Heroes are not born. They become. The truth is as old as the world. But in the entire history of the world, there are not so many examples that confirm this maxim. Mikhail Dmitrievich Skobelev can be safely attributed to these few.

He went through many wars, but he was not destined to die on the battlefield. His death was experienced as a nationwide grief. On the wreath from the Academy of the General Staff the inscription was silver: "To Hero Mikhail Dmitrievich SKOBELEV - Commander SUVOROV Equal." The peasants carried the coffin of Mikhail Dmitrievich 20 versts in their arms to Spassky, the Skobelev family estate. There he was buried in the church next to his father and mother. In 1912 in Moscow on Tverskaya Square on folk remedies A beautiful monument was erected to Skobelev, but in 1918 it was demolished in accordance with the decree "On the removal of monuments to the tsars and their servants and the development of projects for the monuments of the Russian socialist revolution."

July 4, 1882, 130 years ago, the great Russian commander Mikhail Dmitrievich Skobelev died tragically

Russia experienced in last centuries two black stripes in its history: after the 1917 revolution and democratization, which "started" in 1991. But both of them were marked by the rejection of their history, the shaming of their heroes. The massive demolition of monuments, the change in the names of streets, squares and cities, the endless reworking of history lead to the creation of chaos in the heads of people, to the multiplication of seeds of discord in society, and the loss of guidelines for civic education of the younger generations.

The eternal opponents of Russia gloat over how the Russians (or rather, today's Russians) recklessly mutilate their ancestry, throw out their yesterday's heroes from the graves. Their homegrown singers willingly blaspheme their past. For them, Kutuzov is "a gray commander who has not won a single significant battle", G. Zhukov is "a cruel commander who paved the way to victory with corpses." The degeroization of Russian history is the cherished dream of all our adversaries, external and internal. A prime example to illustrate this statement are the life and deeds of Mikhail Dmitrievich Skobelev - an outstanding military leader of the 19th century, who, like A.V. Suvorov, did not lose a single battle, won the immeasurable love of the army and the entire people, and now almost unknown to the younger generation.

Mikhail Skobelev was born in 1843 in the family estate of the Spasskoye Ryazan province in a family of hereditary military men. His grandfather was a general for years Patriotic War 1812 and M. Kutuzov's adjutant, his father in the rank of lieutenant general participated in the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878. together with his famous son. Mikhail Dmitrievich himself all conscious life spent in the ranks of the Russian army. His military career was fast-paced. By the end of his life, at the age of 38, he was already a general of infantry, a knight of the Order of George the Victorious of three degrees, an idol of the Russian army, a prominent political figure. Rarely does the popular rumor assign its own, unique titles. M.Skobelev was awarded such a great honor and went down in Russian history as the "White General", because, as a rule, he appeared before the troops before the battle on a white horse and in a white uniform. Some condemned this behavior of the general: he seemed to be turning into a desired target for enemy fire, but M. Skobelev had his own reasons. He recalled that once, while carrying out a task to clarify maps in the Finnish border area, he lost his way in dead swampy places. It seemed to him that he should stick to one side, but the white horse stubbornly pulled him in the opposite direction. Finally, he resigned himself, relied on the will of God and soon returned safely to the base, where everyone was already pretty worried about his life. Since then, he has given a vow: to ride only on white horses.

Something similar influenced the color of the combat uniform he chose. The father-general gave M. Skobelev during the Russian-Turkish war a black tanned sheepskin coat to save him from the fierce cold in the Carpathians in the Shipka region. A month later, M. Skobelev wrote a letter to his father in which he informed him that he was returning the donated sheepskin coat, because he twice fell under the fire of Turkish batteries and received serious concussions, while the white color made him invulnerable to enemy bullets and shrapnel. ...

White color general's horse and uniform became a powerful mobilizing moral and psychological factor for the soldiers and officers of the Russian army. The appearance of the invincible M.Skobelev in front of the regiments in its now usual form was perceived as a guarantee of indispensable success.

The brilliant victories of the troops under the command of M. Skobelev were based on the general's amazing military talent and his inextricable paternal connection with the soldiers who paid him with love and incredible fortitude in battle. He had to fight twice in Central Asia and once in the Balkans, freeing Bulgaria from the Ottoman yoke. In all three campaigns, he relied on the speed of maneuver, decisiveness of the blow. He was irritated by the slowness, unjustified caution, lethargy in the actions of the high command, which often became the reason for hostility towards M. Skobelev. When the Russian army trampled on the left bank of the Danube for a long time at the beginning of the Russian-Turkish war in anticipation of the building of bridges, M. Skobelev suggested that cavalry units be floated to the Turkish coast to quickly capture bridgeheads. Senior commanders objected: they say, this is an unheard of business. Then the young general took the first horse that came across, unsaddled it, took off his outer clothing and rushed on horseback into the Danube, swam safely across it and returned back.

The units subordinate to him could make marches of 40-45 km for three days in a row and catch Turkish troops by surprise, who did not expect such a speed of movement of the Russian infantry. The detachment of Mikhail Dmitrievich ultimately decided the outcome of the months-long battle on Shipka. Crossing the mountain passes of the Carpathians in winter, he bypassed the Turkish positions and ended up in their rear near the village of Sheinovo.

The famous painting by the artist Vereshchagin captured the moment when the triumphant M. Skobelev congratulated the troops on a remarkable victory.

By the end of the war, M. Skobelev's detachments came closest to the gates of Istanbul and at that moment received an order from the command to stop. Mikhail Dmitrievich was frankly outraged by the cowardice of the chiefs, who seemed to be afraid of a sudden attack by Austria-Hungary on the Russian army. He even told his immediate commanders: "Give me the opportunity to take Constantinople under my responsibility, and then you can put me on trial and even shoot me if it is deemed necessary, but Russia will not have another such opportunity!" At this time, under his command there were 40 thousand battle-hardened fighters.

