Preobrazhenskoye and its surrounding places, their past and present. Adjutant! Detective service Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky amusing regiments

The Guard at all times in all countries was considered the most powerful and most reliable military force. As a rule, military units that particularly distinguished themselves in battles and demonstrated their combat capabilities beyond the general range were promoted to guards, although in the Russian Empire units that were especially favored by the rulers could also become guards. In any case, military personnel of the tallest stature, physically strong and courageous were selected for the guard. Service in the guard was considered very honorable and profitable, since the guards usually guarded the emperor, had access to the palace, and could quickly make a career. In addition, the guards salary was much higher than the army one, and ranks had priority over the army ones by 2 levels (for example, a guard second lieutenant could enter the army with the rank of staff captain).
In 1812, the Russian Guard had 6 infantry and 6 cavalry regiments. After the end of the Patriotic War, during foreign campaigns, 2 more infantry regiments and 1 cavalry regiment were assigned to the guard for military merits.

The Guards Infantry of the Russian Empire consisted of 4 heavy and 2 light regiments. The heavy guards infantry included the Preobrazhensky Life Guards, Semenovsky Life Guards, Izmailovsky Life Guards and Lithuanian Life Guards regiments. The light infantry of the guard consisted of the Life Guards Jaeger and Life Guards Finnish regiments. In 1813, for military merits, the Life Grenadier and Pavlovsk Grenadier regiments were assigned to the guard.

LIFE GUARDS PREOBRAZHENSKY REGIMENT
Life Guards Preobrazhensky Regiment, one of the first two regiments of the Russian Guard (the second was Semenovsky), was formed in the 90s of the 17th century from the amusing troops of Peter I. It first distinguished itself in battle in 1700 near Narva, where, together with the Semenovsky regiment stopped the advance of the Swedish army, covering the escape of the defeated Russian troops. Both regiments in that battle retreated with honor through the parting ranks of the Swedish infantry, admiring the heroism of the Russian guards. Subsequently, the Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky regiments played an important role in the history of the Russian state, being the armed force that supported (and often actually put on the throne) the rulers in the troubled era of palace coups.
In 1812, the Preobrazhensky Guards Regiment took part in the war against Napoleon. At this time, three battalions of the regiment were in the 1st Western Army, commanded by Infantry General M.B. Barclay de Tolly. The regiment commander was Major General G.V. Rosen; The regiment was part of the 5th Corps of the Guards Infantry Division. On August 26, 1812, the regiment took part in the Battle of Borodino.
On August 26, 1813, the Life Guards Preobrazhensky Regiment was awarded St. George's Banners with the inscription "For the feats performed in the battle of August 18, 1813 at Kulm." Kulm (modern Chlumec) is a village in the Czech Republic, where a battle took place between the allied army (Russian, Prussian and Austrian troops) and the French corps of Lieutenant General Vandamm. At Kulma, the French lost up to ten thousand killed and wounded, 12 thousand prisoners, 84 guns, and the entire convoy. The general himself was captured. Allied losses amounted to about ten thousand people. The victory at Kulm inspired the soldiers of the allied armies, strengthened the anti-Napoleonic coalition and forced Napoleon to retreat to Leipzig, where the French suffered a crushing defeat.

REGULATION FORM:
The uniforms for the guards were made from the best cloth; they were distinguished by their elegance and fine detailing. In 1812, the Preobrazhensky Regiment was the first in the Russian army to receive a new uniform: a dark green double-breasted uniform with red trim, a collar with hooks, a shako lower than before, with a large “camber” (widened at the top). Belonging to the guard was determined by the emblems on the shakos - gilded double-headed eagles, as well as gold embroidery on the collars and cuff flaps. In the Preobrazhensky Regiment, this sewing consisted of: for officers - oak and laurel leaves intertwined in a figure eight, for soldiers - double “spools”. Officer breastplates in the guard had a special shape: they were wider and more convex than those of army officers.

LIFE GUARDS SEMENOVSKY REGIMENT
Life Guards Semenovsky regiment, together with Preobrazhensky, was one of the first regiments of the Russian guard; it was formed in the 90s of the 17th century from the amusing troops of Peter I. Together with the Preobrazhensky regiments, the Semenovsky first distinguished themselves in battle in 1700 near Narva, where they stopped the offensive Swedish army. During the era of palace coups, the Semenovsky and Preobrazhensky regiments played an important role in enthroning the rulers of Russia.
In 1812, three battalions of the Semenovsky Life Guards Regiment were in the 1st Western Army, in the 5th Corps of the Guards Infantry Division (together with the Preobrazhensky Regiment); As part of this division, the Semenovites took part in the Battle of Borodino. The regiment commander was K. A. Kridener. Possessing exceptional courage, he enjoyed the love and respect of the soldiers. The list of regiment personnel was decorated with the names of P. Ya. Chaadaev, who was promoted to ensign for distinction under Borodin, I. D. Yakushkin and M. I. Muravyov-Apostol, who were with the battalion banner.
On August 26, 1813, the Semenovsky Life Guards Regiment was awarded the St. George Banners with the inscription “For the feats performed in the battle of August 18, 1813 at Kulm.”

