Skobelev Mikhail Dmitrievich Russian-Turkish war. General M.D

On September 29, 1843, the outstanding Russian military leader Mikhail Dmitrievich Skobelev was born.

The legendary commander Mikhail Skobelev, with whose name many brilliant victories of Russian weapons are associated, was born on September 17 (29), 1843 in the Peter and Paul Fortress, of which his grandfather was the commandant. Skobelev was a third-generation military man; his grandfather and father rose to the rank of general.

In his youth, Mikhail intended to devote himself to civil service and entered the mathematics department of St. Petersburg University, however, his studies had to be interrupted. The university was closed due to student unrest, and Skobelev, heeding his father’s advice, petitioned the emperor to enroll as a cadet in the elite Life Guards Cavalry Regiment.

Military service began with the oath and kissing the cross, according to the description given by the leadership, Junker Skobelev “serves zealously, not sparing himself.” A year later he was promoted to harness cadet, and six months later to junior officer rank cornet, in 1864 Skobelev participated in the suppression of the uprising of Polish rebels. He was included in the retinue of Adjutant General Eduard Baranov, but being burdened by his retinue duties, he begged the general to send him to the combat sector. Skobelev received his baptism of fire in a battle with the Shemiot rebel detachment, and was awarded the Order of St. Anne, IV degree, for his bravery.

Participation in the Polish expedition confirmed the correctness of the chosen path; subsequently Skobelev repeatedly repeated: “I am where the guns thunder.”

In 1866, he entered the Nikolaev Academy of the General Staff; defeat in the Eastern War forced the government to reconsider its approach to military education; now officers were trained in new program, future military leaders left the Academy with a solid store of knowledge.

As one of the best graduates, Mikhail Dmitrievich is sent to the General Staff. After a short period of “paper” work in the General Staff, Skobelev showed himself in Central Asia; in 1873 he became a participant in the Khiva campaign, the general leadership of which was carried out by General Konstantin Kaufman. Skobelev commanded the vanguard of the Mangyshlak detachment (2,140 people), in difficult conditions, in almost daily skirmishes with the Khivans, his detachment approached the capital of the khanate in May 1873.

On May 29, Khiva fell, the first decree that the khan was forced to issue was a ban on the slave trade, because one of the goals of the expedition was to suppress the slave trade. Russia, as Engels, who was stingy with positive assessments of the “tsarist regime,” noted, played “a progressive role in relation to the East... Russia’s dominance plays a civilizing role for the Black and Caspian Seas and Central Asia...”.

Due to strong opposition from the British, the Russian government failed to implement the initial plan to establish good neighborly relations with the Central Asian states peacefully, so military measures were used. Skobelev will subsequently repeatedly perform this responsible role of enforcing peace.

Already in 1875, after a short business trip to Spain, Skobelev led a campaign to suppress the rebellion that broke out in Kokand. A Russian detachment of only 800 people with 20 guns near the village of Makhram entered into battle with the 50,000-strong army of the usurper Khudoyar. Despite the huge numerical superiority, the Russians scattered the enemy and put him to flight. Skobelev’s formula “It’s not enough to be brave, you need to be smart and resourceful” worked flawlessly.

N.D. Dmitriev-Orenburgsky “General M.D. Skobelev on horseback”, 1883

In October 1875, Mikhail Dmitrievich was promoted to major general, and in February of the following year he was appointed governor-general of the newly formed Fergana region. With his characteristic zeal, Skobelev began to develop the region and in this post proved himself to be a skilled diplomat. He dealt with the local nobility and warlike tribes “firmly, but with heart.”

He understood that alone military force is not enough to establish Russia’s authority, so I was actively involved in solving social issues. On Skobelev’s initiative, a city was founded, which later received the name Fergana and became the regional center of Uzbekistan; the governor-general took a personal part in its design.

Having learned about the start of the war with the Ottoman Empire, Skobelev, using his connections in St. Petersburg, changed the relatively calm office of the governor-general to a battlefield more familiar to him. Participation in the Russian-Turkish War of 1877-1878 became the peak of Mikhail Dmitrievich’s military career and at the same time was the realization of his life credo: “My symbol is short: love for the Fatherland, science and Slavism.”

The Russian army owes Skobelev’s talent the capture of the strategically important city of Lovech, and it was he who became the true hero of the third assault on Plevna.

Thanks to the efforts of Skobelev, the battle of Sheynov was won, when a crushing blow by the Russians paralyzed the actions of the 30,000-strong army of Wessel Pasha. General Skobelev personally accepted the surrender of Wessel Pasha and his army.

In battle, the general was always ahead of the troops in a white jacket and on a white horse. “He believed that he would be more unharmed on a white horse than on a horse of a different color...”, explained this choice by artist Vasily Vereshchagin, who was well acquainted with Skobelev.

Skobelev’s detachment captured Adrianople and the town of San Stefano, located 20 kilometers from the Turkish capital. It was just a stone's throw from Constantinople.

Of course, Skobelev, who shared the views of the Slavophiles on the historical mission of Russia to liberate Constantinople from Muslims, which at the same time was the cherished dream of the Slavs and Greeks, was eager to begin the assault on this city.

The brilliant strategist saw that the historical moment was close, “...presence in Adrianople active army“and there is an opportunity... and now to occupy the capital of Turkey in battle,” he noted in one of the letters. But diplomacy decided otherwise; the war ended with the signing of the Treaty of San Stefano.

The name of the “White General,” as both Russians and Turks called him, thundered throughout Europe. After the signing of peace, Skobelev took personal initiative on the issue of organizing capable paramilitary units in Bulgaria, called gymnastic societies. The Bulgarians, for their efforts to liberate Bulgaria from the Turkish occupiers and help in the post-war development of the country, ranked General Skobelev among their national heroes.

Vyacheslav Kondratyev “Plow up Geok-Tepe!”

After the war with the Ottomans, the general will lead the Akhal-Teke expedition, which became a matter of special national importance. Skobelev turned out to be the only one who combined the talents of a military leader and the wisdom of a diplomat. The emperor himself had a confidential conversation with the general regarding this expedition. It was successful, the last source of unrest was eliminated, and peace was established in the Trans-Caspian possessions of Russia.

The general was always on the front line during hostilities. Even during the war with the Turks, soldiers composed a song about their commander, which contains the following lines:

I was not afraid of enemy bullets,
Not afraid of a bayonet,
And more than once near the hero
Death was already close.
He laughed at bullets
Apparently, God protected him.

He was wounded many times, but the bayonet and bullets did not harm his life. Skobelev did not die in the war, but in other very mysterious circumstances. The causes of death, which occurred on June 25 (July 7), 1882, remained undisclosed; various versions of what happened are still being put forward. A countless number of people came to see off Mikhail Dmitrievich on his final journey.

The Russian general devoted his short but bright life entirely to the Fatherland.

Kirill Bragin

“My symbol is short: love for the Fatherland, freedom, science and Slavism!”
M. Skobelev

The most famous Russian military leader of the second half of the 19th century, Mikhail Dmitrievich Skobelev (1843–1882), the conqueror of Khiva and liberator of Bulgaria, Mikhail Skobelev entered the world under the name of the “white general”. An outstanding strategist, a man of enormous personal courage, who died in the prime of his life under very mysterious circumstances.

In relation to the soldiers and the offensive strategy, he was called the “second Suvorov”, the Bulgarians, in tribute of gratitude, called him the “general liberator” and even offered to lead the Bulgarian people, and the Ottomans spoke with respect - “Ak Pasha” (“white general”). So, he was called for his uniform and white horse, as well as his attitude towards people. Skobelev said: “Convince the soldiers in practice that you take fatherly care of them outside of battle, that in battle there is strength, and nothing will be impossible for you.” The soldiers loved him and said, “He didn’t send him to death, but led him.” In Europe, the general was compared to Napoleon Bonaparte. His star was just rising, despite the fact that over the 19 years of his military career, Mikhail Dmitrievich managed to be in the fire of 70 battles. The path from lieutenant to general M.D. Skobelev passed in a surprisingly short period of time - 11 years (1864 - 1875). The geography of Skobelev’s service, from Central Asia to the Balkans, and knowledge of the religious and everyday traditions of local peoples also evoke respect. The legendary general knew the Koran and quoted it in Arabic, surprising the Turks.

Mikhail Skobelev became famous not only as a military leader, but also as an exponent of the aspirations of the Slavic world, the leader of which he rightly considered the mighty Russian Empire. Mikhail Dmitrievich can rightfully be considered one of the ideologists of Slavism (Pan-Slavism), understood as the unity of peoples and countries related by blood and faith, led by Russia. Skobelev was a fighter for the unity of the Slavic world. The basis of such a unification were common Slavic roots, traditions, Russian language and Russian culture, which had powerful properties for the unity of many peoples around the Russian people, the core of Russian civilization. Russia's military power and military glory, which was usually achieved in the struggle for historical justice, also had a special unifying attraction. The strength of Russia, aimed at the struggle for justice, attracted other nations. This was the case during Russia’s struggle for the liberation of the Balkan peoples. And on an even larger scale, this property of the Russian people will manifest itself in the future, during the Great Patriotic War, when the heroic struggle of the USSR will attract the attention and sympathy of all progressive people of humanity. It is quite natural that Mikhail Dmitrievich saw the Russian people as the core of a vast and diverse Eurasian ethnic system, providing security to many different peoples and nationalities, capable of fairly solving the problems of internal development, and defeating any enemy.

When the Russian army, in the vanguard of which were the troops of Mikhail Skobelev, was advancing on Constantinople, the “second Suvorov” dreamed of entering the ancient city, the former “Tsargrad”, the capital of the Second Rome - Byzantium. He associated hopes for the revival of the Slavic world and its unification with the entry of Russian troops into Constantinople. However, the Western powers, and primarily Great Britain, did not allow such a development. This was also due to the political weakness of the figure of Emperor Alexander II, who did not have enough will to defend the fruits of the victory of 1877-1878, withstand Western pressure and end the war with a brilliant victory for Russia (the capture of the straits and Constantinople). The unification of the Slavic world was a terrible threat to the Anglo-Saxon project of globalization. England sought to preserve the wreckage Ottoman Empire, as a hostile power to Russia, a buffer holding back the movement of Russians to the South. Perhaps it was these geopolitical views of the general, given his enormous popularity, that became the reason for his sudden death. Unfortunately, during the years of Soviet power, the name of the “white general” was practically erased from literature and people’s memory.