Political and diplomatic considerations prevailed. All of Europe bristled against Russia, forced her to retreat at the Berlin Congress. Orders and new military ranks did not console Mikhail Dmitrievich. He acutely felt that the German Empire, which was gaining strength under the leadership of Bismarck and its ally Austria-Hungary, would be the main enemies of Russia in the foreseeable future, which happened in the First and Second World Wars.

As a counterbalance to the German threat, he defended the idea of pan-Slavic unity. One of his close friends, the writer Vasily Ivanovich Nemirovich-Danchenko ( brother famous theatrical figure) noted that the ideal of M.Skobelev was a mighty indivisible Russia, surrounded by Slavic allied countries, free and independent, but welded by one blood, one faith. He repeatedly expressed this idea publicly during speeches in Europe, which aroused the hatred of the European authorities and the press. Only in Paris was he received with understanding, they remembered the monstrous defeat that the Prussians inflicted on the French in the war of 1871.

In 1880, he was sent to Central Asia, where he was to strike a blow at the growing ambitions of England, which sought to turn the feudal princes of the Akhal-Teke region (present-day Turkmenistan) into its vassals. The campaign, designed for 2 years, was brilliantly completed by M. Skobelev in 9 months. In a waterless desert land, he had to solve an atypical task: to take by storm the Geok-Tepe fortress, in which 25 thousand desperate Tekin warriors settled. Applying all engineering and technical innovations, including rocket artillery, mine explosive devices, the Russian army captured Geok-Tepe with minimal losses in January 1881. This was the last military victory of M. Skobelev.

He returned to Russia, took command of the 4th Army Corps, stationed in Minsk, and began to improve his military training. At this time, he became close to the famous Slavophile I.S. Aksakov. In one of his letters Skobelev wrote to him: “Our common sacred cause for me, as, I suppose, for you, is closely connected with the revival of the now-slain Russian self-consciousness ... when Russia speaks Russian, which has not happened for so long, long time. M.Skobelev's patriotism spawned enemies around him. General's relationship with the new emperor Alexander III were excellent, in March and April 1882 he was twice received by him and after lengthy conversations with the monarch went out to great mood... But outside the royal palace, the situation was different. On March 23, 1882, he wrote to IS Aksakov: “I received several calls (to a duel - NL), which I did not answer. Obviously, it is very desirable for the enemies of the Russian national revival to get rid of me this way. It is both cheap and angry, you know me so much that, of course, you are sure of my calm attitude to any chance. It is only important, if the inevitable happens, to extract from the fact the greatest benefit for our holy people's cause. " He was haunted by a premonition of imminent death, and he even left a package with important documents for safekeeping by IS Aksakov “just in case”.

Such an incident occurred on July 7, 1882. Going on vacation to his estate, he stopped in Moscow and after dinner with the officers of his corps visited the hotel "England", located at the corner of Stoleshnikov Lane and st. Petrovka. There, in a luxurious room, lived a courtesan known in Moscow, Charlotte Altenrose, an Austrian Jewess who called herself either Eleanor, now Rose, or Wanda. She ran out into the courtyard at night and told the janitor that a Russian officer had suddenly died in her room. And she immediately disappeared from Moscow, nothing is known about her fate.

Pathologists determined that the young Skobelev had paralysis of the heart and lungs, although he had never previously complained of heart problems and was generally in his prime vitality... All contemporaries agreed that a crime had taken place. M. Skobelev was poisoned, as evidenced by the unusual yellowness of his face and the quickly emerging blue spots on him - these are signs of a potent poison. All of Russia, from the emperor to the ordinary soldier and peasant, grieved. The country has not seen such a powerful wave of national grief for a long time. The body of M.D. Skobelev was sent by a special train to his estate, where the peasants carried the coffin 20 km away to the family tomb.

In 1912, an equestrian monument was erected in his honor on the square in front of the building of the governor-general's palace (now the mayor's office of Moscow), using voluntary donations from the people in Moscow. The square was named Skobelevskaya. But the political upheavals that soon began in Russia tried to erase the name of the great commander from the memory of people. After the 1917 revolution, on the direct orders of V. Lenin, the monument to Mikhail Dmitrievich Skobelev was one of the first to be demolished in Moscow, and the square was renamed Soviet (now Tverskaya). The ancestral nest of the Skobelevs was ravaged. The Transfiguration Church, where he was buried, was closed, church utensils were confiscated, and a granary was placed in the altar. The marble crypt with Skobelev's body was opened by the Chekists in search of orders and jewelry. Nothing was found, but the body of Mikhail Dmitrievich in the general's uniform was as if it were alive, according to eyewitnesses.

New times have come, the return of the former names of streets and squares has begun, and the role of heroic personalities in our history has been revised. In 1996, a group of Russian patriots created the Skobelevsky Committee, which was headed by pilot-cosmonaut Alexei Arkhipovich Leonov. Until now, the committee has been unsuccessfully trying to draw the attention of the current Russian authorities and, first of all, the Moscow mayor's office to the need to revive the memory of M.D. Skobelev, restore the destroyed monument, or at least install a memorial plaque on the building in which the outstanding Russian commander died. The committee sent at least half a dozen letters personally to the then mayor, Yuri Luzhkov, but the mayor never once deigned to respond to the appeal. In 1999, the current Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill (then Metropolitan of Smolensk and Kaliningrad) sent a personal letter on this issue to Luzhkov. The answer is silence.

Once, however, in the Moscow City Duma (in the commission on monumental art) the question of creating a monument to General Skobelev was considered. We talked more about its location. They seemed to agree that the monument should be erected in Ilyinsky park, located at the corner of Lubyansky passage and Staraya square, not far from the monument-chapel dedicated to the heroes of Plevna. We talked, talked, and forgot. The magazine "Russian House" considers it necessary to remind the capital and federal authorities of their unfulfilled duty to the Russian people and the Fatherland. In addition, it would not be a sin to restore historical justice in its entirety: to return the monument to General M.D. Skobelev on his former place and to return the square to its historical name.