REGULATION FORM:
With a common guards uniform (shako with double-headed eagles and a dark green double-breasted uniform with red shoulder straps), the Semenovsky regiment had light blue collars with red piping and buttonholes made of yellow braid. For the soldiers, these were the same double “coils” as in the Preobrazhensky Regiment, and for the officers, the sewing was elongated patterned buttonholes, bordered with a twisted ornament.

LIFE GUARDS IZMAILOVSKY REGIMENT
The Izmailovsky Guards Regiment was formed in 1730. During the Patriotic War of 1812 he served in the 1st Western Army, 5th Corps in the Guards Infantry Division. The regiment commander was Colonel M.E. Khrapovitsky. Under Borodin, the Izmailovites covered themselves with unfading glory. Infantry General D.S. Dokhturov reported to M.I. Kutuzov about their feat: “I cannot help but speak with satisfied praise about the exemplary fearlessness shown on this day by the Izmailovsky and Litovsky Life Guards regiments. Arriving on the left flank, they unwaveringly withstood the strongest fire from enemy artillery; the ranks showered with grapeshot, despite the loss, arrived in the best order, and all ranks from the first to the last, one in front of the other, showed their eagerness to die before yielding to the enemy...” The Life Guards Izmailovsky, Lithuanian and Finnish regiments were built en in a square at Semenovsky Heights. For six hours, under continuous enemy artillery fire, they repelled the attacks of the cuirassiers of General Nansouty's corps. Every second guardsman remained on the battlefield, the regiment commander was wounded, but did not leave the battlefield. For participation in the Battle of Borodino, M. E. Khrapovitsky received the rank of major general. As a reward for courage, the Izmailovsky Regiment was awarded St. George's Banners with the inscription "For distinction in the defeat and expulsion of the enemy from Russia in 1812." The Izmailovites also distinguished themselves in the battle of Kulma, for which the regiment was awarded two silver trumpets.

REGULATION FORM:
With the general guards uniform, the lower ranks of the Izmailovsky regiment had dark green collars with red piping and buttonholes in the form of double “spools” of yellow braid. The officers had dark green collars with red piping and gold embroidery (the most elaborate among all the Guards regiments).

LITHUANIAN LIFE GUARDS REGIMENT
The Life Guards Lithuanian Regiment was formed in November 1811. The regiment was commanded by Colonel I.F. Udom. During World War II, the regiment was in the 1st Western Army, in the 5th Corps of the Guards Infantry Division. The regiment took part in the battle of Vitebsk, but the Lithuanians received their real baptism of fire on the Borodino field. The regiment commander reported: “While destroying our ranks, enemy fire did not create any disorder in them. The ranks closed and were counted with such composure, as if they were outside the shots.” In this battle, the Lithuanians lost 37 officers and 1040 lower ranks; after the battle, 9 officers and 699 lower ranks remained. Commander I.F. Udom was wounded. For his distinguished service in the battle, he was promoted to major general.
The Lithuanian regiment also took part in the battle for Maloyaroslavets. Eight, and according to some reports, twelve times the city changed hands and was completely destroyed, but the Russian army cut off Napoleon’s path to the southern provinces and thus doomed the French to retreat along the Smolensk road. The regiment also took part in foreign campaigns. In 1813, he was awarded the St. George Banners with the inscription “For distinction in the defeat and expulsion of the enemy from Russia in 1812.”

REGULATION FORM:
With a common guards uniform (shako with a double-headed eagle and a dark green double-breasted uniform with red shoulder straps), the regiment had a red collar with yellow buttonholes, and the uniform had red Uhlan-type lapels. Officers' buttonholes were embroidered with gilded thread, soldiers' buttonholes were made of yellow braid. The buttonholes of the Lithuanian regiment shown here were also typical for all other guards regiments, except those described above.

