Denis Davydov is a hero. Davydov Denis Vasilievich

Davydov Denis Vasilievich is a truly unique person. During the years he was a commander and his ideological inspirer. Denis Davydov is known for writing beautiful poems mainly on military and partisan themes. In his own, he loved to sing about the exploits of the Russian hussars.

Facts from life

The biography of Denis Davydov is conventionally divided into several stages. Each of them can be attributed to a separate branch of the life of this great man. In the article we will get acquainted with the childhood years of Denis Davydov, learn about his military career, literary work and personal life.

Childhood

The first years of my life were spent on the territory of Ukraine. Denis’s father was a military man; perhaps this fact later determined the poet’s choice of a creative genre. Military affairs attracted Denis from childhood, and the boy’s ideal commander was Alexander Suvorov, who was his father’s commander. Denis met Suvorov at the age of 9, and then he already noticed a future noble military man in the boy. During the reign of Peter the Great, the Davydov family was forced to sell off their estate and purchase a small house in the village of Borodino. During the same period, Denis Davydov joined the ranks of the cavalry guards (thanks to his father).

Military career and literary creativity

Service in the St. Petersburg cavalry guard regiment was given to Davydov with great difficulty, since the guy’s height did not meet the requirements for admission to the service. Only modesty and natural charm helped Denis join the ranks of the guards. A year after entering the service, he received the rank of cornet, and in 1803 he was elevated to the rank of lieutenant. In the same year, Denis Davydov first discovered his talent as a writer.

Denis Davydov's fables were satirical, with elements of ridicule of political and government figures. This led to the military being transferred to the hussar regiment. The young poet liked the service, and now his work was increasingly reduced to composing ballads and poems about the life of the hussars. At the same time, Davydov dreamed of participating in battles with French troops, but for some reason their regiment was not sent into battle. Denis wanted to get to the front by any means.

Bagration and Davydov as two symbols of the same era

In 1806, a hussar secretly infiltrates the main commander of the Russian army in order to get sent to the front. This action, however, did not provide Davydov with a successful solution to the problem. The fact is that the commander-in-chief of the Russian troops, Kamensky, was removed from office during this period because he became mentally weak. And yet Davydov managed to get to the front, largely thanks to the patronage of one of the tsar’s favorites, Naryshkina. Maria accidentally found out about the gallant and brave hussar. The girl decided to help him.

In 1807, Denis Davydov became the adjutant of General Bagration. More recently, in his fables and poems, he mocked the main flaw in Bagration’s appearance - his disproportionately large nose. That is why the meeting with the general caused some fear in Davydov. But the acquaintance went well, largely thanks to Denis’s sense of humor and resourcefulness. Naturally, the general remembered the poem about his nose, but the poet managed to turn the conversation to his advantage. The poet did not deny the fact of the existence of a poetic cartoon, but noted that such creativity is due to envy. In one of the battles under the leadership of General P. Bagration, Davydov received a distinctive pleasant award - the Order of St. Vladimir.

For the brilliantly conducted battle near Preussisch-Eylau, Bagration himself presented his student with a cloak and a horse from his collection of trophies. After other battles, carried out no less successfully, Denis managed to receive several more award orders and a saber made of pure gold. Davydov took part in battles as part of the Finnish army, was the commander of the Moldavian troops, and participated in military operations against Turkish troops. In 1812, a few days before the battle with Napoleon’s troops, Davydov proposed to his commander, General Bagration, the idea of ​​​​creating a partisan detachment that would help quickly defeat the French army. Davydov became enemy No. 1 for Napoleon, ballads and songs were composed about the brave hussar. Denis emerged victorious from the battle on the approaches to Paris. He was awarded the rank of major general.

Post-war time

The short biography of Denis Davydov in the post-war period is not very promising in terms of career. For some reason, his rank of major general was recognized as erroneously issued, Davydov was transferred to service where he was supposed to command a brigade of mounted rangers. However, Denis did not like the new position, since the huntsmen were not allowed to wear a mustache - the main feature of all hussars. The outraged Davydov wrote a letter to the Tsar himself, where he outlined the essence of his problem.

The result of the correspondence was Davydov’s return to hussar activity and his restoration to the rank of major general. Throughout 1814, Denis served as commander of a hussar regiment and successfully fought a battle near La Rotiere. In 1815, he was accepted into the Arzamas circle, famous Russian poets Vyazemsky and Pushkin became his allies. During the same period, Davydov was appointed chief of staff in the infantry corps.

From 1827 to 1831, Denis Davydov fought several successful battles against Persian troops and Polish rebels. By the way, the battle with the Poles was the last in Davydov’s career, since he did not want to fight anymore and take part in bloody battles.

Literary creativity

Denis Davydov's poems were filled with a military spirit. He was engaged in writing not only poems, he also authored several articles in prose. Denis Davydov composed songs, thanks to which he gained fame as a warrior-singer. On his creative path, he had several assistants and loyal friends, among them Alexander Pushkin. In his creations, Davydov loved to glorify the hussar spirit and way of life. The work of the warrior writer reflected all the delights of hussar life: love, rivers of wine and riotous hussar evenings. Among the most famous poems of the poet dedicated to the life of the hussars are the following: “Song of the Old Hussar”, “Hussar Feast”, “Song”, “Message to Burtsov”.

In his declining years, Davydov increasingly favored writing beautiful poems, steeped in romance and love feelings. Works of this period include “Waltz” and “Sea”. Davydov was also involved in translation articles on Delisle and Arno. Denis Davydov’s prose included memoir articles (“Meeting with the great Suvorov”, “Tilsit in 1807”, “Memories of the battle near Preussit-Eylau”) and articles with elements of historical polemics. Professional cliches were noticed for the first time in his work. Later, professionalism found a response in Pushkin’s poems.

Personal life

In the life of Denis Davydov there were several beloved women. First love - Aglaya de Gramont. Unfortunately, this beauty chose his cousin over the brave hussar. Tanya Ivanova, a successful ballerina, also captivated the hussar's heart. But even here Davydov was disappointed - the girl chose as her companion not a gallant warrior, but a choreographer. The next chosen one is Lizaveta Zlotnitskaya. The parents of the young lady of marriageable age demanded that Davydov take steps to obtain a state-owned estate. Denis fulfilled this request, but then another love disappointment came - Elizabeth preferred Prince Golitsyn to him.

The meeting with the next chosen one, Sonya Chirikova, took place thanks to Denis’s friends. Already in 1819, the wedding of this couple took place, and after the birth of the child, Denis completely stopped thinking about military battles. The marriage with Chirikova gave the hussar nine children. In 1831, the union was under threat, or rather, it fell apart for three whole years. The cause of the crisis was Denis Davydov’s new hobby - Evgenia Zolotareva, the niece of one of Davydov’s colleagues. The big age difference (the girl was 27 years younger than Davydov) did not prevent this couple from being together for 3 long years. Then Zhenya married someone else, and Denis decided to reunite with his family.

Last years

Over the past years, Denis Davydov lived in the small village of Verkhnyaya Maza. Here, in a quiet corner of nature, the poet completely indulged in creative impulses. He loved to hunt, was engaged in winemaking, and even built his own small distillery. Denis carried out extensive work on compiling military notes, and at the same time as creative activity - active correspondence with other talented writers. Among them was Alexander Pushkin,

Conclusion

Denis Davydov (the photo has not survived, since the first daguerreotypes appeared in the year of his death) was popular with critics and writers. They composed poems and wrote articles about him. Thanks to one poem by Hussar Davydov (“Decisive Evening”), we know who Lieutenant Rzhevsky is.

The prototype of Denis Davydov was used by L. Tolstoy when writing the novel “War and Peace”. In 1980, many television viewers were able to watch a film about the poet. It was called "Squadron of Flying Hussars." Soon after its release, the film gained immense popularity. Until now, “Squadron of Flying Hussars” is considered an unsurpassed classic, fully reflecting the life of brave and defeated hussars.

Russian poet, the most prominent representative of “hussar poetry”, memoirist, lieutenant general

short biography

Denis Vasilievich Davydov(pre-ref. Denis Vasilievich Davydov July 27, 1784, Moscow - May 4, 1839, village of Verkhnyaya Maza, Syzran district, Simbirsk province) - Russian poet, the most prominent representative of “hussar poetry”, memoirist, lieutenant general. One of the commanders of the partisan movement during the Patriotic War of 1812.