The real place for the statue of the founder of Moscow, Prince Yuri Dolgoruky, is not where he was placed in 1954, but at the top of the Kremlin hill, in the center of the square, where Lenin once sat in a marble armchair.

Before the revolution, there were 6 monuments to M. Skobelev on the territory of the Russian Empire. Of these, only one bust has survived in Ryazan, all other monuments were destroyed. After 1991, some restoration work was carried out only in the small homeland of the famous general. None of the destroyed monuments have been restored. Ashamed, Russia! In Bulgaria, more than 200 monuments have been erected to the famous liberator of her Skobelev, hundreds of streets and squares are named after him, and we are only chatting about the importance of patriotic education of young generations, about rallying the nation around glorious historical values.

Everyone who hates everything Russian is trying to erase the memory of Skobelev. The best characteristic of the general is his public statements: “The experience of recent years has convinced us that if a Russian person accidentally remembers that, thanks to his history, he belongs to a great and strong people, if, God forbid, the same Russian person accidentally remembers that the Russian people make up one family with the Slavic tribe, now tormented and trampled upon, then among the homegrown and foreign foreigners cries of indignation rise. "

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Mikhail Dmitrievich Skobelev(-) - an outstanding Russian military leader and strategist, general of infantry (), adjutant general ().

Childhood and adolescence

At first he was brought up by a German tutor, with whom the boy did not have a relationship. Then he was sent to Paris in a boarding house to the Frenchman Desiderius Girarday. Over time, Girardet became a close friend of Skobelev and followed him to Russia and was with him even during the hostilities. Later, Mikhail Skobelev continued his education in Russia. In the 1860s, Skobelev was preparing to enter St. Petersburg University under the general supervision of Academician A. Nikitenko, and these studies were very successful. Skobelev successfully passed his exams, but the university was temporarily closed due to student unrest.

Military education

Skobelev presented detailed description route and roads leaving from the wells. However, Skobelev unauthorizedly overlooked the plan of the upcoming operation against Khiva, for which he was dismissed on an 11-month vacation in the summer of 1871 and his transfer to the regiment. However, in April 1872 he was again assigned to the main headquarters "for written studies." He took part in the preparation of a field trip for officers of the headquarters and the St. Petersburg military district to the Kovno and Courland provinces, and then he himself took part in it. After that, on June 5, he was transferred to the general headquarters as a captain with the appointment of a senior adjutant of the headquarters of the 22nd Infantry Division, in Novgorod, and already on August 30, 1872, he was appointed to lieutenant colonel with the appointment of a headquarters officer for assignments at the headquarters of the Moscow military district. He did not stay in Moscow for long and was soon assigned to the 74th Stavropol Infantry Regiment to command a battalion. He fulfilled the requirements of the service there regularly. Skobelev established good relations with his subordinates and superiors.

Khiva hike

Skobelev spent all the time reconnaissance in order to secure the passage of the troops and inspect the wells, advancing with a cavalry detachment in front of the army in order to protect the wells. So on May 5, near the Itybai well, Skobelev with a detachment of 10 horsemen met a caravan of Kazakhs who had gone over to the side of Khiva. Skobelev, despite the numerical superiority of the enemy, rushed into battle, in which he received 7 wounds with pikes and checkers and could not sit on a horse until May 20.

After Skobelev was out of action, the Mangishlak and Orenburg detachments united in Kungrad and, under the leadership of Major General N.A. Verevkin, continued to move towards Khiva (250 miles) across a very rugged terrain, cut by many canals, overgrown with reeds and bushes, covered with arable land, fences and gardens. Khivans, numbering 6,000 people, tried to stop the Russian detachment near Khodjeyli, Mangyt and other settlements, but to no avail.

Skobelev returned to service and on May 21 with two hundred and a rocket team, moved to Mount Kobetau and along the Karauz irrigation ditch to devastate and destroy the Turkmen villages in order to punish the Turkmen for hostile actions against the Russians; he fulfilled this commission exactly.

Meanwhile, the Kokand people concentrated at Makhram up to 50,000 people with 40 guns. During the movement of General Kaufman to Mahram, between the Syr Darya and the spurs of the Alai ridge, the enemy horse masses threatened to attack, but after the shots of the Russian batteries they crumbled and disappeared in the nearest gorges. On 22 August, General Kaufman's troops took Mahram. Skobelev with his cavalry swiftly attacked numerous enemy congregations of foot and horse, put to flight and pursued more than 10 miles, timely using the support of a rocket battery, while he was lightly wounded in the leg. In this battle, Mikhail Dmitrievich showed himself to be a brilliant cavalry commander and the Russian troops won a convincing victory.

Skobelev appeared at the Balkan theater of military operations as a very young and half-disgraced general. Skobelev showed outstanding examples of military art and care for his subordinates, and also proved himself to be a good military administrator.

Skobelev became very famous after the war. On January 6, 1878, he was awarded a golden sword with diamonds, with the inscription "for crossing the Balkans", but the attitude of the authorities towards him remained unfavorable. In a letter to a relative on August 7, 1878, he wrote: “The more time passes, the more the consciousness of my innocence before the Emperor grows in me, and therefore the feeling of deep sorrow cannot leave me ... only the duties of a loyal subject and a soldier could make me temporarily reconcile with the unbearable the gravity of my situation since March 1877. I had the misfortune of losing confidence, this was expressed to me, and it takes away from me all the strength for the good of the cause to continue the service. Therefore, do not refuse ... your advice and assistance for the expulsion of me from office, with the enrollment ... of the reserve troops. " But gradually the horizon in front of him clears up and the charges against him were dropped. On August 30, 1878, Skobelev was appointed adjutant general to the emperor of Russia, which speaks of the return of confidence in him.

After the war, Mikhail Dmitrievich took up the preparation and training of the troops entrusted to him in the Suvorov spirit. On February 4, 1879, he was approved as a corps commander and carried out various assignments in Russia and abroad. Skobelev paid attention to the assessment of some aspects of the military system of Germany, which he considered the most dangerous enemy of the Russian Empire, is very close to the Slavophiles.

