General Dorokhov - the hero of the Patriotic War of 1812

The epoch of the Patriotic War of 1812 , which has gone down in history, looks today at us from the portraits of its heroes, posted on the walls of the famous Hermitage Hall, dedicated to their memory. Among those, thanks to whose unbridled courage and heroism Russia has come out of this test with honor, the lieutenant-general Ivan Semyonovich Dorokhov also remained in the memory of the descendants.

Son of a veteran of the Russo-Turkish War

From the documents of the past, it is known that on April 14, 1762, a retired second Major, Semyon Dorokhov, retired on his wound and was living in Tula, was born a son. In holy baptism the boy was called Ivan. Here, perhaps, and everything that is reliably known about the birth of a future hero and a fearless hussar, who won fame in fights.

Having received a home education suitable for his noble origin, in 1783 Ivan entered the Petersburg Artillery and Engineer Cadet Corps. It was a highly privileged institution. Suffice it to say that Dorokhov's classmates were still quite young at the time, AA Arakcheev and S. V. Nepeyetsyn - people who took leading state posts in the future.

The first baptism of fire

In October 1787, barely having time to celebrate with the proper hussar finesse the end of studies and production in the rank of lieutenant, the young officer went to take baptism of fire. His military debut took place at the beginning of another war with Turkey, which began that year, and lasted for four years. A desperate shirt, afraid of only one - to show off as a coward, the future general Dorokhov in August 1789 was able to excel in the battle near the Focsani, and a month later in the famous battle of Rymnik was the orderly of AV Suvorov.

This was an excellent start to his career - noted in the report of the Commander-in-Chief sent to the highest name, Dorokhov for "zeal for service and intrepidity" was elevated to captains and identified in the Fanagoria Grenadier Regiment. For a man who came relatively late on the military path (Ivan was twenty-two, when he entered the cadet corps), such a debut surpassed all expectations.

In the rebellious Poland

By the will of fate during the uprising that swept Poland in the beginning of 1794, Dorokhov found himself in Warsaw and became a participant in his suppression. Subsequently, the events of those days received various moral and legal assessments from historians and publicists, while the military man had to fulfill his duty, and Ivan Semyonovich did it with his usual brilliance.

Legends were about his fearlessness. They talked about how, while heading a company that reflected the attack of numerous rebels, and having lost all the calculation of the only weapon at his disposal, Dorokhov himself fired, fulfilling the duties of a gunner, a loader, and a commander. He was wounded twice, but nevertheless held his position for one and a half days. Only after the order for the retreat was received, he and the surviving soldiers, making their way through the solid enemy barrier, went out to their own.

Forced resignation

Hardly healed the wounds, he again rushes into battle and when taking one of the suburbs of Warsaw, the first breaks into the position of the enemy battery. For this feat, Captain Dorokhov was awarded the rank of major seconds, as once his father, the same as he, an intrepid warrior.

Further, Ivan Semenovich continued to serve in different parts, and in 1797 was identified in the Life Guards Hussar Regiment with the conferment of the rank of colonel, but was unexpectedly dismissed by the emperor Paul I. who ascended to the throne by that time. He was deprived by the will of the monarch not only Military service, which constituted the meaning of his life, but even recently obtained his rank, replaced by the rank of collegiate adviser corresponding to him according to the table of ranks.

Back in the saddle

Having retired to his Tula estate and in all things relying on the will of God, the fighting hussar waited for changes in destiny, and they did not hesitate to follow. As you know, the reign of Paul I was short-lived and in March 1801 the liberated throne was taken by his son Alexander I. This gave Dorokhov the opportunity to return to the heart of his army life. Already in August of the same year he was promoted to major general and appointed commander of the Izyum Hussar Regiment.

Under the banner of this glorious regiment, General Dorokhov fought the whole campaign of 1806-1807, participated in virtually all of its biggest battles and for the heroism shown was awarded the Order of Saint George and Anna of the third degree. In one of the fights he was seriously wounded in the leg and went to a long treatment.

The Beginning of the Great War

On the night of June 24, 1812, the four hundred-thousand-strong Napoleonic army, crossing the Neman, invaded Russian territory. This was the beginning of the first war in the history of our country, which was called the Patriotic War. Having conquered most of Europe and putting a large part of its population under arms, an ambitious Corsican regarded Russia as the final stage of his victorious campaign.

