire towards Count Platov, who was approaching the city; but threatened to be cut off by the Cossacks who were crossing to the left bank of the Neman, he left the city by nightfall, but then came under attack from Platov. The distraught French refused to carry out the orders of their generals and scattered in different directions.
On December 3, P. entered Kovno, where a thanksgiving service was served, and the enemy was considered completely driven out of our fatherland. During the three-day pursuit of the enemy from Vilno to Kovno, Platov’s Cossacks captured up to 5,000 people, 21 guns and a huge amount of military supplies. During the entire time of pursuit of the enemy from Maloyaroslavets to Kovno, the Cossacks, led personally by Platov, captured 50-70 thousand prisoners, more than 500 cannons, 30 banners and all the silver and gold looted by the French in Moscow.
The name of Platov for everyone, not only in Russia, but also in Europe, became akin to the name of the Cossacks, and the rumor about his personal exploits inseparably merged with the news about the amazing actions of the Donets, who amazed the whole world with their selfless endurance and did not take advantage of a single literally day of rest in the past. all the while pursuing the enemy. Their behavior was all the more surprising since they did not receive food at all and had to get it themselves.
P. did not remain in Kovno for long; he crossed the Neman and moved through Neustadt, Pilkalen to Instenburg and, without stopping for a single day, continued to the cities of Weilau and Alenburg. Residents of Prussia greeted the Cossack regiments of Count Platov as their saviors.
At this time, Marshal MacDonald, hoping for reinforcements from Danzig, walked from Konigsberg to Mühlhausen. Count P. hurried through Friedland, Domnau and Preussisch-Eylau to Mühlhausen and warned the enemy, occupying the city on December 30th.
MacDonald hurried to Elbing, but P. pursued him in this direction and occupied Elbing from the battle. Without giving the enemy time to rest, P. drove him even further; fought after him through the Vistula to Dirschau, and further to Danzig. And on January 3, 1813, in order to suppress any communication, he surrounded the Danzig fortress with troops of his corps from all sides.
Soon, Emperor Alexander I recalled Platov to his main apartment, who, having handed over command to General Loviz, remained with the sovereign until the end of the Poishwitz truce.
Upon the resumption of hostilities, Platov was instructed, at the head of various united light detachments, to act on enemy messages concentrated near Dresden. P. set out from Bohemia, through Chemnitz, behind enemy lines and on the way, near Altenburg, attacked an 8,000-strong enemy detachment and, quickly knocking it down, pursued it in battle to the town of Meiselwitz and further to the city of Zeitz.
Having sent out his detachments to Lutzen, Merseburg, Halle, Wurzen and Weissenfeld, Count P. himself headed to Lutzen, from where his vanguard sent patrols to Leipzig itself, and also established surveillance of the movement of Marshal Augereau's corps.
In the famous battle of Leipzig, being on the right flank of our army on October 4, P. promptly noticed that the enemy had launched an attack on the corps of Count Klenau, intending to knock him out of position and thereby begin successful actions against our army. Gr. P., being somewhat to the right of Klenau, gave the order to attack the enemy cavalry and overthrew it with great damage.
On October 6, Count P. acted against the enemy from the village of Sommerfeld and, together with General Bennigsen, captured the Wirtemberg cavalry brigade and broke the resistance of 6 battalions of Saxon infantry with 28 guns.
Upon arrival on the right flank of the Russian army of the crown Swedish prince, P., on his personal orders, acted between the armies of the prince and General Bennigsen and in this space continuously harassed the enemy to the outskirts of Leipzig.
On October 7, Count P. was summoned to defend the city of Weimar, and the Emperor was pleased to personally confirm this order to him, awarding him the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called.
In Weimar, Count P. overthrew Lefebvre's detachment and very energetically pursued the retreating enemy, almost continuously striking the French and knocking them down all the way to Hanau. For the services rendered at this time, the emperor granted Platov a magnificent diamond feather to wear on his cap, with the monogram of the name of His Imperial Majesty and laurels.
Further pursuing the enemy from Hanau, on October 21, the Don Cossacks (with the vanguard of the Austro-Bavarian army under the command of General Bolkmann) arrived at Frankfurt, which they occupied without much difficulty. P. did not leave the enemy with his pursuit and drove him to Mainz; the next day, having crossed Nida, he pursued him to Gokhheim, between which and the village Wickert had heated clashes until the night.
From November 26th, Count Platov's light corps was located in apartments in Zwingenberg. From here his movement was directed towards the Swiss side, and then towards Epinal.
From the time the allied army entered France, Platov’s detachment was in front of the army, maintaining communications with Blucher, having almost continuous clashes with enemy parties and taking away from them everything that was supposed to go to the French troops. After the connection of the main and Silesian armies, P., at the head of a 3,000-strong Cossack detachment, was sent on a search to Nemours, Fontainebleau and Melun.
Having crossed Iona at the end of January, Count P. followed through Egerville, Malzerbes to Nemours. The occupation of this city could open up for our troops the entire space between Yona and Luengem, and therefore Napoleon ordered in advance to strengthen it and provide an appropriate garrison. The attack began on February 3 with the capture of the suburb, and with the onset of darkness Nemours was captured along with the entire garrison. The dismounted Cossacks broke down the gates broken by the Don artillery and, with pikes in their hands, burst into the city. From Nemours, Count Platov moved to Fontainebleau, with the goal of fulfilling the sovereign's command - to free the pope who was held captive there, but the pope was no longer in Fontainebleau, and the Cossack regiments headed from there to Petivier. P., having learned that the enemy intended to cut off his route of retreat, went on a forced march to Villeneuve-le-Roux. While crossing the river at Villeneuve-le-Roux, Count P. was met by the French vanguard. Despite the superiority of the enemy forces, Count P. carried out a successful attack and was able to continue unhindered through Saint-Florentin to Toner.
