Baryatinsky Caucasian war. Princes Baryatinsky

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The highest honor that can be given to a Russian prince is to fight valiantly for Russia - this was the opinion of the man discussed in this article. To achieve this honor, he decided to take an action that many of his contemporaries could not understand. Most living people will never understand his act - Prince Alexander Ivanovich Baryatinsky abandoned one of the largest fortunes of the Russian Empire in order to continue his military career, the peak of which he reached in 1859, accepting the surrender of the long-time rebel leader Imam Shamil.

To all Ivanovskoe

According to legend, the Baryatinsky princes trace their ancestry back to the proud prince Mikhail of Chernigov, who did not submit to the Mongol invaders. The field marshal, who was born in May 1815 on the Ivanovskoye estate in the Kursk province, was considered a Rurikovich of the twentieth generation. The ancestors of Alexander Ivanovich, in addition to the nobility of the family, were extraordinary people and staunch admirers of the European type of female beauty. Ivan Sergeevich, the grandfather of the conqueror of the highlanders, fought with the Prussians in the Seven Years' War and was captured near Zorndorf, but was soon released. At the beginning of Catherine's reign, he was one of the educators of the heir Pavel Petrovich and soon married a Holstein princess, called Ekaterina Petrovna in Russia. The bride's dowry also included luxurious Kursk estates in Rylsky district, which Peter the Great had once given to the still unfaithful Hetman Mazepa. Ivan Sergeevich Baryatinsky subsequently became a famous diplomat and headed the embassy in Paris.

His son Ivan Ivanovich, the field marshal’s father, served as Potemkin’s adjutant from the age of 13, stormed Warsaw as part of Suvorov’s troops, served briefly at the court of Paul I, after which he continued the family tradition - he became a diplomat and successively married two foreigners. While serving in London under Count Semyon Romanovich Vorontsov, Baryatinsky married Mary Detton, daughter of Lord Sherborne. The English wife soon died, and in Munich, where Ivan Ivanovich was appointed envoy, he married the Bavarian Countess Maria Keller. This union turned out to be strong - in eight years, the Baryatinsky couple had seven children - four boys and three girls.

The father, who had seen the world, did not want to see his first-born Sasha either as a courtier, or as a military man, or as a diplomat - too cruel morals reigned in the highest spheres. After retiring, Ivan Ivanovich tried to make an enlightened and paradise out of the Kursk estate - almost 20 thousand serfs were a reliable source of income, and the extensive knowledge acquired abroad in agriculture and gardening, art and music became the basis for new farming that made the estate Baryatinsky is the center of economic and cultural life of the entire Kursk land.

The father dreamed of making his eldest son a financier or an agronomist and raised him according to the precepts of British teachers. When the future field marshal turned eight years old, he was given a small plow, and plowing lessons were harmoniously combined with the study of languages ​​and other intricacies of a solid home education.

"Prince B-y"

The father died when the boy was barely ten years old. His serene childhood quickly ended - at the age of 14 he was sent to a Moscow boarding school, and at 16 Baryatinsky chose the military path. In June 1831, he became a cadet of the cavalry regiment, and was soon sent to the school of guard cadets and ensigns, where he became close friends with Michel Lermontov. The antics of the young rakes, which included amorous adventures, carousing and simply petty hooliganism, amused the whole of St. Petersburg. In Lermontov's youthful poem "Gospital" the prankster Baryatinsky is transparently depicted as "Prince B-y". It didn’t cost him anything to burn his own hand to the bone on a dare, the list of girls he conquered was extensive and varied, and the most evil tongues talked about his intention to marry the daughter of Nicholas I, Maria. Once Baryatinsky and his friends disrupted folk festivities - at the height of the festivities on the Neva, a strange black boat with a black coffin on board crashed into the formation of elegant boats. To the mystical horror of the public, the coffin suddenly broke off and sank. The “debriefing” took place according to the highest order, and the young prince was slapped with five months of arrest.

It was clear that such a dissolute and brave young man had a direct road to the Caucasus, where in skirmishes with the mountaineers the “golden youth” were actively re-educated. In March 1835, the 19-year-old cornet Baryatinsky arrived at the disposal of General Velyaminov, and within six months he could easily lay down his violent head: in a fierce battle with the highlanders on the Black Sea coast, a bullet pierced his side and was forever stuck in the bone.

In St. Petersburg, Baryatinsky's re-education was considered successful. He was not only promoted to lieutenant and awarded a golden saber “For Bravery,” but also assigned to the retinue of the heir to the throne.

From the beginning of 1836, Alexander Ivanovich invariably accompanied the future Emperor Alexander Nikolaevich on trips around Russia and Europe. Not a trace remained of the manners of the recent slob and slacker. The two Alexanders became close friends, and a trusting relationship with the heir foreshadowed a luxurious career for the prince at court or in the field of diplomacy. But more than St. Petersburg and Paris, London and Vienna, Baryatinsky was attracted to the Caucasus with its romance, unsettled life, illness and everyday danger to life.

Thunderstorm of the Chechens

The Caucasian War of the 19th century lasted almost half a century - from 1817 to 1864. The undoubted successes of Russia in Transcaucasia urgently required the conquest of the mountain isthmus between the Caspian and Black Seas, and this task at first seemed simple and certainly feasible. But for some reason the highlanders of Chechnya and Dagestan did not want to submit to the power of the “White Tsar” and became accustomed to waging a grueling guerrilla war.

It became clear to the magnificent commander Alexei Petrovich Ermolov, who tried to resolve the mountain issue back under Alexander I, that regular and outwardly successful campaigns in the mountains did not give any results - as soon as the troops left, resistance flared up with renewed vigor. Ermolov advised not to rush and methodically gain a foothold in the rebel territory: build fortresses and roads between them, cut down forests, find loyal allies among the local residents. But the idea of ​​conquering the Caucasus with a pick, shovel and ax was met with bewilderment in St. Petersburg. It took almost 20 years after Ermolov's resignation in 1827 before the governor in the Caucasus, Mikhail Semenovich Vorontsov, returned to Ermolov's ideas. The endless war with the smart, calculating and resourceful Shamil had to end - the honor of the empire was at stake.

Colonel Baryatinsky served under Vorontsov from 1845, not disdaining to command a battalion at first. In September 1845, in a battle near the village of Andi, Alexander Ivanovich boldly rushed forward in the vanguard of the troops, a bullet pierced his shin right through. Going to Europe for treatment the following year, at the request of Field Marshal Paskevich, he briefly stopped by the rebellious free city of Krakow and quickly “dealt with” the rebel Poles.

Baryatinsky tried not to appear in St. Petersburg - bloody skirmishes with the highlanders were better than a forced marriage, even on the good advice of the emperor himself. The prince owned more than 15 thousand serf souls and was considered one of the most eligible bachelors in Russia. Empress Alexandra Feodorovna and Minister of War Alexander Ivanovich Chernyshev found a suitable bride for Baryatinsky - Maria Stolypina. Nicholas I agreed with this choice and in the fall of 1848 summoned Baryatinsky to the capital. By that time, the groom had been given the rank of general and appointed an aide-de-camp. The cunning prince, having learned about this idea, left the Caucasus in advance, reached Tula, waited until the royal courier with the order passed safely, and then returned with a calm soul to fight the highlanders.