Davydov's childhood

A representative of the old noble family of the Davydovs. Born into the family of foreman Vasily Denisovich Davydov (1747-1808), who served under the command of A.V. Suvorov, in Moscow. A significant part of his childhood was spent in a military situation in Slobozhanshchina, where his father served, commanding the Poltava Light Horse Regiment, and was the homeland of his mother, the daughter of the Kharkov Governor-General Evdokim Shcherbinin. Denis got involved in military affairs early and learned horse riding well. But he was constantly tormented by his homely appearance: short stature (like his father, who was noticeably shorter than his mother) and a small, snub-nosed “button” nose.

At the end of the 18th century, fame thundered throughout Russia, to which Denis treated with extraordinary respect. Once, when the boy was nine years old, he had a chance to see the famous commander, he came to their estate to visit. Alexander Vasilyevich, looking at the two sons of Vasily Denisovich, said that Denis “this daring one will be a military man, I won’t die, but he will already win three battles,” and Evdokim will go into the civil service. Denis remembered this meeting for the rest of his life.

After the death of Catherine II and the accession to the throne of Paul I, who did not like Suvorov, the well-being of the Davydovs came to an end. An audit of the Poltava regiment, which my father commanded, discovered a shortage of 100 thousand rubles and Davydov Sr. was fired and ordered by court to pay this amount. Although his only fault was that he relied on the honesty of his quartermasters. I had to sell the estate. Over time, having gotten out of debt, my father bought a small village near Moscow, Borodino, near Mozhaisk. (In 1812, during the Battle of Borodino, the village, along with the manor’s house, burned down).

The father decided to assign his sons in accordance with the words of Suvorov - Denis to the cavalry guards, and his brother Evdokim to the archives of the Foreign Collegium.

Military career

In 1801, Davydov entered service in the Cavalry Regiment, located in St. Petersburg. At first, the officer on duty flatly refused to accept him because of his small stature. Nevertheless, Denis managed to be accepted. For his charm, wit and modesty, the officers of the regiment very soon fell in love with him and formed his patronage. On September 28, 1801, he became an Estandard Junker. “Soon, through the efforts of Prince Boris Chetvertinsky, with whom Denis had become friends before, and other friends of Kakhovsky, the matter that concerned Denis so much was settled.” His appearance after putting on his uniform was, of course, very funny. Later in his autobiography, he himself will cheerfully describe himself at this significant hour (again speaking about himself in the third person): “Finally they tied our little fellow to a huge broadsword, lowered him into deep boots and covered the sanctuary of his poetic genius with flour and a triangular hat.” . Alexander Mikhailovich Kakhovsky took up the task of filling the gaps in Davydov’s education. He compiled a special curriculum for Denis, selected books on a wide variety of branches of knowledge - from military history, fortification and cartography to the economic theories of English economists and Russian literature. In September 1802, Davydov was promoted to cornet, and in November 1803 to lieutenant. At the same time, he began to write poetry and fables, and in his fables he began to very caustically ridicule the top officials of the state.

Because of the satirical poems, Denis was transferred from the guard to the Belarusian Hussar Regiment with a deployment in the Podolsk province in Little Russia and was renamed captains (“the old guard,” to which the Cavalry Guard Regiment belonged, had an advantage over the army by two ranks). This was done to cavalry guards very rarely and only for major offenses - cowardice in battle, embezzlement or cheating at cards. However, Denis liked it in the hussars. There he met the hero of his “desirable songs,” Lieutenant Burtsev. Dashing feasts, riotous jokes - he now sang all this in his “desirable songs”, leaving the writing of fables.

The only bad thing was that Denis Davydov almost missed the first war with Napoleon. The Guard took part in battles with the French, but his hussar regiment did not. The young cavalry officer, who dreamed of military exploits and glory, was forced to remain aloof from these events, while his brother Evdokim, having left civil service in the Foreign Collegium, entered the cavalry guard and managed to become famous at Austerlitz. Evdokim was seriously wounded (five saber wounds, one bullet wound and one bayonet wound) and was taken prisoner. Napoleon, visiting the infirmary where Evdokim was lying, had a conversation with him. This conversation was described in all European newspapers.

Denis decided to go to the front at any cost. In November 1806, Davydov at night penetrated Field Marshal M.F. Kamensky, who was appointed commander-in-chief of the Russian army at that time. Kamensky, a small, dry old man in a nightcap, almost died of fear when Denis appeared in front of him and demanded that he be sent to the front. But all this turned out to be in vain, since Kamensky commanded the army for only a week. He was removed because he lost his mind. He went out to the army in a hare sheepskin coat and a scarf and declared: “Brothers, save yourself as best you can...” According to one version, he went crazy after Denis Davydov appeared in front of him at night.

But the fame of such a desperate hussar reached Maria Antonovna Naryshkina, the sovereign’s favorite. And she helped him in his desire to fight. At the beginning of 1807, he was appointed adjutant to General P. I. Bagration. At one time, Davydov made fun of Bagration’s long nose in one of his poems and therefore was a little afraid of his first meeting with him. Bagration, seeing Denis, said to the officers present: “This is the one who made fun of my nose.” To which Davydov, without being taken aback, replied that he wrote about his nose only out of envy, since he practically doesn’t have one himself. Bagration liked the joke. And he often, when it was reported to him that the enemy was “on the nose,” asked again: “On whose nose? If on mine, then you can still have dinner, and if on Denisov, then by horse!”

Already on January 24, 1807, Denis Davydov took part in battles with the French. In the battle of Preussisch-Eylau, he was under Bagration, who appeared with his adjutant in the most dangerous and critical areas. One battle, according to Bagration, was won only thanks to Davydov. He single-handedly rushed at a detachment of French lancers and they, chasing him, were distracted and missed the moment of the appearance of the Russian hussars. For this battle, Denis received the Order of St. Vladimir IV degree, a cloak from Bagration and a trophy horse. Denis Davydov's bravery in the 1807 campaign was recognized with the gold Preussisch-Eylau Cross, the Order of St. Anne 2nd class, a gold saber with the inscription "For Bravery" and the Prussian Order of Dignity.

At the very end of the campaign, Davydov had a chance to see Napoleon. At that time, peace was concluded in Tilsit between the French and Russian emperors, and many did not approve of it. Bagration said he was ill and sent Davydov in his place.

In the winter of 1808, he was in the Russian army operating in Finland, marched with Kulnev to Uleaborg, occupied Karloe Island with the Cossacks and, returning to the vanguard, retreated across the ice of the Gulf of Bothnia.

In 1809, being under Prince. Bagration, who commanded the troops in Moldova, Davydov participated in various military operations against the Turks, and then, when Bagration was replaced by c. Kamensky, entered the vanguard of the Moldavian army under the command of Kulnev.

The reward for his exploits was the diamond badges of the Order of St. Anne, 2nd class, and the rank of captain. In 1810, he began working on a series of essays about military events. But, as Davydov wrote on the eve of the Patriotic War, “1812 was already standing among us Russians, with his bayonet covered in blood up to the barrel, with his knife covered in blood up to the elbow.” And he asks Bagration’s permission “to join the ranks of the Akhtyrsky Hussar Regiment.” On the recommendation of the general, on April 8, 1812, Davydov was promoted to lieutenant colonel and appointed commander of the 1st battalion of the Akhtyrsky Hussar Regiment.

D. V. Davydov
(artist Karl Gampeln)

Patriotic War of 1812

From the first days of the war of 1812, the Akhtyrsky Hussar Regiment, commanded by Major General Prince Vasilchikov, was constantly in contact with the enemy, covering the retreat of Bagration's 2nd Western Army. The Akhtyrsky hussars, together with the Kharkov, Chernigov, Kiev and Novorossiysk dragoon regiments, as well as the Lithuanian Uhlan Regiment, were part of the 4th Cavalry Corps under the command of Major General K. K. Sivers, who fought in the rearguard of the 2nd Western Army, which was commanded by the Don Ataman M.I. Platov. Together with the regiment, Denis Davydov took part in serious clashes with the enemy near the village of Mir (June 28), near Romanov (July 2), Saltanovka (July 11) and Smolensk, in rearguard battles near the village. Usvyaty and near the river. Osma (August 15). On August 24, the Akhtyrsky Hussars distinguished themselves in a battle near the Kolotsky Monastery, which developed into a fierce battle for many hours. “The fight is terrible! - wrote D.V. Davydov, “We were doused with a hail of bullets and grapeshots, cannonballs dug our columns in all directions.” Then there was a battle at the Shevardinsky redoubt.