LIFE GUARDS JAGER REGIMENT
The Jaeger regiments were staffed by hunters who were distinguished by accurate shooting, and often operated independently of the closed formation in places “the most convenient and advantageous, in forests, villages, and on the passes.” The rangers were charged with the duty of “lying quietly in ambushes and maintaining silence, always having foot patrols in front of them, in front and on the sides.” Chasseur regiments also served to support the actions of light cavalry.
In 1812, the Life Guards Jaeger Regiment was part of the 1st Western Army, in the Guards Infantry Division. The regiment commander was Colonel K.I. Bistrom. On the Borodino field, Delzon's division acted against the life rangers. In this battle, even the clerks grabbed the guns of their killed comrades and went into battle. The battle tore 27 officers and 693 lower ranks from the ranks of the regiment. The commander of the 2nd battalion, B. Richter, received the Order of St. for his courage. George 4th grade.
In the battle of Krasnoye, the life rangers captured 31 officers, 700 lower ranks, captured two banners and nine cannons. While pursuing the enemy, they captured another 15 officers, 100 lower ranks and three guns. For this operation, K. J. Bistrom received the Order of St. George 4th grade.
The regiment had military awards: silver trumpets with the inscription “For distinction rendered in the battle of Kulm on August 18, 1813”, St. George banners with the inscription “For distinction in the defeat and expulsion of the enemy from the borders of Russia in 1812.” In addition, he was awarded the “Jäger March” on the horns.

REGULATION FORM:
With the general Jaeger uniform of the Life Guards, the Jaeger Regiment had officer sewing in the form of straight buttonholes, piping and shoulder straps of orange color. The huntsmen were armed with somewhat shortened guns with bayonets and fittings with daggers, which were reserved for the best shooters.

LIFE GUARDS FINNISH REGIMENT
In 1806, in Strelna, a battalion of the Imperial Militia was formed from servants and craftsmen of country palace estates, consisting of five companies of infantry and half a company of artillery. In 1808 it was named a battalion of the Finnish Guard, and in 1811 it was reorganized into a regiment. In 1812, the Life Guards Finnish Regiment was part of the 1st Western Army, 5th Corps of the Guards Infantry Division. The regiment commander was Colonel M.K. Kryzhanovsky. The regiment took part in the battles of Borodino, Tarutin, Maloyaroslavets, Knyazh, and Krasny.
For military actions in 1812-1814, the Finnish Life Guards Regiment was awarded St. George's Banners with the inscription "For distinction in the defeat and expulsion of the enemy from Russia in 1812." and silver trumpets with the inscription "In reward for excellent gallantry and courage shown in the battle of Leipzig on October 4, 1813."

REGULATION FORM:
With the general Jaeger uniform of the Life Guards, the Finnish Regiment had officer embroidery in the form of straight buttonholes, piping and shoulder straps in red. A special difference of this regiment was the presence on the uniform of lapels modeled on the Uhlan lapels, which were dark green in color and had red piping.

REGIMENTS AWARDED THE GUARDS TITLE FOR DISTINCTIONS IN THE PATRIOTIC WAR OF 1812

LIFE GRENADIER REGIMENT
In 1756, the 1st Grenadier Regiment was formed in Riga. The title of Life Grenadier was awarded to him in 1775 for the differences shown in actions against the Turks; in addition, the regiment had two silver trumpets for the capture of Berlin in 1760.
During the Patriotic War, two active battalions of the regiment were in the 1st Western Army, 3rd Corps of Lieutenant General N.A. Tuchkov, in the 1st Grenadier Division; reserve battalion - in the corps of Lieutenant General P. X. Wittgenstein. The regiment was commanded by Colonel P.F. Zheltukhin. In August 1812, the regiment took part in the battle of Lubin. This was one of Napoleon’s attempts to draw the Russian army into a general battle in an unfavorable situation for it. The attempt ended unsuccessfully. Of the 30 thousand people of the French army who took part in the battle, about 8800 were killed and wounded; Russian troops, out of 17 thousand people, lost about five thousand.
In the Battle of Borodino, both battalions of the regiment were on the extreme left flank, near the village of Utitsa, and repelled all attacks by Poniatovsky’s corps. In this battle N.A. Tuchkov was mortally wounded. Then the regiment took part in the battles of Tarutino, Maloyaroslavets and Krasny. The 2nd battalion fought at Yakubov, Klyastitsy, near Polotsk, at Chashniki, and on the Berezina. For the bravery and courage shown in the Patriotic War of 1812, the regiment was assigned to the guard (as a young guard) and named the Life Guard Grenadier Regiment; he was awarded the St. George Banners with the inscription “For distinction in the defeat and expulsion of the enemy from Russia in 1812.” The regiment also took part in foreign campaigns; in 1814, its 1st and 3rd battalions entered Paris.

REGULATION FORM:
With a general grenadier uniform, the regiment had the letters “L. G.”, on collars and cuff flaps there are buttonholes: for officers - gold embroidery, for lower ranks - from white braid.