General of Infantry

General of Infantry
M.D.Skobelev. 1881

The majority were inclined to believe that "Skobelev was killed", that the "white general" fell victim to German hatred. The presence at his death of a "German" gave these rumors, it seemed, more credibility. “It is wonderful,” a contemporary noted, “that the same opinion was held in intellectual circles. Here it was expressed even more definitely: the names of persons who could participate in this crime, allegedly directed by Bismarck ... The same message attributed to Bismarck the loss of the plan of war with the Germans, developed by Skobelev and stolen immediately after the death of M. D. Skobelev from his estate. "

This version was also supported by some representatives of the official circles. One of the inspirers of the reaction, Prince N. Meshchersky, wrote to Pobedonostsev in 1887: “From day to day Germany could pounce on France, crush it. But suddenly, thanks to Skobelev's bold step, the community of interests of France and Russia manifested itself for the first time, unexpectedly for everyone and to the horror of Bismarck. Neither Russia nor France were already isolated. Skobelev fell victim to his convictions, and the Russian people have no doubt about it. Many more fell, but the deed was done. "

There were also rumors that Skobelev was plotting to arrest the tsar and force him to sign the constitution, and for this reason he was allegedly poisoned by police agents.

Order of St. Anne 4 tbsp. for bravery (1863)
Order of St. George 4 tbsp. (1873)
Order of St. George 3 tbsp. (1875)
Gold sword "For Bravery" with diamonds (1876)
Order of St. Vladimir 3 tbsp. with swords (1876)
Order of St. Stanislaus 1 st. with swords (1877)
Golden sword "For Bravery" with diamonds for crossing the Balkans (1878)
Order of St. Anne 1 st. (1879)
Order of St. George 2 tbsp. (1881)

Foreign:

Prussian Order of the Red Eagle 2 tbsp. with swords (1874)
Prussian order Pour le Mérite (1878)
Serbian Order of the Cross of Tacus 1 st. large cross (1878)
Montenegrin Medal (1878)
Serbian Gold Medal for Bravery (1878)
Romanian Medal for Military Valor (1878)
Romanian Cross "For crossing the Danube" (1878)
Prussian Order of the Red Eagle 1 st. with swords (1879)

Memory of Skobelev

Monuments

Before the revolution on the territory Russian Empire at least six monuments to General M.D.Skobelev were erected.

Bialystok (Poland). The monument was a rock 6.5 meters high, on top of which lay the defeated enemy banners - Turkish, French and Teke, on which sat a two-headed eagle with outstretched wings. On the front side of the rock was a medallion with bas-relief portraits of A. V. Suvorov and M. D. Skobelev, and below, on the board, the inscription "Suvorov and Skobelev - the 16th Infantry Division with her artillery." The monument was opened on August 30, 1913 and was located on the territory summer camp divisions. Around 1918, the monument was destroyed by the Poles.

Warsaw. Bronze bust on a high pedestal. It was opened on June 12, 1912 on the parade ground near the regimental church of the Life Guards of the Grodno hussar regiment. In the early 1920s, the monument was destroyed by the Poles.

Moscow . The most monumental equestrian monument to the general was laid on June 5, 1911 and opened on June 24, 1912. The bronze figure of the general and the figures of the soldiers were cast after the model of the sculptor P. A. Samonov. The monument stood on Tverskaya Square (renamed Skobelevskaya), opposite the house of the Governor-General. In 1918 it was destroyed by the Bolsheviks and was replaced by a monument to the Soviet Constitution. In 1954, an equestrian monument to Yuri Dolgoruky was unveiled on Tverskaya Square.

Orans (Vilna province). The monument was a column topped with a bronze eagle with a wreath in its beak. On the front side of the pedestal there was a metal board with the inscription “Mikhail Dmitrievich Skobelev”. The monument was unveiled on June 25, 1886 and was located on the territory of the camp of the 16th artillery brigade. After 1915, the monument was destroyed.

Skobelev (now Fergana). Bronze bust on a high stepped pedestal. Opened on December 6, 1907 in the city park. The monument was destroyed in 1918.

village Ulanovo, Glukhovsky district, Chernigov province. Bronze bust on a granite pedestal. It was opened on June 7, 1911 in front of the soldiers' invalid house, which was opened on the same day. Soon after the revolution, the bust was removed and thrown into the cesspool of an invalid home. The pedestal has survived to this day. (Sokol K. G. Monumental monuments of the Russian Empire. Catalog. M., 2006, pp. 298-301)

M.D.Skobelev

Lived: 1843-1882

From biography:

Mikhail Dmitrievich Skobelev Russian military leader, whose activities fell on the reign of Alexander II.
His military career was rapid. By the end of his life, at the age of 38, he was already a general of infantry, a knight of the Order of George the Victorious of three degrees, an idol of the Russian army, a prominent political figure.
He took an active part in the conquest of Central Asia, in the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878, liberated Bulgaria, in which he is considered a national hero, streets and parks are named after him.
He was called "White general", Because during the battles he was always in a white uniform and on a white horse. The white color of the general's horse and uniform has become a powerful mobilizing moral and psychological factor for the soldiers and officers of the Russian army. The appearance of the invincible M.Skobelev in front of the regiments in its now usual form was perceived as a guarantee of indispensable success. But this was not the only reason why it was called that. Probably because he strove to be on the side of good, not to impoverish his soul.
The brilliant victories of the troops under the command of M. Skobelev were based on the general's amazing military talent and his inextricable paternal connection with the soldiers who paid him with love and incredible fortitude in battle.
He was a deeply patriotic man, which astonished even his enemies. “Our common sacred cause for me, as, I suppose, for you, is closely connected with the revival of the now-downtrodden Russian self-consciousness,” he said.
The ideal of M.Skobelev was the mighty indivisible Russia, surrounded by Slavic allied countries, free and independent, but welded together by one blood, one faith.
Military service began in 1861 when he was admitted to the Cavalry Regiment.
From 1868 - service in the Turkestan military district
After graduating from the Nikolaev Academy of the General Staff in 1868. M. Skobelev, he was ranked among the headquarters of 26 officers.
In 1869 he was sent to serve in Central Asia, in Tashkent. Here he studied the tactics of warfare in the conditions of a given area and climate, improved his intelligence skills, and showed personal courage in small sorties.
In 1876-1877. - military governor of the Fergana region with the rank of major general.
Army corps commander in 1878-1880