On August 21, 1812, in sight of the village of Borodino, where Davydov grew up and where his parents’ house was already being hastily dismantled into fortifications, five days before the great battle, Denis Vasilyevich proposed to Bagration the idea of ​​his own partisan detachment.

The first partisan detachment during the Patriotic War of 1812 was created on the initiative of Barclay de Tolly on July 22, 1812 under the command of General F. F. Wintzingerode. We remembered the history and regulations of Peter the Great where ertaul and corvolant were used. The logic was simple: Napoleon, hoping to defeat Russia in twenty days, took so much food with him. And if you take away carts, fodder and break bridges, this will create big problems for him. From Davydov’s letter to Prince General Bagration:

Your Excellency! You know that I, having left the position of your adjutant, which was so flattering for my vanity, joining the hussar regiment, had the subject of partisan service both according to the strength of my years, and because of my experience, and, if I dare say, because of my courage... You are my only benefactor ; allow me to appear before you to explain my intentions; if they are pleasing to you, use me according to my desire and be hopeful that the one who bears the title of Bagration’s adjutant for five years in a row will support this honor with all the zeal that the plight of our dear fatherland requires...

Bagration's order to create a flying partisan detachment was one of his last before the Battle of Borodino, where he was mortally wounded. (The estate of Davydov’s father, in addition to the ancestral Denisovka, was the village of Borodino, which was burned during the Battle of Borodino since 1799. Shortly before his death, Davydov petitioned for the reburial of his boss P.I. Bagration on the Borodino field, which was carried out according to the Highest will of Emperor Nicholas I after the death of Denis Vasilievich.)

Drawing from the article “Davydov”

The detachment consisted of 50 Akhtyrsky hussars and 80 Don Cossacks, whom Davydov personally selected. His comrades-in-arms were fellow soldiers, officers of the Akhtyrsky regiment, staff captain Nikolai Grigorievich Bedriaga, lieutenant Dmitry Alekseevich Beketov, lieutenant Pyotr Ivanovich Makarov, senior sergeant of the hussar detachment Shklyarov, sergeant Ivanov, as well as Cossack commanders - cornets Talaev and Astakhov and the sergeant of the 10th Ilovaisky shelf of hooks.

Immediately after the end of the battle for the Shevardinsky redoubt, Davydov’s detachment separated from the active army and went on a raid along the rear of the French army.

On the very first night, Davydov’s detachment was ambushed by peasants, and Denis almost died. The peasants had little understanding of the details of military uniforms, which were similar among the French and Russians. Moreover, the officers spoke, as a rule, French. After this, Davydov put on a peasant's caftan and grew a beard. In the portrait by A. Orlovsky (1814), Davydov is dressed in Caucasian fashion: a checkmen, a clearly non-Russian hat, a Circassian saber.

In enemy-occupied territory, Davydov was pleased to discover a “general and voluntary militia of villagers.” Davydov armed the peasants with weapons taken from the enemy and often acted together with them. By mid-September, the active actions of the detachment, which numbered more than 300 horsemen, between Gzhatsk and Vyazma forced the enemy to send 2 thousand punitive forces to eliminate it. And while the punitive forces were looking for the detachment, Davydov defeated the infantry battalion, captured the artillery park, freed 400 Russian soldiers from captivity, of whom he included 250 in his detachment, and even managed to defeat the food and artillery convoys.

Davydov’s partisans received their first baptism of fire on September 2 near the village of Tokarevo, having destroyed a large detachment of marauders and captured about 100 people. The detachment inflicted significant damage on the enemy army, smashing and intercepting transports with forage and provisions. This is how Denis Davydov described one of the affairs of his detachment in the “Diary of Partisan Actions”: “...At dawn, we attacked an enemy detachment covering the transport in sight of the city. After a swift attack, most of the cover crumbled, the success exceeded my expectations: 270 privates and 6 officers laid down their arms, up to 100 people died on the spot. This transport consisted of new clothes and shoes for the entire 1st Westphalian Hussar Regiment and (according to the found invoice) cost 17 thousand francs.”

His rapid successes convinced Kutuzov of the feasibility of partisan warfare, and he was not slow in giving it wider development and constantly sending reinforcements. The second time Davydov saw Napoleon was when he and his partisans were in ambush in the forest, and a dormez with Napoleon drove past him. But at that moment he had too little strength to attack Napoleon’s guards. Napoleon hated Davydov and ordered him to be shot on the spot upon his arrest. For the sake of his capture, he allocated one of his best detachments of two thousand horsemen with eight chief officers and one staff officer. Davydov, who had half as many people, managed to drive the detachment into a trap and take him prisoner along with all the officers.

In October, Davydov’s detachment, which had increased to 700 people, defeated an infantry battalion, taking 200 prisoners, captured 41 trucks with food and transport with uniforms for an entire regiment, again attacked the enemy chasing him, destroying about 800 soldiers and officers and taking the same number prisoner . The enemy sent large forces to eliminate Davydov’s detachment, but the partisans suddenly attacked and scattered their vanguard.

One of Davydov’s outstanding feats during this time was the case near Lyakhov, where he, together with the partisan detachments of A. N. Seslavin, A. S. Figner and V. V. Orlov-Denisov, captured the two thousandth detachment of General Augereau. On November 3, Davydov’s detachment captured three generals, up to 900 soldiers, four guns and a large convoy. The next day, a significant convoy was again repulsed and about 500 soldiers and officers were captured. In Kopys, Davydov destroyed a large French cavalry depot and sent up to 900 captured soldiers to the rear. On November 14, he captured Belynichi with its large food warehouse. and, continuing the search to the Neman, occupied Grodno. From the memoirs of Lieutenant Colonel Denis Davydov: “... In this case, we took possession of the store and hospital in Belynichi. In the first, four hundred quarters of rye, forty quarters of wheat, two hundred quarters of buckwheat and fifty quarters of hemp were found, and in the latter they took two hundred and ninety sick people and fifteen doctors. One lieutenant colonel, four captains and one hundred and ninety-two privates, the entire baggage train and one hundred and eighty guns were taken.”

At the end of November, M.I. Kutuzov ordered Davydov to occupy Grodno “and clear the surrounding area more through friendly negotiations than through weapons.” On December 9, the Grodno garrison, consisting of 4 thousand soldiers and officers and 30 guns, left the city.

On December 24, 1812, Denis Davydov received orders to unite with Dokhturov’s corps, and this ended the partisan war for him.

Denis Davydov’s awards for the 1812 campaign were the Orders of St. Vladimir, 3rd degree, and St. George, 4th degree: “Your Grace! While the Patriotic War continued, I considered it a sin to think about anything other than the extermination of the enemies of the Fatherland. Now I am abroad, I humbly ask your Lordship to send me Vladimir 3rd class and Georgy 4th class,” Davydov wrote to Field Marshal M.I. Kutuzov after crossing the border.

About the partisan period of Denis Davydov’s combat activity, his service record says sparingly that he commanded the “party” in the vicinity of Vyazma, Dorogobuzh and Gzhatsk, captured 3,560 lower ranks, 43 staff and chief officers and many transports with ammunition, equipment and food.

With the transition to Germany, Davydov and his party walked ahead of the corps of Adjutant General Wintzingerode. But in essence it was no longer a partisan detachment, but the vanguard of an advanced corps. On March 8, 1813, Davydov with three Cossack regiments (no more than 500 cavalrymen in total) went to the walls of Dresden, lit huge fires to mislead the enemy, and sent to demand the surrender of the city. After long negotiations, the French General Durut with a detachment of five thousand finally agreed to clear all of New Dresden and retreat beyond the Elbe. At noon on March 10, Davydov’s party solemnly entered the city. However, at dawn on March 13, General Winzengerode hastily arrived in Dresden in person. He accused Davydov of having arbitrarily approached Dresden and daring to enter into negotiations, while there was an order strictly prohibiting entering into any kind of negotiations with the enemy. Davydov was ordered to surrender his detachment and go to the headquarters of the Russian army to await trial. However, when considering the case, Alexander I said: “Be that as it may, the winner is not judged.” The field marshal ordered that the detachment he commanded be returned to Davydov, but by this time the party had already been disbanded, and Davydov remained in the army without a position. Later he was appointed commander of the Akhtyrsky Hussar Regiment.

