Mikhail Miloradovich was born on October 12, 1771 (according to the new style), according to one version - in St. Petersburg, according to the other - in the Poltava province.
His father, Andrei Miloradovich, came from a Serbian noble family, whose representatives moved from Herzegovina to Russia under Peter I. After a successful military career, Andrei Miloradovich served as governor of Little Russia.
As a child, Mikhail was formally enlisted in the Izmailovsky Life Guards regiment.
He studied the humanities and military sciences in European educational institutions, and already in 1787 he was promoted to ensign and began active military service.
"Was a model of courage"
Having entered military service, Mikhail Miloradovich soon found himself at the front.
He took part in the Russian-Swedish war of 1788-1790.
In 1796 he was awarded the rank of captain, a year later - colonel, and a year later - major general.
In the same year, he led the Absheron Musketeer Regiment.
Under the command of Alexander Suvorov, Miloradovich took part in the Italian and Swiss campaigns of the Russian army.
“Suvorov appreciated him for his personal courage and courage, the ability to rush into a bayonet attack at the right time and the ability to take initiative.
He made Miloradovich the general on duty at the headquarters, "said Vitaly Zakharov, professor at Moscow State Pedagogical University, in an interview with RT.
According to historian and writer Dmitry Volodikhin, in battles Miloradovich earned a reputation as a desperately brave man.
Once, when, during the Swiss campaign, the soldiers hesitated before descending into the valley occupied by the French troops, Miloradovich rushed forward with the words: "Look how your general will be taken prisoner."
And the soldiers immediately followed their commander.
As the associate professor of the Russian State Humanitarian University Evgeny Pchelov noted in the RT commentary, in the field of military affairs Miloradovich was considered a student of Suvorov.
Coat of arms of the Miloradovich family
© Russian Military Historical Society
Later Miloradovich took part in hostilities against France during the War of the Third Coalition and against the Ottoman Empire in the Russian-Turkish War of 1806-1812.
“Bullets knocked the Sultan off his hat, wounded and beat the horses under him;
he was not embarrassed;
he changed his horse, lit his pipe, straightened his crosses and wrapped an amaranth shawl around his neck, the ends of which fluttered picturesquely in the air, ”his adjutant Fyodor Glinka described Miloradovich's actions on the battlefield.
The troops under the command of Miloradovich liberated Bucharest from the Turks and inflicted several serious defeats on the Ottoman army.
"Miloradovich has always served faithfully and honestly, was a model of courage for soldiers and officers," Dmitry Volodikhin emphasized in an interview with RT.
General and administrator
In 1810, Miloradovich, who had been promoted to general of infantry by this time, was appointed governor-general of Kiev.
He tried to create an atmosphere of benevolence for the people of Kiev and the most comfortable conditions of service for his subordinates.
According to historians, after a large-scale fire in 1811 that destroyed a significant part of Kiev, Miloradovich, turning to private individuals for help, was able to establish a normal life in the city.
In the summer of 1812, Miloradovich, having collected 15,000 reinforcements in the southern regions of the empire by order of Alexander I, moved to the area between Kaluga, Volokolamsk and Moscow, and then joined the main forces of the Russian army to act against Napoleon's troops.
During the Battle of Borodino, Miloradovich personally commanded the right wing of the I Army of Mikhail Barclay de Tolly.
And then he led the rearguard of the Russian troops, covering the retreat from Moscow and the march towards Tarutino.
“By his nature, he often teased the French.
That is, he went out to the line, where he could be reached with a bullet, engaged in eccentricities, almost had breakfast in the enemy's shelling zone.
When our army was retreating, this behavior of Miloradovich raised its morale, ”noted Dmitry Volodikhin.
For the forced transition of troops from Tarutino to Maloyaroslavets, Mikhail Kutuzov called Miloradovich "winged."
During the retreat of the French along the Smolensk road, Miloradovich was entrusted with their pursuit.
Almost half of the Russian army passed under his command.