On February 19, Count Platov entered the city of Arsis-sur-Aube and captured the garrison with the commandant who was retreating from the city. After this, Count Platov, by the highest will, arrived at the main apartment and remained in it until the very end of the campaign, directly with the person of His Majesty, in whose retinue he took part in the ceremonial entry into Paris.
From the time of the Patriotic War until the conclusion of the Peace of Paris, the Cossacks took more than 800 enemy guns and 100 thousand prisoners, and the military exploits, unparalleled courage and selflessness of the Donets made their name known to the whole world.
From France, the Cossacks made their way back to their homeland, but their glorious ataman was not with them: at that time he accompanied Emperor Alexander I on his journey to England, which was a series of continuous celebrations in honor of the “Zarhine” ataman.
Hardly any other name of the heroes was as popular among the English people as the name of Platov. They tried in every possible way to prove to him their enthusiastic surprise at his exploits. Oxford University presented Platov with a doctoral diploma, and the city of London presented him with a precious saber in a gold artistic frame, decorated with the enamel coat of arms of Great Britain and Ireland and the monogram of the Russian hero. In the royal palace, the portrait of the ataman, painted at the request of the prince regent, took the most honorable place. P. did not know a minute of peace, since the public’s desire to see him forced the ataman to appear in in public places, theaters and balls and receive delights that surpassed all belief. Even Platov's war horse was immortalized in an image painted by the best artist. Platov presented this horse to the prince regent in full Cossack attire. At parting, the Prince Regent presented Platov with his portrait, showered with precious stones, "as a sign of reverence, respect and amazement for the immortal exploits raised for the benefit of their fatherland and for the salvation of Europe."
Having remained in England for some more time after the departure of the sovereign, P. returned to the main apartment of Field Marshal Count Barclay de Tolly, in Warsaw, and from there he went to his “quiet Don”.
The Don people were looking forward to their hero. The ovation for the glorious Ataman began long before his entry into Novocherkassk. The deputation was sent to the border of the Cossack lands, to the Voronezh province, and crowds of Cossacks flocked here from all sides.
Arriving at Novocherkassk, Count P. made three prostrations, took a handful of earth and kissed it, greeting his homeland. In the city, Count P. was greeted by the authorities, the clergy, with the ringing of bells, cannon shots and banners - monuments to the glorious exploits of the Donets. After the prayer service, a manifesto was read, in which the highest gratitude and favor were expressed to the “famous, loyal” Don Army “before the whole world.”
Platov did not have time to take part in the campaign of 1815, since the Battle of Waterloo stopped any attempts by Napoleon to regain his power.
In his homeland, P. devoted himself entirely to concerns about the internal well-being of his native land and the Don army. Novocherkassk owes its entire external improvement to him. The cathedral church, the triumphal gate on the occasion of the arrival of the sovereign in Novocherkassk and other city buildings were the fruit of Platov’s care.
Giving all fair respect to the courage and other military virtues of the Cossacks, P. at the same time found it not superfluous to introduce training in military affairs and especially artillery shooting among the Cossack population, to which he, based on combat experience, attached great importance. The father of his Cossacks in war, Count P., was imbued with the same heartfelt feeling towards them in peacetime. His cherished desire was that not a single Cossack would have material disadvantages in his home life and could enjoy well-deserved contentment.
Knowing how many widows and orphans remained on the Don after the war of 1812-1815, P. took a close part in their fate and became a generous benefactor. Taking care of public education, he founded a gymnasium in Novocherkassk, which was under his constant supervision. Through his efforts, a printing house was founded in Novocherkassk in 1817.
Both in war and at home, P. enjoyed boundless respect and influence on those around him. He was distinguished not only by the greatest personal fearlessness, calmness, experience and outstanding abilities of a remarkable commander, but also by other qualities of his character - directness, great cordiality and condescension. Ease of use was his distinctive feature. He inspired courage and confidence in everyone who had to deal with him; He especially knew how to talk with simple Cossacks, considering them members of the same family that was dear to him. He often entered into their personal affairs and interests, “comprehending the properties of his people” and having one soul with them.
Platov’s amazing ability to merge his soul with every ordinary person was manifested wherever he lived, and in new places he completely sincerely performed rituals and customs that were previously alien to him. Platov's heart was always open to all requests, and his charity was endless, since he was generous to the point of excess. And only his relatives could never count in advance that P. would do more for them than for others. P. was a completely independent person and knew how to deftly get out of any difficult situation without sacrificing his dignity. His manners were distinguished in many ways by great oddities and originality. P. was a deeply religious man, and his devotion to his throne was boundless. He tried to instill these qualities in his children, whom he treated with tender care and at the same time very strictly. He was married twice, but had a small family. He lived very widely, more widely than his relatively modest means allowed him, partly out of the conviction that his position required a certain representativeness and splendor, partly due to his hospitality and cordiality.