But Nikolai was not such a person as to abandon his plans. Rumors circulated around St. Petersburg that the emperor was terribly angry with the prince. His terrified mother wrote to her son about her worries. There is nothing to be done: just before the new year of 1850, Baryatinsky finally appeared in St. Petersburg. Then he locked himself in his palace for two days, and then, having ordered the sleigh to be loaded with gifts, he told his mother that he would go to congratulate his little nephews, the children of his brother Vladimir. Arriving at his brother’s house, Alexander Ivanovich, along with the rest of the gifts, put an envelope made of thick paper on the green leg of the elegant Christmas tree and said: “And this is for you, brother...”

The next day, St. Petersburg was buzzing like a beehive - everyone was passing on stunning details to each other about the contents of the envelope. It turned out that there were papers on the right of ownership of the richest inheritance that belonged to Alexander Ivanovich, which he received from his father as the eldest son. The prince voluntarily and with a light heart renounced all movable and immovable property, including the priceless Maryinsky Palace with all its countless treasures.

In return, the prince stipulated for himself “100 thousand rubles, payment of debts of 136 thousand rubles, an annual rent of 7,000 rubles” and - this is just for fun - “as needed for one cashmere robe.” So, in an instant, this richest man in Russia turned into a simple servant living on a government salary. It is clear that the matter of marriage was instantly upset. Baryatinsky remained faithful to the family motto: “God and honor.” He himself was internally, and not without reason, proud of this act and in a moment of frankness he once said to an acquaintance: “I did not give in to the sovereign himself. And to what sovereign!”

Despite the extreme displeasure, the career growth of the convinced bachelor did not stop. Vorontsov highly valued him, and in eight years Baryatinsky made his way from battalion commander to chief of the main headquarters of Russian troops in the Caucasus. With the accession of Alexander II, the obstacles to the rise of the prince disappeared by themselves - in 1856, the tsar appointed his old friend governor in the Caucasus with unlimited powers. Without the patronage of the monarch, it would hardly have been possible to end the war with the highlanders. For Alexander Ivanovich it was a great honor and a great responsibility. “I will work to justify great mercy, happiness and great honor for me.”

Baryatinsky spent a third of the country’s military budget on the conquest of Shamil, which the Ministry of Finance categorically objected to. Foreign Minister Prince Gorchakov reasonably believed that after the Crimean War, the escalation of hostilities in the North Caucasus would cause complications in relations with England and Turkey. The Emperor hesitated and at one time even intended to suspend the war for a year or two and try to make peace with Shamil. It took a lot of effort for Baryatinsky to persuade Alexander II not to enter into a political dialogue with the imam - the consequences of this step were quite obvious: it would have been almost impossible to conquer the re-energized mountaineers.

Baryatinsky approached the war thoroughly and creatively. The enemy was never a wild tribe for him. Alexander Ivanovich thoroughly studied the customs of the local population and tried to use them as fully as possible for the benefit of the empire. He was primarily concerned about the reputation of the Russian government among the mountaineers. Baryatinsky's victory was largely a consequence of his sustained popularity. It is not surprising that after the prince was appointed governor, Shamil strictly forbade the spread of favorable rumors about the Russian general. Against the background of the stern imam, who was invariably accompanied by the executioner, Baryatinsky, who traveled in the company of treasurers and specie, looked extremely attractive. In conditions when there was no one to steal funds “for the restoration of Chechnya,” the governor generously gave gifts to peaceful highlanders, brought the most prominent of them closer to himself, and used the most militant ones for imperial purposes, allowing their detachments to hunt against Shamil’s warriors. The fighters of such armed formations did not require long explanations - when attacking fellow believers, they counted primarily on rich booty.

Baryatinsky created a fairly coherent theory of “military-people’s” governance in the Caucasus. Direct imperial rule is impossible here; it must be ruled by indirect methods based on centuries-old traditions. Peaceful Chechens and Dagestanis are able to maintain order on their own land; there is no point in interfering with their customs and faith, with only one exception - Baryatinsky sought to eradicate blood feud at all costs.

The governor did not consider it necessary to wave a large Russian club in vain. The commander carefully protected the troops entrusted to him from senseless losses - in the winter of 1857, during the occupation of the Argun Gorge, less than a hundred soldiers and officers died, and the assault on Vedeno in 1859 claimed the lives of 36 people - negligible values ​​​​in comparison with the Caucasian meat grinder of previous campaigns.

Like his great predecessors, Baryatinsky showed true concern for the soldier. While still a regiment commander, he purchased the latest Liege fittings from Belgium with his own money. Equipped with two barrels - smooth and rifled, as well as a bayonet, they were almost ideally suited for Caucasian conditions and protected the warrior in battle from unforeseen situations. Having modernized Yermolov’s methods of fighting the highlanders, Alexander Ivanovich, from the winter of 1856/1857, organized a methodical attack on Shamil. Three detachments - Chechen, Dagestan and Lezginsky, attacked from different sides, depriving the mountaineers of the opportunity to maneuver effectively. They fought, as Ermolov bequeathed, with a shovel and an ax - the enemy’s attempts to engage in direct hostilities were harshly suppressed. As a result, the earth burned not under the feet of the invaders, but under the feet of the completely confused warriors of Islam.

Sick and weak Shamil, sick and strong field marshal

Baryatinsky managed the Caucasus in three years - on August 26, 1856, the prince was officially approved as governor; on August 25, 1859, in the vicinity of the village of Gunib, sitting on a stone, he accepted surrender from the hitherto elusive Shamil. The comrade of Lermontov's youth remained a romantic at heart and got everything right - August 25th was the name day of Alexander II, and the conquest of the Caucasus on this day gave the emperor an additional reason for joy.

The ring around the rebel Islamists was methodically shrinking. The fate of Chechnya was decided by the brilliant assault on Vedeno in early 1859, when Russian troops defeated Shamil’s 12,000-strong army without any major losses. Having taken refuge in mountainous Dagestan, the imam was forced to watch in horror the iron tread of the “infidels.” The summer campaign of 1859, planned by Baryatinsky's closest associate Dmitry Milyutin, lasted less than a month and a half and ended with a solemn act of surrender near Gunib. The war, which had lasted 42 years by that time, essentially ended there. The fight against the mountaineers in the Western Caucasus was local in nature and ended successfully in the spring of 1864. Alexander II, in a letter to Baryatinsky dated May 1, 1864, emphasized the decisive contribution of his old friend to the conquest of the Caucasus: “In this matter, the merit and glory belong to you, because we owe the success to the system adopted by you and the people of your choice. Achieving this most important result puts "The end of a century-long war that cost us so many people and money. So let me thank you from the bottom of my heart."

For his successes in the Caucasus, Baryatinsky was awarded the Order of St. George 2nd degree, St. Andrew the First-Called, the honorary title of chief of the Kabardian regiment, and finally, the rank of field marshal general. Having taken new territories under his guardianship, the Caucasian governor implemented a number of measures aimed at introducing new forms of governance of the region, developing agriculture here, and spreading Christianity. The rest was up to his successors.