Features of military tactics M.D. Skobelev

« Convince the soldiers in practice that you are fatherly caring about them outside of battle, that there is strength in battle, and nothing will be impossible for you "(M.N. Skobelev)

The speed of maneuver, the decisiveness of the blow.
The desire to catch the enemy by surprise. For this purpose, the troops sometimes marched up to 45 km. for three days.
The ability of the commander to take responsibility for himself.
Attentiveness to the soldiers. So he introduced an innovation: instead of heavy knapsacks, he issued duffel bags made of material - lightweight, comfortable. After the war, the entire Russian army switched over to such duffel bags.
Suppression of the Polish uprising in 1863-1864
Trekking to Khiva (1873)
Campaign against the Kokand people. Suppression of the uprising in the Kokand Khanate (1874-1876)
Russian-Turkish war in 1877-1878 (crossing the Danube river, capture of the Plevna fortress, crossing the Balkans, battle at Shipka-Sheinovo, occupation of Adrianople and San Stefano, advance to Istanbul).
In 1880-1881. - the head of the Akhal-Teke expedition.

Military operations in which M. Skobelev took part

Khiva campaign, 1873

He took part as an officer of the general staff at the Mangishlak detachment of Colonel Lomakin.

Purpose of the hike- firstly, to strengthen the Russian borders, which were subjected to targeted attacks by local feudal lords, equipped with English weapons, and secondly, to protect those of them who came under Russian patronage.

The trip took place in difficult conditions: heat, lack of water, transportation of provisions and tools on camels. M.Skobelev proved himself to be a skillful organizer and commander, sharing all the difficulties of the journey with the soldiers. He took care of the needs of the soldiers, at the same time there was always order in his echelon.

He assigned a large role to reconnaissance, as well as the search for wells and their protection. On the way, there were clashes with the Cossacks who went over to the side of Khiva. With Khivans. In one of the battles M.Skobelev received 7 wounds. On May 28, Khiva capitulated. For the campaign M.Skobelev was awarded the Order of St. George, 4th degree, and later enlisted in the retinue of His Imperial Majesty.

Campaign against the Kokand people.

Suppression of the uprising in the Kokand Khanate (1874-1876)

It was a campaign against the rebellion of the feudal lords of the Kokand Khanate, against the robber nomads who ravaged the Russian border lands.

After a successful campaign M.Skobelev in the rank of major general was appointed governor and commander of the troops of the Fergana region, formed on the territory of the abolished Kokand Khanate. Skobelev found mutual language with the conquered tribes. The Sarts reacted well to the arrival of the Russians, but still their weapons were taken away. The warlike Kipchaks, once subdued, kept their word and did not rebel.

Mikhail Skobelev's participation in the Russian-Turkish war

1877-1878

The goal is to free the Orthodox peoples from the oppression of the Ottoman Empire.

On June 15, 1877, Russian troops crossed the Danube and launched an offensive. The Bulgarians enthusiastically greeted the Russian army and poured into it.

M.Skobelev has earned the reputation of a talented and fearless commander. During the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878. he actually commanded(being the chief of staff of the Consolidated Cossack Division) by the Caucasian Cossack brigade during the 2nd assault Pleven in July 1877 and a separate detachment when capturing Lovchey in August 1877

At the last stage of the war, while pursuing the retreating Turkish troops, Skobelev, commanding the vanguard of the Russian troops, occupied Adrianople and in February 1878 San Stefano in the vicinity of Constantinople.

Hike to Central Asia in 1880

The desire to annex the Akhal-Teke Territory (Turkestan), to which England was also striving. The campaign was completed in 9 months. M.Skobelev applied all engineering and technical innovations: rocket artillery, mine explosive devices.

From the statements of M.N. Skobelev

The West is wrong about Russia. He thinks that we are so weakened by the war that all our power has already dried up. This is mistake. A nation of one hundred million people capable of sacrificing themselves for an idea is not so easy to erase. Russia is alive, and if certain limits are crossed, it will decide to fight ... And then it will not be good for any foreigner.
To learn and borrow from them everything that is possible, but at home it is better and more convenient for us to settle down. (About the West)
Despising the enemy is the most dangerous tactic. But it is necessary to reckon with them.
Believe me, with good troops and experienced generals and officers there are no impregnable fortresses ... First of all, you need to have audacity with knowledge and talent, and the rest will follow ... Calculation and audacity.
Russia is the only country in Europe where there is enough idealism to fight for feelings. Its people do not shy away from sacrifices for faith and brotherhood. Beware of pushing these feelings to the extreme.

Material for a historical essay

Historical era

Historical event, cause and effect relationships

EpochAlexandraII

(1855-1881)

Active foreign policy, annexation of new territories.Causes:

The need to return international authority after the defeat in the Crimean War.
War in Central Asia and with Turkey for the annexation of new territories.

Corollary:

As a result of successful foreign policy Alexander II's international prestige has grown significantly
A successful war with Turkey, the annexation of a large territory of Central Asia, a significant expansion of the borders of Russia.

A significant role in these events was played by M. N. Skobelev, who was a prominent military leader during the reign of Alexander II. He was a participant in almost all major military battles of Russia of this period, showing personal courage and courage, as well as bright organizational and military leadership skills. His attention to the everyday life and military training of soldiers, the conduct of decisive offensive operations, the use of the latest achievements of military technology - all this led to victories both in the war with Turkey and in the liberation of Bulgaria and the conquest of Central Asia.

Thus, thanks to such prominent military figures as M.N. Skobelev, the Russian Empire during the reign of Alexander II was one of the strongest countries in the world.