By nature very active and lively, P. even in a peaceful environment could not stand idleness and silence, although secular pleasures tired him and were not to his liking. But hunting, fishing, visiting horse farms (Platov was a great connoisseur of horses, knew them and loved them to the point of passion) were his favorite pastimes. “We are not born to walk on parquet floors,” he used to say, “our job is to walk across the field, through swamps, sit in huts or, better yet, in the open air, so that the heat of the sun and any bad weather will not be a burden to us.”
Growing up on horseback, under a hail of bullets and in the fire of battle, Platov endured more labor, hardship and inconvenience than any other Russian hero. He considered it his duty to share with his subordinates all the hardships of war and in this respect came close to the image of the great soldier-commander Suvorov. In the same way, he did not separate his glory from his Cossacks, treating them not only with love, but also with gratitude.
As a glorious and famous warrior and general, Platov was one of a kind, but he could not be considered one of the great commanders, since the strategic side of the most important military operations and decisive battles, as well as the general creation of marches and maneuvers, did not depend on him. He was only an unusually talented and valiant executor of the plans and tasks that fell to his lot, however, often deciding the outcome of military operations with his participation. His literally “flying body” did wonders. Therefore, as a person who inspired the Cossack forces, led and helped them accomplish amazing feats that had ever befallen the light cavalry, P. left a bright and indelible mark on military history. It would be difficult to study his campaigns as one studies science: he is all in one movement, all his military wisdom and art are in his very extraordinary personality, in his personal valor, abilities and rare military experience.
Count Platov died in 1818, on January 3, at the age of 67, and was buried in his native Novocherkassk in the family crypt near the cathedral. Emperor Nicholas I immortalized the memory of the “Whirlwind-Ataman” with a beautiful monument (by Bar. Klodt), erected in Novocherkassk, on Alexander Square. P. is depicted at full height, in a general's uniform, with a burka on his shoulders and with a drawn saber.
Several medals were knocked out in honor of Platov: one, gold, to be worn around the neck, dates back to 1774, to the feat of the Don Army and its colonel at the heights of the river. Kalalah; the other - dates back to Platov’s stay in London in 1814 and the third - in honor of Platov’s same visit to England - tin. In addition, there are several tokens and medallions, embossed in Russia and abroad and decorated with the image of Count Platov, as well as many of his portraits.
N. F. Smirnaya. "The life and exploits of Count Matvey Ivanovich Platov." 1821 - Sun. Mamyshev. "Biographies of Russian military leaders", vol. I, no. 3, 1886 - G. Leer. "Encyclopedia of Military and Naval Sciences". - Lettov-Vorbeck, background. "History of the War of 1806-1807", vol. IV, translation by von Vocht, edited by A. Puzyrevsky, 1898 - A. Starchevsky. "Reference Encyclopedic Dictionary", vol. IX. 1854 - A.F. Petrushevsky. "Generalissimo Prince Suvorov." 1900 - Kharkevich. "Platov's actions in Bagration's rearguard in 1812." 1901 - A.I. Mikhailovsky-Danilevsky, “Description of the Patriotic War in 1812.” 1839 - M.I. Bogdanovich. "History of the Patriotic War of 1812" 1859 - "Reading for Soldiers", Book I, 1854 - "Count Platov, or the exploits of the Don Cossacks" 1813 - "Northern Archive" 1823 - E. Yu. Iversen . "Medals in honor of Russian statesmen and individuals", vol. 3. St. Petersburg. 1881, E.I. Tarasov "Don Ataman Platov. His life and exploits", St. Petersburg. 1902 (This essay contains a fairly detailed bibliography).
M. Kochergin.
(Polovtsov)
Platov, Count Matvey Ivanovich
(1751-1818) - famous ataman of the Don Cossacks, cavalry general; He entered the service at the age of 13 and during the 1st Turkish War under Catherine II he already commanded a regiment. During the 2nd Turkish War he distinguished himself during the assaults of Ochakov and Izmail. During the Persian War of 1795-96 he was a marching chieftain, and in 1801 he was appointed military chieftain of the Don army; participated in the battle of Preussisch-Eylau, then in the Turkish war. During the Patriotic War, he first commanded all the Cossack regiments on the border, and then, covering the retreat of the army, had successful dealings with the enemy under revenge. Mir and Romanovo. During the retreat of the French army, P., relentlessly pursuing it, inflicted defeats on it at Gorodnya, Kolotsky Monastery, Gzhatsk, Tsarevo-Zaimishch, near Dukhovshchina and when crossing the river. Scream. For these deeds he was elevated to the dignity of count. In November, P. occupied Smolensk from battle and defeated the troops of Marshal Ney near Dubrovna. At the beginning of January 1813, he entered Prussia and besieged Danzig; in September he received command of a special corps, with which he participated in the battle of Leipzig and, pursuing the enemy, captured about 15 thousand people. In 1814 he took Namur. At the conclusion of peace, he accompanied the emperor. Alexander to London, where he was greeted with loud applause. A monument to him was erected in Novocherkassk.