In 1859, the prince found himself at the pinnacle of his glory. He was promoted to field marshal, the envious people fell silent for a while, but that was essentially the end of Baryatinsky’s career. Previous wounds and the Caucasian weather, which was harsh for the Russian body, undermined the governor’s health. In March 1861, the 45-year-old conqueror Shamil was scary to look at: “The left leg became completely numb and began to dry out; gout attacked the bladder; complete insomnia weakened the patient extremely; he became terribly thin.” In such conditions, it was necessary to hastily leave the luxurious Tiflis life of the eastern satrap and retire. In December 1862, Baryatinsky left the post of governor and did not hold any more serious positions, except for the formal duties of a member of the State Council.

But even at this time, the great lover of life turned out to be true to himself. His departure from the Caucasus, in addition to illness, was associated with a big amorous scandal. He fell in love with the young wife of his adjutant, Ekaterina Dmitrievna Davydova, née Princess Orbeliani, took her away from her husband, with whom he had a “caricature duel,” and eventually married. There were no children from this marriage. According to the memoirs of Dmitry Milyutin, “Baryatinsky knew his chosen one from childhood and looked after her in a very unique way: He told everyone that he was busy finishing her upbringing and developing her mind by reading serious books, for which she spent entire evenings with him face to face. Strange these pedagogical studies were known throughout the city, and, of course, there was a lot of talk about them.”

At court, Baryatinsky’s marriage did not cause delight, and from now on he was excommunicated from big politics, despite repeated attempts to regain his lost influence. Only the imam, conquered by him, fascinated by the personality of the commander, wrote warm and touching letters to him until his death, signing himself “sick and weak Shamil.”

Spending a lot of time abroad for treatment, Alexander Ivanovich continued to be interested in military and political issues, expressing original opinions. In connection with the military reforms of the 1860s and 1870s, he entered into a controversy with the Minister of War Milyutin. “A stern warrior, a soldier of God’s grace,” military historian A. Kersnovsky wrote about Baryatinsky, “he with his “inner eye”... guessed the troubles that the new, “non-combatant” way of life was bringing to his native army, felt all the danger of extinguishing the spirit, carried out by his former chief of staff." The field marshal especially sharply criticized the new system of military command for its “bureaucracy” and protested against what seemed to him to be a diminution of the power of the commander-in-chief in the “Regulations on Field Command of Troops in Wartime” (1868). Military practice decided this dispute in favor of Milyutin.

During the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, Baryatinsky proposed to the Russian government a plan for a military alliance with Prussia in order to divide the possessions of Austria-Hungary, but a special secret committee under Alexander II rejected this plan. In connection with the Russian-Turkish War of 1877-1878, many spoke out for the appointment of Baryatinsky as commander-in-chief of the Russian army, but in order not to create an affront to Milyutin, Alexander II preferred to entrust this post to his brother, Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich. Baryatinsky followed the events of the war with excitement, at its end he was indignant at the results of the Berlin Congress, and predicted a new stage in the struggle of the European powers in the Balkans.

On February 25, 1879, the conqueror of the Caucasus died in Geneva at the age of 63, and only two Russian newspapers considered it necessary to report this. According to his will, his body was transported to Russia and buried in the family estate - the village of Ivanovskoye, Kursk province. On his tombstone with the Baryatinsky family coat of arms and the motto “With God and Honor” is inscribed: “General Field Marshal. Adjutant General Prince Alexander Ivanovich Baryatinsky. Genus. May 2, 1815. Died on February 25, 1879.”

TO Prince Alexander Ivanovich Baryatinsky (May 2 (14), 1815, Ivanovskoye village, Lgovsky district, Kursk province - February 25 (March 9), 1879, Geneva) - Russian statesman and military leader, Field Marshal General, Adjutant General, member of the State Council, honorary member Nikolaev Military Academy of the General Staff.

Prince Alexander Ivanovich Baryatinsky belonged to an old and famous family, he was Rurikovich in the twentieth generation. His father, owning the rich Ivanovsky estate in the Kursk province, was fond of agriculture and did not want to make his son either a military man or a courtier. In 1825, Emperor Alexander I, on his way to Taganrog, visited Ivanovo and talked with 10-year-old Alexander, who had recently lost his father. The Baryatinsky family soon moved to St. Petersburg, and by the age of 16 the young man had a mature desire to enter military service. Having endured the struggle with his family, he decided to enroll in the school of guards ensigns and cavalry cadets and enroll in the Cavalry Regiment. Thus began his military career, which lasted more than thirty years.

In the first years of his officer service, Baryatinsky led an absent-minded and frivolous lifestyle, which brought upon himself the displeasure of Nicholas I. Soon he went to the Caucasus - the then “school of character.” One of the first cases in which Baryatinsky participated in the Caucasus was the expedition of General Velyaminov to the upper reaches of the Abim River (1835). In one of the battles, at the head of hundreds of Cossacks, a young officer rushed into the attack, put the enemy to flight, but was wounded by a bullet in the right side; she remained there for the rest of his life. For this battle, Alexander Ivanovich was awarded a golden saber with the inscription: “For bravery.”

After treatment in St. Petersburg, Baryatinsky on January 1, 1836 was appointed to serve under the heir, Grand Duke Alexander Nikolaevich (the future Alexander II). During a three-year trip with him to Western Europe, he tried to supplement his education and collected a rich library.

Weighed down by social life, Baryatinsky in 1845, already with the rank of colonel, again headed to the Caucasus. Commanding a battalion of the Kabardian regiment, he took part in the Dargin expedition against Shamil. He showed himself valiantly in a fierce battle during the occupation of the Andean heights, earning the admiration of the commander-in-chief, Prince Vorontsov. His reward for this battle, in which Baryatinsky was again wounded, was the Order of St. George, 4th degree. He was treated in St. Petersburg, but the Caucasus made such a strong impression on him that the prince firmly decided to return there.

In 1847, Alexander Ivanovich was appointed commander of the Kabardian regiment that became his family. On June 23, 1848, the regiment distinguished itself in the battle of Gergebil, for which Baryatinsky was awarded the rank of major general and included in the retinue of His Imperial Majesty. As a regimental commander, he was very demanding and strict, delved into all the little details of the life of soldiers and officers, and did not regret spending his own money on the regiments’ weapons. His apartment became the second headquarters of the regiment. While participating in battles with his subordinates, Alexander Ivanovich found time to study the history of the Caucasus and prepared a number of reports of a military-strategic and administrative nature for Vorontsov.

At the beginning of 1850, Baryatinsky fell out of favor with Nicholas I, not wanting to marry M. Stolypina, destined for him by the Tsar. Expelled from command of the regiment, the “rich groom” decided to protect himself for the future and transferred his rights to own significant property to his younger brother. The prince limited his social acquaintances, deliberately “simplified himself” and devoted a lot of time to studying issues related to the Caucasus, pondering ways of its final conquest.