This material can be used when preparing for assignment number 25 - historical essay on the era of Alexander II

Prepared by: Vera Melnikova

General M. Skobelev on horseback. Painting by artist ND Dmitriev-Orneburgsky. 1883.

VV Vereshchagin Shipka-Sheinovo. Skobelev pod Shipka "

Mikhail Dmitrievich Skobelev(September 17 - June 25 [July 7]) - Russian military leader and strategist, general of infantry (1881), adjutant general (1878).

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✪ 57. Mikhail Skobelev.

✪ General Mikhail Dmitrievich Skobelev.

✪ Conversations in the photo kitchen. Skobelev with Shadrin

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Biography

Childhood and adolescence

Until the age of six, he was brought up by his grandfather and family friend, the dean of the Peter and Paul Cathedral, Grigory Dobrotvorsky. Then - a German tutor, with whom the boy did not have a relationship. Then he was sent to Paris, to the boarding house of the Frenchman Desiderius Girard. Over time, Girardet became a close friend of Skobelev and followed him to Russia, where he was the home teacher of the Skobelev family.

Mikhail Skobelev continued his education in Russia. In 1858-1860 Skobelev was preparing to enter St. Petersburg University under the general supervision of Academician A. V. Nikitenko, then, for a year, his studies were supervised by L.N. Modzalevsky. In 1861, Skobelev successfully passed the exams and was admitted to his own degree student in the mathematical category, but he studied for a very short time since the university was temporarily closed due to student riots.

Military education

On November 22, 1861, Mikhail Skobelev entered military service in the Cavalry Regiment. After passing the exam, Mikhail Skobelev was promoted to a cadet harness on September 8, 1862, and to cornet on March 31, 1863. In February 1864, he accompanied, as an orderly, Adjutant General Count Baranov, who was sent to Warsaw to promulgate the Manifesto on the emancipation of the peasants and on the allotment of land to them. Skobelev asked for a transfer to the Life Guards Grodno Hussar Regiment, which was conducting military operations against the Polish rebels, and on March 19, 1864 he was transferred. Even before the transfer, Mikhail Skobelev spent a vacation as a volunteer in one of the regiments in pursuit of Shpak's detachment.

Since March 31, Skobelev, in the detachment of Lieutenant Colonel Zankisov, has been participating in the destruction of the rebels. For the destruction of Shemiot's detachment in the Radkovitsky forest, Skobelev was awarded the Order of St. Anna, 4th degree "for bravery." In 1864 he went on vacation abroad, to see the theater of military operations of the Danes against the Germans. On August 30, 1864, Skobelev was promoted to lieutenant.

In the fall of 1866, he entered the Nikolaev Academy of the General Staff. At the end of the Academy course in 1868, Skobelev became the 13th of 26 officers assigned to the General Staff. Skobelev had not brilliant success in military statistics and photography, and especially in geodesy, but this was corrected by the fact that Skobelev was second in military art, and first in military history in the entire issue, and was also among the first in foreign and Russian languages. on political history and in many other subjects.

First cases in Asia

In view of the petition of the commander of the troops of the Turkestan Military District, Adjutant General von Kaufman I, Mikhail Dmitrievich Skobelev, was promoted to staff captain and in November 1868 was appointed to the Turkestan District. At his place of service, in Tashkent, Skobelev arrived at the beginning of 1869 and at first was at the headquarters of the district. Mikhail Skobelev studied local methods of warfare, also made reconnaissance and participated in petty affairs on the Bukhara border, and showed personal courage.

At the end of 1870, Mikhail was sent to the command of the commander-in-chief of the Caucasian army, and in March 1871 Skobelev was sent to the Krasnovodsk detachment, in which he commanded the cavalry. Skobelev received an important assignment, with a detachment he had to reconnoitre the routes to Khiva. He reconnoitered the path to the Sarikamysh well, and walked along a difficult road, with a lack of water and scorching heat, from Mullakari to Uzunkuy, 437 km (410 versts) in 9 days, and back, to Kum-Sebshen, 134 km (126 versts) at 16.5 hours, at an average speed of 48 km (45 versts) per day; with him there were only three Cossacks and three Turkmens.

Skobelev presented a detailed description of the route and the roads leaving the wells. However, Skobelev unauthorizedly overlooked the plan of the upcoming operation against Khiva, for which he was dismissed on an 11-month vacation in the summer of 1871 and his transfer to the regiment. However, in April 1872 he was again assigned to the main headquarters "for written studies." He took part in the preparation of a field trip for officers of the headquarters and the St. Petersburg military district to the Kovno and Courland provinces, and then he himself took part in it. After that, on June 5, he was transferred to the General Staff as a captain with the appointment of a senior adjutant of the headquarters of the 22nd Infantry Division, to Novgorod, and already on August 30, 1872, he was appointed to lieutenant colonel with the appointment of a headquarters officer for assignments at the headquarters of the Moscow military district. He did not stay in Moscow for long and was soon assigned to the 74th Stavropol Infantry Regiment to command a battalion. He fulfilled the requirements of the service there regularly. Skobelev established good relations with his subordinates and superiors.

Khiva hike

In the spring of 1873, Skobelev took part in the Khiva campaign as an officer of the general staff at the Mangishlak detachment of Colonel Lomakin. Khiva was a target for Russian detachments moving forward from different points: Turkestan, Krasnovodsk, Mangishlak and Orenburg detachments. The path of the Mangishlak detachment, although it was not the longest, was nevertheless fraught with difficulties that increased due to the lack of camels (only 1,500 camels for 2,140 people) and water (up to half a bucket per person). In Skobelev's echelon, all the combat horses had to be loaded, since the camels could not lift everything that was supposed to be carried on them. They left on April 16, Skobelev, like other officers, walked on foot.