(Brockhaus)
Platov, Count Matvey Ivanovich
Cavalry general, military ataman of the Don Army, hero of the Fatherland. wars, kind. Aug 6 1751 in Art. Staro-Cherkasskaya and was the son of troops. foremen. Its original education did not go further element. diplomas; Having entered the service as a police officer early, he reached the rank of officer. ranks thanks to battles. differences in the tour. war of 1768-1774 Commander-in-Chief Prince V. M. Dolgorukov noticed the capable P. and contributed to his promotion. 20 year old as a young man P. was already a Cossack commander. shelf. According to the conclusion of Kuchuk-Kainardzhiysk. Mira P. was sent to Kuban and here he showed himself brilliantly. The parties are independent in quality. boss Accompanying the trans-t with his regiment, he was surrounded on April 3. 1774 huge. a crowd of Crimeans Tatars of Devlet-Girey near the river. Kalalah. P. built a square, the rear of which was covered by a swamp, on the sides. He covered his fronts with carts, and his front with sacks of flour, and behind this fence he turned out to be desperate. resistance to the Tatars, repelling up to seven attacks during the day; By nightfall the Tatars retreated. In memory of the battle, ashes were knocked out on Kalalakh. medal. In 1775, P. was sent with his command to destroy Pugachevsk. gangs in Voronezh. and Kazan. provinces In 1782-1783 P. again fought in the Kuban and Crimea under the command of Suvorov and for his distinction received the ranks in the army of major (1784), lieutenant colonel. (1786) and regiment. (1787). While with his regiment in Potemkin's army, P. took part in the 2nd war with the Turks (1787-1791). For the assault on Ochakov (1788) P. received the Order of St. George, 4th degree. The victory at Kaushan gave him the rank of brigade and the position of marcher. ataman to Ekaterinoslavsk. Potemkin's army. 11 December In 1790, during the assault on Izmail, P. commanded the 5th column, composed of dismounted troops. Cossacks, and after Major General Bezborodko was wounded - and the 4th column. Despite the inadequate weapons of the Cossacks, P. coped with the difficulty. the task of the escalade and repelling the Turkish foray, earning the Order of St. George 3rd degree and the rank of major general. For the Persians campaign of 1796 he received a saber with an alm. and with nadp. "For bravery" and the Order of St. Vladimir, 2nd degree. At the beginning of the reign of Imp. Paul P. became a victim of slander that questioned his presence to the throne; he was exiled to Kostroma, and then imprisoned in Petropavl. fortress. With the accession of the Emperor. Alexander I P. was promoted to the city of L. and upon the death of General Orlov, appointed. (1801) troops. Ataman Donsk. troops; He remained in this position until his death, leaving the Don only to participate in wars. The time from 1801 to 1806 was devoted to P. energetically. admin. activities in native army. He moved the troops. management in Novocherkassk, safe from destructive Don spills; reorganized the troops. management, gave rights. Donsk device artillery and carried out a number of measures to regulate the service of the Cossacks. In 1806, P. was called up to the active army to command all the Cossacks. p-kami at the theater of war with Napoleon. The fame of P. began with this campaign. The Don people of P. had their first significant success during the persecution of the French. army during its movement from the Preussisch-Eylau battlefield for the river. Passargu, but with particular importunity, P.’s Cossacks harassed the enemy during the winter. a break in the campaign, when P.'s mailboxes were intended to maintain contact between our main. the army and corps of Essen (at Ostroleka). The most skillful. P.'s enterprise was his actions in May on the river. Alle against the scattered parts of Ney's corps, and that means he was captured. unpleasant convoy When moving to Friedland and further beyond the river. Neman Cossack. P.'s corps, destroying crossings and producing surprises. raids on the French, ensured calm. withdrawal of the army. During the war of 1806-1807. P. received the Order of St. George and St. Vladimir, 2nd degree, and Alexander. a ribbon, and the Don Army was granted a banner. From Tilsit P. went to the army operating against the Turks. Aug 22 1807 P. occupied Girsovo, which made it possible to begin building bridges on the Danube. In 1809, P. took part in the battle of Rassevat and the siege of Silistria, defeating the Tur. squad. After the victorious Tataritsa's ataman, who was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir, 1st degree and the rank of general from cavalier, is upset. returned to the Don in good health. To the beginning Fatherland. war, in June 1812, the flying corps of P., with a force of up to 7 thousand horses, was part of the 1st Western. Barclay de Tolly's army and was located in Grodno. Swift By Napoleon's movement towards Vilna, the Cossacks were cut off from their army and, forced to join Bagration's army, reached the Dnieper with it. On this path, P., who was in the vanguard, defeated the enemy twice. Kav-rii: June 28 - near Mir and July 2 - under Romanov. Guided by their beloved and who knew their battles perfectly. skill as an ataman, the Cossacks showed their age-old ability to deceive the enemy with their lava and strike him from skillfully hidden ambushes. After the affair at Saltanovka, P. covered the flank with a thick curtain of his Cossacks. march of the army book Bagration to Smolensk, making a successful move. raid on one of Davout's detachments. When Russian The armies united near Smolensk and went on the offensive; its beginning was successful. case on July 27 at Malev Swamp, in which P. knocked over the goose. brigade from Sebastiani's division and took more than 300 people. captured After Smolensk. battles he commanded the vanguard united. armies and only for several. days before Borodin was replaced by Konovnitsyn. To Borodin. the battle of the Cossacks P. together with the cavalier. Uvarov's corps made a search to the rear of the lion. flank of the French army, which prompted Napoleon to delay the attack on Raevsky’s battery. But in the days close