At the end of 1850, Baryatinsky was appointed commander of the Caucasian Grenadier Brigade, and in the winter of the following year - commander of the left flank of the Caucasian fortified line. In 1851 - 1853 he conducted two expeditions against Greater Chechnya, Shamil’s main area of ​​operations, spending a lot of effort and energy on their organization. The operations were of a pronounced offensive nature. For the first time in many years, Russian troops passed through the entire Greater Chechnya, which after this campaign remained impregnable only from the east thanks to the steep and wooded Kachkalyk ridge. The operations were distinguished by small losses in people, which was ensured by good reconnaissance and skillful organization of military operations, and were accompanied by the construction of new roads and forest clearings, and the organization of administrative management of pacified villages. In 1853, Alexander Ivanovich, with the consent of Vorontsov, was promoted to the post of chief of the main headquarters of Russian troops in the Caucasus and granted the rank of adjutant general.

Crimean War 1853 - 1856 demanded that the efforts of the Russian Caucasian troops be transferred to the fight against Turkey. Acting with the corps on the Turkish border, Baryatinsky participated in the defeat of the Ottomans at Kuryuk-Dara, and was awarded the Order of St. George, 3rd degree (1854). Not getting along with the new commander-in-chief of the Russian troops in the Caucasus - N. Muravyov, Alexander Ivanovich left the Caucasus for a while - he commanded the troops in Nikolaev, then the Guards Reserve Corps. In July 1856, Alexander II, who succeeded his father on the throne and highly valued Baryatinsky, appointed him commander-in-chief and governor of the Caucasus with promotion to general of infantry. From that moment on, Alexander Ivanovich had the opportunity, acting with all his energy, to complete the long-term epic of Russia’s struggle for this region.

Unknown artist. Baryatinsky A.I.

Having taken over the administration of the region, throughout which there was an endless struggle that cost Russia enormous sacrifices in people and money, Prince Baryatinsky set himself the goal of completing the pacification of the Caucasus. In addition, it was necessary to put an end to the encroachments on the Caucasus by England, Persia and Turkey, which threatened the mountaineers with enslavement. The closest assistants to the commander-in-chief were D. Milyutin (chief of the main headquarters of the Caucasian Corps) and N. Evdokimov (chief of the left wing of the Caucasian line). With the active participation of Milyutin (the future Minister of War of Russia), a plan of military operations in the Eastern Caucasus against Shamil was developed. From the Lezgin line it was supposed to block the detachments of the highlanders going to the aid of Shamil. Actions in the Western Caucasus were considered secondary. Purposeful and methodical operations began in accordance with this program.

The commander-in-chief repeatedly toured the troops operating in the Eastern Caucasus, making adjustments to the plan of attack against Shamil, giving energy to subordinate commanders and troops. To influence the highlanders, these detours were accompanied by splendor, pomp and generosity, which inspired respect for the representative of the Russian Tsar. By the autumn of 1858, the Russian regiments achieved great success. Greater and Lesser Chechnya were occupied, and Shamil was forced to take refuge in Dagestan. Soon, an offensive against Dagestan began from three sides, and in August of the following year, under the personal leadership of Baryatinsky, the last act of the struggle against Shamil took place near the village of Gunib. The commander-in-chief announced its results in his order: “Gunib has been captured. Shamil is captured. Congratulations to the Caucasian Army.” In 1860, Russian power was established in the Western Caucasus.

Theodor Gorshelt, 1863 "Prisoner Shamil before the Commander-in-Chief Prince A.I. Baryatinsky on August 25, 1859"

A. D. Kivshenko. “Surrender of Shamil to Prince Baryatinsky. 1859." 1880

For his successes in the Caucasus, Baryatinsky was awarded the Order of St. George 2nd degree, St. Andrew the First-Called, the honorary title of chief of the Kabardian regiment, and finally, the rank of field marshal general. Having taken new territories under his guardianship, the Caucasian governor implemented a number of measures aimed at introducing new forms of governance of the region, developing agriculture here, and spreading Christianity. The rest was up to his successors. In the fall of 1862, Baryatinsky received permission from Alexander II to resign from his position and to receive leave for treatment (wounds and years of war hardships took their toll).

Upon his dismissal, he became a member of the State Council and retained the Tsar’s favor. Spending a lot of time abroad for treatment, Alexander Ivanovich continued to be interested in military and political issues, expressing original opinions. In connection with the military reforms of the 1860s - 1870s. he entered into a polemic with War Minister Milyutin. “A stern warrior, a soldier of God’s grace,” military historian A. Kersnovsky wrote about Baryatinsky, “he with his “inner eye”... guessed the troubles that the new, “non-combatant” way of life was bringing to his native army, felt all the danger of extinguishing the spirit, carried out by his former chief of staff." The field marshal especially sharply criticized the new system of military command for its “bureaucracy” and protested against what seemed to him to be a diminution of the power of the commander-in-chief in the “Regulations on Field Command of Troops in Wartime” (1868). Military practice decided this dispute in favor of Milyutin.

During the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, Baryatinsky proposed to the Russian government a plan for a military alliance with Prussia in order to divide the possessions of Austria-Hungary, but a special secret committee under Alexander II rejected this plan. In connection with the Russian-Turkish war of 1877 - 1878. many spoke out for the appointment of Baryatinsky as commander-in-chief of the Russian army, but in order not to create an affront to Milyutin, Alexander II preferred to entrust this post to his brother, Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich. Baryatinsky followed the events of the war with excitement, at its end he was indignant at the results of the Berlin Congress, and predicted a new stage in the struggle of the European powers in the Balkans. On February 25, 1879, Prince Alexander Ivanovich died in Geneva at the age of 63. According to his will, his body was transported to Russia and buried in the family estate - the village of Ivanovskoye, Kursk province.

Prince Ivan Ivanovich Baryatinsky(1767 - June 15, 1825, Ivanovskoye, Kursk province) - a well-known Anglomaniac and agronomist from the Baryatinsky family, a large landowner, creator of the Maryino estate near Rylsk. The only heir of his father, the famous diplomat I. S. Baryatinsky. In 1806-12 Russian ambassador at the court of the King of Bavaria in Munich.

Biography

By right of birth he belonged to the very top of Russian society. Grandson of Field Marshal Prince Holstein. Mother Catherine came from the house of Glucksburg; her half-brother is the great-grandfather of the Danish king Christian IX.

In 1780, he was enlisted as a lieutenant of the Yekaterinoslav Cuirassier Regiment and Potemkin’s adjutant, and in 1790 he was promoted to chamber cadet and transferred to the Semenovsky Regiment. A captain since 1795, he enlisted as a volunteer in the army operating in Poland, and on January 1, 1795 he was awarded the Order of St. George 4th grade.

Paul I granted him the ancestral command of the Order of Malta in 1799, but then, as a result of a clash with Rostopchin, he was removed from the court. Alexander I granted Baryatinsky a full chamberlain in 1801 and assigned him to the mission in London, where he married the daughter of Lord Sherborne.