PAVLOVSKY GRENADIER REGIMENT
The Pavlovsk regiment had a glorious heroic history and special military traditions. The regiment distinguished itself more than once in the battles of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, and established itself as a heroic combat unit. In 1812, two active battalions of the Pavlovsk regiment were in the 1st Western Army, the 3rd Corps of Lieutenant General N.A. Tuchkov, in the 1st Grenadier Division; reserve battalion - in the corps of Lieutenant General P. X. Wittgenstein. In the Battle of Borodino, 345 soldiers and officers of the Pavlovsk regiment were killed by enemy fire, and commander E. Kh. Richter was wounded. Then the regiment took part in the battles of Tarutino, Maloyaroslavets, and Krasnoye. The 2nd battalion especially distinguished itself at Klyastitsy, “passing through a burning bridge under heavy enemy fire” and knocking the French out of the city with bayonets. The regiment fought near Polotsk, Chashniki and Berezina. For his bravery and courage, he was assigned to the guard (as a young guard) and named the Life Guards Pavlovsky Regiment. He was awarded the St. George Banners with the inscription “For distinction in the defeat and expulsion of the enemy from Russia in 1812.” During the campaign abroad, the regiment took part in many battles, and in 1814 it solemnly entered Paris.

REGULATION FORM:
With the general army uniform, the Pavlovsk Grenadier Regiment had a special distinction - outdated headdresses, long ago replaced in other regiments with shakos. These were “mitres” - high hats with a copper forehead, on which a chased double-headed eagle was stamped. These “mitres” were left to the regiment as a reward for the heroism shown near Friedland on January 20, 1808. Moreover, Emperor Alexander 1st ordered to leave the caps in the form in which they acquired in the battle: do not repair the holes from bullets and shrapnel, and on each “peace” to knock out the names of those soldiers who wore these hats in the Battle of Friedland.
IN THE ILLUSTRATION: a non-commissioned officer of the grenadier company of the Pavlovsk regiment in a grenadier miter, a private fusilier company of the Pavlovsk regiment in a fusilier miter

Fun troops were created Peter I from the so-called Petrov's regiment for participation in gaming battles. And the Petrov Regiment itself is a formation of “little kids” created by the Tsar Alexey Mikhailovich for the military amusements of Tsarevich Peter (while the field “games” over time looked more like military practical training).

There is no reliable information about the structure of the “amusing” regiments, but it is known that their number, initially 50 people, quickly increased, and as a result, it was decided to transfer part of the troops to the village of Semenovskoye.

Since 1683, not only young men, but also adult men enrolled in the ranks of the “amusing” ones. Peter I developed the first special military-professional orientation program for young men in the history of Russia, which included not only physical training, but also patriotic education. The young men were taught the skills of using weapons, performing guard and intelligence services, they comprehended the history of the Russian state and learned about the military potential of countries neighboring Russia.

An entire “amusing town” called Presburg was erected in the village of Preobrazhenskoye near Moscow to practice maneuvering troops on the ground and training to storm fortresses.

In 1691, Peter I decided to transform the amusing troops into two separate regiments. Thus, the amusing villages of Semenovskoye began to be called the Life Guards Semenovsky Regiment, and the amusing villages of Preobrazhenskoye became the Life Guards Preobrazhensky Regiment. The baptism of fire for the newly formed regiments was the march to the Turkish fortress of Azov in 1695, carried out to establish Russian dominance in Crimea and to open access to the Black Sea during the military confrontation between Russia and Turkey.

The Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky regiments also showed combat bearing during the Northern War with Sweden. Thus, each soldier of the Semenovsky regiment was awarded a silver medal for participating in the 13-hour assault on the Noteburg fortress captured by the Swedes (now the Russian city of Shlisselburg). In addition, soldiers of the Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky regiments saved the Russian army from complete defeat by the Swedes during the Battle of Narva in 1700. For their steadfastness, the Preobrazhensky and Semyonovtsy were awarded red stockings, as a symbol of the fact that the soldiers were able to withstand “knee-deep in blood,” and for several years this element of uniform was a distinctive feature of the guards.

Soldiers of both regiments took part in the Patriotic War of 1812, including the Battle of Borodino.

In 1820, the Semenovsky regiment, dissatisfied with the exorbitant severity and exactingness of the new regiment commander, committed an uprising, but was surrounded and sent to the Peter and Paul Fortress under escort. As punishment, it was decided to dismantle the Semenovsky regiment - that is, to transfer the soldiers to serve in other regiments, and some higher ranks were put on trial by military court. The new Semenovsky regiment was created from officers of other divisions and was considered the young guard, and only three years later it was restored to its former rights.

The Semenovsky and Preobrazhensky regiments took part in the Russian-Turkish wars of 1828-1829 and 1877-1878, and in the suppression of Polish uprisings in 1830 and 1863.

During the First World War, the Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky regiments took a direct part in the Battle of Galicia, the Battle of Masuria, the Warsaw-Ivangorod and Lublin operations, the Brusilov breakthrough and many other military battles.