to Borodin. battle, an incomparably great service was rendered to P. as the initiator of the rise of the Cossacks. Don militia; in an order to his fellow countrymen, he demanded that they quickly and almost completely. exit to service, indicating and most quickly. the order of following newly formed regiments to the army. They, among 21, arrived in Tarutino, and the army formed 22 thousand. The mass of Cossacks, so necessary for what was brewing, will decide. turning point of the campaign. When after the battle. At Maloyaroslavets, the French retreat to Smolen was determined. road, Kutuzov entrusted P. with direct pursuit of them. Constantly following someone in the partisans. detachments, then in one mass under the leadership of the ataman, the Cossacks exterminated the decaying with each. French in the afternoon army, taking daily trophies in the form of prisoners, weapons and other booty. Franz. During the persecution, the army delivered only into the hands of the Cossacks, personally led by P., over 50 thousand prisoners, 500 op., several. banners and more the amount of gold and silver looted in Moscow. Oct 22 P. took part in the defeat of the French near Vyazma. From Dorogobuzh he followed the corps of the Viceroy of Italyansk. on Spirituality; Under the blows of the Cossacks, the Italians were forced to abandon up to 60 ord. and October 28, overtaken while crossing the river. Howl, they lost their carts. November 7 P. completed the destruction of Ney’s corps and continued with his tireless forces. riders follow Napoleon to the Berezina and beyond. On December 2, near Kovna, he pushed back Ney’s vanguard from the Russians. limits. For his services to the Fatherland. during the war P. was awarded the count. title. In December 1812 P. was one of the first to cross the border and pursued MacDonald's troops to Danzig, which on January 3. was overlaid with it. Soon the chieftain was recalled to the Imp. chapters apartment, where he remained during the campaigns of 1813-1814, receiving from time to time a separate command. squads. In the fall of 1813, he first went to bed. detachments acted on messages from the French. Near Leipzig 4 Oct. P. attacked the enemy's flank with creatures. , support for the Klenau corps, and 6 Oct. Together with Bennigsen he captured Württemberg. brigade. Awarded the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called, P. was sent to defend Weimar; Having overthrown Lefebvre's troops here, he pursued the French to Hanau and received a magnificent reward. diamond feather for a cap with a monogram. image of Vysoch. Name. Continuing the persecution of the retreating French within France and preceding the main. allied army, P. at the end of January. was sent from 3 thousand. Cossack a detachment to search for Fontainebleau; 3 Feb. The Cossacks, with the assistance of their artillery, took Nemours by storm, and returning from the search, on February 19. captured the garrison retreating from Arcy-sur-Aube. After the conclusion of Paris. Peace P. was accompanied by Imp. Alexandra to England. Here he was delighted with the subject. ovation from the English as one of the most popular. heroes Napoleon. wars. The Prince Regent presented him with his portrait, showered with jewels. stones; London brought him jewels. saber, Oxford University - Dr. diploma. From abroad, the ataman returned to Novocherkassk and here he continued to devote his concerns to the welfare of the region and the Cossacks, as well as to the improvement of fighting. training of Cossacks, not remaining indifferent to the fate of the orphans of those who died in the wars of 1812-1814. Under him, a gymnasium and troops were founded in Novocherkassk. printing house. P. died on January 3. 1818 Imp. Nicholas I immortalized the memory of the "Whirlwind-Ataman" with a monument to the work of the bar. Klodt, staged by Alexander. Novocherkassk square. P., who knew his fellow countrymen well, enjoyed great favor among them. authority and influence and had a special the ability to speak sincerely and merge the soul with the simple. person. Thanks to this, in the Fatherland. P.'s war, with its rare military. experience, the worthy appeared. the manager is a Cossack. forces that had the ability to inspire the Cossacks and maintain their energy among the heavy forces. campaign and combine their efforts to exterminate the enemy using techniques consistent with the natural properties of the Cossack. k-tsy. ( N Biographical Dictionary Big Encyclopedic Dictionary
Ataman of the Don Cossack Army (from 1801), cavalry general (1809), who took part in all the wars of the Russian Empire of the late 18th - early 19th centuries
Matvey Platov
short biography
Count (1812) Matvey Ivanovich Platov(1753-1818) - ataman of the Don Cossack Army (from 1801), cavalry general (1809), who took part in all the wars of the Russian Empire of the late 18th - early 19th centuries. In 1805 he founded Novocherkassk, where he moved the capital of the Don Cossack Army.
Platov was born in the capital of the Don Cossacks, Cherkassk (now the village of Starocherkasskaya, Aksay district, Rostov region) and was baptized in the Church of Peter and Paul, which has survived to this day.
“Of the elder children of the Don Army” - his Cossack father was a military foreman. By birth he belonged to the Old Believers-Priests, although due to his position he did not advertise this. Mother - Platova Anna Larionovna, born in 1733. Married to Ivan Fedorovich, they had four sons - Matvey, Stefan, Andrei and Peter.
Matvey Ivanovich entered service on the Don in the Military Chancellery in 1766 with the rank of constable, and on December 4, 1769 he received the rank of captain.
In 1771 he distinguished himself during the attack and capture of the Perekop line and Kinburn. Since 1772 he commanded a Cossack regiment. In 1774 he fought against the highlanders in the Kuban. On April 3, he was surrounded by Tatars near the Kalala River, but managed to fight back and forced the enemy to retreat.
In 1775, at the head of his regiment, he took part in the defeat of the Pugachevites.
in 1782-1783 he fought with the Nogais in the Kuban. In 1784 he participated in the suppression of uprisings of Chechens and Lezgins.