Promoted to privy councilor in 1804, he was appointed envoy to Bavaria in 1806. Here in 1813 he married the German Countess Maria Keller (1793-1858), with whom he lived until the end of his life and had seven children - four sons and three daughters.

He was recalled in 1812, after which he left service and settled in his Kursk estate, the village of Ivanovskoye, the center of his vast possessions (he had more than 20 thousand souls in the Kursk and Kharkov provinces). Baryatinsky devoted his entire life to organizing estates and putting into practice the agronomic knowledge he acquired during his travels abroad. Relations with the peasants were established on a reasonable basis. Several years spent in England made Baryatinsky an Anglomaniac, and in his activities he set himself up as a model of an English rich and educated high-born landlord, caring about his household and the education of the people.

In his beloved Ivanovsky, he built a magnificent palace, named after his wife Maryin, where one could find everything that wealth, combined with refined taste, could provide. Baryatinsky lived openly, he had a theater and an orchestra. His neighbors, famous musicians and brothers Count Vielgorsky, took part in his concerts. Baryatinsky himself was so keen on music that he reproached himself for wasting time and therefore forbade teaching music to his sons, whose upbringing was one of his main concerns.

In 1815, his eldest son was born, and already this year he drew up a program for his upbringing, and in 1821 he wrote “Conseils mon fils ain” (“Advice to the eldest son”). Baryatinsky strove to make his son, first of all, an honest man and a good Christian, and then to develop in him independence and efficiency in order to prepare him for the role of a large landowner who should improve the life of his peasants and have a useful influence on neighboring landowners. An educated, intelligent, gifted man, Prince Baryatinsky was one of the most brilliant representatives of the highest court society.

According to the testimony of Prince A. Czartoryski, he was distinguished by his wit, sometimes quite caustic. Count P. X. Grabbe describes his appearance as follows: he was a tall, prominent, thin man, with regular facial features, short-cropped hair streaked with gray; “a quick, impatient gesture, a general expression of a secular person and nobility.” Baryatinsky died on June 15, 1825. He was buried in the family crypt in the crypt of the Church of the Intercession on the territory of the Maryino estate near the village of Ivanovskoye. In the 1930s, the grave was looted and the ashes were burned.

Alexander Baryatinsky was born on May 14, 1815. His father, Ivan Ivanovich Baryatinsky, was one of the wealthiest people in Russia at that time. Chamberlain, privy councilor and master of ceremonies of the court of Paul I, ally of Suvorov and Ermolov, he was a very educated man, a lover of the arts and sciences, and a gifted musician. After 1812, Ivan Ivanovich left public service and settled in the village of Ivanovskoye in the Kursk province. Here he built a huge palace house called “Maryino”. According to the recollections of eyewitnesses, “the rooms in the Baryatinsky estate numbered in the hundreds, and each of them amazed with its collections, luxury of decoration, collections of paintings by famous French and Italians, an atmosphere of festivity, artistic sophistication, openness and at the same time high aristocracy.” However, the prince considered his wife Maria Fedorovna Keller to be his main wealth, who gave him seven children - four boys and three girls.

According to surviving information, the children were very friendly with each other. Alexander, the prince's eldest son and heir to his wealth, received an excellent education at home, mainly in foreign languages. When the boy was ten years old, his father, Ivan Ivanovich Baryatinsky, suddenly died. Maria Feodorovna suffered the death of her husband extremely hard, however, having gathered all her spiritual strength, she continued to live for the sake of her children. At the age of fourteen, Alexander Baryatinsky, together with his brother Vladimir, was sent to Moscow for the purpose of “improving in the sciences.” According to recollections, in his interactions with the people around him, the young prince was polite, amiable and simple, but did not tolerate familiarity. After the young man was sixteen years old, Princess Maria Fedorovna decided to enroll him in one of the capital's universities. However, she failed to carry out her plans - Alexander suddenly announced his desire to try himself in military service. In vain did the relatives try to dissuade the young man, in vain did his mother show him his father’s hitherto carefully hidden will, in which it was written in black and white regarding Sasha: “As a favor, I ask you not to make him a courtier, a military man, or a diplomat. We already have a lot of courtesans and decorated braggarts. It is the duty of people, chosen by their wealth and origin, to truly serve and support the state... I dream of seeing my son as an agronomist or financier.” But everything was in vain, the young prince showed remarkable tenacity and independence, by the way, the distinctive qualities of Alexander Ivanovich throughout his life. In the end, the palace heard about the Baryatinsky family conflict, and the empress herself came to the aid of the young man. Thanks to the support of Alexandra Feodorovna, the young man was soon enrolled in the Cavalry Regiment, and in August 1831 he entered the St. Petersburg school of cavalry cadets and guards ensigns. It is curious that a few months later a young cadet of the Life Guards regiment, Mikhail Lermontov, also ended up in this establishment. Subsequently, Baryatinsky and Lermontov became good friends.

Having entered such a prestigious educational institution, the cavalry cadet Baryatinsky completely plunged into the noisy and cheerful life of the capital's youth of that era. Tall and stately, charmingly handsome and blue-eyed, with curly blond curls, the prince made an irresistible impression on women, and his romantic adventures relegated his interest in academic activities to the background. Gradually, negligence in teaching developed into negligence in service. In the regimental disciplinary book, records of penalties against the young man multiplied, and the culprit of numerous “pranks” himself had a firmly established reputation as an incorrigible rake and reveler. None of the sums of money generously given by his mother were enough for Alexander Ivanovich to pay off his countless gambling debts. The result of poor success in science was that the prince was unable to graduate from school in the first category and get into his beloved Cavalry Regiment.

In 1833, Baryatinsky, with the rank of cornet, entered the Life Cuirassier Regiment of the Tsarevich's heir. However, his sympathies did not change; the prince still took an active part in the life of the cavalry guards. For his participation in one major mischief of the regiment officers, directed against their new commander and causing a lot of noise in the capital, Baryatinsky was even arrested and served time in the guardhouse of an orphanage. In the end, stories about the revelry and romantic adventures of Alexander Ivanovich reached the ears of the emperor himself. Nikolai Pavlovich expressed great dissatisfaction with the frivolous behavior of the young prince, which was immediately conveyed to Baryatinsky. Due to the current circumstances, Alexander Ivanovich had to think hard about correcting his shaky reputation. He did not hesitate, by the way, for long, expressing a categorical desire to go to the Caucasus in order to take part in the long-term war with the highlanders. Such a decision caused considerable gossip among friends and relatives. They begged the prince not to risk himself, but it was all in vain - he had already firmly decided to carry out his plan, saying: “Let the Emperor know that if I know how to commit pranks, then I know how to serve.” Thus, in March 1835, the nineteen-year-old prince, by imperial command, was sent to the troops of the Caucasian Corps.