Skobelev cadet.

Family, early biography and military education. First combat experience

The Russian military leader was the third in a line of famous generals (his grandfather and father had many military achievements). Mikhail Dmitrievich was born in St. Petersburg on September 17 (29), 1843. His father was Lieutenant General Dmitry Ivanovich Skobelev (1821-1879), and his mother was Olga Nikolaevna (1823 - 1880), née Poltavtseva. D. M. Skobelev was a participant in the Hungarian campaign and was awarded the Order of St. for military merits and courage. Vladimir 4th degree with a bow, as well as the Austrian Order of the Iron Crown 3rd degree. During the Eastern (Crimean) War he fought on the Caucasian front, was awarded a gold sword with the inscription “for bravery”, for distinction in the Basha-Kadiklar battle he was promoted to colonel and awarded the Order of St. Anna 2nd degree. He successively commanded the Elisavetgrad Dragoon Regiment, the Life Guards Cavalry Grenadier Regiment, was the commander of His Majesty's own convoy, and a cavalry inspector. He took part in the war with Turkey of 1877-1878, commanding the Caucasian Cossack Division together with the 4th Rifle Brigade. Then he was at the disposal of the commander-in-chief and took part in a number of cases. For the campaign of 1877-1878. Dmitry Ivanovich Skobelev received the Order of St. George, 3rd degree.

Mikhail had a very warm relationship with his mother, retained spiritual closeness with her throughout his life and inherited from her the “subtlety of nature.” Olga Nikolaevna was engaged in charitable activities and supported her son’s policy on the Slavic issue. After the death of her husband in 1879, she devoted herself entirely to charity, traveling to the Balkans and heading the Bulgarian department of the Red Cross Society. She founded an orphanage in Philippopolis (modern Plovdiv), organized orphanages and schools in several other cities, and organized supplies for hospitals in Bulgaria and eastern Rumelia. On June 6, 1880, Olga Nikolaevna was killed by robbers in the vicinity of Philippopolis. Her death was a great tragedy for Skobelev.

Mikhail's grandfather, Ivan Nikitich (1778-1849), was the son of a sergeant and a farmer, and began his service at the age of 14, joining the Orenburg 1st Field Battalion (later the 66th Butyrsky Infantry Regiment) as a soldier. With his abilities and energetic character, he soon attracted the attention of his superiors and in the 4th year of service he received the rank of sergeant, and then officer. As part of the 26th Chasseurs Regiment, he distinguished himself in the anti-French campaign of 1807. For the Swedish campaign he was awarded a gold sword with the inscription “for bravery” and the Order of St. Vladimir 4th degree. He was seriously wounded, but continued to serve and distinguished himself in the war against the Ottomans. He was retired for some time with the rank of captain. In 1812 he became M. Kutuzov's adjutant. Participated in Traveling abroad Russian army, distinguished himself in a number of cases. His last campaign was the Polish one, in the battle of Minsk he lost an arm. Ivan Nikitich not only went from soldier to infantry general, but also became famous writer, who performed under the pseudonym “Russian invalid”. Skobelev wrote on military topics, and his works were very popular among the military. The general wrote in a lively vernacular language, using soldier’s humor and folk proverbs. Ivan Nikitich wrote in one of his stories: “I remember the good, I remember the bad, but, I admit, I don’t remember anything better than a Russian soldier.” His perfect knowledge of the Russian soldier led to great fame for his works. In addition, his writings were filled with faith and deep patriotism.

In the first years of Mikhail Dmitrievich’s life, the grandfather-soldier was the main figure in the home education of his grandson. The boy listened with great interest to Ivan Nikitich's stories about military campaigns and exploits, the Russian soldier. Unfortunately, soon I.N. Skobelev died, and the boy was left without his beloved grandfather-educator from the age of 6. A German tutor began to raise the child, but the relationship with him did not work out. Later, Mikhail was sent to Paris to a boarding house with the Frenchman Desiderius Girardet. In France, the future general mastered a large amount of knowledge and several languages. And Girardet will eventually become a close friend of Mikhail and follow him to Russia. In the Russian Empire in 1858-1860. the young man was preparing to enter St. Petersburg University. The preparation was successful, and in 1861 he entered the mathematics department of St. Petersburg University. However, further studies were prevented by student unrest, due to which the university was temporarily closed. As a result, family traditions took over and “too graceful for a real military man,” Skobelev entered the Cavalry Regiment as a volunteer in November 1861. This event became a turning point in his fate.

18-year-old Mikhail, in the ranks of cavalry guards, took the oath of allegiance to the sovereign and the Fatherland and eagerly began to study military affairs. On September 8, 1862, after passing the exam, he was promoted to harness cadet, and on March 31, 1863, to cornet. In 1864, at his own request, he was transferred to the Life Guards Grodno Hussar Regiment, which was stationed in Warsaw and led fighting against Polish rebels. Mikhail Dmitrievich, in battles with the Poles, gains his first combat experience. As part of the Life Guards Preobrazhensky Regiment, he pursued the Polish detachment under the leadership of Shpak. As part of a flying detachment under the command of Lieutenant Colonel K.I. Zankisov, a young officer took part in the destruction of the Polish gang under the command of Shemiot in the Radkowice Forest. For this battle, Skobelev was awarded the Order of St. Anna 4th degree "for bravery". In the memoirs of the officers of the Grodno regiment, young Mikhail Skobelev remained “a true gentleman and a dashing cavalry officer.”

Skobelev as lieutenant.

In 1864, while on vacation, Skobelev traveled to Europe to study the theater of military operations of the Danes against the Germans (in 1864 there was a conflict between Denmark, Prussia and Austria over the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein). In the same year, Skobelev was promoted to lieutenant. In 1866, the lieutenant entered the Nikolaev Academy of the General Staff, which then taught such prominent military figures as G.A. Leer, M.I. Dragomirov, A.K. Puzyrevsky. Skobelev studied unevenly, showing brilliant knowledge only in those subjects that interested him. Thus, he was first in the entire graduation in military history, showed excellent results in foreign and Russian languages, political history, but did not shine in military statistics and surveying, and especially in geodesy. Therefore, Skobelev did not graduate from the academy in the forefront, but was still enrolled in the General Staff.

According to the commander’s biographer, writer V.I. Nemirovich-Danchenko, Skobelev, during practical tests in the North-Western Territory, had to find the most convenient point for crossing the Neman River. To do this, it was necessary to study the entire course of the river. But Skobelev did not do this, living all the time in the same place. When the verification commission arrived with Lieutenant General G.A. Leer, Skobelev jumped on his horse and crossed the river, safely crossing the Neman in both directions. Leer was so delighted that he insisted on enlisting the promising, decisive and energetic officer in the General Staff. Shortly before graduating from the Academy of the General Staff, Skobelev was promoted to the next rank - staff captain.

First cases in Asia

In 1868, at the request of the commander of the Turkestan Military District, Adjutant General von Kaufmann 1st, Skobelev was sent to the Turkestan District. Mikhail Dmitrievich arrived in Tashkent at the beginning of 1869 and initially served at the district headquarters. The officer studied local battle tactics. Commanding the Siberian Cossack Hundred, he participated in small matters on the Bukhara border, showing personal courage. Conducted a cartographic survey of the Zarevshansky district recently annexed to the empire. However, despite the demonstrated skills and courage, Skobelev’s service in the Turkestan district did not work out. Mikhail Dmitrievich, due to the “lack of necessary restraint and tact,” was a conflicted person, intolerant of other people’s weaknesses.

Skobelev quarreled with some Cossacks, and with two representatives of the Tashkent “golden youth” it came to a duel. This caused the displeasure of General Kaufman. Mikhail Dmitrievich was sent back and was assigned to the reserve squadron of the Life Guards of the Grodno Hussar Regiment.

At the end of 1870, Skobelev was placed at the disposal of the commander of the Caucasian Army. In the spring of 1871, Mikhail was sent to the Krasnovodsk detachment of Colonel N.G. Stoletov, on the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea. There the officer commanded the cavalry and studied the possibility of the Russian army marching to Khiva through the northern part of the Karakum desert. Mikhail Dmitrievich reconnoitered the route to the Sarykamysh well, making a difficult journey with a total distance of 536 versts: from Mullakari to Uzunkuyu - 410 versts in 9 days, and back to Kum-Sebshen, 126 versts in 16.5 hours. Only six people accompanied him. Skobelev compiled a detailed description of the route and the wells there. But here, too, the officer displeased his superiors; he unauthorizedly reviewed the plan for the upcoming campaign in Khiva, for which he was sent on 11-month leave.

In April 1872, Mikhail was again assigned to the General Staff, to the Military Accounting Office. He participated in the preparation of a field trip of headquarters officers and the St. Petersburg Military District to the Baltic provinces. In June 1872, he was appointed senior adjutant of the headquarters of the 22nd Infantry Division, which was stationed in Novgorod. Already on August 30, 1872, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel, becoming a staff officer at the headquarters of the Moscow Military District. But he didn’t stay in Moscow for long either; Skobelev was sent to the 74th Stavropol Infantry Regiment as a battalion commander.

Khiva campaign

Skobelev did not stay in the Maykop area, where the Stavropol regiment was located. At this time, the Russian armed forces were preparing a campaign against Khiva, “to liberate our compatriots” who were in slavery. In addition, there were constant complaints from local residents who had transferred to Russian citizenship; they were attacked by feudal lords equipped with English. The Stavropol regiment was not included in the number of formations that were supposed to take part in this operation. But Skobelev was not going to stay away from the place where it would be hot. He asked for leave and arrived in Turkestan in the midst of preparations for the campaign. In April 1873, Russian troops set out on a campaign from four points: Tashkent (General Kaufman), Krasnovodsk (Colonel Markozov), Orenburg (General Veryovkin) and Mangyshlak (Colonel Lomakin). The total number of troops was 12-13 thousand soldiers with 56 guns. General command was exercised by General Konstantin Kaufman.