In 1788 he distinguished himself during the assault on Ochakov. In 1789 - in the battle of Kaushany (September 13) during the capture of Akkerman (September 28) and Bender (November 3). During the assault on Izmail (December 11, 1790) he led the 5th column.
Since 1790, ataman of the Ekaterinoslav and Chuguev Cossack troops. On January 1, 1793, he was promoted to major general.
In 1796 he took part in the Persian campaign. After the campaign was suddenly canceled by decree from St. Petersburg, having disobeyed the Highest command, he remained with his regiment to guard the headquarters of the commander-in-chief, Count Valerian Zubov, who was threatened with Persian captivity.
He was suspected by Emperor Paul I of conspiracy and in 1797 exiled to Kostroma, and then imprisoned in the Peter and Paul Fortress. In January 1801, he was released and became a participant in Paul's most adventurous enterprise - the Indian campaign. Only with the death of Paul in March 1801, Platov, who had already advanced to Orenburg at the head of 27 thousand Cossacks, was returned by Alexander I.
On September 15, 1801, he was promoted to lieutenant general and appointed military ataman of the Don Army. In 1805 he founded the new capital of the Don Cossacks - Novocherkassk. He did a lot to streamline army command and control.
In the campaign of 1807, he commanded all the Cossack regiments of the active army. After the battle of Preussisch-Eylau he earned all-Russian fame. He became famous for his dashing raids on the flanks of the French army, defeating several separate detachments. After the retreat from Heilsberg, Platov’s detachment acted in the rearguard, taking on constant blows from the French troops pursuing the Russian army.
In Tilsit, where peace was concluded, Platov met Napoleon, who, in recognition of the ataman’s military successes, gave him a precious snuff box. The chieftain refused the French Order of the Legion of Honor, saying:
I did not serve Napoleon and cannot serve.
Patriotic War and Foreign Campaign
During the Patriotic War of 1812, he first commanded all the Cossack regiments on the border, and then, covering the retreat of the army, had successful dealings with the enemy near the towns of Mir and Romanovo. In the battle near the village of Semlevo, Platov’s army defeated the French and captured a colonel from the army of Marshal Murat. Part of the success belongs to Major General Baron Rosen, who was given complete freedom of action by Ataman Platov. After the battle of Saltanovka, he covered Bagration’s retreat to Smolensk. On July 27 (August 8) he attacked the cavalry of General Sebastiani near the village of Molevo Boloto, overthrew the enemy, took 310 prisoners and Sebastiani’s briefcase with important papers.
Engraving by S. Cardelli “Matvey Ivanovich Platov”, late 18th century. - 1st quarter of the 19th century. 75x61
After the Battle of Smolensk, Platov commanded the rearguard of the united Russian armies. On August 17 (29) he was replaced by Konovnitsyn for “lack of management” and expelled from the active army. This was achieved by Barclay de Tolly, who reported to the king:
General Platov, as chief of the irregular troops, is placed in too high a position, not having sufficient nobility of character to correspond to his position. He is an egoist and has become a sybarite to the highest degree. His inactivity is such that I must send my adjutants to him, so that one of them will be with him, or at his outposts, in order to be sure that my orders will be carried out.
Denis Davydov clarifies the real reason for the expulsion:
Prince Bagration, who always had big influence Platov, who loved to indulge in drunkenness, taught him in 1812 to some abstinence from mustard vodka - in the hope of soon receiving the dignity of a count. Ermolov managed to deceive Platov for a long time, but the ataman, having finally lost all hope of being a count, began to drink terribly; he was therefore expelled from the army to Moscow.
From August 17 (29) to August 25 (September 6) he fought daily with the French vanguard units. At the critical moment of the Battle of Borodino, together with Uvarov, he was sent to bypass Napoleon’s left flank. Near the village of Bezzubovo, the cavalry was stopped by the troops of General Ornano and returned.
He called on the Cossacks to join the militia, and already in Tarutino the Cossack contingent reached 22 thousand people.
After the battle of Maloyaroslavets, Platov was tasked with organizing the pursuit of the retreating Great Army. He took part in the battle of Vyazma, and then organized the pursuit of the Beauharnais corps. On October 27 (November 8) on the Vop River between Dorogobuzh and Dukhovshchina, he cut off part of the Beauharnais corps and took 3.5 thousand prisoners, including the chief of staff of the corps, General Sanson, and 62 guns. He took part in the battles of the Kolotsky Monastery, Smelev, Smolensk, Krasny.
For his merits, by a personal Highest decree of October 29 (November 10), 1812, the ataman of the Don Army, cavalry general Matvey Ivanovich Platov, with his descendants, was elevated to the dignity of count of the Russian Empire.
On November 15, Borisov was occupied, and the enemy lost about 5 thousand killed and 7 thousand captured. For three days he pursued the retreating enemy army from Vilno to Kovno and, without giving him time to reorganize his forces, entered Kovno on December 3.
During the campaign of 1812, the Cossacks under the command of Platov took about 70 thousand prisoners, captured 548 guns and 30 banners, and also recaptured a huge amount of valuables looted in Moscow.
On December 2 (14), he was one of the first to cross the Neman and pursued MacDonald's troops to Danzig, which he besieged on January 3, 1813.