When passing the section from Lake Kauda to the Senek well (70 versts), the water ran out halfway. On April 18 they reached the well. Skobelev showed himself in difficult situation a skillful commander and organizer, and when he set out on April 20 from Bish-Acts, he already commanded an advanced echelon (2, later 3 companies, 25-30 Cossacks, 2 guns and a team of sappers). Skobelev maintained perfect order in his echelon and at the same time took care of the needs of the soldiers. The troops passed 200 versts (210 km) from Bish-Acts to Iltedzhe quite easily and arrived in Itelje by April 30.

After Skobelev was out of action, the Mangishlak and Orenburg detachments united in Kungrad and, under the leadership of Major General N.A. Verevkin, continued to move towards Khiva (250 miles) across a very rugged terrain, cut by many canals, overgrown with reeds and bushes, covered with arable land. fences and gardens. Khivans, numbering 6,000 people, tried to stop the Russian detachment near Khodjeyli, Mangyt and other settlements, but to no avail.

On May 22, with 3 companies and 2 guns, he covered a wheeled wagon train, and repulsed a number of enemy attacks, and from May 24, when Russian troops were at Chinakchik (8 miles from Khiva), the Khivans attacked the camel train. Skobelev quickly figured out what was the matter and moved with two hundred hidden, gardens, to the rear of the Khivans, stumbled upon a large detachment of 1000 people, overturned them on the approaching cavalry, then attacked the Khiva infantry, put it to flight and returned 400 camels that had been recaptured by the enemy.

On May 28, the main forces of General N.A.Veryovkin made a reconnaissance of the city wall and captured the enemy's blockage and a three-gun battery, and, due to N.A.Veryovkin's wound, the command of the operation passed to Colonel Saranchov. In the evening, a deputation came from Khiva to negotiate surrender. She was sent to General K.P. Kaufman.

On May 29, General K.P. Kaufman entered Khiva from the south. However, due to the anarchy that prevailed in the city, Northern part the city did not know about the surrender and did not open the gates, which caused the storming of the northern part of the wall. Mikhail Skobelev with two companies stormed the Shahabat gate, was the first to get inside the fortress and although he was attacked by the enemy, he kept the gate and the shaft behind him. The assault was stopped by order of General K.P. Kaufman, who at that time peacefully entered the city from the opposite side.

Khiva obeyed. The goal of the campaign was achieved, despite the fact that one of the detachments, Krasnovodsky, did not reach Khiva. To find out the reason for what happened, Skobelev volunteered to carry out reconnaissance of the Zmukshir - Ortakuyu section of the route that had not been passed by Colonel Markozov (340 miles). The task was fraught with great risk. Skobelev took five horsemen with him (including 3 Turkmens) and set out from Zmukshir on 4 August. There was no water in the Daudur well. When there were still 15-25 miles to Ortakuyu, Skobelev, on the morning of August 7, near the Nefes-kuli well, stumbled upon a Turkmen and barely escaped. There was no way to break through, and therefore Mikhail Skobelev returned to the starting point on August 11, having covered more than 600 miles (640 km) in 7 days, and then presented General Kaufman with a proper report. It became clear that for the transfer of the Krasnovodsk detachment to Zmukshir, with a waterless passage of 156 miles, it was necessary to take timely measures. For this intelligence Skobelev was awarded the Order of St. George, 4th degree (August 30, 1873).

In the winter of 1873-1874, Skobelev was on vacation and spent it for the most part in southern France. But there he learned about the civil war in Spain, made his way to the location of the Carlists and witnessed several battles.

On February 22, Skobelev was promoted to colonel, on April 17, he was appointed aide-de-camp with admission to the retinue of His Imperial Majesty.

On September 17, 1874, Skobelev was sent to the Perm province to participate in the enactment of the military service order.

Major general

In April 1875 Skobelev returned to Tashkent and was appointed head of the military unit of the Russian embassy sent to Kashgar. He had to appreciate in all respects the military importance of Kashgar. This embassy went to Kashgar through Kokand, whose ruler Khudoyar Khan was under Russian influence. However, the latter, with his cruelty and greed, provoked an uprising against himself and was deposed in July 1875, after which he fled to the Russian borders, to the city of Khujand. He was followed by the Russian embassy, covered by Skobelev with 22 Cossacks. Thanks to his firmness and caution, this team, without using weapons, brought the khan to Khojent without loss.

In Kokand, the rebels soon triumphed, led by the talented leader of the Kipchaks, Abdurrahman, the autobachi; the son of Khudoyar, Nasr-eddin, was elevated to the khan's throne; the "ghazavat" was proclaimed; in early August, the Kokand troops invaded the Russian borders, laid siege to Khujand and agitated the native population. Skobelev was sent with two hundred to cleanse the environs of Tashkent from the enemy gangs. On August 18, the main forces of General Kaufman (16 companies, 8 hundred with 20 guns) approached Khujand; Skobelev was appointed chief of the cavalry.

File: Kokand.jpg

Kokand. Entrance to the palace of Khudoyar Khan, built in 1871

Skobelev became very famous after the war. On January 6, 1878, he was awarded a golden sword with diamonds, with the inscription "for crossing the Balkans", but the attitude of the authorities towards him remained unfavorable. In a letter to a relative on August 7, 1878, he wrote: “The more time passes, the more the consciousness of my innocence before the Emperor grows in me, and therefore the feeling of deep sorrow cannot leave me ... only the duties of a loyal subject and a soldier could make me temporarily come to terms with the unbearable the gravity of my situation since March 1877. I had the misfortune of losing confidence, this was expressed to me, and it takes away from me all the strength for the good of the cause to continue the service. Therefore, do not refuse ... your advice and assistance for the expulsion of me from office, with the enrollment ... of the reserve troops. " But gradually the horizon in front of him clears up and the charges against him were dropped. On August 30, 1878, Skobelev was appointed adjutant general to the emperor of Russia, which speaks of the return of confidence in him.

General of Infantry

In January 1880 Skobelev was appointed commander of a military expedition against the Tekins. Skobelev drew up a plan, which was approved and should be recognized as exemplary. Its purpose was to inflict a decisive blow on the Turkmen-Tekins who inhabited the Akhal-Teke oasis. For their part, having learned about the campaign, the Tekins decided to move to the Dengil-Tepe (Geok-Tepe) fortress and confine themselves to the desperate defense of only this point.