Soldiers of the Semenovsky regiment took an active part in the December uprising in Moscow in 1905. The Semyonovites took part in suppressing the rebellion, for which they earned the praise of Emperor Nicholas II.

The fate of the regiments after the 1917 revolution

In 1917, the Semenovsky Regiment was renamed the 3rd Petrograd City Guard named after Uritsky Regiment and stood on the side of the Soviet regime, but during the spring offensive on Petrograd, some of the officers went over to the side of the White Guards. As a result, at the beginning of 1918, the regiment was abolished, and later, in 1925, some participants were arrested by the Soviet authorities and shot.

Life Guards Izmailovsky Regiment- formed in Moscow on September 22, 1730 by order of Empress Anna Ioannovna, daughter of Ivan Alekseevich, brother of Emperor Peter I.

In order to create reliable support for the throne, Anna Ioannovna ordered the formation of two new guards regiments from loyal people - Izmailovsky and Cavalry.
According to the Decree of September 22, 1730, the Izmailovsky regiment was to consist of a grenadier company and 12 fusilier companies.

The very first banner of the Life Guards Izmailovsky Regiment (summer 1731) A panel of crimson velvet with golden flaming grenades in the corners. In the center is the gold monogram of Empress Anna Ioanovna, superimposed on a blue St. Andrew's cross.

According to the staff of 1731, the Izmailovsky Life Guards Regiment numbers 2,192 people. Of these, 6 were staff officers, 56 chief officers, 68 non-commissioned officers, 192 grenadiers and 1,728 musketeers. The regiment was divided into 12 fusilier companies, a regimental headquarters and a non-commissioned staff.

In August 1731, the regiment set out for St. Petersburg, which was assigned to them as a place of permanent deployment.

In August 1731, the Izmailovsky Regiment received the banners of the general guards model of 1726. As was customary then, he receives one white banner, which was considered a regimental banner, and six colored ones. Unlike the Preobrazhensky regiment, which had a red border and the Semenovsky regiment, which had a blue border, the Izmalovsky regiment had a light green border.

In all guards regiments the field of colored banners was black.

In 1735, Empress Anna Ioannovna accepted the rank of colonel of the Izmailovsky regiment.

In 1736, during the Russian-Turkish War, in accordance with the Decree of the Empress, one battalion from each guards regiment was sent to the active army. The battalion of Izmailovites, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Biron, set out on a campaign in January 1737. The campaign took place in very difficult conditions - under the scorching sun, in waterless steppes, they had to carry water with them in barrels. The Turks and Tatars set fire to the dry grass, and the troops marched among the burning steppe. Many soldiers died from disease and the hardships of the campaign, from sudden attacks by the Tatar cavalry long before approaching Ochakov.

The assault on Ochakov began with an attack by the Izmailovsky battalion, which was personally led by Commander-in-Chief Minikh.
The Turks repulsed the assault, and making a sortie, drove the Russian troops away from the fortress. The same battalion of Izmailovites covered the army’s retreat. In honor of their bravery, one of the fortress gates was named “Izmailovsky”, and the captain of the Izmailovsky regiment Nashchokin received “command over all guards ranks.”

Under the walls of Ochakov, the Izmailovites showed an example of courage and valor.

After the capture of Ochakov, due to the onset of winter cold, the army was withdrawn to winter quarters. The Izmailovsky battalion moved to Voronezh.

During the next campaign of 1738, the Izmailovites under the command of Biron repeatedly participated in battles with the Turks.

In 1739, during the last campaign, the army approached the village of Stavuchany, near which the camp of the Turkish troops was located. Minich ordered Biron to make a feint maneuver on the right flank, for which he gave him guards battalions and several army regiments. The Turks mistook Biron's attack for the main forces of the Russians, and brought down the full power of their army on him. At this time, Minikh attacked the left flank of the Turks, as a result of which the Turkish army was defeated and the survivors fled to the Khotyn fortress.

On the nineteenth of August the fortress fell. This ended the war, peace was soon concluded, and the troops returned to Russia. The Izmailovsky battalion returned to St. Petersburg in January 1740.

For participation in the Russian-Turkish War, the Izmailovsky Regiment was awarded 2 silver trumpets. This was the first time silver trumpets were awarded in the Russian Army.

In the picture on the left is a grenadier chief officer of the Life Guards Izmailovsky Regiment (1742).

An officer's rank is indicated by a silver gorget on the chest near the collar, an officer's scarf with tassels over the right shoulder, a magnificent plume on a grenadier hat and gold braid trim on the sides of the caftan, cuffs and camisole.

Their uniform differed from the grenadier's in that the camisoles were red, the boots were black, the hats were cocked hats and not caps, and in the ranks the officers had not a gun, but a breeches.