During the Foreign Campaign, he was at the Headquarters, and from time to time he was entrusted with the command of individual detachments operating on enemy communications. In September he received command of a special corps, with which he participated in the battle of Leipzig. Pursuing the enemy, he captured about 15 thousand people. In February 1814, he fought at the head of his regiments during the capture of Nemours (February 4), Arcy-sur-Aube, Cezanne and Villeneuve.
In 1814, after the conclusion of the Paris Peace, he accompanied Emperor Alexander I to London, where he was greeted with loud applause. Together with three particularly distinguished commanders of the armies of the anti-Napoleonic coalition - Russian Field Marshal Barclay de Tolly, Prussian Field Marshal Blücher and Austrian Field Marshal Schwarzenberg, he received a special honorary saber made of jewelry as a reward from the City of London (located in Novocherkassk in the Museum of the History of the Don Cossacks). He became the first Russian to be awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Oxford University.
Death
Memorial plaque at the site of the original burial of M. I. Platov. Maly Mishkin farm.
Died on January 3 (January 15, new style) 1818. He was originally buried in Novocherkassk in the family crypt near the Ascension Cathedral in 1818. In 1875, he was reburied at the Bishop's dacha (Mishkin farm), and on October 4 (17), 1911, his ashes were transferred to the tomb of the Military Cathedral in Novocherkassk. After October 1917, Platov's grave was desecrated. A photograph from 1936 shows a broken monument by I. Martos with the chipped head of a military leader. The ashes were reburied in the same place in the military cathedral on May 15, 1993.
In service:
- 1766 - entered service on the Don in the Military Chancellery as a sergeant;
- December 4 (15), 1769 - esaul;
- January 1 (12), 1772 - Don Troops as colonel;
- November 24 (December 5), 1784 - prime major;
- September 20 (October 1), 1786 - lieutenant colonel;
- June 2 (13), 1787 - colonel;
- in 1788 - transferred to the Ekaterinoslav (later Chuguevsky) cavalry Cossack regiment;
- September 24 (October 5), 1789 - brigadier, remaining in the same Chuguevsky cavalry Cossack regiment;
- January 1 (12), 1793 - major general;
- During the reign of Emperor Paul I, he was expelled from service, exiled to Kostroma and arrested, but then pardoned and ordered to lead a campaign to Orenburg:
- September 15 (27), 1801 - lieutenant general;
- 1801 - assistant to the military chieftain and military chieftain of the entire Don army;
- September 29 (October 11), 1809 - general of the cavalry.
- in 1771 - during the first Turkish war during the capture of the Perekop line and Kinburn;
- 1774 - in Kuban, where he distinguished himself under the river. Kalalakh, with weak forces, repelled seven attacks by Khan Devlet-Girey and the mountain princes;
- 1775 - during the search for Pugachev and the dispersal of his gangs;
- 1782-1783 - in Kuban;
- 1784 - against Lezgins and Chechens;
- 1788 - during the siege and assault of Ochakov, for which he was awarded the Order of St. George, 4th class, on April 14 (25), 1789;
- 1789 - in the battle of Kaushany, where he captured 3 guns, 2 banners and 160 prisoners, including Hassan Pasha, for which he was promoted to brigadier and appointed marching chieftain, during the capture of Akkerman and Bendery;
- 1790 - during the storming of Izmail, for which he received the Order of St. George, 3rd class, on March 25 (April 5), 1791, after which he was appointed ataman of the Ekaterinoslav and Chuguev Cossacks;
- 1796 - in the Persian campaign, for which he was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir, 3rd class. and a golden saber with diamonds and the inscription “for bravery”;
- 1801 - on a campaign to Orenburg;
- 1807 - in Prussia, commanding all the Cossack regiments, in cases against the French at Preussisch-Eylau, Ortelsburg, Allenstein, Heilsberg, retreat after Friedland, for which he was awarded the Order of St. George, 2nd class, Vladimir, 2nd class. and Alexander Nevsky and Prussian - Red and Black Eagle;
- 1809 - in cases against the Turks: under Babadag, Girsov, Rassevat, Silistria and Tataritsa, for which he was awarded the rank of cavalry general and the Order of St. Vladimir, 1st class;
- in 1812 - during the invasion of French troops into Russia, he retreated from Grodno to Lida and Nikolaev, from where he sent out detachments to discover the enemy, had clashes with him at Korelichi, Mir - on June 28 and Romanov - on July 2; went to Mogilev, where he dealt with the enemy on July 11; passing from there to Dubrovka, he opened communication with the 1st Army; forming the vanguard during the attack on Rudnya, defeated two hussar regiments at Molevoy Bolot, and then covered the army during the retreat to Smolensk; after the battle of Smolensk, he formed a rearguard and held the enemy at Mikhalev and on the banks of the river. Axis; On August 26, at Borodino, he attacked the enemy’s left wing from the rear and caused confusion in the convoys; from August 27, he followed to Moscow, in the rearguard of the army, and after Napoleon’s speech from Moscow he observed the road from Mozhaisk to Kaluga; during the battle of Maloyaroslavets, he observed the road from Borovsk to Maloyaroslavets, and also harassed the enemy in the rear and right flank; on the night of October 13, he dealt with the enemy at the river. Puddle; from October 14, he monitored the movements of the enemy and had business with him near the Kolotsky Monastery (October 19), near the village. Fedorovsky (October 22), Semlev, Gusin, Orsha (November 8), Borisov - 6 (November 15), Zenbina, Pogulyanka near Vilna (November 28) and Kovne; at the end of December, occupied Mühlhausen and Elbin; On October 29 (November 10), 1812, he was elevated to the hereditary dignity of count of the Russian Empire;
- 1813 - on January 3, he laid siege to Danzig, but was soon recalled to the main apartment; then he took part in the battles of Altenburg, Leipzig and Weimar, for which he received the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called (for Leipzig) and a diamond feather with the sovereign’s monogram and laurels to wear on his hat; On October 21, he occupied Frankfurt and then pursued the enemy to Mainz, where he had a heated affair between Gochheim and the village of Wickert;
- in 1814 - within France, at first it formed the vanguard, maintaining communications with Blucher’s army, and after connecting it with the main army, it was sent in search of the enemy to Nemours, Fontainebleau and Melun; in February he took Nemours (February 4) and Arcis-sur-Aube and had a clash at Villeneuve, and then was summoned to the main apartment, where he remained until the end of the campaign.