Decisive in the campaign of 1813 was the “Battle of the Nations” at Leipzig. The Akhtyrsky Hussar Regiment, which was part of the Prussian army, was thrown into the attack directly from the campaign, in which it captured 5 guns and up to 560 prisoners. On December 20, 1813, together with Blucher’s army, the Akhtyryans under the command of Colonel D.V. Davydov entered France. One after another there were clashes near Brienne and La Rotière. For his distinction in the battle of La Rotière, when five horses were killed near Davydov, but he and his cavalrymen still broke through the hussars of the Jacquinot brigade to the French artillery battery and, having chopped up the servants, decided the outcome of the battle, Davydov was promoted on January 20, 1814 promoted to major general, but due to confusion in reports, received this rank only on December 21, 1815 (with seniority dated January 20, 1814)

In April 1815, the Akhtyryans were again destined to visit France, where they arrived as part of the army of Barclay de Tolly. This time the Akhtyrsky Hussars were only participants in the famous review in the town of Vertu in Champagne. It is with this stay of the Akhtyrts in France that one of the regimental legends is connected, which actually took place and was subsequently reflected in the regimental song. After the capture of Paris, the Akhtyrsky regiment was in the town of Arras. Having examined the regiment, D.V. Davydov, the then commander of the regiment, found the appearance of his hussars to be rather deplorable. The uniforms were pretty worn out during the fighting. The regiment was stationed near the Capuchin convent, whose nuns wore cassocks of the “regimental” color, that is, brown. The decision was prompted by life itself; by order of Davydov, all the cloth necessary for sewing new uniforms was removed from the monastery warehouse. At the parade, the Akhtyryans looked brilliant and impressed the Emperor. After this, Alexander I, by his Decree, ordered the Akhtyrsky hussars to wear brown uniforms forever.

After the Battle of Kraon, in which all the generals of the 2nd Hussar Division were killed or wounded, D. Davydov controlled the division for two days, and then a brigade composed of the Akhtyrsky and Belorussian Hussar Regiments.

Service after World War II

After the Patriotic War of 1812, Denis Davydov began to have troubles. At first he was sent to command the dragoon brigade, which was stationed near Kiev. Like any hussar, Denis despised dragoons. Then he was informed that the rank of major general had been assigned to him by mistake, and he was a colonel. And to top it all off, Colonel Davydov is transferred to serve in the Oryol province as commander of a horse-jaeger brigade. This was the last straw, since he had to lose his hussar mustache, his pride. Huntsmen were not allowed mustaches. He wrote a letter to the king saying that he could not carry out the order because of his mustache. Denis was expecting resignation and disgrace, but the tsar, when they reported to him, was in a good mood: “Well! Let him remain a hussar." And he appointed Denis to the hussar regiment with the return of the rank of major general.

In the first days of peace, Davydov began writing the “Diary of Partisan Actions of 1812.” Having received a long vacation, he hurries to Moscow, where he spends almost a year among writers, artists and performers. By the end of 1815 he returned to the army. In the summer of next year, Denis Vasilyevich is again in Moscow.

In 1815, Denis Davydov was elected a member of Arzamas with the nickname “Armenian”. Together with Pushkin and Vyazemsky, he represents a branch of the Arzamas circle in Moscow. After the collapse of Conversations, the controversy with the Shishkovists ended, and in 1818 Arzamas disbanded. At the end of 1815, Davydov was appointed a member of the Military Society at the Guards General Staff, where he read his military theoretical work “An Experience in the Theory of Guerrilla Action.”

From February 1818, Davydov served as chief of staff, first in the 7th and then in the 3rd Corps. Service in the infantry depresses Hussar Davydov; he calls it a “stuffy prison” and spends most of his time busy with his notes and books. On March 17, 1820, Davydov was relieved of all positions and assigned to “be a member of the cavalry,” that is, in the reserve.

Drawing from the article “Davydov”
(“Sytin’s Military Encyclopedia”)

Having retired from military affairs, Denis Vasilyevich devotes himself entirely to writing a partisan diary “to the sounds of peaceful rural work.” During this period, he became especially close to A. S. Pushkin. Coming from the village to Moscow, Davydov often met with A. S. Griboyedov, V. F. Odoevsky, V. K. Kuchelbecker, A. A. Alyabyev, A. N. Verstovsky and other famous figures of Russian culture. Davydov had a strong friendship with Baratynsky E.A., Vyazemsky P.A., Pushkin V.L., Yazykov N.M., Bestuzhev A.A., Yakubovich A.I., Davydov V.L.

In September 1826, Davydov was already fighting in the Caucasus. In 1827 he successfully acted against the Persians. Only the removal of the “unreliable” Ermolov A.P. forces his cousin, D.V. Davydov, from the post of head of the Caucasian Corps. return to Moscow.

And again the general takes up the plow, the hunting rifle and the pen: “I now set out to write down my military records, writing, writing and writing. They don’t allow me to fight, I began to describe how they fought. I'm redoing my Guerrilla experience. I think that this essay will not sink in the summer and will not be useless...” At the same time, Davydov creates a cycle of lyrical poems and willingly shares his memories of 1812 with M.N. Zagoskin. and Mikhailovsky-Danilevsky A.I.

His last campaign was in 1831 - against the Polish rebels. He fought well. “Davydov’s military merits were respected this time as, perhaps, in no previous war. In addition to the Order of Anna, 1st class, awarded to him for the capture of Vladimir-Volynsky (although the Main Apartment for this successfully carried out operation by D. Davydov presented him with the Order of St. George, 3rd class, but the new sovereign followed in the footsteps of the former and also considered it necessary to downplay award to the poet-partisan), he received the rank of lieutenant general for a stubborn battle near the Budzinsky forest, where, by the way, he again had to cross arms with an enemy known back in 1812 - the Polish general Turno; “for excellent courage and stewardship” during the hot battle at the crossings on the Vistula, Davydov was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir 2nd degree; and to this, for the entire Polish campaign, there is also the Polish insignia “Virtuti militari” 2nd class.” Leaving the army, Denis Vasilyevich firmly knew that he had finished his last campaign in his life. He had no intention of fighting anymore. Now only a mortal threat to his dear fatherland could force him to take up his tried and tested hussar saber again. However, such a threat did not seem to be foreseen in the foreseeable future, thank God.

Achievement list

In service:

• September 28, 1801 - entered service as an estandard cadet in the Cavalry Regiment.
• 1802 - promoted to cornet.
• November 2, 1803 - promoted to lieutenant.
• September 13, 1804 - transferred as captain to the Belarusian Hussar Regiment.
• June 4, 1806 - transferred to lieutenant in the Life Guards Hussar Regiment.
• January 3, 1807 - appointed adjutant to Lieutenant General Prince Bagration.
• January 15, 1807 - promoted to captain.
• March 4, 1810 - promoted to captain.
• April 17, 1812 - transferred as lieutenant colonel to the Akhtyrsky Hussar Regiment.
• October 31, 1812 - promoted to colonel for distinguished service.
• December 21, 1815 - for distinction in the battle of Larotiere, he was promoted to major general, with the appointment to serve under the head of the 1st Dragoon Division.
• March 14, 1816 - appointed to serve under the head of the 2nd Cavalry Jaeger Division.
• May 22, 1816 - appointed to serve under the head of the 2nd Hussar Division.
• November 7, 1816 - appointed brigade commander of the 1st brigade of the same division.
• February 19, 1818 - appointed chief of staff of the 7th Infantry Corps.
• February 22, 1819 - appointed chief of staff of the 3rd Infantry Corps.
• March 17, 1820 - with dismissal on leave abroad, he was appointed to serve in the cavalry.
• November 14, 1823 - dismissed from service due to illness, with his uniform.
• March 23, 1826 - assigned to the service, with an appointment to serve in the cavalry.
• September 10, 1826 - appointed to the Caucasian Separate Corps as temporary commander of troops on the Erivan border during the war with Persia.
• November 25, 1826 - dismissed on leave, from which he was allowed to return to Russia.
• October 6, 1831 - promoted to lieutenant general for distinguished service in battle.