There were 45 thousand people in the Dengil-Tepe fortress, of which 20-25 thousand were defenders; they had 5 thousand rifles, a lot of pistols, 1 cannon and 2 zembureks. Tekins made sorties, mainly at night and inflicted considerable damage, even once capturing a banner and two guns.

Skobelev himself made a sortie, went all the way, checked all the wells, roads, and then returned back to his troops. Then the assault began.

The assault on the fortress was carried out on January 12, 1881. At 11.20 a.m. a mine was detonated. The eastern wall fell and formed an easily accessible landslide. The dust had not yet settled when Kuropatkin's column rose to attack. Lieutenant Colonel Gaidarov managed to capture the western wall. The troops pressed the enemy, who, however, offered desperate resistance. After a long battle, the Tekins fled through the northern passages, with the exception of the part that remained in the fortress and, fighting, died. Skobelev pursued the retreating enemy for 15 miles. Russian losses for the entire siege with the assault amounted to 1104 people, and during the assault 398 people were lost (including 34 officers). Inside the fortress were taken: up to 5 thousand women and children, 500 Persian slaves and booty, estimated at 6 million rubles.

There were also rumors that Skobelev was plotting to arrest the tsar and force him to sign the constitution, and for this reason he was allegedly poisoned by police agents.

I have come to the conviction that everything in the world is a lie, a lie and a lie ... All this is glory, and all this brilliance is a lie ... But what, what is this lie, this glory worth? How many killed, wounded, suffering, devastated! .. Explain to me: will you and I answer God for the mass of people whom we killed in the battles.

V.I. Nemirovich-Danchenko. Skobelev

Memory of Skobelev

Monuments

Before the revolution, at least six monuments to General M.D.Skobelev were erected on the territory of the Russian Empire, but none of them has survived to our time.

In 2005, a proposal was considered to build a monument to General Skobelev in Ilyinsky Park in Moscow.

On December 9, 2014, in Moscow, near the building of the General Staff Academy, a monument was inaugurated, created at the initiative of the Russian Military Historical Society. The monument consists of a four-meter bronze equestrian statue of General Skobelev on a granite pedestal. The author of the monument is Alexander Rukavishnikov, People's Artist of Russia.

Skobelev's name

In 1910-1924 the city of Fergana (Uzbekistan) was called Skobelev.
In 1912-1918, Tverskaya Square in Moscow was called Skobelevskaya Square.
A street in Moscow is named after him, as well as an avenue in St. Petersburg - Skobelevsky Avenue (1886).
Immediately after the death of General M. D. Skobelev, the propeller-sail corvette Vityaz was renamed in his honor.
During the Civil War, the name "Skobelev" was borne by the armored train VSYUR.
In the Bulgarian town of Pleven there is a park-museum named after General Skobelev, on the territory of which there is a building with a panoramic view of the Pleven Epic. The bust monument to M. D. Skobelev is currently also located in Pleven, next to the house-museum of Tsar-Liberator Alexander II.
In the city of Pomorie (Bulgaria), one of the streets in the central part of the city is named "General Skobelev".
One of the central boulevards in the Bulgarian capital, Sofia, is named after M.D.Skobelev, and on the wall of one of the houses there is a memorial plate with the name and image of the general.
Five Bulgarian villages are named after the Russian general:
- Skobelevskaya (Krasnodar Territory)

On the territory of modern Russia and nearby neighboring states, many wars have been fought over the course of millennia. War is death, murder, hatred. This list can be continued for a very long time, but it is also a time to test the feeling of patriotism in a person or a test of strength. There were people in the war who showed themselves heroically, like real people who love their homeland. One of these was Mikhail Dmitrievich Skoblev.

Mikhail was born on September 17, 1843. His father was a military lieutenant general. His mother has always shown kindness, tenderness and wisdom. It was in the family that the growing up Mikhail was instilled with love for his own, Russian people, was faithful to his civic duty, was ready to give his life in the name of the people.

From a young age, Mikhail was more interested in science, and adults predicted a career as a scientist, because he knew 8 European languages, loved and was fond of music, history and culture. At an adult age, Mikhail begins his studies at St. Petersburg University, then, by the will of fate, he becomes enrolled as a cadet in the Cavalry Regiment. In 1863 M. Skobleva received the title of a cornet. After some time, he is baptized into the baptism of fire. The first order of St. Anna, 4th degree, received in the Battle of Radkovitsk. After a not very long time, he was transferred to the hussar regiment. After graduating from the Academy of the General Staff, Mikhail serves his homeland in the Moscow District. Soon he realized that he wanted something different ... and went to the territory of the Caucasus and Turkestan.

During the conquest of Khiva, Mikhail showed himself heroically and understood his destiny. He began to wear an exclusively white uniform and ride only on a white horse. Among the people and among the people who fought with him, he was nicknamed "the white commander". For his courage, determination, diplomacy, knowledge of the culture of the peoples of Asia, he was awarded 2 orders of St. George of the 3rd and 4th degrees, the order of St. Vladimir and a sword made of gold with the inscription "For bravery." In 1877, Mikhail became a colonel, almost immediately governor of New Margilan, and commander of a military unit in the Federal District. A little later, Mikhail was given a new title, and he participates in the coalition against Turkey. Unaware of his past exploits, new colleagues thought he was an upstart. But after the final blow to the Turkish troops, Mikhail justified all his well-deserved orders, received respect, glory and honor among the military.

In 1881, Mikhail was promoted to lieutenant general. After defeating the Akhal-Tepe fortress, he received the Order of St. George, 2nd degree. Then he decides to go abroad, where he speaks freely about the oppression of his people by European states. He is recalled to his homeland, as a result of which he suddenly dies on 06/26/1882. Lieutenant General Mikhail Dmitrievich Skoblev lived so brightly, heroically, loving his homeland.

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