- In February 1777, he married Nadezhda Stepanovna, the daughter of the marching ataman Stepan Efremov and the granddaughter of Major General Daniil Efremov. From his first marriage, Matvey Ivanovich had a son, Ivan (I) (1777-1806). After the death of N. S. Platova (11/15/1783), M. I. Platov married a second time.
- In 1785, his second wife was Marfa Dmitrievna (b. ca. 1760 - 12/24/1812/1813), widow of Colonel Pavel Fomich Kirsanov (1740-1782), sister of the ataman Andrei Dmitrievich Martynov. She was awarded the Order of St. Catherine of the Small Cross on August 11, 1809. In his second marriage, Matvey Ivanovich had four daughters and two sons:
- Marfa (1786-1821) - married to Colonel Stepan Dmitrievich Ilovaisky (1778-1816);
- Anna (1788-?) - married to Kharitonov;
- Maria (1789-1866) - wife of Major General Timofey Dmitrievich Grekov;
- Alexandra (1791-?);
- Matvey (1793-after 1814) - Major General, awarded the Order of St. George, 4th class. “for distinction in battles with the French” (1813);
- Ivan (II, 1796-1874) - colonel, participant in the Patriotic War of 1812, holder of the Order of the Legion of Honor.
- Order of the Holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called (08.10.1813)
- Order of St. George, 2nd class (11/22/1807) - “ For repeated participation in battles as head of forward posts during the war with the French in 1807»
- Order of St. George, 3rd class (03/25/1791) - “ In honor of the diligent service and excellent courage shown during the capture of the city and fortress of Izmail by storm with the extermination of the Turkish army that was there, commanding a column.»
- Order of St. George, 4th class (04/14/1789) - “ For excellent courage shown during the attack on the Ochakov fortress.»
- Order of St. Vladimir, 1st class (1809)
- Order of St. Vladimir, 2nd class (1807)
- Order of St. Vladimir, 3rd class (1796)
- Order of St. Alexander Nevsky (11/18/1806)
- Diamond signs for the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky (1807)
- Order of St. Anne, 1st class (1801)
- Order of St. John of Jerusalem, commander's cross (1801)
- Golden saber with diamonds and the inscription “For bravery” (1796)
- Silver medal "In memory of the Patriotic War of 1812"
- Diamond feather with the monogram of Emperor Alexander I and laurels on a shako (1813)
- Order of the Black Eagle (Prussia, 1807)
- Order of the Red Eagle (Prussia, 1807)
- Precious snuff box presented by the French Emperor Napoleon I (France, 1807)
- Military Order of Maria Theresa, 3rd class (Austria, 1813)
- Austrian Order of Leopold, 2nd class (Austria, 1813)
- Saber set with diamonds from the City of London (Great Britain, 1814);
In campaigns and affairs against the enemy was:
By the highest order on January 26 (February 7), 1818, he was excluded from the lists of the dead (died January 3 (15), 1818).
Family
Lifetime portrait of M. I. Platov, painted during his stay in London (1814)
The count family of the Platovs comes from M.I. Platov. He was married twice.
In addition, the Platov family brought up the children of Marfa Dmitrievna from her first marriage - Khrisanf Kirsanov, the future major general, and Ekaterina Pavlovna Kirsanova, later the wife of the ataman Nikolai Ilovaisky.
Having been widowed, Platov cohabited with an Englishwoman, Elizabeth, whom he met during a visit to London. After his death, she returned to her homeland.
Awards
Refused the Legion of Honor (1807)
Memory
Monument to M.I. Platov with the words: “To Ataman Count Platov for military exploits from 1770 to 1816 Grateful Donets.” Novocherkassk.
In 1853, in Novocherkassk, using public money collected by subscription, a monument to Platov was erected (authors P.K. Klodt, A. Ivanov, N. Tokarev). In 1923, the monument was removed and transferred to the Donskoy Museum, and in 1925 a monument to Lenin was erected on the same pedestal. In 1993, the monument to Lenin was dismantled, and the restored monument to Platov returned to the pedestal. In 2003, an equestrian monument to Platov was erected in the same city. Another 10 years later, an equestrian monument to the ataman was erected in Moscow. As the traditions of the Don Cossacks are restored, the name of one of the most famous atamans continues to be immortalized both in the Rostov region and beyond.
Some personal belongings of Ataman Platov, in particular the saddle and cup, are in the Museum of the Life Guards Cossack Regiment near Paris in France.
The role of Platov in the film “” was played by Yuri Domogarov.