During the war, settlements were built in St. Petersburg for the guards regiments. The Izmailovsky regiment was assigned a place between the Fontanka and the highway to Tsarskoye Selo.

In the autumn of 1740, Empress Anna Ioannovna made the last review of her Izmailovsky regiment, for a few days later, on October 17th, she died.

In the picture on the right are musketeer officers of the regiment in various uniforms of the same period.

Elizabeth Petrovna, who ascended the throne, assumed the highest patronage over the Izmailovsky regiment.

In 1741, a war with Sweden began. 1,500 people from the guard were sent to war, incl. 369 people from the Izmailovsky Regiment. During the five months of the war, despite participating in battles, the Izmailovites did not lose a single person.

In 1754, in the area of ​​Izmailovskaya Sloboda, a regimental wooden church was founded, the construction of which was completed in 1756.

In 1763, the guards regiments received banners of a new design. They generally repeat the design of the banners introduced by Peter III, but in the corners of the banners the monogram of Peter III is replaced with the monogram of Catherine II. In the Izmailovsky regiment, the rays diverging from the center are traditionally light green (versus the red and blue of the Preobrazhentsy and Semyonovtsy). One banner in the regiment is white. It is simultaneously considered the regimental and first company banner. In all other companies the banner field is black.

In 1788, a victorious war with Sweden began, to which the first battalions of the guards regiments were called up. The combined guards detachment under the command of Prime Major Izmailovsky Regiment Arbenev set out on a campaign on April 17, 1789 and headed to Finland.
The Izmailovites also distinguished themselves - Second Major Kushelev was awarded the Order of St. George, 3rd degree, and the lower ranks received medals on St. George ribbons with the inscription “For courage on the waters of the Finnish August 13th, 1789.”

Soldiers Nikita Okhotnikov, Gavrila Pechonkin, Fyodor Suchkov and Gavrila Ilyin especially distinguished themselves. During the campaign, the Izmailovites lost captain-lieutenant Dyakov and 2 soldiers, 55 people were missing.

In 1796, Catherine died, and Paul I became emperor.

With the accession of Emperor Paul I, Prussian motifs again prevailed in the Russian Army, and, in particular, in its military uniform, of which Pavel Petrovich was a great admirer. On the very first day of his accession to the throne, the emperor introduced a new uniform in the guard (in total, during the almost five-year reign of Paul, the color and cut of the uniforms of the Russian Army and Guard changed several times).

It was during the reign of Paul I that gold embroidery appeared on the collars of guards officers, which had a special design in each regiment. In the picture on the left are musketeer officers of the Life Guards Preobrazhensky and Izmailovsky regiments. At the bottom of the picture is sewing on the collar of the Izmailovsky Regiment. Izmailov officers would wear this embroidery on their collars right up to the 1917 revolution.

In 1800, Pavel appointed Grand Duke Nikolai Pavlovich as chief of the regiment and ordered the construction of stone ones instead of wooden barracks.

From 06/03/1799 to 01/28/1808. The regiment commander was Major General (from January 22, 1800, Lieutenant General) Pyotr Fedorovich Malyutin.

During the reign of Emperor Alexander I, the Izmailovsky Regiment experienced many battles, glory and blood.

On August 10, 1805, the 1st and 3rd battalions of the Izmailovsky regiment set out from St. Petersburg for Austria as part of a 60,000-strong Russian army to participate in the war with Napoleon.

On November 20, 1805, the Battle of Austerlitz took place. Napoleon, who personally led the French army, defeated the allied Russian-Austrian army, which began to retreat from the battlefield. At this moment, the army was saved from destruction by the Russian guard and, in particular, by the 1st battalion of the Izmailovsky regiment under the command of Colonel Khrapovitsky. The battalion of Izmailovites lined up, and with a quiet step, accompanied by music, went towards the attacking French. This counterattack of the Russian guard was subsequently included in all textbooks published in Europe and Russia. The French were stopped, the Russian-Austrian army was saved from complete defeat. At the same time, the 3rd battalion of Izmailovites attacked the French unit holed up in the ditch with bayonets and killed every single one of them. The guards retreated only after the hussars sent by Emperor Alexander conveyed the order to withdraw.

After peace was concluded with France, the Izmailovites returned to St. Petersburg (April 7, 1806). They were met personally by the Emperor at the Moscow Outpost, 10 versts from the city.

Less than a year later, on February 14, 1807, the Izmailovsky regiment again set out from the capital - Russia was coming to the aid of Prussia, and Russian troops met the French again on June 2, at Friedland in East Prussia. During the fierce battle, the regiment lost almost all of its officers and most of its soldiers (for example, out of 520 soldiers in Colonel Khrapovitsky’s battalion, 400 people were out of action). Even with such losses, the regiment did not lose control and performed maneuvers under enemy fire as if in ordinary exercises. For the battle of Friedland, the soldiers of the Izmailovsky Regiment were awarded 231 Insignia of the Military Order (established on February 13, 1807).