Skobelev led the vanguard of the Mangyshlak detachment of Colonel Nikolai Lomakin. They left on April 16, Mikhail Dmitrievich, like other officers, walked. There was a shortage of camels in the detachment (only 1,500 camels for 2,140 people), so they loaded all the combat horses. Skobelev was always distinguished by severity and exactingness in wartime conditions, and first of all towards himself. IN peaceful life he could have doubts, but in the military he was as collected, responsible and courageous as possible.

IN difficult situation When the water ran out halfway to the Senek well, Skobelev showed himself to be a skilled commander and organizer, maintaining complete order in his echelon and taking care of the needs of the soldiers. On May 5, while carrying out reconnaissance near Itybay’s well, Skobelev with 10 soldiers discovered a caravan heading to Khiva. Despite the enemy's numerical superiority, Skobelev attacked the enemy. In this battle he received several wounds from bladed weapons and returned to duty only on May 20. On May 21, the lieutenant colonel with a small detachment carried out a punitive operation against the Turkmens. They were punished for hostile actions against Russian troops. On May 22, Skobelev covered the convoy, repelling several attacks by the Khivans. On May 24, when Russian troops stood at Chinakchik (8 versts from Khiva), the enemy attacked a camel convoy. Mikhail Dmitrievich immediately took two hundred, quietly went to the rear and struck the Khivans. He overthrew the enemy cavalry, put the infantry to flight and repulsed 400 camels.

Khiva campaign 1873. Through the dead sands to the wells of Adam-Krylgan (Karazin N.N., 1888).

On May 26, the united Orenburg and Mangyshlak detachments reached Khiva, settling at the Shahabad Gate. On May 28, reconnaissance in force was carried out. On May 29, a Turkestan detachment under the command of Kaufman approached the city from the southeast. The Khivans capitulated. Kaufman's troops began to enter the city from the south. But, due to the unrest in the city, the northern part of Khiva did not know about the capitulation and refused to surrender. Skobelev with two companies began the assault on the Shahabad Gate and was the first to make his way inside the fortress. The Khivans launched a counterattack, but Skobelev held the gate and rampart behind him. Soon, by order of Kaufman, the assault was stopped, and the city finally capitulated. Khiva submitted.

Scheme of Khiva fortifications.

During the campaign, the Krasnovodsk detachment of Colonel Markozov did not take part in the capture of Khiva and was forced to return to Krasnovodsk. Skobelev volunteered to carry out reconnaissance of the route not taken by the Krasnovodsk detachment in order to find out the cause of the incident. The task was fraught with great risk: it was necessary to pass the Zmukshir - Ortakay section of 340 miles, in a hostile environment. Mikhail Dmitrievich took only 5 people with him, including 3 Turkmens. On August 4 he set out from Zmukshir. There was no water in the Daudur well. 15-25 versts before Ortakuyu, Skobelev’s detachment on the morning of August 7, near the Nefes-kuli well, ran into a detachment of hostile Turkmens. The lieutenant colonel and his companions barely escaped. It was obvious that it was impossible to get further. On August 11, having traveled 640 miles, Skobelev returned. The corresponding report was presented to Kaufman. This intelligence helped to drop the charge against Colonel Vasily Markozov, who was considered guilty of the failure of the Krasnovodsk detachment. For this reconnaissance, Mikhail Skobelev was awarded the Order of St. George, 4th degree.

In the winter of 1873-1874, the officer was on leave in Southern France. During it, he made a trip to Spain, where the Third Carlist War was going on (the uprising was raised by a party that supported the rights of Don Carlos and his heirs), and was an eyewitness to several battles. In February 1874, Skobelev was promoted to colonel, and in April he was enlisted as an aide-de-camp in the retinue of His Imperial Majesty.

Major General and Military Governor

At the end of May 1875, Mikhail Dmitrievich again sought appointment to Turkestan. Skobelev was appointed commander of a small military team (22 Cossacks), which escorted the Russian embassy sent to Kashgar. At the same time, he served as a reconnaissance officer - he had to assess the military significance of Kashgar. The embassy passed through Kokand, where Khudoyar Khan ruled under Russian influence. At this time, an uprising broke out against the khan, who fled to Khojent. The Russian embassy covered him up. Thanks to Skobelev’s skill, his caution and firmness, a battle that threatened to exterminate the small Russian detachment was avoided.

At this time, a gazavat against the infidels was proclaimed in Kokand and Kokand troops invaded Russian borders. Khojent was besieged. Unrest began among local residents. Skobelev with two hundred Cossacks was sent to fight the gangs. Soon Khojent was liberated by Kaufman's troops, Skobelev led the cavalry. On August 22, 1875, Russian troops took Makhram, the center of the rebel forces (numbered up to 50 thousand people). The Kokand people suffered a complete defeat, losing up to 2 thousand people killed (Russian troops lost 5 killed and 8 wounded). In this battle, Skobelev, with the support of a rocket battery, quickly attacked the enemy, put numerous enemy crowds of foot and horsemen to flight and drove them 10 miles. In this matter, the colonel showed himself to be an excellent cavalry commander.

The leader of the rebels, Abdurrahman, escaped; six hundred, two infantry companies and a missile battery under the command of Skobelev were sent to pursue him. Russian soldiers destroyed the enemy detachment, but Abdurrahman was able to escape. Russia annexed the lands north of the Syr Darya (Namangan department). However, the uprising continued. Abdurrahman deposed Khan Nasreddin (son of Khudoyar) and elevated Pulat Khan (Bolot Khan) to the throne. Andijan became the center of the uprising. On October 1, the detachment of Major General Vitaly Trotsky took the enemy fortress. Skobelev distinguished himself in this battle. On the way back, the Russian detachment met the enemy; on October 5, Skobelev destroyed the camp of the rebel Kipchaks with a night attack.

On October 18, for distinction in this campaign, Mikhail Skobelev was promoted to major general and appointed head of the Namangan department. Under his command there were three battalions, five hundred and 12 guns. Skobelev received the task of “acting strategically defensively,” that is, without leaving the borders of the Russian Empire. However, the situation was so difficult that Skobelev had to go on the offensive. “War of position” led to the enemy’s success. Bandit elements and gangs constantly crossed the Russian border, and a small war was going on almost continuously. Major General Mikhail Skobelev constantly stopped the enemy’s attempts to cross the border, on October 23 he defeated an enemy detachment at Tyurya Kurgan, and then helped the garrison of Namangan, where an uprising broke out. On November 12, he scattered a large enemy detachment (up to 20 thousand people) near Balykchy. It was necessary to answer. Kaufman ordered a limited offensive operation.

On December 25, Skobelev set out from Namangan with 2.8 thousand soldiers with 12 guns and a missile battery. Moving towards Ike-su-arasy, Russian troops destroyed “non-peaceful” villages. The enemy was unable to provide decent resistance. Only in Andijan did Abdurrahman decide to give battle and gathered up to 37 thousand soldiers. On January 8, 1876, Russian troops took the fortress by storm. Abdurrahman fled to Assaka, where on January 18 he suffered a new defeat. The rebel leader escaped again, wandered for some time, then surrendered to the mercy of the victors. The surviving “irreconcilable” rebels fled to Afghanistan.

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

In February, the Kokand Khanate was transformed into the Fergana region and became part of the Russian Empire. On March 2, Mikhail Skobelev was appointed military governor and commander of the Fergana region. For the pacification of Kokand, Skobelev was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir 3rd degree with swords and the Order of St. George, 3rd degree, and also marked with a gold sword with diamonds with the inscription “for bravery.”

As the head of the region, Skobelev managed to pacify the Kipchaks, who gave their word to live peacefully. He also made a campaign against the Kyrgyz who inhabited the Alai ridges and the valley of the Kizyl-su River. The expedition to the borders of Kashgaria, to the Tien Shan, ended with the annexation of the Alai land to the Fergana region, the occupation of the Kashgar border and the construction of the Gulchin-Alai road. Skobelev served as governor for no more than a year; he was recalled to St. Petersburg. The general fought against embezzlement, making many enemies. Complaints constantly poured in against him in the capital. The accusations were not confirmed, but Skobelev was nevertheless recalled. Now he had to prove that successes in Central Asia were not accidental.

"General M.D. Skobelev on horseback." N. D. Dmitriev-Orenburgsky, (1883).

To be continued…

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Mikhail Dmitrievich Skobelev

General of Infantry. Hero of the conquests in Central Asia and the Russian-Turkish war for the liberation of the Balkan Slavs. From a hereditary military family, he will not give birth. His humble origins did not hinder his brilliant career. Shortly before his death he was promoted to full general. He died in June 1882 in Moscow at the age of 38. At the time of his death, he was the most popular person in the country. This happens to generals in Russian history. Just remember Lavr Kornilov, Grigory Zhukov, Alexander Lebed.

Skobelev's fame is explained simply. After Russia's defeat in the Crimean War and shameful world the nation felt humiliated. Therefore, with incredible enthusiasm the people perceived the successful campaigns of conquest in Central Asia, which made it possible to significantly expand the borders of the empire, as well as the victorious Russian-Turkish war of 1877-78, when Russian troops brought freedom to the Bulgarian brothers. Skobelev skillfully created a reputation for himself as almost the most successful military leader of these companies. The press tried. In reality, he only led his last operation - the Ahal-Tekin campaign. Russia owes the annexation of Turkmenistan to Skobelev.

In other companies he was in second and third roles. But it is worth noting that Skobelev always won specific battles. They love winners. In addition, Mikhail Dmitrievich was distinguished by incredible courage: in the front rows, under bullets, always in a white uniform and on a white horse, for which he was nicknamed the “White General”. The soldiers adored him for his incredible democracy and sincere concern for them.

He was an excellent speaker. With military directness in his speeches, he always defended the interests of Russia, without diplomatic equivocations. By the end of his life, he was already so incredibly popular that his lithographed portraits were sold throughout Russia, just as posters of pop stars are sold in our time.