Arriving in the area of ​​military operations, Alexander Ivanovich immediately plunged into a completely different life. For almost two decades there has been a fierce war in the Caucasus. This entire region became a united front, a place where the life of a Russian officer and soldier was an accident, and death was an everyday matter. It was impossible to hide either behind wealth or a family name in the warring Caucasus - all earthly privileges were not taken into account here. Vladimir Sollogub wrote: “Generations of heroes passed here, there were fabulous battles, a chronicle of exploits was formed here, an entire Russian Iliad... And many unknown sacrifices were made here, and many people died here, whose merits and names are known only to God.” Many military personnel tried to avoid serving in this region; some of those stationed here lost their nerves. However, Baryatinsky turned out to be cut from a completely different cloth. Having found himself in the detachment of General Alexei Velyaminov, Alexander Ivanovich, as if peeling off the scab of metropolitan idle talk and self-indulgence, expressed a desire to participate in the hottest operations. His endurance and courage surprised even the fighters who had seen a lot. Among other things, the prince was distinguished by an amazing ability to endure pain. Even while studying at the school of cavalry cadets, it was widely reported that Baryatinsky, having heard Lermontov’s reasoning about the inability of man to suppress his physical suffering, silently removed the cap from the burning kerosene lamp and, taking the red-hot glass in his hand, walked with slow steps across the room and put it on the table. Eyewitnesses of this wrote: “The prince’s hand was burned almost to the bone, and for a long time afterwards he suffered from a strong fever and wore his hand on a leash.”

In one fierce battle that took place in September 1835 and ended in victory for the Russian troops, Baryatinsky, leading a hundred dismounted Cossacks into the attack, was wounded in the side. His wound turned out to be very serious; the regimental surgeon was unable to remove the rifle bullet stuck deep in the bone. The prince subsequently lived with her. For two days, Alexander Ivanovich lay unconscious, on the verge of life and death. Fortunately, his heroic body overcame the illness, and Baryatinsky began to recover. For the final restoration of strength, he was allowed to return to St. Petersburg.

Baryatinsky arrived from the Caucasus with the rank of lieutenant, awarded an honorary gold medal “for bravery.” In the Northern capital, the handsome prince, scorched by the fire of the Caucasian battles, quickly became fashionable again. Pyotr Dolgorukov wrote in “Petersburg Sketches”: “Alexander Ivanovich was a brilliant groom in all respects. All the mothers and adult daughters at the sale sang various akathists to him in one voice, and in St. Petersburg high society it was accepted as an irrefutable axiom: “Baryatinsky is a brilliant young man!” However, the heir to the family wealth held firm; nothing could make him forget the pictures of the warring Caucasus and his comrades in arms. In 1836, having finally recovered, Alexander Ivanovich was appointed to serve under the heir, Tsarevich Alexander. The next three years spent traveling around Western Europe brought the young people extremely close, marking the beginning of their strong friendship. Visiting various European lands, Baryatinsky diligently filled in the gaps in his education - he listened to long lectures at famous universities, met outstanding scientists, writers, public and political figures. Returning from abroad, the prince lived in St. Petersburg, putting his financial affairs in order. His main hobby in those years was the Tsarskoye Selo races, for which he purchased expensive horses. Baryatinsky's career advancement also proceeded quickly - in 1839 he became the Tsarevich's adjutant, and by 1845 he had risen to the rank of colonel. A brilliant and calm future opened up before him, but Alexander Ivanovich felt a different calling and in the spring of 1845 he arranged for himself a new business trip to the Caucasus.

Colonel Baryatinsky led the third battalion of the Kabardian regiment and together with it took part in the notorious Dargin operation, organized by the Russian command at the end of May 1845 in order to break the resistance of Shamil’s troops near the village of Dargo. The occupation of the villages of Andi, Gogatl and the Terengul position, the battle on the Andean heights, the battle on the heights beyond the Godor River, the assault on the village of Dargo, a multi-day battle during the retreat through the Ichkerian forest - Alexander Ivanovich distinguished himself everywhere. During the capture of the Andean heights, when Russian troops took the fortifications of the highlanders by storm, Baryatinsky, having once again shown miracles of valor, was seriously wounded - a bullet pierced the shin of his right leg. Despite this, Alexander Ivanovich remained in service. At the end of the campaign, the commander-in-chief of the Russian troops, Count Vorontsov, introduced the prince to George of the fourth degree, writing: “I consider Prince Baryatinsky to be fully worthy of the order... He walked ahead of the bravest, giving everyone an example of courage and fearlessness...”

Due to a leg injury, Alexander Ivanovich was again forced to part with the Caucasus. According to the memoirs of relatives, the sight of the prince returning home shook them to the core - Baryatinsky cut off his famous blond curls, let go of his blunt sideburns, and deep wrinkles appeared on his stern and serious face. He walked leaning on a stick. From now on the prince did not appear in secular drawing rooms, and the people who flooded them became completely uninteresting to him. After spending a short time in St. Petersburg, he went abroad. However, Baryatinsky, obviously, was destined to fight all the time. Having learned that Alexander Ivanovich was passing through Warsaw, the outstanding Russian commander, the governor of Poland, Ivan Paskevich, invited him to take part in military operations to suppress the next rebellion. Of course, the prince agreed. At the head of a detachment consisting of five hundred Cossacks, Baryatinsky in February 1846 defeated the outnumbered rebels and “with excellent jealousy, courage and activity pursued their army, throwing it back into the Prussian borders.” For this feat, Alexander Ivanovich was awarded the Order of St. Anne, second degree.

In February 1847, Baryatinsky was appointed commander of the Kabardian regiment and at the same time promoted to the rank of adjutant. During the three years of leading this famous regiment, Alexander Ivanovich proved himself to be a strict boss, and even merciless in his demands for discipline, but caring for his subordinates, delving into all the economic details. At his own expense, Baryatinsky purchased modern double-barreled guns in France and equipped the regiment’s hunters with them. This weapon gave his soldiers significant advantages over the highlanders; it is no coincidence that some of the Kabardian hunters were considered the best in the Caucasus. While performing official duties, Alexander Ivanovich carefully studied the country and became acquainted with literature dedicated to the Caucasus. Over time, these desk studies became more persistent and longer. According to Baryatinsky’s instructions, the regiment’s headquarters was moved to Khasavyurt, which was of great strategic importance, and the deployment of troops on the Kumyk plane was changed and a new, more convenient place was chosen for the construction of a bridge across the Terek River. Among the prince's military exploits during this time, it is necessary to note, first of all, the successful attack on the fortified camp of the highlanders near the Kara-Koisu River and the battle at the settlement of Zandak, where the prince successfully diverted the enemy's attention from the main Russian forces. In November and December 1847, Alexander Ivanovich carried out a series of successful attacks on the Shamile villages, for which he was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir, third degree. And in the summer of 1848, having distinguished himself in the battle of Gergebil, he was promoted to major general and appointed to the imperial retinue.

