Brief biography of Kulnev

Major General artist J. was born Kulnev in the Vitebsk province, in a poor family. He was brought up in the land gentry cadet corps, from which he was put into an army with the rank of lieutenant in the year. At first, Kulnev was appointed to one of the infantry regiments, but he was soon transferred to the St. Petersburg Dragoon Regiment and spent the whole further service in the cavalry.

He received combat baptism during the Russo-Turkish war at the blockade of the Bender fortress, and in the year participated in several battles in Poland under the team of Suvorov, about which he kept a reverent memory until the end of his days. For the difference during the assault on Prague Kulnev, he was promoted to major, soon after that he was transferred to the Sumy hussar regiment.

He did not take part in combat affairs for more than ten years, since Sumy hussars were not appointed either on the Italian campaign or in the campaign of the year. It seemed that Kulnev would remain the "eternal major." He was already bored not to see the change in his service, "when in the year the Grodno Hussar Regiment, in which he was transferred shortly before, entered the army acting against Napoleon in East Prussia.

Here, Kulnev proved himself in a number of battles and especially distinguished himself in an unsuccessful battle for the Russian army near Friedland. Surrounded by the enemy, he, to universal amazement, made his way through the ring of enemy troops, avoiding the inevitable, seemingly captivity. Kulnev was promoted to colonels, received several combat awards, they spoke about him in the army.

Wide glory brought him actions in Finland during the Russian-Swedish War. By commanding the advanced detachment, Kulnev inflicted the defeat behind the defeat, reached Uleaborg-the main military base of the Swedes in the north of Finland-and in one of the skirmishes he captured the adjutant general of Count Levengelm, chief of staff of the Swedish army. In March, during the famous crossing of the Russian troops along the ice of the Baying Bay to the Aland Islands and to the shores of Sweden, Kulnev, commanding the vanguard of one of the columns of Bagration, defeated his detachment and, overcoming enormous difficulties, went to the Swedish shore, threatening Stockholma.

The reputation of Kulnev as a brilliant cavalry boss was strengthened. During the war, he received several awards and the rank of Major General. The epithet "brave" becomes inseparable on his behalf. In the next year, Kulnev took part in the hostilities on the Danube. Having commanded, as always, by avant -garde detachments, he repeatedly turned the Turkish cavalry near Slagly and Batin.

Kulnev called himself a follower of Suvorov. Being already a general, he not only wore a mentik and overcoat of a rude soldier’s cloth and ate the simplest food, but also deeply imbued with the very essence of the Suvorov spirit, knew the life of a soldier closely, took care of them, spoke their language that was clear to them. During the campaigns, each departure boss who returned at night was obliged to immediately wake the detachment commander and report to him the results of intelligence.

Sometimes, according to Denis Davydov, who was in Finland in the detachment of Kulnev, “e-eared from him from the same pot and drinking from one flask,” the general woke up seven to eight times during the night. Selflessness was one of the distinguishing features of Kulnev, who won him the nickname "the poorest general in the world." He was well educated, showed a keen interest in history, especially in the history of Russia and ancient Rome.

He was silent and closed in society, but he was transformed in battle, "became cheerful, jokes and the more fun the more dangerous." There were many orders of Kulnev on the troops entrusted to him. All of them are written by the original syllable, brief and expressive. Here are two of them, given in Finland: “God is with us! I'm in front of you.

Prince Bagration is behind us ”; “On the march to be cheerful and fun. Sending is characteristic of one old women. Upon arrival at Bivak, a spell of vodka, gruel with meat and a bed from a spruce. Late night! At the beginning of the war of the year, Kulnev and his Grodno regiment entered a separate Wittgenstein corps, which was supposed to cover the road to St.

Petersburg. Suddenly, for the French, he crossed the Dvina at night and scattered two cavalry regiments, which he drove ten kilometers, and took more than one more prisoners, including the brigade commander of General Saint-West. This success at the very beginning of the campaign was the greater importance that he seemed to foresee the future victories of the Russian army and showed that the “invincible” Frenchmen could be beaten and put to flight.

Ten days later, on July 13, Kulnev captured several hundred Frenchmen with a bold raid again. The next day, pursuing a retreating enemy, Kulnev stumbled upon the main forces of Udino and was thrown back after a hot battle. Drowned by failure, he came off his horse and silently walked in the last rows of the departing troops when the French core tore off both legs.

According to a widespread story - it is given in their notes by D. Davydov and S.Volkonsky, a story, is hardly a reliable, but very characteristic of Kulnev’s heroic reputation, mortally wounded, he tore off the St. George Cross with the words: “Take it! Let the enemy, when he finds my corpse, will take him by the corpse of a simple soldier and will not vain killing the Russian general.

” The news of the Klyastitsky victory flew around Russia along with the news of the death of Kulnev. His name, and before that popular, became the name of the folk hero. The future Decembrist S. Volkonsky, who knew Kulnev in the Turkish campaign of the year, accompanies the story of Kulnev’s death with the words: “Russia has lost a true citizen in him, the army - the leader, subordinates - a fair boss, and friends - a faithful friend.”