VERSION ONE: HEART ATTACK

Having received a month's leave on June 22, 1882, M. D. Skobelev left Minsk, where his corps headquarters was located, for Moscow. He was accompanied by several staff officers and the commander of one of the regiments, Baron Rosen. As usual, Mikhail Dmitrievich stayed at the Dusso Hotel, intending to go to his Ryazan estate Spassky on June 25 to stay there “until the big maneuvers.” Upon arrival in Moscow, Skobelev met with Prince Dmitry Obolensky, according to whom the general was not in good spirits, did not answer questions, and if he did answer, it was somehow abrupt. It's clear that he's worried about something. On June 24, Skobelev came to the famous publicist Ivan Aksakov, brought a bunch of some documents and asked to keep them, saying: “I’m afraid that they will be stolen from me. For some time now I have become suspicious.”

The next day there was a dinner hosted by Baron Julius Rosen in honor of receiving the next award. Skobelev was thoughtful and gloomy. “And remember,” he said to his comrades, “how at the funeral in Geok-Tepe the priest said: the glory of man is like passing smoke... the priest behaved, but... he said well.”

After dinner in the evening, Skobelev went to the Anglia Hotel, which was located on the corner of Stoleshnikov Lane and Petrovka. Here, on the first floor, a huge room was occupied by girls of easy virtue, including Charlotte Altenrose (according to other sources, her names were Eleanor, Wanda, Rose).

Next, we will give the floor to the famous Moscow reporter Vladimir Gilyarovsky. “Two gates led into the courtyard, one from Stoleshnikov Lane, and the other from Petrovka, next to the cabman’s tavern. In the courtyard there were outbuildings with numbers. One of them, two-story, was entirely populated by kept women and girls of easy virtue who dressed smartly. These were mainly foreigners and Germans from Riga. A large room, luxuriously furnished on the lower floor of this outbuilding, was occupied by the blonde Wanda, a huge, beautifully built German woman who was known throughout revelry Moscow.

And there, in the yard, I learned from eyewitnesses that early in the morning of June 25, a frightened Wanda ran to the janitor and said that an officer had suddenly died in her room. One of the first to run into the room was the hairdresser I. A. Andreev, the back doors of whose apartment were directly opposite the doors of the outbuilding. On a chair, in front of a table laden with wines and fruits, Skobelev was reclining without signs of life. Andreev immediately recognized him. Wanda was silent, at first she didn’t want to name him. At this time, the bailiff Zamoyski appeared, immediately kicked everyone out and ordered the residents: “Sit in your room and don’t show your nose in the corridor!”

The police dispersed the people from the yard, a carriage with curtained windows appeared, and at one moment Skobelev’s body was taken to Dusso, and at 12 o’clock in the afternoon, in rooms decorated with flowers and palm trees, the highest Moscow authorities were already present at the funeral service.”

The autopsy was performed by Moscow University professor Ivan Neiding. The protocol said: “He died from paralysis of the heart and lungs, the inflammation of which he suffered so recently.”

The results of the police investigation have not been found. We don’t know for certain what happened in “England”. Meanwhile, death was surrounded by rumors.

The famous collector Pyotr Shchukin in 1912 stated from the words of the long-dead Minister of Internal Affairs Dmitry Tolstoy: “Skobelev was found in “England” naked and tied up. Allegedly, he ordered himself to be whipped with rods or wet towels.”

True, it is worth clarifying that the source of this information is rumors circulating in Moscow and recorded by Count de Vollan, a traveler, writer and diplomat, who was not disposed towards Skobelev. By the way, de Volland writes that Skobelev was then having fun in “England” with five girls at the same time.

A certain A.F. Snegirev in 1917 in the newspaper “Morning of Russia”, referring to the forensic investigator I.P. Pobedimov who was in charge of Skobelev’s case, stated: traces of rods were found on Skobelev’s body after death, which he resorted to as an “exciting means." It was the sadomasochistic games with Wanda’s “girls” that contributed to the heart attack.

Skobelev was not some kind of supernatural voluptuous person, but he was not a monk either. Everything is within normal limits. He loved women. In youth, even, they say, too much. In his youth he led such a hussar life - feasts and many available women. He settled down with age. He drank, but within normal limits – he preferred wine. I didn’t drink anything strong at all. It's the same with women. He was divorced, that is, free.

He used the services of ladies like Charlotte Altenrose, but no more than the average rich, young, free and healthy man. The story about the orgy in “England” is quite plausible: in those days he was on edge, he even drank more than usual, mixed champagne with porter. One can, of course, assume that, having drunk, he allowed himself more than usual and with women.

The body of the military general, who had risked his life more than once, could not stand it. During the Turkestan campaigns he received several sword wounds, and in the war with the Turks he was shell-shocked twice. Nervous excitement, alcohol and sex - all above the norm - combine to cause a heart attack. Skobelev found weak heart, and a stressful situation (extreme sex with several prostitutes) led to his premature death.

This is how his attending physician Oscar Geifelder describes the general’s health: “Compared with his height and years, Skobelev’s pulse was rather weak and small, and accordingly the activity of the heart was weak and the sounds of the heart, although clear, were dull. This result of auscultation and palpation, the condition of all veins and arteries, as far as they are accessible to external examination, together with the pathological condition of the veins, gave me reason to conclude that vascular system in general and about poorly developed heart muscles.”

So, everything is quite simple. The thirty-eight-year-old hero became a victim of his own intemperance.

But heroes don’t die like that—not heroically and not secularly. Immediately after his death, rumors spread: Skobelev had been killed.

VERSION TWO: KILLED BY SPIES

The same comrade-in-arms of Skobelev, Doctor Geifelder, who first expressed the idea that the general was predisposed to coronary artery disease, noted his extraordinary endurance and energy. The “White General” could make long marches on horseback for days without sleep, maintaining vigor and efficiency. This suggests that in reality Skobelev’s cardiac system could not have caused his premature death.

Meanwhile, it is known that Skobelev never complained about his heart. Throughout his life, this man was distinguished by incredible endurance. He could spend weeks in the saddle. He did not care about the deserts of Turkestan and the mountain passes of the Balkans. Somehow all this does not fit with the image of a heart patient. Well, the stomach, liver and intestines were not entirely in order - the same Geifelder reports this. And who has them in order, especially when traveling around Central Asia?

Skobelev’s colleague, General Kaspar Blumer, argued: there was no medical autopsy; moreover, according to him, the authorities did not allow a personally devoted Montenegrin doctor to see the general’s body. Post-mortem diagnosis is falsification.

Many believed (and still believe) that Skobelev was poisoned by the Germans. That's what the people said. Many representatives of the educated class thought so. It is worth recalling that in the Russian Empire a significant part of the bureaucracy consisted of ethnic Germans. As a result, in Rus' the Germans were not liked, and all sorts of vile things were attributed to them - normal xenophobia. But in the case of General Skobelev, the search for a German trace is not such nonsense. There were certain grounds for such suspicions.

By and large, at that time there were two German states left - Austria-Hungary and Germany proper - two powerful empires. The German Empire arose only in 1871. The generator of the unification of German lands around Prussia was Otto von Bismarck, the famous Iron Chancellor. This father of German statehood throughout the 70s and early 80s determined the external and domestic policy Germany, and it was he who, in the eyes of Skobelev, represented the greatest danger to Russia. Accordingly, the Russian patriot Skobelev considered Bismarck a personal enemy. No one in Europe would want to have an enemy like Skobelev - a brilliant commander, plus an informal leader of the nation. For Bismarck, Skobelev was a constant irritant. The death of a white general is a real gift for the Iron Chancellor.

In February 1878, Russia essentially won the war with Turkey. The vanguard of the Russian army stood one day's march to Istanbul (Constantinople). Skobelev commanded them. If he had entered Istanbul, an Orthodox cross might have soared over Hagia Sophia. And Skobelev would have become no less famous than Napoleon or Alexander the Great. Russia would have access to the Mediterranean Sea. But European diplomats, who gathered a few months later at the Berlin Congress, announced: the capture of Constantinople means war of the European coalition against the Russian Empire. And if Russia considered Austria-Hungary and England as opponents, then the betrayal of Bismarck and Germany became a knife in the back. Bismarck stole victory from Russia, and Skobelev’s dream and world fame.

Skobelev, having become involved in politics, acted in the same way as on the battlefield: he exposed himself to bullets on a white horse and in a white uniform. He cut from the shoulder, but, apparently, he did not act spontaneously. His first high-profile political speech took place in January 1882 in St. Petersburg, and, surprisingly, it was a toast. At the celebration of the anniversary of the capture of Geok-Tepe, which predetermined the success of the Ahal-Tekin expedition, Skobelev made a toast in which he appealed to the patriotic feeling of those gathered.

On purpose arranged holiday in Borel's restaurant he spoke about the historical mission of Russia as a leader and protector Slavic peoples and about certain foreigners and ill-wishers who do not allow this mission to be carried out. In the end, he directly accused Austria-Hungary, as they would now say, of the genocide of the Slavs: “Gentlemen, at the very time when we joyfully gathered here, there, on the shores of the Adriatic Sea, our fellow tribesmen, defending their faith and nationality, were called robbers and they treat them as such!.. There, in our native Slavic land, German-Magyar rifles are aimed at the breasts of our fellow believers... I can’t finish the word, gentlemen... My heart aches painfully. But the great consolation for us is the faith and strength of Russia’s historical calling.”

Skobelev did not limit himself to the aforementioned toast. In 1882 he went to Paris, and France was Germany's main enemy. And there he gives an anti-German speech to Serbian students: “The enemy is Germany.

The struggle between the Slavs and the Teutons is inevitable. She's even very close. It will be long, bloody, terrible, but I believe that it will end in the victory of the Slavs. I can assure you that if states recognized by European treaties are affected, be it Serbia or Montenegro... in a word... you will not fight alone. Thank you again and, if fate wills it, goodbye to the battlefield shoulder to shoulder against the common enemy.”

Skobelev was, of course, an excellent speaker, but first of all he was a man of action, so he did not limit himself to speeches. In Paris, he establishes close contact with the leader of the Republicans, Prime Minister of France Leon Gambetta and his closest assistant Juliette Adam. He is conducting some negotiations, accompanied by statements about the need for an alliance between France and Russia against Germany and Austria-Hungary. Such a union would become a reality after Skobelev’s death during the reign of Alexander III. Skobelev correctly sensed the impending changes in the political situation in Europe.

This is real politics. Skobelev becomes the main enemy of Germany in Russia and a dangerous enemy. In St. Petersburg at court the Germanophile party is still very strong. The general is recalled from vacation. He returns, and six months later dies under mysterious circumstances in Moscow, at the London Hotel.