During this time, he won a number of victories, which, according to historians, played an important role in the final defeat of Napoleon's "great army" in Russia.
General M.A.
Miloradovich
© Russian Military Historical Society
In the future, Miloradovich was entrusted with a military and at the same time diplomatic mission to occupy the Duchy of Warsaw. Alexander I was pleased that Miloradovich tactfully achieved the withdrawal from the territory of the Duchy of the Austrians and ensured the bloodless occupation of Warsaw. In general, Miloradovich successfully operated in Europe during the entire Foreign campaign. In the Leipzig "Battle of the Nations" he commanded the Russian Guard. During the campaign of 1813 he was awarded the title of count and the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called. After the end of hostilities against Napoleon, he commanded the Guards Corps.
In 1818 Miloradovich, who already had experience in administrative work, was appointed Governor-General of St. Petersburg.
According to historians, despite the fact that the military general was more attracted to military service, he was conscientious in his duties in leading the capital.
During the elimination of the consequences of various emergencies, in particular floods, he demonstrated energy and management.
According to experts, in 1820 Miloradovich was one of those who saved Alexander Pushkin from the fatal consequences of writing "anti-government poems."
He personally interrogated the poet, and his position made it possible to replace the threatening exile in Siberia with a transfer to service in the southern regions of the empire.
General's report from infantry M.A.
Miloradovich to the Tsarevich and Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich on the participation of the Russian guard in the battle for Paris
© Russian Military Historical Society
“During the transfer of power in 1825, Miloradovich did not have clear orders from the previous sovereign how to behave, and the direct succession to the throne assumed the transfer of the throne to Konstantin Pavlovich. The documents on the transfer of the throne, which only a narrow circle of members of the imperial family got acquainted with, were not available to him. Therefore, Miloradovich hesitated for some time whether he should support Nikolai Pavlovich. His power in Petersburg was extremely great, he was the commander of a significant part of the troops stationed in the immediate vicinity of the royal palace. In the end, he decided that the situation on Senate Square (the uprising of the Decembrists. -
RT
) could be dealt with bloodlessly, with only exhortations, ”said Dmitry Volodikhin.
As Vitaly Zakharov notes, historians have another view of Miloradovich's position during the events of 1825.
According to him, Miloradovich had good personal relations with Konstantin Pavlovich, and therefore the governor-general of the capital tried to persuade him to take power in the empire, despite the fact that he knew about the transfer of rights to the throne to Nikolai Pavlovich.
“After Konstantin Pavlovich confirmed his self-denial, Miloradovich could only try to solve the problems that arose during the transfer of power by the power of his enormous authority in the military environment,” Zakharov stressed.
Inflicting a mortal wound on Miloradovich on December 14, 1825.
An engraving from a drawing by G.A.
Miloradovich
© Wikipedia Commons
Miloradovich came to Senate Square to calm down the participants in the uprising, but was mortally wounded by the Decembrist Pyotr Kakhovsky, who fired a pistol at the Governor-General of St. Petersburg.
In addition, the general was non-fatally wounded with a bayonet in Senate Square.
Miloradovich did not see his killer, and when the doctor removed a pistol bullet from the wound, he said: “Oh, thank God, this is not a soldier's bullet.
Now I am completely happy. "
December 27, 1825 Mikhail Miloradovich died.
“Miloradovich was well known among the troops and fanned with the glory of the legendary military leader since the time of Suvorov.
Therefore, when he called on the rebellious troops to disperse, this aroused fears among the Decembrists for the success of their actions, and they killed the general, ”said Yevgeny Pchelov.
Monument to M.A.Miloradovich in St. Petersburg
© Wikimedia Commons / Ekaterina Borisova
According to Vitaly Zakharov, Miloradovich was one of the most talented military leaders of the Russian Empire.
“It was not in vain that he was placed in the most responsible areas during the hostilities.
He was a man of great personal courage who had tremendous authority in the army.
Miloradovich was a real knight without fear and reproach, ”summed up Vitaly Zakharov.