After the conclusion of another peace with France (June 27 in Tilsit), the regiment arrived in St. Petersburg (August 24, 1807).

However, the rest did not last long... Already on September 27, 1808, the 2nd battalion of the regiment set out for Finland to participate in the war with Sweden. Here the regiment again distinguished itself during the outflanking maneuver of Count Stroganov, when Russian units crossed the Gulf of Bothnia across the ice and attacked the Swedes.

From 01/28/1808 to 10/29/1811. The regiment was commanded by Major General Pavel Yakovlevich Bashutsky.

In 1811, the valiant Colonel Matvey Evgenievich Khrapovitsky was appointed commander of the regiment.

The year 1812 came. On March 7, the Izmailovsky regiment, led by Colonel Khrapovitsky, set out near Vilna as part of the 1st Western Army of Infantry General M.B. Barclay de Tolly, where, together with the Life Guards Lithuanian Regiment, it formed the 2nd Guards Brigade of the Guards Infantry Division of Lieutenant General N.I. Lavrov of the 5th Infantry (Guards) Corps of Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich (7.8.1812 Lieutenant General N.I. Lavrov took command of the corps).

In August, the "Grand Army" of the Emperor of All French invaded Russia.

The regiment retreated from the border along with the 1st Army to Drissa, Polotsk, Vitebsk to Smolensk. On the night of August 6, the regiment left Smolensk as part of the army and moved along the Porechenskaya road to the Moscow highway.

Life Guards Izmailovsky Regiment in the Battle of Borodino

The Battle of Borodino is the largest battle of the Patriotic War of 1812 between the Russian army under the command of General M.I. Kutuzov and the French army of Napoleon I Bonaparte. It took place on August 26 (September 7), 1812 near the village of Borodino, 125 km west of Moscow.

In the Battle of Borodino on August 26, the Izmailovites covered themselves with unfading glory. Having first been placed in reserve, the Izmailovites, together with the Lithuanians and Finns, were soon promoted to the first line and stood in a square to the left of the village of Semenovskaya, in a place that went down in history as “Semyonovsky Heights”. As soon as the regiments formed, they were suddenly attacked by French cuirassiers from the corps of General Nansouty. Having let the enemy come within 50 steps, the Izmailovites fired a volley. The attack was repulsed. However, after some time, the cuirassiers, reinforced by horse grenadiers, again attacked the Izmailovtsy, Lithuanians and Finns. Met by orderly volleys, the French suffered heavy losses - only a cuirassier colonel with several cuirassiers reached the Russian ranks. The brave men were raised at bayonets by soldiers of the Izmailovsky regiment.

After unsuccessful cavalry attacks, the French fired 400 guns at the Izmailovtsy, Lithuanians and Finns. In a few hours, 26 officers and 800 lower ranks dropped out of the Izmailovsky regiment alone, but the Izmailovites only squeezed the ranks tighter.

Every second guardsman was killed. And at this time, the French again rushed into a decisive attack on the Semenovsky Heights, intending to defeat the Russian left flank. But the guards withstood the attack. Soon Russian cavalrymen arrived and put the French to flight.

This is what Infantry General D.S. wrote to Kutuzov. Dokhturov: “I cannot help but speak with pleased praise about the exemplary fearlessness shown that day by the Izmailovsky and Litovsky regiments of the Life Guards. Arriving on the left flank, they unwaveringly withstood the heaviest fire from enemy artillery; the ranks showered with grapeshot, despite the loss, arrived in the best device, and all ranks from the first to the last, one before the other, showed their eagerness to die before yielding to the enemy. Three large cavalry attacks of enemy cuirassiers and horse-grenadiers on both regiments were repelled with incredible success, despite the fact that they were. completely surrounded. The enemy was driven out with extreme damage by fire and the bayonet. In a word, the Izmailovsky and Litovsky regiments covered themselves with undeniable glory in view of the entire army.”

Field Marshal M.I. Kutuzov himself spoke highly of the courage of the Izmailovsky soldiers in a letter to Emperor Alexander I: “The Izmailovsky and Semenovsky Life Guards regiments, which came to the left flank of the 3rd Infantry Division, with unshakable courage withstood the strongest fire from enemy guns and, despite for the loss they suffered, they were in the best arrangement. The regiments of the Life Guards Izmailovsky and Litovsky, in this battle covered themselves with glory in front of the entire army, having been attacked three times by enemy cuirassiers and mounted grenadiers, stood firm and, having repelled their desire, destroyed many of them.”

For the battle of Borodino, the Izmailovsky Regiment was subsequently awarded St. George's Banners with the inscription "For distinction in the defeat and expulsion of the enemy from Russia in 1812."