Unfortunately, the immoderate years of his youth began to affect the health of Alexander Ivanovich. At first these were mild, but then increasingly intensifying attacks of gout. Experiencing severe pain, the prince was forced to apply for leave, which he was allowed in the fall of 1848. By that time, the Russian emperor, completely unexpectedly for Baryatinsky himself, decided to “bless” him, namely, to marry him with a bride of his choice from the Stolypin family. When Alexander Ivanovich reached Tula, his brother Vladimir was already waiting for him there with news. Referring to an emerging illness, Baryatinsky remained in the city, and when the leave given to him came to an end, he notified the emperor that he was returning to his unit. The angry Nikolai Pavlovich sent a messenger after the disobedient man with a notification about the extension of his vacation. The tsar's envoy caught up with Alexander Ivanovich in the Stavropol province, but the prince told him that he considered it inappropriate to turn back while near his place of service. However, the emperor did not want to give up his plan, and the frightened Princess Maria Fedorovna wrote letters to her son asking him to return and fulfill the will of the king. Baryatinsky appeared in the Northern capital only at the end of 1849. Two days after his arrival, he loaded the sleigh with gifts and went to congratulate the family of his brother Vladimir. In his house, Alexander Ivanovich, along with other gifts, left an envelope made of thick paper. The next day, the entire city was discussing the stunning details of its contents. There were documents on the right to own the rich inheritance of Alexander Ivanovich, which he received as the eldest son from his father. The prince voluntarily gave up all real and movable property, including the priceless Maryinsky Palace. The prince stipulated for himself only one hundred thousand rubles and an annual rent of seven thousand. Of course, the matter of marriage was instantly upset. Baryatinsky, remaining faithful to the family motto “God and honor,” was not without reason proud of his action, telling his acquaintances in moments of revelation: “I did not give in to the sovereign himself.”

Complete official inactivity, together with the uncertainty of what awaited him in the future, weighed heavily on the prince. Finally, in the spring of 1850, the Minister of War, by imperial command, asked Alexander Ivanovich to choose one of two corps - Novgorod or Caucasian. Baryatinsky, of course, preferred to return to his old place of service, and at the end of May of the same year he received an order to accompany the heir to the crown prince, who was going on a trip to the Caucasus. Already at the end of 1850, Alexander Ivanovich headed the Caucasian reserve grenadier brigade, and in the spring of the following year he became the commander of the twentieth infantry division and at the same time correcting the post of commander of the left flank of the Caucasian line. Until 1853, Baryatinsky remained in Chechnya, which became the main arena of Shamil’s activities, “systematically and persistently subordinating it to Russian rule.” During the winter of 1850-1851, all the efforts of the Russian troops were concentrated on the destruction of the Shali trench, built by the rebellious imam, which was done thanks to the successful outflanking maneuver of Baryatinsky’s troops. In addition, the prince managed to inflict a crushing defeat on the highlanders at the Bass River, capturing many horses and weapons there. The subsequent summer and winter expeditions of 1851-1852 on the territory of Greater Chechnya gave the Russian army the opportunity for the first time after the indignation of the highlanders to overcome it along the fortifications near the village of Vozdvizhenskoye to the Kurinskaya fortress. The defeat of the imam's troops near the Chertugaevskaya crossing was especially successful. The prince achieved no less success in the southern regions of Chechnya, as well as from the Kumyk plane, where, due to the steep banks of the Michik, the advance of troops was extremely slow and difficult. In the winter of 1852-1853, Russian troops firmly established themselves on the Khobi-Shavdon heights, built a convenient road through the Kayakal ridge, and organized a permanent crossing across the Michik River.

Gradually, Alexander Ivanovich’s special tactics of action began to emerge, which made it possible to solve the most complex problems with the least losses. Its features consisted in the constant use of hidden workaround maneuvers and an established system of collecting information about Shamil’s plans with the help of spies. Another important detail was that, unlike most of the capital’s dignitaries, Alexander Ivanovich understood well that it would not be possible to pacify the Caucasus by military force alone, and therefore he put a lot of effort into the administrative and economic transformation of the region. In the occupied territories, clearings and roads were laid out, opening up room for troops to maneuver between strongholds, and in support of the central administration, bodies of military-people's government were organized on the ground, taking into account the traditions of the mountain peoples. Close coordination of the actions of the police and various military units became a new concept. Khasavyurt, where the Kabardian regiment was stationed, quickly grew, attracting everyone dissatisfied with Shamil’s actions.

In January 1853, Alexander Ivanovich became adjutant general, and in the summer of the same year he was confirmed as chief of staff of the Caucasian Corps. This promotion opened up the broadest opportunities for the commander to implement his strategic plans. However, the sudden outbreak of the Crimean War temporarily limited the actions of Russian troops in the Caucasus, whose role in the period from 1853 to 1856 was reduced to preserving everything achieved in the previous period. And these results were extremely important, since the highlanders, incited by the French, British and Turks, showed unusual belligerence, causing a lot of trouble for the Russian fighters. And in October 1853 Baryatinsky was sent to the Alexandropol detachment of Prince Bebutov, operating on the Turkish border. In the brilliant battle near the village of Kyuryuk-Dara in July 1854, when an eighteen-thousand-strong Russian detachment utterly defeated a forty-thousand-strong (according to other estimates, sixty-thousand-strong) Turkish army, the prince once again had to show his outstanding strategic gift. For his victory in this battle, which decided the fate of the entire campaign in Transcaucasia, he was awarded the Order of St. George, third degree.

At the end of 1855, Alexander Ivanovich was entrusted with temporary leadership of the troops stationed in the city of Nikolaev and its environs, and in the summer of 1856 he became commander of the entire separate Caucasian corps. A little later, the prince was promoted to general of the infantry and appointed governor of His Imperial Majesty in the Caucasus. After taking office, he laconically announced to his subordinates in Suvorov style: “Warriors of the Caucasus! Looking at you, marveling at you, I grew and matured. From you, for your sake, I am blessed with this appointment and I will work to justify such happiness, mercy and great honor.” By the way, if Nicholas I had been alive, Alexander Ivanovich, despite any merits, would never have become the first person in the Caucasus. However, the new Tsar Alexander II simply could not imagine a more suitable candidate for this role.

Alexander Ivanovich understood perfectly well that the protracted and bloody confrontation in the south of the country required an end, and, of course, a victorious end. From now on, the main task of the Russian troops was to quickly and with minimal losses pacify the Caucasus, as well as neutralize encroachments on these lands by the British, Persians and Turks. Baryatinsky gave preference to powerful offensive tactics. Every military operation was discussed and worked out down to the smallest detail. The prince despised supposedly victorious raids on the enemy, which did not give the Russian troops any significant strategic results, but brought considerable senseless losses. Alexander Ivanovich behaved with local residents as an experienced and far-sighted diplomat - trying not to offend the national feelings of the mountaineers, he regularly helped the population with food, medicine and even money. A contemporary wrote: “Shamil was always accompanied by an executioner, while Baryatinsky was accompanied by a treasurer, who immediately rewarded those who distinguished themselves with precious stones and gold.”