The beginning of military operations, General Dorokhov met, being in command of the vanguard of the infantry corps, stationed in those days between Grodno and Vilna. It so happened that, in view of the enemy's attack, a decision was made to withdraw from the border Neman, but in the cycle of affairs the command did not send the corresponding order to Dorokhov's headquarters, and as a result of this, undoubtedly, a criminal error by military standards, the general and the subordinate units were in Surrounded by.

Having made a decision, despite all the risk, to make his way to his own, General Dorokhov makes an unprecedented raid over the territory occupied by the enemy. Soon, with minimal losses, he manages to withdraw the parts entrusted to him from the environment. In August, commanding the rearguard of Russian troops departing towards Borodino, Ivan Semyonovich received a serious wound, but nevertheless remains in the ranks.

On the Borodino Field

Undoubtedly, the brightest page in the life and military career of General Dorokhov was August 26, 1812 - the day of the Battle of Borodino. Early in the morning he was in the reserve corps of Baron Korf and about nine o'clock, when a situation threatening the positions occupied by Bagration, headed for the rescue of four cavalry regiments.

As a result of a successfully conducted counterattack, his regiments managed to overcome the enemy and provide Russian troops with a preponderance in this section of the battle. The same evening, the general led into battle a cavalry regiment, who managed to stop the enemy, who was trying to enter the rear of the battery of Rayevsky. For the heroism shown in this historic day for Russia, General Dorokhov, whose portrait was presented in this article in our article, was introduced by M. I. Kutuzov to the order, and the Emperor was promoted to Lieutenant-General.

Partisans - a storm of invaders

Soon after the Russian troops left Moscow, Ivan Semenovich Dorokhov, Lieutenant-General from the Cavalry, who already had a rich experience of fighting behind him, opened a new page in his biography. He headed one of the largest partisan detachments, which included the hussar, dragoon and three Cossack regiments.

At that time Mozhaiskaya road was the main area of guerrilla operations. There, his fearless cavalrymen, suddenly appearing in front of enemy columns, inflicted crushing blows, and in mid-September they succeeded in destroying the detachment under the command of Colonel Mortier.

Operation, which became the apogee of the glory of the general

But the most famous glory General Dorokhov, the hero of the Patriotic War of 1812, won during the capture of the town of Vereya, which was the most important communication hub of the enemy. Crossing under the cover of night through the Protvu River, which was bent over the city, Dorokhov and his people silently crept up to the positions of the enemy and in complete silence removed the sentries.

Having penetrated without a single sound over the defensive shaft, they unexpectedly attacked the enemy, for which their appearance was a complete surprise. After a short but bloody battle, the French were forced to surrender and the city was in the hands of our troops. As a result of such a brilliantly conducted operation, Dorokhov's numerous awards were replenished with a golden sword, sprinkled with diamonds, granted to him personally by the sovereign.

The End of the Military Career

Later, Ivan Semyonovich fought in the sixth infantry corps commanded by another hero of the Patriotic War of 1812 - General of Infantry Dmitry Sergeevich Dokhturov. Together with him on October 24 Dorokhov took part in the battle of Maloyaroslavets, which occurred shortly after the withdrawal of Napoleon's troops from Moscow. During one of the cavalry attacks led by him, the general received a serious wound, after which he could no longer remain in the ranks and was forced to resign.

The last years of his life, General Dorokhov, whose biography is an endless list of campaigns and battles, spent in his family estate in Tula, where he once was born and where his childhood passed. We can only guess what the honored veteran experienced in those years was, by the will of fate, torn from his usual circle of dangers and adventures.

Final of the heroic life

He died on April 25, 1815, and, according to his last will, was buried in the Nativity Cathedral of the same city of Vereya, the capture of which brought him fame three years ago. He left this world is not an old man, fifty-three years for a seasoned soldier is far from the limit. Apparently, he simply could not, and did not want to drag on a continued existence without what constituted the meaning of his whole life.

Today, visitors to the St. Petersburg State Hermitage pass through the hall, in which the heroes of the Patriotic War of 1812 look at them from the portrait frames. There is among them the general Dorokhov. Merits before the homeland gave him the full right to take a place in their honorary ranks.

The Russians always attracted much interest in everything related to the heroic past of our country. Numerous publications, exhibitions, as well as television and radio programs are devoted to him. The role played by General Dorokhov in the Patriotic War of 1812 is also becoming public. Little-known facts from the life of the hero invariably attract everyone's attention. And this is quite natural, because only on examples of high patriotism of past years can you instill in the present generation a love for their Motherland. Today in the city of Vereya there is a monument to the famous commander.