The great commander M. I. Kutuzov — in rare editions and historical documents of the Presidential Library

September 16, 2017, marks 270 years before the birth of the great Russian commander Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov. The Presidential Library electronic stock contains numerous materials dedicated to the life and military activities of the Field Marshal General: rare editions of the XIX — the early XX century and research studies, as well as historical documents.

In particular, these are the pages of a handwritten volume of 1759 entitled “Report on the minors,” as the young nobles over the age of seven, who did not reach the draft age yet, were called. Exactly this document became one of the proofs that the future commander was born not in 1745, but two years later — in 1747.

The information that was previously mentioned in the Encyclopedic Dictionary of F. A. Brockhaus and I. A. Efron and the Great Soviet Encyclopedia is inaccurate, as the staff employees of the President Library's long-standing partner — the Military History Museum of Artillery, Engineer and Signal Corps, who conducted extensive research, learned.

Currently, there are some important documents are available in the electronic reading room of the Presidential Library. One of them, the report of Major-General Muravyov to the Artillery-General P. I. Shuvalov, testifies about the appearance of the six-year-old M. I. Kutuzov on June 26, 1754, which at that time was “the seventh year from his birth,” to the President of the Heraldic Office. Another is the “humble request” of Colonel-Engineer Larion Kutuzov, the father of the future Field Marshal, dated April 17, 1759, addressed to the Artillery-General P. I. Shuvalov, about accepting his son in the artillery corps, which says: “I have the eleven years old son Mikhail, who for the first requested appointment, being then a seventh year from his birth, has been presented at the Heraldic Office the Governing Senate…” Thus, from a simple comparison of the dates it follows that the future commander was born on September 5 (16), 1747. These facts are included in the Great Russian Encyclopedia, where on page 475 of the Volume 16 of its 2010-year edition it is said that the commander, who is awarded all the highest honors of the Russian Empire and remains the only bearer of an unofficial title of “Savior of the Native Land,” was born on September 5 (16), 1747. That is it.”

In the book of 1873 entitled General-Field Marshal Prince Kutuzov of Smolensk is written: “Since his childhood Kutuzov has been showing promises on his development and his mind; in the first year from birth he began to walk and talk. Kutuzov's abilities quickly developed; when he still was a baby, he expressed curiosity and often caused difficulties to his elder surrenders with his questions; he had a cheerful character, a kind and a sensitive heart, and a beautiful look. Bravery, innovativeness and curiosity were Kutuzov's distinctive qualities from his very youth.”

In 1761 Kutuzov graduated from the artillery school in St. Petersburg, where he was awarded for his excellent studies: “…he carefully studied military history, tactics and excellently knew artillery and engineering. He loved history and literature, he studied languages — French, German, Latin, and later Swedish, English, Turkish and Polish,” — according to the magazine copy on the Presidential Library website.

An assignment, soon after his graduation from school, the company commander at the leaded by Alexander Vasilyevich Suvorov Astrakhan Regiment dramatically influenced a character formation of the future celebrated military leader: “Kutuzov observed an unusual pictures of everyday life and military training in the Astrakhan Regiment.

They did not practice beating up the soldier here, stealing food and clothing from him. In terms of military training a soldier’s bearing and a drill for the reviews and parades was given the very last place. Suvorov’s main task was a preparing the soldiers for war, fostering in them a fighting spirit, an endurance, an ability to figure out what’s going on, to remain flexible in any situation,” — G. G. Pisarevsky writes in his published in 1942 work Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov.

Kutuzov was a grateful student: “…a man enlightened by science, rich in military experience, fully familiar with the needs and demands of the soldiers and justly considered the military education of his subordinates the best and the most reliable beginnings for future success in the military engagements with the enemy,” — one of the future Field Marshal’s colleagues gives him this characteristic in the 1858-year edition of Field-Marshal Prince Kutuzov at the end and at the beginning of his military career: the first war of Emperor Alexander I with Napoleon I in 1805. Information on the military career of M. I. Kutuzov, his participation in various military campaigns can be found in such books as The Turkish campaign of Russians, led by the Infantry General Golenishchev-Kutuzov, in 1811, released in 1840, The Patriotic War of 1812 and Kutuzov and published in 1912 The glorious leader of 1812 Kutuzov, as well as many others. In addition, an extensive collection on The Patriotic War of 1812, which includes, among other things, the digitized copies of documents written by the own hand of the famous commander, is in open access on the Presidential Library website.

Browsing through the edition of The Most Serene Prince of Smolensk, Field Marshal Mikhail Illarionovich Golenishchev-Kutuzov and his contemporaries of 1896 a reader will get a chance to look at M. I. Kutuzov through the eyes of his contemporaries: “…nothing could compare with his courteousness in society and gallantry with people. At the courts of Frederick, Catherine, Paul, Alexander, Franz, Selim III, or Gustavus Adolf he charmed and fascinated others,” — one of them recalled.

Even more vividly the personality of the commander is revealed in his personal letters — while constantly traveling on military or state affairs, he sent many messages to his wife and his daughters. Some of these notes later became part of the book Kutuzov in a correspondence with his family of 1912. In these lines we see Kutuzov as a loving husband and father: “My dear children, hello! I send to you some presents from Hamburg: the bracelets for Annushka, the earrings for Lizanka, the golden needle-n-pin for Katenka and Dashenka,” and a diligent head of household: in April 1803 he wrote to his wife: “I heard that a book is being sold in St. Petersburg on water communications. Do me a favor, send it to me, I really need it here, because I think very much about a commerce.” In addition, these letters are an invaluable testimony of the events of the Patriotic War straight from the source: “We have been standing more than one week in the same place, looking with Napoleon at each other, both waiting for the right time. Meanwhile, in small engagements, we are fighting every day and so far always doing well. Every day we are capturing about three hundred war prisoners, and losing so little that almost nothing,” — Kutuzov reports to his relatives in October 1812.

Materials about the life and accomplishments of Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov are part of the Presidential Library stock, which numbers today more than 550,000 entries. The National Electronic Library preserves the unique historical documents dedicated to the fate and fortunes of bright and talented people and the most important events.