In campaigns and battles there was:

• in Prussia, in 1807, on January 24, near Wolsdorf, for distinction he was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir, 4th class, with a bow; 25 - near Landsberg, 26 and 27 - near Preussisch-Eylau; May 25 - near Gutstadt; 28 - near Heilberg, for distinction he was awarded the Order of St. Anna, 2nd class; On June 2, near Friedland, for distinction he was awarded a golden saber with the inscription “for bravery”, the Prussian Order “For Dignity” and the golden Preussisch-Eylau Cross;
• in Finland, in 1808, he occupied the island of Karloe with a detachment of Cossacks and participated in affairs near Bagestat, Lappo, Perho, Karstula, Kuortane, Salmi, Orovais, Gamle-Karleby, during the capture of the Aland Islands, where, commanding a detachment of Cossacks, he knocked out the enemy from Bene Island and occupied it, and when moving to the Swedish coast near Grisselgam;
• in 1809, in Turkey, during the capture of Machin and Girsov; in the battle of Rassevat; during the besieging of the fortress of Silistria; in the battle of Tataritsa;
• in 1810, during the capture of Silistria; near Shumla, for which he was awarded the diamond badges of St. Anna 2nd class, and during the attack of Rushchuk;
• in 1812, June 26, near Mir, July 1, near Romanov, July 3, near Katanya, where he commanded a night expedition, August 3, 11 - near Dorogobuzh, 14 - near Maksimov, 19 - near Rozhestvo, 21 - near Popovka, 23 - near Pokrov, 24 - near Borodin; from September 2 to October 18, he commanded a party of riders in the vicinity of Vyazma, Dorogobuzh and Gzhatsk, during this time he captured 3,560 lower ranks, 43 headquarters and chief officers and many transports, shells and food, for which he was awarded the rank of colonel; then he was in business: October 28, near Lyakhov, 29 - near Smolensk, November 2 and 4, near Krasny, November 9, near Kopys, where he completely defeated the cavalry depot of the French army, 14 - near Belinichi; for distinction he was awarded the Order of St. George, 4th class; occupied the city of Grodno with his detachment, on December 8, and for distinction he was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir, 3rd class;
• In 1813, he was in action near Kalisz, February 1; occupied the city of Dresden with his detachment, on March 12, and participated in the battles: April 27, near Dresden, May 8 and 9, near Bautzen, May 10, near Reichenbach and in all rearguard affairs before the armistice, commanding a party of riders: September 8, under Lutzen, 10 - near Zeitz, 12 and 16 - near Altenburg, 18 - near Penig, October 4 and 6, near Leipzig;
• in 1814, was in business: January 14 and 15, near Brienne-Lechateau, 17 - under Larotiere, awarded the rank of major general for distinction, 30 - near Momiral, 31 - near Chatotieri, February 11, near Mary, 23 - under Craon, 25 and 26 - near Laon, March 13, near Ferchampenoise;
• in Persia, in 1826, he commanded troops on the Erivan border near Amamli; September 20, near Mirag; defeated the enemy corps under the command of Hassan Khan, on September 21, and entered the Persian borders near the Sudagend tract, on September 22;
• in the 1831 campaign with Polish rebels, commanding a separate unit, on April 6, he took the city of Vladimir-on-Volyn by storm and for the excellent courage and bravery shown in this battle, he was awarded, on September 14, the Order of St. Anne, 1st class; April 29, pursued Khrzhanovsky’s corps to the Zamosc fortress; July 7, while crossing the river. Veprzh ford, took part in the battle of the village. Budzisko with the rebel corps of Romarino and Yankovsky and for distinction in this matter was promoted to lieutenant general; On July 28, he was in action when repelling Ruzicki’s corps, which made an attack on the bridge fortification built at Podgórzhi, on the left bank of the Vistula, and for excellent courage and stewardship shown in these matters, he was awarded, on May 21, 1832, the Order of St. Vladimir 2 Art. and for the entire campaign the insignia “For Military Dignity”, 2nd degree.

Personal life

The first time Davydov fell in love with Aglaia de Gramont. But she chose to marry his cousin, the tall cavalry guard colonel A.L. Davydov.

Then he fell in love with a young ballerina, Tatyana Ivanova. Despite the fact that Denis stood for hours under the windows of the ballet school, she married her choreographer. Davydov was very worried about this.

While serving near Kiev, Davydov fell in love once again. His chosen one was the Kiev niece of the Raevskys - Liza Zlotnitskaya, daughter of General Anton Osipovich Zlotnitsky. At the same time, the Society of Lovers of Russian Literature elected him as a full member. He was very proud, since he himself had not dared to call himself a poet before.

An indispensable condition of Lisa’s parents was that Denis would obtain a government estate for rent from the sovereign (this was a form of state support for people who were not rich but had distinguished themselves in the service). Davydov went to St. Petersburg to do some work. V. A. Zhukovsky, who simply adored Davydov, helped a lot. With his help, Davydov was quickly granted “in connection with his upcoming marriage” to rent the state-owned Balta estate, which brought in six thousand rubles a year.

But then he received a new blow. While he was busy in St. Petersburg, Lisa became interested in Prince Pyotr Golitsyn. The prince was a gambler and a reveler, and besides, he had recently been expelled from the guard for some dark deeds. But he was extraordinarily handsome. Davydov was refused. Moreover, Lisa did not even want to see him, conveying the refusal through her father.

Davydov took Lisa’s refusal very hard. All his friends began to save him and for this they arranged a meeting for him with the daughter of the late General Nikolai Aleksandrovich Chirkov, Sophia (1795-1880). At that time she was already at a mature age - 24 years old. But her friends vying with each other praised her. Pretty, modest, reasonable, kind, well-read. And he made up his mind. Moreover, he was already 35 years old. But the wedding was almost upset, as the bride’s mother, having learned about his “desirable songs,” ordered Davydov to be rejected as a drunkard, a dissolute person and a gambler. Friends of her late husband barely persuaded her, explaining that General Davydov does not play cards, drinks little - and these are only poems. After all, he is a poet!

In April 1819, Denis married Sophia. As soon as he and Sophia began to have children, Denis lost the desire to pull the military burden. He wanted to be at home, near his wife. Davydov called in sick every now and then and went on vacations of many months. Even the Caucasian War, where he was sent under the command of General Ermolov, did not captivate him. He stayed in the active army for only two months, and then asked Yermolov for a six-week leave to improve his health. Having stopped for a view of the mineral waters, having sent out several letters about his illness (including to Walter Scott) for persuasiveness, he rushed to the Arbat in Moscow, where at that time his three sons and Sophia, who was once again pregnant, were already waiting for him. In total, nine children were born in the marriage of Denis and Sophia.

After the Polish campaign, when he was 47 years old and all he could think about was peace, they finally left him behind. True, he was never allowed to resign, but they did not touch him and his entire service was limited to wearing a lieutenant general’s uniform.

The grave of D.V. Davydov at the Novodevichy cemetery.

D.V. Davydov spent the last years of his life in the village of Verkhnyaya Maza, which belonged to the poet’s wife, Sofya Nikolaevna Chirkova. Here he continued to engage in creativity, conducted extensive correspondence with A.F. Voeikov, M.N. Zagoskin, A.S. Pushkin, V.A. Zhukovsky, other writers and publishers. He visited his neighbors - the Yazykovs, the Ivashevs (in Undory), A.V. Bestuzhev, N.I. Polivanov. Visited Simbirsk. He ordered books from abroad. I was hunting. He wrote military-historical notes. He was involved in raising children and running the household: he built a distillery, set up a pond, etc. In a word, he lived for his own pleasure.

But in 1831 he went to visit a colleague in Penza and fell madly in love with his niece, 23-year-old Evgenia Zolotareva. He was 27 years older than her. Despite the fact that he loved his family very much, he could not help himself. I couldn't hide it either. This passionate affair lasted three years. Then Evgenia married the first groom she came across, and Denis, having let his beloved go this time easily, without pain, returned to the family.