True, the murder left no traces. Those who spoke about the German trace gave only one argument - Skobelev died in the room of the Austrian citizen Charlotte (or Wanda) Altenrose, who, it turns out, was an agent of Bismarck. The official autopsy results do not indicate poisoning.

Many people saw Skobelev’s body after his death. Several memoirists describe a strange phenomenon. The body was quickly decomposing. The most detailed description was left by Skobelev’s friend, writer Vasily Nemirovich-Danchenko. It is worth noting that among his contemporaries Nemirovich had a reputation as a liar (Nemirovich-Vralchenko). This, however, does not necessarily mean that his description is not true. “Blue spots appeared on Skobelev’s yellow, terribly yellow face... The lips stuck together, merged... The eyes were sunken... And he was all somehow sunken... His chest had sunk in so that his shoulders with epaulettes stuck forward, his neck had sunk in, as if his head had been separated from it.”

Apart from the whispers of people on the streets of Moscow and conversations in social drawing rooms, which began immediately - this is evidenced by many (the same Nemirovich in his later memoirs, as well as Kartsov, Tolbukhov, Markov and others), then the first version of the murder of Skobelev by hostile intelligence voiced by the same Juliette Adam, Gambetta's assistant. She wrote about this directly. But it is worth considering that Adam had reasons to talk about the German trace. She was interested in continuing the work begun by Skobelev - the creation of an anti-German alliance between Russia and France. Attributing the murder of a national hero to the Germans is an excellent move.

“It’s remarkable,” a contemporary noted, “that the same opinion was held in intelligent circles. Here it was expressed even more definitely: persons were named who could participate in this crime, allegedly directed by Bismarck... The same message attributed to Bismarck the loss of a plan for war with the Germans, developed by Skobelev and stolen immediately after the death of the general from his estate.”

This version was also supported by some representatives of official circles. The emperor’s advisor, Prince Vladimir Meshchersky, wrote to Pobedonostsev in 1887: “Any day now, Germany could pounce on France and crush it. But suddenly, thanks to Skobelev’s bold step, the common interests of France and Russia were revealed 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 job was done.”

However, even if Bismarck sent his agent to Skobelev, he did not achieve his political goal. Russia was getting closer and closer to the enemy of the German Empire - the Republic of France.

VERSION THREE: POLITICAL MURDER INITIATED BY ALEXANDER III

The third version is the most exciting. They first started talking about her more than thirty years after Skobelev’s death. Previously they couldn’t. A revolution had to happen, because it was simply unthinkable under censorship conditions to openly declare that Skobelev was poisoned on instructions or, at least, with the knowledge of Emperor Alexander III.

So, according to this version, the Russian Tsar was behind the murder of one of his best commanders, who conquered new lands for the empire and considered the enemies of his homeland his personal enemies. To take this step, the reasons must be very compelling.

And they were. There are serious reasons to believe that Skobelev posed a danger to Alexander III, who unexpectedly found himself on the throne after tragic death my father.

It is worth recalling the story of the accession to the throne of Emperor Alexander III.

Alexander III inherited the throne in March 1881 after the assassination of Emperor Alexander II by Narodnaya Volya. He became the heir after the death of his elder brother Nikolai in 1864. He was officially crowned only in May 1883 - a two-year pause was caused by mourning for his father. Immediately after the coronation, he came up with a program for creating a powerful power vertical, which he immediately began to implement.

The relationship between the emperor and the commander, it turns out, was short-lived - a little more than a year. The history of these relations is easy to trace. It's well documented.

Soon after the death of Alexander II, Skobelev returned victorious from the Ahal-Tekin campaign. Throughout the country, his train is greeted by crowds of thousands of people and glorified him as a national hero. Skobelev arrives in St. Petersburg.

Reception with the new autocrat. Alexander is distinctly cold and almost rude. Not a word about grandiose military success. And in parting, a caustic question: “What about you, general, with discipline in your squad?” Skobelev comes out furious. The conversation is retold in all the capital's living rooms, which only adds fuel to the fire. To be honest, the question of discipline is not so empty. Skobelev himself did not suffer from discipline. Why not assume that he also has freemen in his detachment.

Perhaps Alexander heard some rumors that Skobelev spoke of him as a complete nonentity and quite reasonably believed that he, Skobelev, would have a hard time in the new reign.

At the court of the old emperor, Mikhail Dmitrievich had powerful support - a whole scattering of his relatives occupied prominent positions during the era of reforms, and Alexander II himself treated Skobelev with sincere sympathy. Skobelev, for example, believed that Alexander's army reform was the greatest benefit for Russia. Knowing the new tsar as an heir, he - rightly, as history has shown - was afraid of counter-reforms.

In a word, the “White General” did not expect anything good from Alexander III. Somewhere he said something - and we know exactly what he said (Valuev and Wrangel write about this) - Alexander probably became aware of these statements. This was precisely the time when Skobelev began to turn from a commander into a politician. His words were given special meaning.

This is where the real political thriller begins. The very victorious return of Skobelev from Central Asia at a time when the supreme power was experiencing a crisis - the assassination of the emperor seriously undermined the authority of the monarchy - forced some contemporaries to look for parallels with the return of Napoleon from Egypt.

Rumors spread at court. The first is that Skobelev will stage a coup during the coronation and take the throne himself under the name of Michael III. The second is that Skobelev will stage a military coup in favor of one of the grand dukes.

For historians who have studied this version, it is obvious that Skobelev was really up to something in the last year and a half of his life. On his last visit to Moscow, according to Prince Dmitry Obolensky, he had in his hands a million rubles, which mysteriously disappeared almost on the eve of his death.

Skobelev, according to the same Obolensky, turned it into money securities and sold something from his Ryazan estate and allegedly collected this huge amount. Skobelev hinted that he was going to spend this amount on Bulgarian affairs, but one can assume - and such assumptions were made - that the general would use this money not in Bulgaria, but in his homeland. The period between the death of the old emperor and the coronation of the new one is the most convenient for a coup.

There is memoir evidence from Narodnaya Volya member Sergei Ivanov that in Paris Skobelev tried to establish contact with “People’s Will,” that is, with the terrorists who killed the previous emperor. Skobelev offered to meet with the patriarch of populism, Pyotr Lavrov, for negotiations, but he refused.

At the same time – and we also know about this from the memoirs of Narodnaya Volya members (the same Ivanov and Esper Serebryakov) – in St. Petersburg, General Dragomirov, one of the Russian army commanders closest to Skobelev, had contacts with “Narodnaya Volya”.

There is another important fact - in 1881, in a conversation with Count Valuev, Skobelev said that an immediate war with Germany would help Russia solve, among other things, the dynastic issue.

Were such plans dangerous? Without a doubt. The Emperor knew that “People’s Will” was still deadly dangerous. It is so dangerous that Alexander preferred to be in Gatchina: they could get killed in the capital. The coronation was also postponed - it traditionally took place in Moscow.

Could Skobelev really be planning a coup? Like all selfless conspirators in world history, Skobelev wished for greatness and prosperity for his homeland. In his views, Skobelev was close to the Slavophiles - hence the ideas of pan-Slavism, etc. He was not a hardened conservative, just as, in essence, the Russian Slavophiles were not one, which is sometimes forgotten today. Herzen, for example, considered moderate Russian nationalists his strategic allies because they were doing the same thing, approaching from different sides.

Skobelev dreamed of a great Russia at the head of a free Slavic world. Judging by some information, the general saw the greatness of Russia in representative government with the preservation of some form of monarchy. At the very least, he was a supporter of Ignatiev’s projects to convene a Zemsky Sobor, which were rejected at the beginning of the reign by Alexander III. That is, he was in favor of deepening reforms, which he saw as the key to Russia’s greatness. He was not a patriot in the modern sense, when patriotism and pure conservatism are equated. In a word, Skobelev was for everything that could not be expected from the new emperor.

In 1917, the memoirs of a certain Fyodor Dubuk were published, in which he talks about the story he heard from reliable sources. In the inner circle of Alexander III, under the chairmanship of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich, a special secret court was established, which sentenced Kobelev to death by a majority of 33 votes out of 4 ° for subversive anti-state activities. This sentence was carried out at the Anglia Hotel.

A number of memoirists say that Skobelev was killed by agents of the “Sacred Squad”, a secret monarchist organization - also very closely connected with the court, respectively, with the knowledge of the tsar. The “Holy Squad” arose after the assassination of Alexander II with the aim of countering revolutionary terror using the methods of the terrorists themselves.

The mysterious Skobelev million also disappeared somewhere. The story is very dark. The general himself told Prince Obolensky that he disappeared in the following way. A certain Maslov, a close person to the Skobelev family, certainly devoted to them, managed all the family’s financial affairs for decades. So this Maslov, on the instructions of Mikhail Dmitrievich, took this million, and then suddenly went crazy. He was completely insane. The general himself was never able to find out from him where the money was. We don’t know whether Skobelev told Obolensky the truth. A million is missing. Skobelev drank heavily on this occasion on the eve of his death.

Supporters of the version of the murder of the “White General” by the royal court point to the following fact. That night, when Skobelev was relaxing in Charlotte Altenrose’s room, next door, behind the wall, she was walking friendly company. Knowing that Mikhail Dmitrievich was nearby, they loudly toasted the “White General”. It ended with the neighbors sending him a glass of champagne, which Skobelev drank. That's where the poison was. The company was completely Russian and the Germans had nothing to do with it.

Around the tragedy in the Moscow hotel, a tangle of legends and rumors grew like a snowball. The most varied, even mutually exclusive, assumptions were expressed, but they were all united in one thing: the death of M. D. Skobelev is associated with mysterious circumstances.

Reporting a widely circulated rumor of suicide in Russia, one of the European newspapers wrote that “the general committed this act of despair in order to avoid the dishonor that threatened him as a result of revelations certifying him as a nihilist.”

No matter why Skobelev died, he passed away, although untimely, but on time. People like him felt like black sheep at the court of Alexander III.

Skobelev was buried in his family estate, the village of Spassky-Zaborovsky, Ranenburg district, Ryazan province, next to his parents, where during his lifetime, anticipating his death, he prepared a place for the grave

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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 there was a silver inscription: “To the hero Mikhail Dmitrievich Skobelev - commander Suvorov’s equal.”