As a result of a combination of diplomatic and forceful means of putting pressure on the enemy, by the end of the summer of 1858, Russian troops managed to subjugate the entire lowland Chechnya, and Shamil with the remnants of his remaining loyal troops was thrown back to Dagestan. Soon, massive attacks were launched on the lands under their control, and in August 1859, near the Dagestan settlement of Gunib, the final act of a protracted drama called the “Caucasian War” was played out. The rock on which the village was located was a natural fortress, also fortified according to all the rules of fortification. However, the four hundred people who remained with the imam, of course, could not hold back the significantly superior royal troops, and by that time there was nowhere for them to expect help. Baryatinsky pulled an army of sixteen thousand people with eighteen guns to the last stronghold of Shamil, surrounding the mountain with a dense ring. Alexander Ivanovich himself stood at the head of the military forces and personally commanded the offensive. On August 18, the commander-in-chief sent Shamil an offer to surrender, promising to release him along with those whom he himself wanted to take with him. However, the imam did not believe in the sincerity of the Russian military leader, telling him with a challenge: “I still have a saber in my hand - come and take it!” After unsuccessful negotiations, the assault on the village began early in the morning of the 25th. In the midst of the battle, when no more than a few dozen enemies remained, the Russian fire suddenly stopped - Alexander Ivanovich again offered the enemy an honorable surrender. Shamil was still confident in the treachery of the “infidels,” but the refusal of his sons to continue resistance, as well as the persuasion of his closest associates not to expose children and women to death, broke the old man. And what happened next did not fit into any of the imam’s ideas about his enemy - to Shamil’s great amazement, he was shown honors corresponding to the head of the defeated state. Baryatinsky kept his promise - he petitioned the sovereign himself to ensure that Shamil’s life was financially secure and consistent with the position that the imam once occupied. The emperor went to meet him, Shamil and his family settled in Kaluga and wrote enthusiastic letters to his former enemy for many years.

Russian losses as a result of the carefully prepared assault amounted to only twenty-two people killed, and the capture of Shamil marked the end of organized resistance in the Caucasus. Thus, Baryatinsky was able to pacify the rebellious region in just three years. Alexander II generously awarded both the commander's associates Milyutin and Evdokimov, and himself - the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called was added to the Order of St. George of the second degree for victories in Dagestan. In addition, for the capture of Shamil, the forty-four-year-old prince received the highest military rank - field marshal general. The troops greeted it with jubilation, considering it, not without reason, “a reward for the entire Caucasus.” After this, Baryatinsky continued to deal with economic and military-administrative transformations of the region and managed to do a lot. From the former Linear and Black Sea Cossack troops, the Terek and Kuban troops were organized, the Dagestan permanent police and the Dagestan cavalry irregular regiment were created. A group of villages and fortifications was founded in the Kuban, the Konstantinovskaya and Sukhumi naval stations were opened, new military schools were founded, and the Baku province appeared on the maps of the Russian Empire. Many bridges and passes built under the command of Baryatinsky in the Caucasus still serve today.

Active activities in governing the region upset the health of the outstanding commander, putting an end to his brilliant career. He endured the last expeditions, carried out in 1859, with great difficulty. According to the testimony of people close to the field marshal, Alexander Ivanovich had to make incredible efforts of his iron will so as not to show others how great his suffering was. Increasing attacks of gout forced the prince to abuse the medications prescribed to him, which in turn led to fainting, terrible pain in the stomach and in the bones of the arms and legs. Complete loss of strength prompted the field marshal, after presenting to the emperor a report on the management of the lands entrusted to him for the years 1857-1859, to go on a long vacation abroad in April 1860. In the absence of Baryatinsky, the actions of Russian troops to pacify and settle the Western Caucasus continued in accordance with the instructions left by him, so that by the end of 1862, the entire Trans-Kuban region was cleared of mountaineers and prepared for the founding of Cossack villages.

Alexander Ivanovich’s health condition kept deteriorating. As a result, the prince sent a petition to the tsar to relieve him from the post of governor, indicating a successor in the person of Prince Mikhail Nikolaevich. In December 1862, the emperor granted his request, writing: “The exploits of the brave Caucasian army under your leadership and the development of the Caucasus region during the period of your rule will forever remain in the memory of descendants.” After retiring, Alexander Ivanovich settled on his estate located in the Warsaw province, and remained in the shadows for almost ten years. It is only known that he maintained an active correspondence with the emperor, informing him about his health and expressing his views on various issues of foreign policy. It is worth noting that in the year of his dismissal from service, Baryatinsky finally married the woman he had long and dearly loved - Elizaveta Dmitrievna Orbeliani. Many curious romantic stories are associated with this marriage, which at one time caused a lot of speculation. Here, for example, is what the famous political figure Sergei Witte wrote about this: “... Among Baryatinsky’s adjutants was Colonel Davydov, married to Princess Orbeliani. The princess had a rather ordinary figure, was of short stature, but with a very expressive face, of the Caucasian type... Alexander Ivanovich began to court her. Nobody thought that it would end in something serious. In reality, the courtship ended with Baryatinsky, having left the Caucasus one fine day, and to a certain extent kidnapped his adjutant’s wife.” Whether this really happened or not is unknown for certain, but Baryatinsky lived in harmony and harmony with Elizaveta Dmitrievna for the rest of his life.

In 1868, Alexander Ivanovich, feeling much better, returned to Russia and settled in his estate “Derevenki” in the Kursk province. Here he began to actively study the situation of the peasants and their life. The result of this research was a report sent to the Minister of Internal Affairs Alexander Timashev, in which the prince had a negative attitude towards communal land ownership, choosing a household system, which, in his opinion, protected the principle of ownership. In 1871, the field marshal was appointed chief of the second rifle battalion, and in 1877 - when the next Russian-Turkish war began - a proposal was considered to appoint a Caucasian hero at the head of the Russian army, but this was not implemented due to his health. However, at the end of the war, Alexander Ivanovich, being very annoyed by the results of the Berlin Congress, which humiliated Russia, arrived in St. Petersburg himself and offered help to the sovereign. The prince spent the summer of 1878 in the Winter Palace, drawing up a plan for proposed military actions against England and Austria, but all issues were then resolved peacefully. An exacerbation of an old illness required Baryatinsky to travel abroad again. At the beginning of February 1879, his condition deteriorated greatly, and the prince practically never got out of bed. The life-giving Geneva air did not bring him the desired relief, and the commander’s life quickly faded away. Despite his clear consciousness, Alexander Ivanovich could not work due to excruciating attacks of pain. According to reviews from close people, in moments of relief the prince inquired about the sovereign’s health and worriedly discussed what would happen to his wife after his death. However, when communicating with her, not wanting to upset her, he did not show his suffering and tried to remain calm. The last day of Baryatinsky's life was terrible. After another fainting spell, Alexander Ivanovich suddenly, straining all his strength, stood up and said: “If you die, then on your feet!” On the evening of March 9, 1879, the prince died. The body of the outstanding commander, according to his will, was transported from Geneva to Russia and placed in the family crypt in the village of Ivanovskoye in the Kursk province. The funeral of Alexander Baryatinsky was attended by the heir, Tsarevich Alexander Alexandrovich, as well as deputations from the Kabardian regiment and highlanders who arrived from the Caucasus. For three days the Russian army mourned for the field marshal “in honor of the memory of the valiant services to his fatherland and throne.”

Based on materials from the book by A.L. Zisserman “Field Marshal Prince Alexander Ivanovich Baryatinsky” and the site http://www.vokrugsveta.ru.

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