The 25th anniversary of the Patriotic War of 1812 brought Davydov out of the state of depression caused by the death of Pushkin. Denis Vasilyevich made a proposal to transfer the ashes of Bagration P.I. from the church in the village of Sima, Vladimir province, to the Borodino field. Davydov’s efforts were crowned with success: it was decided to bury the remains of the hero at the foot of the main monument of the Borodino field, founded on the Raevsky battery. Retired Lieutenant General Davydov was entrusted with commanding the honorary convoy. But he did not live a little more than three months before his dream came true.

On April 22, 1839, at about 7 o’clock in the morning, at the 55th year of his life, Denis Vasilyevich suddenly died of apoplexy on his estate Verkhnyaya Maza, Syzran district, Simbirsk province. His ashes were transported to Moscow and buried in the cemetery of the Novodevichy Convent. His wife Sofya Nikolaevna outlived Denis by more than 40 years. Zhukovsky responded to this sad news in poetry:

And the fighter is the son of Apollo,
He imagined Bagration's coffin
Conduct in Borodino, -
That reward was not given:

In an instant, Davydov was gone!
How many famous people disappeared with him?
Battle legends to us!
How sorry he is for his friend!..

The archive of V. A. Zhukovsky in the Russian National Library contains “a tenth of the left mustache” of Davydov, which he sent to Zhukovsky at his request with a detailed “biography” of the mustache.

As a person, Davydov enjoyed great sympathy in friendly circles. According to Prince P. A. Vyazemsky, Davydov retained an amazing youth of heart and disposition until his death. His gaiety was infectious and exciting; he was the soul of friendly conversations.

Relatives

• Grandfather (mother’s father) is “Catherine’s” general-in-chief Evdokim Shcherbinin.
• Father - Vasily Denisovich Davydov - actual state councilor.
• Mother - Elena Evdokimovna Davydova, née Shcherbinina.
• Sister - Alexandra Vasilievna Begicheva, née Davydova.
• Brother - Evdokim Vasilievich Davydov (1786-1842), major general from 1820
• Brother - Lev Vasilyevich Davydov (1792-1848), second lieutenant of the Cavalry Regiment in 1812.

Cousins

• the legendary artillery general Alexei Petrovich Ermolov, who conquered the Caucasus;
• Vasily Lvovich Davydov - Decembrist, a prominent figure in Southern society, convicted in 1825 and sentenced to 20 years of hard labor;
• Evgraf Vladimirovich Davydov - Colonel of the Life Guards Hussar Regiment, later Major General. His portrait by Kiprensky has long been considered a portrait of Denis Davydov;
• cavalry general Nikolai Nikolaevich Raevsky Sr., hero of the Patriotic War of 1812.

Children

• Davydov, Vasily Denisovich(November 21, 1822 – April 15, 1882). Married to Ivinskaya. Guards piece-captain, Syzran leader of the nobility.
• Davydov, Nikolai Denisovich(January 27, 1825-1885). Guards piece-captain Saratov provincial leader. Wife - Sofia Petrovna
• Davydov, Denis Denisovich(February 15, 1826 – February 8, 1867). Lieutenant L. Guards 2nd Artillery Brigade
• Davydov, Akhill Denisovich(19 April 1827-1865)
• Davydov, Vadim Denisovich(November 19, 1832 – May 20, 1881)
• Zasetskaya, Yulia Denisovna (1835-1882)
• Maria
• Catherine. Husband - Sergey Vasilievich Moiseenko-Veliky
• Davydova, Sofya (or Evdokia) Denisovna(1 (13).3.1839 - 18 (30).10.1885), in the 1st marriage Countess Gidoboni-Visconti, in the 2nd marriage Brianchaninova, mistress of the Yurovo estate. 1st husband - Richard Lionel Lovell Gidoboni-Visconti (1836-1875), son of his mistress

A poet, a romantic, a leader of the partisan movement, a career military man and simply a favorite of the entire Russian army - all these are hypostases of one and the same person - Denis Vasilyevich Davydov, whose biography, exploits and personal life this article is devoted to.

Childhood

Denis Davydov was born in 1784 in Moscow, in the family of the scion of an old noble family, foreman Vasily Davydov. The latter at one time served under the command of A.V. Suvorov himself and was a true patriot. The boy’s mother was also a hereditary noblewoman, and his grandfather, Evdokim Shcherbinin, served as governor-general of Kharkov for many years.

From a young age, little Denis became involved in military service. This was facilitated by the fact that the Davydov family spent most of the year in Slobozhanshchina, since Vasily Denisovich commanded the Poltava Light Horse Regiment. The boy learned to ride a horse masterfully and was excellent at wielding bladed weapons.

However, his small stature and unprepossessing appearance were a great disappointment for the young cavalry guard, so he tried to compensate for his shortcomings with desperate courage, bordering on recklessness.

Meeting with Suvorov

Even in adulthood, Davydov loved to brag, so it is difficult to say whether the event that Denis Vasilyevich told all his friends and acquaintances actually happened. According to him, once the great Suvorov visited the Davydov estate and decided to visit his old comrade in arms. 9-year-old Denis and his younger brother Evdokim were brought to him. The commander looked carefully at the children and said that during his lifetime, the eldest son of Vasily Davydov would win 3 battles, and the youngest would go into civil service.

The boy remembered this prediction for the rest of his life and tried to do everything to make it come true.

The collapse of the family idyll

The accession to the throne of Paul the First, who did not favor Suvorov, put an end to the well-being of the Davydovs. As a result of an audit of the Poltava Regiment, a shortage was discovered. Although the father of the future partisan commander was guilty only of trusting his subordinates, he was dismissed from service and demanded to pay the missing amount. The Davydovs had to sell the estate, and only a few years later Vasily Denisovich was able to acquire the then unknown village of Borodino near Mozhaisk.

Military career

So that the children could become “in the people,” Davydov Sr. decided that Denis should enlist in a cavalry regiment, and sent Evdokim to the archives of a foreign collegium.

At first they did not want to enroll the young man in the cavalry guards because of his very short stature. Nevertheless, thanks to his patronage, he managed to enter the service there, and soon Davydov became everyone’s favorite.

In the regiment, Alexander Mikhailovich Kakhovsky took up the task of filling the gaps in Denis’s education. Soon Davydov was no longer inferior to other officers in terms of his level of knowledge in various fields.

Link

Denis Vasilyevich was distinguished by diligence and service zeal. By 1803 he was promoted to lieutenant. During the same period, Denis Davydov became interested in writing poetry and fables. Moreover, in the latter he angrily ridiculed the top officials of the state.

Such “liberties” did not go unnoticed. The poet was transferred from the guard to the Belarusian Hussar Regiment, stationed in the Podolsk province, and demoted to the rank of captain.

Although the punishment was serious, Denis Davydov liked the hussars. The only disappointment was that when the first war with Napoleon began, in which the St. Petersburg cavalry guards took part, the Belarusian regiment remained in reserve.

Participation in hostilities

Denis Davydov began making desperate attempts to get to the front, especially since his younger brother, who left the civil service, had already distinguished himself during the fighting, and all European newspapers wrote about him.

They say that one night he even entered the bedroom of the elderly Field Marshal M. Kamensky, who after this adventure lost his mind.

Ultimately, Davydov was helped to get to the front by the sovereign’s favorite, Maria Naryshkina.

In the active army, Denis Vasilyevich was appointed adjutant to General P.I. Bagration and distinguished himself in the battle of Preussisch-Eylau. For this campaign he was awarded the Order of St. Anne 2nd class, a gold cross, the Prussian Order of Dignity and a gold saber with the inscription “For Bravery.”

At the very end of the war, Denis Davydov had a chance to see Napoleon. Bagration did not approve of the conclusion of peace that was to take place in Tilsit, and, saying he was ill, he sent an adjutant in his place.

Further career

In the next 4 years, Denis Davydov, whose poems the whole army knew by heart, took part in a campaign in Finland, where, together with the Cossacks, he occupied the island of Karloe and retreated to the main forces across the ice of the Gulf of Bothnia.

In 1809, he was again sent to serve at Bagration's headquarters and fought in Moldova against the Turks. For his bravery he was awarded the diamond insignia of the Order of St. Anna 2nd class and received the rank of captain.

