Portrait of Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov

Russian commander, Field Marshal Prince Mikhail Illarionovich Golenishchev-Kutuzov was born on September 16, 1745 in St. Petersburg in the family of an engineer-lieutenant-general. In 1759 he graduated with honors from the Noble Artillery School. In 1761, Kutuzov was promoted to the rank of an engineer-ensign. In December 1790, during the storming of Ishmael, commanding the 6th column, Kutuzov displayed high-willed qualities, fearlessness and perseverance. To achieve success, he promptly introduced reserves into battle and achieved the defeat of the enemy in his direction, which played an important role in capturing the fortress. Suvorov praised Kutuzov's actions. After the capture of Izmail, Mikhail Kutuzov was promoted to lieutenant general and was appointed commandant of this fortress. In 1792-1794, Mikhail Kutuzov headed the extraordinary Russian embassy in Constantinople, having managed to achieve a number of foreign policy and trade advantages for Russia, significantly weakening French influence in Turkey. 1798 year Mikhail Kutuzov was promoted to general of infantry. Was Lithuanian (1799-1801) and St. Petersburg (1801-1802) military governor. In 1802 Kutuzov fell into disgrace, was forced to resign from the army and resign. In August 1805, during the Russian-Austro-French war, Kutuzov was appointed commander-in-chief of the Russian army aimed at helping Austria. The plan of action against Napoleon proposed by Kutuzov was not accepted by Alexander I and his Austrian military advisers. Despite the objections of the commander, who was actually removed from the leadership of the Russian-Austrian troops, the allied monarchs Alexander I and Franz I gave Napoleon a general battle of Austerlitz, which ended in victory for the French. Although Kutuzov managed to save the retreating Russian troops from complete defeat, he was disgraced by Alexander I and was appointed to secondary posts: the Kiev military governor (1806-1807), the corps commander in the Moldavian army (1808), the Lithuanian military governor (1809-1811). At the beginning of the Patriotic War of 1812, Mikhail Kutuzov was elected head of the Petersburg and then Moscow militia. After the Russian troops left Smolensk in August, Kutuzov was appointed commander-in-chief. Arriving in the army, he decided to give a general battle to Napoleon's troops near Borodino. Thanks to the wise and flexible strategy of Kutuzov, the Russian army won a brilliant victory over a strong and experienced enemy. In December 1812, Kutuzov received the title of Prince of Smolensk and was awarded the highest military order of George I degree, becoming the first full Knight of St. George in the history of the order. 28 (16 according to the old style) April 1813, His Serene Highness died in the small Silesian town of Bunzlau (now the town of Boleslawiec in Poland). His body was embalmed and transported to St. Petersburg, buried in the Kazan Cathedral.