The peasants carried the coffin of Mikhail Dmitrievich in their arms 20 miles 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, a beautiful monument was erected to Skobelev using public funds...

While still a student at the military academy, Mikhail Skobelev was sent 30 miles from St. Petersburg to the shore of the Gulf of Finland to survey the area.

Stopping in a small village, where he lived for several months, he was struck by the poverty and misery of the local peasants. Having spent all his salary on buying clothes and shoes for local children, he generously helped the local peasant Nikita, with whom he lived all this time. One day he went into the forest to get some poles and on the way back got stuck in a swamp. A seedy white sivka saved the life of the future hero of Russia. “I take her to the left, and she pulls me to the right,” Skobelev told Nikita, “if I have to ride a horse somewhere, so that I remember your gray, I will always choose the white one.”

General Mikhail Skobelev on a white horse during the Russian-Turkish War (1877 - 1878). Artist Nikolai Dmitriev-Orenbursky (1883)

Obviously, after this Skobelev developed a mystical addiction to white horses; and the white uniform during the battle was a continuation and completion of the whiteness of his horse. That is why Russian soldiers called Skobelev the “White General”, and in Central Asia and the Balkans - “Ak Pasha”;

This year marks the 160th anniversary of the birth of Mikhail Dmitrievich Skobelev. The legendary general and future hero of the Fatherland, the favorite of Russian aristocrats and nobles, ordinary peasants and the army of pre-revolutionary Russia, was born on September 17, 1843 in military family: he was the first-born of a lieutenant of the Cavalry Regiment, later a participant in the Crimean War, a holder of the honorary golden sword. Mikhail's grandfather, Ivan Nikitich, was an adjutant to Kutuzov himself during the Patriotic War of 1812, rose to the rank of infantry general, was the commandant of the Peter and Paul Fortress and at the same time an original military writer and playwright. The grandfather was the main figure in the home education of his grandson. After his death, the mother of young Skobelev decided to send her son to France, where he studied at a boarding school and mastered several languages. Subsequently, Skobelev spoke eight European languages ​​(French as his native Russian) and could recite large passages from the works of Balzac, Sheridan, Spencer, Byron, and Shelley. Of the Russian authors, he fell in love with Lermontov, Khomyakov, and Kireevsky. He played the piano and sang in a pleasant baritone voice. In short, he was a real hussar - a romantic in the uniform of an officer.

Returning to his homeland, Mikhail entered St. Petersburg University in 1861, but soon family traditions took over, and he petitioned the Tsar to enroll him as a cadet in the Cavalry Regiment. Thus began his military service.

On November 22, 1861, 18-year-old Skobelev, in front of a formation of cavalry guards, took the oath of allegiance to the sovereign and the Fatherland and with zeal began to learn the basics of military affairs.

In 1866, Skobelev, having passed the entrance exams brilliantly, entered the Academy of the General Staff. This was the heyday of the academy, in which such prominent military scientists as G. Leer, M. Dragomirov, A. Puzyrevsky taught. But studying was not easy for the temperamental officer; he either studied hard, delighting the teachers with his knowledge, or stopped going to lectures, indulging in bachelor parties. He probably would not have been able to complete the academy course if it had not been for Professor Leer, who recognized his exceptional military talents and therefore looked after him with all his attention. At the request of Leer, Captain Skobelev, upon graduation from the academy, was enrolled in the staff of officers of the General Staff.

However, he did not serve there long. At the first opportunity, he asked for the right to participate in combat activities. In 1869, as a representative of the General Staff, he participated in the expedition of Major General A. Abramov to the borders of the Bukhara Khanate.

This enterprise was not entirely successful, but it allowed Mikhail Dmitrievich to get acquainted with Asian methods of warfare, which were strikingly different from those used in Poland. What he saw captured the young officer, and from then on Central Asia pulled him towards it like a magnet.

Bust of General Mikhail Skobelev in Ryazan

Subsequently, it became known that the Cossack did this because of personal enmity towards the young officer, who, in his temper, hit him in the face. And although a thorough investigation was carried out, which confirmed Skobelev’s innocence, the story in Bukhara society acquired an ugly connotation and harmed Skobelev’s authority for a long time. Ill-wishers took the opportunity to teach the “St. Petersburg upstart” a lesson. The matter ended with two duels between Mikhail Dmitrievich and officers of the headquarters of Governor General K. Kaufman and the sending of Skobelev to St. Petersburg.

Here Mikhail Dmitrievich took part in the work of the Military Scientific Committee of the General Staff, and then was appointed senior adjutant of the headquarters of the 22nd Infantry Division stationed in Novgorod, with a transfer to the General Staff as a captain. However, such military activity attracted Skobelev little, although on August 30, 1872, he was awarded the rank of lieutenant colonel and transferred to the headquarters of the Moscow Military District. Almost immediately he was seconded to the 74th Stavropol Regiment as a battalion commander. There Skobelev learns about the upcoming Khiva expedition. Using the influence of his uncle, the Minister of the Imperial Court, Adjutant General Count A. Adlerberg, he literally begs for an assignment to Turkestan, where the next (sixth) expedition was being prepared to conquer the Khiva Khanate.

The expedition consisted of four detachments under the overall command of General K. Kaufman. Skobelev was appointed to the Mangyshlak detachment (2140 people) of Colonel N. Lomakin as vanguard commander. For participation in the Khiva campaign of 1873, Mikhail Dmitrievich received his first St. George award - the Order of St. George IV degree, but for what exactly is not entirely clear. It is generally accepted that Skobelev received the order for a brilliantly conducted reconnaissance. The fact is that one of the four detachments, Krasnovodsk, under the command of Colonel V. Markozov never reached Khiva. Skobelev was entrusted with finding out the reasons for this, who, in the course of this task, not only showed personal courage and organizational skills, but also dropped charges against the command of the Krasnovodsk detachment, proving the impossibility of moving along the previously planned path.

Memorial plaque in honor of General Mikhail Skobelev on the commandant's house of the Peter and Paul Fortress

His merits in this reconnaissance were again ambiguously assessed by his contemporaries. However, General Kaufman, having carefully checked the facts, decided to award all ordinary participants with the insignia of the Military Order (St. George's Cross), and presented Mikhail Dmitrievich to the Order of St. George IV degree. Soon the Cavalier St. George Duma, by a majority vote, recognized Skobelev as worthy of being awarded the order. Presenting the order, General Kaufman then said to Mikhail Dmitrievich: “You have corrected your previous mistakes

, but they haven’t earned my respect yet.” In 1874, Mikhail Dmitrievich was promoted to colonel and adjutant, married the Empress's maid of honor, Princess M. Gagarina, but the family life

was not for him. The following year, he again sought to send him to Turkestan, where the Kokand uprising broke out. As part of Kaufman's detachment, Skobelev commanded the Cossack cavalry, and his decisive actions contributed to the defeat of the enemy near Mahram. Then he was instructed, at the head of a separate detachment, to act against the Kara-Kirghiz who participated in the uprising; Skobelev's victories at Andijan and Asaka put an end to the uprising.

Dressed in a white uniform, on a white horse, Skobelev remained safe and sound after the hottest battles with the enemy (he himself, paying tribute to superstition, inspired himself and others that in white clothes he would never be killed). Already at that time, a legend had developed that he was charmed by bullets. For his exploits in the Kokand campaign, Skobelev was awarded the rank of major general, the orders of St. George 3rd degree and St. Vladimir 3rd degree with swords, as well as a gold saber with the inscription “For bravery”, decorated with diamonds. The first glory came to him. In April 1877, the Russian-

“He was not a Slavophile in the narrow sense - this is undoubtedly. He went far beyond the framework of this trend; they seemed too narrow to him. Our national and Slavic cause was dear to him. His heart lay towards his native tribes. He felt a living connection with them - but This is where his similarity with the current Slavophiles ended. His views on the state structure, on the rights of individual tribes, on many internal issues, if a nickname is necessary, then he was rather a populist. General Dukhonin, after the death of Skobelev, by the way, it is reported that in one of the last meetings with him, Mikhail Dmitrievich repeated several times: “We, Slavophiles, need to come to an agreement, enter into an agreement with “Golos” ... “Golos” is right in many respects .

This cannot be denied. From our mutual irritations and bickering there is only harm to Russia." He repeated the same thing to us more than once, saying that in such a difficult time as our fatherland is now going through, all people of thought and heart need to unite, create a common slogan for themselves and to fight together against the dark forces of ignorance. The deceased understood Slavophilism not as a return to the old ideals of pre-Petrine Rus', but only as serving exclusively his people, Russia for the Russians, Slavism for the Slavs..." This is what he repeated everywhere."

But in St. Petersburg, by that time, an unfriendly opinion had formed about the young general: envious people accused him of excessive ambition, an “intemperate” lifestyle, and even of embezzling government money. With difficulty, Skobelev achieved an appointment to the Danube Army as chief of staff of the Cossack division (his father commanded it), but soon he was sent to the headquarters of the commander-in-chief, Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich.

After the army crossed the Danube, the advance detachment of General I. Gurko moved forward to the Balkans, and on the instructions of the commander-in-chief, Skobelev helped the detachment in capturing the Shipka Pass. By this time, large Turkish forces under the command of Osman Pasha launched a counter-offensive against the main forces of the Russian army and organized a strong defense of Plevna - strategically important fortress and cities. Mikhail Dmitrievich had the opportunity to become one of the active participants in the epic struggle for Plevna. The first two assaults on the city (July 8 and 18), which ended in failure for the Russian troops, revealed serious flaws in the organization of their actions.

Skobelev received little consolation from the fact that during the assault on July 18, the combined Cossack detachment he commanded advanced further than its neighbors, and during the general retreat retreated back in perfect order. In the interval between the second and third assaults, he proposed to capture Lovcha, an important junction of roads leading to Plevna. The “White General” actually led the actions of the Russian detachment that took Lovcha, since the head of the detachment, Prince Imeretinsky, completely entrusted him with carrying out the attack.