War of 1812

At the very beginning of the intervention of Napoleon’s troops in Russia, Davydov asked Bagration for permission to “join the ranks” of the Akhtyrsky Hussars. The latter signed a proposal for the promotion of Denis Vasilyevich to lieutenant colonel and his appointment as commander of the first battalion of the Akhtyrsky regiment.

As part of this unit, Davydov took part in battles with the enemy near the village of Mir, near Romanovo, Saltanovka and Smolensk. His hussars fought bravely in a multi-hour battle at the Kolotsky monastery and at the Shevardinsky redoubt.

Organization of the partisan movement

5 days before the Battle of Borodino, which was to take place near the village of the same name, owned by the poet’s father, Denis Vasilyevich proposed to Bagration the idea of ​​​​creating a partisan detachment.

It must be said that the idea was not new, and such a unit, commanded by General F. Wintzingerode, already existed. The logic for creating partisan detachments was based on the fact that Napoleon, who hoped to defeat Russia in 20 days, had little provisions. The Russian command, with the help of partisans, was going to take away convoys, break bridges and destroy forage in order to create problems with the supply of Bonaparte’s army.

In short, Denis Davydov suggested that Bagration create a detachment that would report only to him, which would allow him to act more decisively, without waiting for approval from above.

The general granted the subordinate's request. The order signed by Bagration was one of the last in his life.

The detachment of Denis Davydov, whose biography at that time already contained records of many won battles, consisted of 50 hussars of the Akhtyrsky regiment and 80 Don Cossacks.

On the very first foray, Davydov’s partisans were ambushed by peasants who mistook them for French marauders, especially since the officers spoke French among themselves. This was the reason that the members of the detachment and its commander changed into peasant caftans, abandoning uniforms and epaulettes.

In operations, Davydov’s partisans were actively assisted by the peasant militia. Concerned the French sent a 2,000-strong punitive detachment against the partisans. However, Davydov made an unexpected foray and freed 400 Russian soldiers from captivity. For a year, he and his detachment caused great inconvenience to the enemy, leaving them without food and ammunition.

Foreign trip

At the end of November, on the orders of M.I. Kutuzov, Davydov occupied Grodno, and later crossed over to Germany with the main forces of Russian troops. There he took the city of Dresden by cunning, and later he was appointed commander of the Akhtyrsky Hussar Regiment.

Service after the war

Upon his return from France, Davydov served in various positions with the rank of major general. He wrote a lot, including publishing the “Diary of Partisan Actions of 1812” and wrote the scientific work “An Experience in the Theory of Partisan Actions.”

In September 1826, Denis Vasilyevich was sent to the Caucasus, where he successfully acted against the Persians.

The last campaign of the famous military leader was the Polish one, where, as before, he showed miracles of courage.

Novels

Davydov's first love was Aglaya de Gramont. However, the girl rejected Denis’s courtship and married the poet’s cousin, cavalry guard colonel A.L. Davydov.

Later, his heart was inflamed with passion for the young ballerina Tatyana Ivanova. And here Davydov was disappointed, since it turned out that the beauty had long ago given her heart to her choreographer.

While serving in Ukraine, Denis Vasilyevich decided to woo the Raevskys’ niece, Lisa Zlotnitskaya. The girl’s parents were not against it, but they demanded that he go to St. Petersburg and get himself a government estate for rent, which was reserved for poor officers. Under the patronage of V. Zhukovsky, he managed to get what he wanted, but upon returning to his place of service, Davydov learned that the bride was carried away by the handsome Prince P. Golitsyn.

Marriage

Friends tried to console Denis Vasilyevich. They introduced him to Sofia Chirkova. Davydov decided to get married, but was almost refused, since his future mother-in-law read his “sweet songs” and decided that in front of her was a carouser, a gambler and a drunkard. The comrades of her late husband, General Nikolai Chirkov, intervened in the matter. They convinced the woman that these were just poems, and that Davydov himself hardly drinks or plays cards.

The wedding took place in the spring of 1819. After the birth of his first child, Davydov began to do everything to stay at home longer. He was bored with military life, and even the Caucasian War could not light a fire in the blood of the old warrior.

Nevertheless, he had to serve under the command of Yermolov, and then take part in the Polish campaign.

Only at the age of 47 did they stop bothering him with business trips, but they still did not give him his resignation.

last years of life

Davydov, whose entire service from now on consisted of appearing at ceremonial events in a general’s uniform, began to lead the carefree life of a wealthy landowner in the village of Verkhnyaya Maza. He was engaged in creative work, visited his neighbors - the Yazykovs, A.V. Bestuzhevs, the Ivashevs, etc. He wrote military memoirs, etc.

In 1831, during a trip to Penza, Davydov fell in love with 23-year-old Evgenia Zolotareva. The passionate affair, which could not be hidden from the family, lasted 3 years. Then the girl got married, and Denis Vasilyevich returned to his wife.

Davydov devoted the last year of his life to efforts to obtain permission to transfer the ashes of P.I. Bagration to the Borodino field. They were successful. It was decided that Denis Davydov would command the ceremonies. However, the retired lieutenant general did not live to see this day. He died suddenly of apoplexy on his Verkhnyaya Maza estate in April 1939. The poet's ashes were transported to Moscow and buried in the Novodevichy Convent cemetery.

Denis Davydov, whose short biography is already known to you, will forever go down in history as a patriot, selflessly devoted to his homeland, and a talented poet who glorified women and love. Streets in many cities are named after him. There is a restaurant “Denis Davydov” in Moscow.

Denis Vasilyevich Davydov (June 16, 1784, Moscow - April 22, 1839, village of Verkhnyaya Maza, Syzran district, Simbirsk province) - ideologist and commander of the partisan movement of the Patriotic War of 1812, Russian poet.

Childhood

The famous representative of “hussar poetry” was a descendant of the ancient Davydov family. Denis's father served under the command of A. Suvorov. Davydov spent his childhood in Ukraine, where his father served, who commanded the Poltava regiment. It is not surprising that Denis became interested in military affairs early on.

As a child, he admired Alexander Suvorov. When the boy was 9 years old, he met the famous commander. Then Alexander Vasilyevich said that Denis “will be a brave military man.”

After the accession of Paul I to the throne, the Davydovs’ well-being came to an end. I had to sell the estate, and after getting out of debt, Denis’s father bought the small village of Borodino (it burned down during the Battle of Borodino). Nevertheless, Denis was assigned to the cavalry guard by his father.

Military career and creative path

1801 - began service in the Guards Cavalry Regiment, located in St. Petersburg. True, when Davydov came to be assigned to the regiment, they did not want to accept him because of his short stature. But wit, charm and modesty helped him find patronage.

Alexander Kakhovsky took up the task of filling the gaps in the education of young Davydov. He compiled a special curriculum for the young cavalry guard, dedicated to fortification, military history, cartography, economics and Russian literature.

1802 – promoted to cornet.

1803 - became a lieutenant. At the same time, D. Davydov began writing fables and poetry. In the first, he often ridiculed statesmen. It was because of his satirical poems that he was transferred from the guard to the Belarusian Hussar Regiment. But Denis liked the hussars. Therefore, satirical fables soon replaced “sad songs.” The only thing that depressed Davydov was that his regiment did not take part in the battles with the French. But Denis decided to go to the front at any cost.

1806 - Davydov at night penetrated M. Kamensky, the commander-in-chief of the Russian army, to demand sending to the front. But it was in vain, because Kamensky was removed from his post due to clouding of his mind. Some researchers believe that he went crazy after Davydov's overnight visit. The fame of the hussar reached Maria Naryshkina, the tsar's favorite. It was she who helped Davydov go to the front.

1807 - appointed adjutant to P. Bagration. Before this, Davydov, in one of his poems, ridiculed Bagration’s long nose, so he was afraid of meeting the general. Seeing Denis, Bagration mentioned an old joke. But Davydov was not taken aback, answering that he wrote about his nose solely out of envy. Later, when Bagration was informed that enemy troops were “on the nose,” he asked again: “On whose nose? If on mine, then you can have dinner, but if on Davydov’s, then by horse!”

Denis Davydov was under Bagration in the battle of Preussisch-Eylau. According to Bagration, one battle was won only thanks to Davydov, who single-handedly rushed at the French lancers. For this battle, the poet first received the Order of St. Vladimir, a trophy horse and a cloak from Bagration. He distinguished himself in other battles, for which he was awarded a golden saber and orders. During the conclusion of the Peace of Tilsit, Denis had a chance to see Napoleon.

1808 - was in the army operating in Finland.

1809 - under Bagration, who commanded troops in Moldova. Denis Davydov took part in military operations against the Turkish army.

1812 - was a lieutenant colonel in the Akhtyrsky Hussar Regiment. A few days before the Battle of Borodino, Davydov proposed to Bagration the idea of ​​a partisan detachment. He borrowed it from the Spanish partisans. The logic was simple: Napoleon was confident that he would defeat Russia in 20 days - that’s how much food he took. If you take away fodder, carts and break bridges, then the French will have big problems.

True, at first Davydov’s detachment was ambushed by peasants. As a result, he almost died. After all, the peasants had little understanding of military uniforms, and Russian officers often spoke French. Therefore, Davydov decided to put on a peasant caftan and grow a beard. On one of his detachment’s forays, 370 French were captured. His successes convinced Kutuzov of the importance of guerrilla warfare.

Napoleon hated Davydov and, upon possible arrest, ordered him to be shot immediately. To capture Denis, he allocated a detachment of 2 thousand horsemen. Davydov managed to drive this detachment into a trap. Legends were made about Davydov’s courage. When Russian troops occupied a city, all the residents asked about it. For the battle on the approach to Paris, which decided the outcome of the battle, Davydov was awarded the rank of major general.

After 1812

After the War of 1812, Davydov began to have troubles. So, he was informed that the assignment of the rank of major general was a mistake and was transferred to the Oryol province, where he was supposed to serve as commander of a horse-jaeger brigade. The huntsmen did not wear mustaches, so Davydov wrote to the Tsar that he could not carry out the order. As a result, he was appointed to the hussar regiment and returned to the rank of major general.

1814 - commanded the Akhtyrsky Hussar Regiment, distinguished himself in the Battle of La Rotiere.

1815 - becomes a member of "Arzamas" under the nickname "Armenian". Together with Vyazemsky and Pushkin, Davydov represents the branch of the Arzamas circle. Then he became chief of staff of the infantry corps.

1827 - successfully acts against the Persians.

1831 - participated in the military campaign against Polish rebels. Received the rank of lieutenant general. He had no intention of fighting anymore.

Davydov spent the last years of his life in the village. Upper Maza. Here he was engaged in creativity and corresponded with V. Zhukovsky, A. Pushkin and other writers. In addition, he often hunted and worked on military-historical notes. Davydov also built a distillery.

Denis Vasilyevich’s literary activity was expressed in a number of poems and prose articles. He built a reputation for himself as a "singer-warrior." She was also supported by Davydov’s friends, in particular Pushkin. He loved to glorify the life of the hussar: love affairs, wine and riotous revelry. Examples of such poems are:

• "Hussar Feast";
• “Message to Burtsov”;
• "Song of the Old Hussar."

Davydov was the first to use professionalism. Later, Pushkin continued this tradition.

April 22, 1839 - Denis Vasilyevich died of apoplexy on the Verkhnyaya Maza estate. He is buried in the cemetery of the Novodevichy Convent. Sofya Nikolaevna outlived her husband by 40 years.

Davydov's first love was Aglaya de Gramont. But the girl married his cousin. Then he fell in love with the ballerina Tatyana Ivanova. He stood under her windows for hours, but Tatyana chose her choreographer.

Another of his chosen ones was Liza Zlotnitskaya. Her parents set a condition - to obtain a state estate from the sovereign. He received it, but while he was busy, Lisa became interested in Prince Golitsyn. Davydov was refused again. Then Denis’s friends arranged a meeting for him with Sofia Chirikova. In 1819 Denis and Sophia got married. As soon as they had children, Denis was less and less drawn to the war. He called in sick, going on months-long vacations. Their marriage produced 9 children.

In 1831, Davydov fell in love with his colleague’s niece, Evgenia Zolotareva. He was a full 27 years older than the girl. The romance lasted 3 years. As a result, Evgenia got married, and Denis returned to the family.

According to Prince P. Vyazemsky, Denis Davydov retained his youth of heart and disposition until his death. He was considered the soul of friendly conversations.

The famous Lieutenant Rzhevsky appeared thanks to the poem “Decisive Evening,” written by Davydov in 1818.

Davydov petitioned for the reburial of P. Bagration on the Borodino field.

It is believed that Davydov was the prototype of Vasily Denisov from the novel “War and Peace”.

In 1980, the film “Squadron of Flying Hussars” was shot about Davydov. A. Belyanin’s book “Hunting the Hussar” is dedicated to him.

Davydov Denis Vasilievich (1784-1839)

Denis Vasilyevich Davydov - hero of the war of 1812 - was born into the family of a colonel, commander of the Poltava Light Horse Regiment Vasily Denisovich on July 27, 1784. His father, due to his duty, had to move from place to place. Mother Elena Evdokimovna was sad, but Denis liked the nomadic life. There are so many unusual things around: the lights of soldiers’ bivouacs, the call of regimental trumpets, fast marches. Don Cossack, Denis’ “uncle” Philip Mikhailovich Yezhov, taught the boy horse riding, handling weapons, and fencing. He spoke very interestingly about the military campaigns and victories of the Russian commanders Rumyantsev, Potemkin, Suvorov. One day the boy was incredibly lucky. He met with Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov himself, who predicted a military career for him. Suvorov's words were destined to come true. Under the leadership of the famous commander Pyotr Ivanovich Bagration, Denis Davydov underwent excellent training in battles in Prussia, Finland and Turkey. He was awarded four orders, a gold cross on a St. George ribbon and a gold saber with the inscription: “For bravery.”

The brave guards cavalryman Denis Vasilyevich especially showed himself during the Patriotic War of 1812. He commanded the first battalion of the Akhtyn Hussar Regiment. The dashing hussar had the idea of ​​​​creating partisan detachments from Cossacks and hussars, which would deliver surprise attacks on the French rear. The commander-in-chief of the Russian army, Field Marshal Kutuzov, after thinking about it, said: “Well... let Davydov take fifty hussars and one and a half hundred Cossacks. It's just a dangerous thing. He dooms himself to certain death, the reckless little head.”

Immediately after Borodin, when Russian troops began to retreat to Moscow, Davydov’s detachment began partisan activity full of risk, danger, bold attacks, ambushes, and attacks. The partisans attacked the enemy suddenly, out of the blue, interfered with the movement of troops, deprived them of provisions, and disabled small detachments. There were legends about the bravery of Davydov and his squad. Field Marshal Kutuzov was convinced of the enormous benefits of the partisan detachment and legitimized the actions of the partisans. On his orders, several more detachments of brave volunteers with cannons, cavalry, and infantry were sent behind enemy lines.

Davydov's exploits are sung in the immortal poems of Pushkin, Zhukovsky, Baratynsky, Yazykov.

Denis Vasilyevich himself also wrote poems, songs, freedom-loving and daring fables, notable for their accuracy of characterization, wit and topicality. Some of them were banned by censorship. The satires and fables of Denis Davydovich were very popular among the Decembrists. For his freedom-loving writings in 1804, Davydov was even expelled from the guard and transferred to the hussar regiment. In poetry, Davydov felt light and free. He knew how to both be sad and dream in poetry. He created in poetry the image of a brave warrior, but an intelligent brave man, because he was sure that “courage is nothing without a head.”

After the defeat of Napoleonic army, Davydov remained in service until 1831, and then retired with the rank of lieutenant general. He settled with his family in the village of Verkhnyaya Maza, Simbirsk province. Here, in the wilderness of the steppe, he completed work on the “Diary of Partisan Actions of 1812” and created a number of interesting military-historical essays and inspired poems.

He wrote about himself this way: “I put my name in 1812... I consider myself born solely for the fateful year 1812.” This is not entirely true. The fighting spirit of the indomitable, invincible partisan-patriot inspired the partisans of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 to feats.

As a sign of recognition, one of the streets of the Russian capital is named after the partisan poet.

Barkov, A. S. Indomitable partisan [Text] / Alexander Sergeevich Barkov. - M.: Malysh, 1989.

Barkov, A. S. Pet of the muses, pet of the battle... [Text]: stories / Alexander Sergeevich Barkov. - M.: Det. lit., 1985. - 79 p.: ill.