Before the third assault on Plevna at the end of August, Skobelev was given command of parts of the 2nd Infantry Division and the 3rd Infantry Brigade. Showing enormous energy and putting everyone on their feet, he and his chief of staff A. Kuropatkin brought their troops into the most combat-ready state. On the day of the assault, Skobelev, as always on a white horse and in white clothes, led the actions of his detachment on the left flank of the advancing troops. His squad went into battle with music and drumming. After fierce battles with the enemy, he captured two Turkish redoubts and broke through to Plevna. But it was not possible to break the enemy in the center and on the right flank, and the Russian troops received the order to retreat.

This battle near Plevna brought Skobelev more fame and made his name better known throughout Russia than all his previous successes. Alexander II, who was near Plevna, awarded the 34-year-old military leader the rank of lieutenant general and the Order of St. Stanislaus, 1st degree.

The sharp increase in Skobelev's popularity was largely due to the eccentricity of his personality and ability to win the hearts of soldiers. He considered it his sacred duty to take care of his subordinates, whom he provided with hot food in any combat situation. With sincere and emotional patriotic slogans and lively appeals to the troops, the fearless general influenced them like no one else. His associate and permanent chief of staff Kuropatkin recalled: “On the day of the battle, Skobelev appeared to the troops every time as especially joyful, cheerful, handsome... The soldiers and officers looked with confidence at his warlike handsome figure, admired him, joyfully greeted him and answered with all their hearts he is “happy to try” to his wishes, so that they are great in the upcoming task.”

In October 1877, Mikhail Dmitrievich took command of the 16th Army near Plevna. infantry division. Three regiments of this division were already under his command: Kazan - near Lovcha, Vladimir and Suzdal - during the assault on Plevna. During the period of complete encirclement and blockade of the city, he put his division in order, upset big losses

in previous battles. After the capitulation of Plevna, which could not withstand the blockade, Skobelev took part in the winter transition of Russian troops through the Balkans. His order before heading into the mountains said: “We have a difficult feat ahead of us, worthy of the tested glory of Russian banners: today we begin to cross the Balkans with artillery, without roads, making our way, in sight of the enemy, through deep snowdrifts. Don’t forget, brothers that we have been entrusted with the honor of the Fatherland. Our sacred cause!”

As part of the Central detachment of General F. Radetsky, Skobelev with his division and the forces attached to it overcame the Imetliysky pass, to the right of Shipka, and on the morning of December 28 came to the aid of the column of N. Svyatopolk-Mirsky, who had bypassed Shipka on the left and entered into battle with the Turks at Sheinovo . The attack of Skobelev's column, carried out almost on the move, without preparation, but according to all the rules of military art, ended in the encirclement of Wessel Pasha's Turkish corps. The Turkish commander surrendered his saber to the Russian general. For this victory, Skobelev was awarded a third golden sword with the inscription: “For bravery,” although, according to many, he deserved more.

Bypassing the Turkish positions, Skobelev said: “Scoundrels!”

Who are the scoundrels? - his companions were surprised.

Was it possible to give up such a position?

You can’t defend, you can fight, you have to die,” Skobelev concluded.

At the same time, the general, extremely merciless in battle, who in decisive cases accepted only a bayonet attack, without a single shot, in order to see the enemy face to face, taught his soldiers on victorious days: “Beat the enemy without mercy while he holds a weapon in his hands. But As soon as he surrendered, he asked for amina, he became a prisoner - he is your friend and brother. You can’t eat it yourself, give him what he needs. He is a soldier like you, only in misfortune.”

At the beginning of 1878, Mikhail Dmitrievich was subordinate to the head of the Western detachment, General I. Gurko, and, heading the vanguard corps, ensured the occupation of Adrianople (Edirne). After a short rest, his corps set out for Istanbul (Constantinople), and on January 17 broke into Chorlu, which is 80 kilometers from the Turkish capital. Exhausted, Türkiye sued for peace. The peace treaty signed in San Stefano was quite beneficial for Russia and the Balkan peoples, but six months later, under pressure from the European powers, it was revised in Berlin, which caused a sharply negative reaction from Skobelev.

Monument to General Mikhail Skobelev in Plevna (Bulgaria). Five Bulgarian villages bear the name of the Russian general: Skobelevo (Lovech region); Skobelevo (Haskovo region); Skobelevo (Plovdiv region); Skobelevo (Starozagorsk region); Skobelevo (Sliven region)

By the end of the 70s, the struggle between Russia and England for influence in Central Asia intensified, and in 1880, Alexander II instructed Skobelev to lead an expedition of Russian troops to the Akhal-Teke oasis of Turkmenistan. The main goal of the campaign was to capture the Geok-Tepe fortress (45 kilometers northwest of Ashgabat) - the main support base of the Tekins.

After a five-month struggle with the sands and the courageous Tekins, Skobelev’s 13,000-strong detachment approached Geok-Tepe, and on January 12, after the assault, the fortress fell. Then Ashgabat was occupied, and other regions of Turkmenistan were annexed to Russia. On the occasion of the successful completion of the expedition, Alexander II promoted Skobelev to infantry general and awarded him the Order of St. George, 2nd degree.

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One of the central boulevards in the Bulgarian capital, Sofia, is named after Mikhail Skobelev, and on the wall of one of the houses there is a memorial plaque with the name and image of the general

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Alexander III, who ascended the throne in March 1881, was wary of great fame"White General"

In turn, Skobelev did not seek to win the trust of the new tsar and allowed himself to say everything he thought about the reigning house, about the politics of Russia and its relations with the Western powers. Fascinated by the ideas of Slavism, Orthodoxy and the rise of national consciousness, he repeatedly and publicly declared the danger threatening Russia from the west, which caused a stir in Europe. The general spoke especially harshly about Germany and the “Teutons.” In March and April 1882, Skobelev had two audiences with the tsar, and although the content of their conversations remained unknown, according to eyewitnesses, Alexander III began to treat the general more tolerantly. Skobelev wrote to his friend General Kuropatkin: “If they scold you, don’t believe it too much, I stand for the truth and for the Army and I’m not afraid of anyone.”

Mikhail Skobelev's worldview was formed several years before the end of his life. Already at the end of the war in the Balkans, he said: “My symbol is short: love for the Fatherland; science and Slavism. On these whales we will build such a political force that we will not be afraid of either enemies or friends! And there is no need to think about the belly, for the sake of these We will make all the sacrifices for great goals." It was in the last years of his life that the general became close to the Slavophiles and especially I.S. Aksakov, who had a significant influence on him, which was noticed by his contemporaries. “Poor man Ivan Sergeevich,” said N.N. Obruchev, you used to convince and reason with the late Mikhail Dmitrievich Skobelev. Well, it seems the man has completely calmed down. And he goes to Moscow, to Aksakov, and returns from there mad.”

It should be noted that his attitude towards the Slavs was romantic-altruistic, similar to the position of F.M.
Dostoevsky. In his “Diary of a Writer,” he wrote about the capture of Geok-Tepe by Skobelev: “Long live the victory at Geok-Tepe! Long live Skobelev and his soldiers, and eternal memory to the heroes who “left the list”! We will add them to our lists.”

Such an assessment of Dostoevsky was of considerable value for Skobelev. And no less valuable and in tune with his worldview was the writer’s foresight regarding the role of Russia in the world.

The writer-prophet Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky wrote about it this way:

“According to my inner conviction, the most complete and irresistible, Russia will not, and never has had, such haters and slanderers and even outright enemies as all these Slavic tribes, as soon as Russia liberates them, and Europe agrees to recognize them as liberated! .. They will even talk about the Turks with more respect than about Russia; they will curry favor with European states, they will slander Russia, gossip about it and intrigue against it... It is especially pleasant for the liberated Slavs to speak out and trumpet the light that they are tribes. educated, capable of the highest European culture, while Russia is a barbaric country, a gloomy northern colossus, not even of purely Slavic blood, a persecutor and hater of European civilization...

These people of the earth will forever quarrel among themselves, forever envy each other and intrigue against each other. Of course, in a moment of some serious trouble, they will all certainly turn to Russia for help..., a great life, to shine to the world with a great, unselfish and pure idea, to embody and create, in the end, a great and powerful organism of a fraternal union of tribes, to create this organism not by political violence, not by the sword, but by conviction, example, love, selflessness, light; to finally raise all these little ones to themselves and to raise their maternal recognition - this is the goal of Russia, this is its benefit, if you want. If nations do not live by higher, unselfish ideas and the highest goals of serving humanity, but only serve their own “interests,” then these nations will undoubtedly perish, become numb, weakened and die. And there are no higher goals than those that Russia has set for itself, serving the Slavs, selflessly and without demanding gratitude from them, serving their moral (and not just political) reunification into a great whole.”

...The chief of the Skobelevsky headquarters, Mikhail Dukhonin, later recalled how he once found his commander in an extremely difficult mood. “It’s time to die,” said Skobelev. “One person cannot do more than he can do... I came to the conviction that everything in the world is lies, lies and lies. All this is glory, and all this shine is a lie "Is this true happiness? How many were killed, wounded, suffering, ruined." The white general was deeply worried about those warriors who lost their lives in battle. Referring to his enemies, Skobelev exclaimed: “They think that there is nothing better than leading troops under fire, to death. Not if they saw me on sleepless nights. If only they could see what’s going on in my life.” Sometimes the soul itself wants to die - it’s so creepy, scary, so painful for these meaningful sacrifices.”

The general lived less than two months after this conversation.

He died under very strange circumstances in the Moscow Dusso Hotel. "Heart palsy" was officially registered. But rumors circulated around the Mother See: some suggested that he was poisoned by Bismarck’s agents, others considered it a political murder, and others saw a love affair behind it. And to this day the secret of his death remains a secret behind seven seals...

The peasants, recent peasants, revered him as one of their own. “He’s ours, he’s Russian,” they said. “His great-grandfather plowed the land. When others talk to us, we don’t understand, but when he speaks, we always understand.”

That’s what he was, an understandable, crystal clear Russian man. His fate, his actions, legends and stories about him amaze with their exceptional integrity and intelligibility.

If anyone in our history has created a complete, archetypal, nowhere-divided image of a patriot, it is Skobelev.

Skobelev's funeral resulted in a grandiose public demonstration.

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Khitrovo said: “We are burying our banner.” The soldiers echoed him: “You have served our Mother Russia. You are our eagle!” Monument to General Skobelev in Moscow. In 1912, in Moscow on Tverskaya Square, a beautiful monument was erected to Skobelev using public funds (!)."

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The author is a self-taught sculptor, Lieutenant Colonel P.A. Samonov. In total, six monuments to the general were erected in Russia before the revolution. In 1918, it was barbarously demolished and destroyed by the Bolsheviks in accordance with the decree “On the removal of monuments to the kings and their servants and the development of projects for monuments to the Russian socialist revolution

From the Church of the Three Saints to the station the coffin was carried in their arms. Along the entire movement of the funeral train, to Skobelev’s homeland - the village of Spassky, to

railway

Peasants with priests came out, whole villages and towns came out with banners and banners. “It would be impossible for us,” said the shocked London Times correspondent Charles Marvin at the time.“And it would be impossible for us,” one of his Russian colleagues answered him, “in no way possible, if not for Skobelev.”

Indeed, it would not be an exaggeration to say that Mikhail Dmitrievich could decisively change the course of all Russian history. There is no doubt that it was he who would have become Minister of War after P.S. Vannovsky. And if this happened, then, probably, Skobelev became commander-in-chief during the Far Eastern campaign of 1904-05. And, of course, he would not have missed victories either at Liaoyang or at Mukden, and would have saved Port Arthur, and the entire campaign as a whole. Then the political situation in Russia would have been completely different and, quite possibly, the country’s development would have taken a more successful course, without the revolutions of 1905 and 1917.

But, alas, history cannot be rewritten, and the Russian troops in this unfortunate war were commanded by, of course, a competent, educated, honest and brave, but very indecisive General A.N. Kuropatkin. Even during the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-78, M.D. Skobelev told him: “You, Alexey, are a wonderful chief of staff, but God forbid you ever become commander in chief!”

By the way, Alexey Nikolaevich himself soberly assessed his talent as a commander. During his presentation to Emperor Nicholas II on the occasion of his appointment as commander-in-chief of all land and naval forces in the Far East, Kuropatkin said to the king: “Only by the poverty of choice can I explain the decision made by Your Majesty.”

Of course, you cannot refuse Alexey Nikolaevich honesty and directness. Moreover, Skobelev’s talent as a commander could come in handy in later years, when on the European continent the tangle of contradictions between the leading powers became so confused and insoluble that arose real threat

world war. Mikhail Dmitrievich knew very well the nature of the training of the German and Austro-Hungarian armies, their strategy and tactics, strengths and weaknesses. And even if, due to his advanced age, he could not take a direct part in this war, then, undoubtedly, his rich experience would be indispensable in the fight against such dangerous opponents for Russia.,

Alexander Kirilin

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 there was a silver inscription: “To the hero Mikhail Dmitrievich SKOBELEV - commander SUVOROV’s equal.” The peasants carried the coffin of Mikhail Dmitrievich in their arms 20 miles 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 kings and their servants and the development of projects for monuments to the Russian Socialist Revolution.”

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

Russia has experienced two dark periods in its history in recent centuries: after the revolution of 1917 and the democratization that “started” in 1991. But both were marked by the abandonment of their history, the disgrace of their heroes. The massive demolition of monuments, changing the names of streets, squares and cities, and the endless reshaping of history lead to the creation of chaos in people’s minds, to the multiplication of seeds of discord in society, and the loss of guidelines for the civic education of younger generations.

Russia's eternal opponents gloat as they watch how Russians (or rather, present-day Russians) recklessly mutilate their ancestry and throw their yesterday's heroes out of their graves. Their home-grown followers willingly blaspheme their past. For them, Kutuzov is “a gray military leader who did not win a single significant battle”, G. Zhukov is “a cruel commander who paved the path to victory with corpses.” The deheroization of Russian history is the cherished dream of all our adversaries, external and internal. A striking example to illustrate this statement is the life and exploits of Mikhail Dmitrievich Skobelev, an outstanding commander of the 19th century, who, like A.V. Suvorov, did not lose a single battle, winning immeasurable love army and the entire people, and now almost unknown to the younger generation.

Mikhail Skobelev was born in 1843 in the family estate of Spasskoye, Ryazan province, into a family of hereditary military men. His grandfather was a general during the Patriotic War of 1812 and adjutant of M. Kutuzov, his father, with the rank of lieutenant general, participated in the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878. along with his famous son. Mikhail Dmitrievich himself spent his entire adult life in the ranks of the Russian army. His military career was rapid. By the end of his life, at the age of 38, he was already an infantry general, a holder of the Order of St. George the Victorious of three degrees, an idol of the Russian army, and a prominent political figure. It is rare that popular rumor assigns its own, unique titles. M. Skobelev received such a great honor and went down in Russian history as the “White General” because, as a rule, he appeared before the troops before 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 area of ​​the Finnish border, he lost his way in disastrous swampy places. It seemed to him that he needed to stick to one side, but the white horse stubbornly pulled him in the opposite direction. Finally, he humbled 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 made a vow: to ride only white horses.

Something similar influenced the color of the combat uniform he chose. During the Russian-Turkish war, his father, the general, gave M. Skobelev 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 notified him that he was returning the donated sheepskin coat, because he had twice come under fire from Turkish batteries in it and received serious concussions, while White color made him invulnerable to enemy bullets and shrapnel.

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

The basis for the brilliant victories of the troops under the command of M. Skobelev was 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, liberating Bulgaria from the Ottoman yoke. In all three campaigns, he relied on speed of maneuver and decisiveness in striking. He was irritated by the slowness, unjustified caution, and sluggishness in the actions of the high command, which often became the reason for hostility towards M. Skobelev. When the Russian army trampled for a long time on the left bank of the Danube at the beginning of the Russian-Turkish war, waiting for bridges to be built, M. Skobelev proposed swimming across cavalry units to the Turkish bank to quickly capture bridgeheads. Senior commanders objected: they say, this is unheard of. Then the young general took the first horse he 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 take the Turkish troops by surprise, who did not expect such speed of movement of the Russian infantry. Mikhail Dmitrievich’s detachment ultimately decided the outcome of the months-long battle on Shipka. Having crossed the Carpathian mountain passes in winter, he bypassed the Turkish positions and found himself in their rear near the village of Sheinovo.

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

Towards the end of the war, M. Skobelev’s troops came closest to the gates of Istanbul and at that moment received an order from the command to stop. Mikhail Dmitrievich was openly outraged by the cowardice of the commanders, 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 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 took precedence. All of Europe bristled against Russia and forced it to retreat at the Berlin Congress. Orders and new military ranks did not console Mikhail Dmitrievich. He acutely felt that the growing German Empire under the leadership of Bismarck and its ally Austria-Hungary would be the main enemies of Russia in the foreseeable future, which is what 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 of the famous theater figure), noted that M. Skobelev’s ideal was a powerful indivisible Russia, surrounded by Slavic allied countries, free and independent, but welded together by the same blood, the same faith. He repeatedly expressed this idea publicly during speeches in Europe, which aroused hatred of the European authorities and the press towards him. Only in Paris was he received with understanding, where 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 supposed 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 region, he had to solve an atypical task: to storm the Geok-Tepe fortress, in which 25 thousand desperate Tekin warriors settled. Using all engineering and technical innovations, including rocket artillery and 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 improving his military training. At this time he became close to the famous Slavophile I.S. Aksakov. In one of his letters, Skobelev wrote: “Our common holy cause for me, as, I believe, for you, is closely connected with the revival of the now suppressed Russian self-awareness... I had reason to be convinced that even the seditious party in its majority will hear the voice of the fatherland and the government , when Russia will speak Russian, which has not happened for so long, long time.” M. Skobelev's patriotism generated enemies around him. The general's relations with the new Emperor Alexander III were excellent; in March and April 1882, he was received by him twice and, after lengthy conversations with the monarch, left in a great mood. But outside the royal palace the situation was different. On March 23, 1882, he wrote to I.S. Aksakov: “I received several challenges (to a duel - N.L.), which I did not answer. Obviously, it is very desirable for the enemies of the Russian folk revival to get rid of me this way. It is both cheap and cheerful. You know me so well that, of course, you are confident in my calm attitude towards any accident. It is only important, if the inevitable happens, to extract the greatest benefit from the fact for our holy national cause.” He was haunted by a premonition of his imminent death, and he even left a package with important documents for the safekeeping of I.S. 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, he visited the Anglia Hotel, located on the corner of Stoleshnikov Lane and St. Petrovka. There, in a luxurious room, lived the well-known Moscow courtesan Charlotte Altenrose, an Austrian Jew who called herself Eleanor, Rose, or Wanda. She ran out into the yard at night and told the janitor that a Russian officer had died suddenly in her room. And she immediately disappeared from Moscow; nothing is known about her fate.

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

In 1912, in Moscow, using public voluntary donations, an equestrian monument was erected in his honor on the square in front of the Governor General's Palace (now the Moscow City Hall). The square was named Skobelevskaya. But the political upheavals that soon began in Russia tried to erase the name of the great commander from people’s memory. After the revolution of 1917, on the direct orders of V. Lenin, the monument to Mikhail Dmitrievich Skobelev was one of the first in Moscow to be demolished, and the square was renamed Sovetskaya (now Tverskaya). The Skobelev family nest was destroyed. 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 security officers in search of orders and jewelry. Nothing was found, but the body of Mikhail Dmitrievich in a general’s uniform was as if alive, according to eyewitnesses.

New times have come, the return of the old names of streets and squares has begun, and a revision of the role of heroic personalities in our history has begun. In 1996, a group of Russian patriots created the Skobelev Committee, which was headed by cosmonaut Alexei Arkhipovich Leonov. Until now, the committee has been unsuccessfully trying to attract the attention of the current Russian government 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 Yu. Luzhkov, but the mayor never deigned to respond to the appeals. In 1999, the current Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' Kirill (then Metropolitan of Smolensk and Kaliningrad) addressed a personal letter to Luzhkov on this issue. The answer is silence.

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

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

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

Everyone who hates everything Russian is trying to erase the memory of Skobelev. Most best characteristic general are 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 are one family with the Slavic tribe, now tormented and trampled, then cries of indignation rise among home-grown and foreign foreigners.”

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