All officers received awards, the lower ranks - 850 Insignia of the Military Order, and Emperor Alexander personally placed the Insignia on the grenadier of the company of His Highness Pavel Gerasimov and Trofim Ivanov.

Life Guards Izmailovsky Regiment at Borodino. Painting by artist A.E. Kotzebue, mid-19th century.

After the Battle of Borodino, the Izmailovsky regiment retreated with the entire army through Moscow. Many wounded Izmailovites were left in hospitals in Moscow, and shared the fate of wounded Russian soldiers of other regiments, whom the French stripped and threw into ditches, where they froze to death or were burned alive.

In 1813, the regiment took part in the Foreign Campaign of the Russian Army.

In April 1813, the Izmailovites took part in the battles of Lutzen and Bautzen, and on August 16 and 17 at the villages of Tsegist and Kulm. Tsegist, defended by a detachment of 72 battalions of French infantry, 500 cavalrymen with 80 guns, was taken by the Jaeger and Izmailovsky regiments. The Izmailovites hoisted their banners at the captured position, and for 10 hours, together with the rangers, they defended Tsegist from the French trying to take it back. Thanks to this, Russian troops reached Kulm without hindrance. At Kulm, the Izmailovsky regiment, together with the Jaeger regiment, fighting without rest for 2 days, repeatedly went into bayonet attacks, supporting the bulk of the Russian troops, for which the Izmailovsky regiment received the Trumpets of St. George, and 163 soldiers received the Insignia of the Military Order. Of the 1,300 ranks that were in the Izmailovsky regiment at the beginning of the battle, those who were killed or died from wounds were Captain Ukov, Lieutenant Chagin, Second Lieutenant Skarzhinsky, Ensign Zholobov and 41 soldiers; missing - 86; wounded - General Khrapovitsky (3 wounds), 18 officers, 412 soldiers.

After Kulm, the Izmailovsky regiment, participating in a number of battles, reached Paris, where, among other Russian units, it entered on March 19, 1814. The Izmailovsky troops returned to St. Petersburg only on July 30, 1814, together with the 1st Guards Division, which was personally led by Emperor Alexander I through Triumphal Gate.

Subsequently, by order of the chief of the Izmailovsky regiment, Emperor Nicholas I, at the annual celebrations of the expulsion of Napoleonic troops from Russia, the regiment's award banners were carried outside the Izmailovsky Cathedral. This rescript and the Highest Certificates of Award in memory of merits during the Patriotic War to the Izmailovsky Regiment of the St. George's Banner and St. George's Trumpets, placed in golden frames, were placed on the walls near the main altar for the duration of the celebrations.

In memory of the regiment's distinction in the Battle of Borodino in 1813, an icon of St. Adrian and Natalia, whose memory is celebrated on this day. It became the temple icon of the regimental church, and after the construction of the stone cathedral, it was decorated with a silver chasuble and moved to the southern aisle in honor of St. equal to Mary Magdalene and placed in the northern doors of the iconostasis.

On the lecterns of the Izmailovsky Cathedral, in carved gilded frames, there were icons related to the military history of the regiment. In the southern aisle there was kept an image of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, associated with the Patriotic War of 1812 and foreign weather. Many soldiers of the Izmailovsky Regiment, awarded medals for bravery in memory of this war, after their discharge donated or bequeathed their awards to the regimental church. However, later, by decree of the emperor, it was forbidden to accept medals for the war of 1812 into the temple. Then a chasuble for the image of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was cast from these medals. The chasuble was silvered and gilded, with a assembled crown, a Gospel and a miter, decorated with colored stones and four emeralds, and the edges of the chasuble were covered with white filigree with enamel images.
In 1912, during the celebrations dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Borodino, a monument to the Izmailovsky Regiment was erected on the Borodino field.

Marks of Excellence:

1. Regimental banner - St. George, with the inscription: “For distinction in the defeat and expulsion of the enemy from the borders of Russia in 1812”, with St. Andrew’s anniversary ribbon.
2. Two St. George’s trumpets, with the inscription: “For distinction rendered in the battle of Kulm, August 17, 1813.”
3. Two silver trumpets, granted to the emperor. Anna Ioannovna for the capture of Ochakov, 1737
4. Badges on hats with the inscription: “For Gorny Dubnyak, October 12, 1877.”

Regiment chiefs

1730 - 1735 - Adjutant General, Count, von Löwenwolde, Carl Gustav
1735 - 1740 - Empress Anna Ioannovna
1740 - 1741 - Emperor John Antonovich
1741 - 1761 - Empress Elizaveta Petrovna
1761 - 1762 - Emperor Peter III
1762 - 1796 - Empress Catherine II
1796 - 1796 - Emperor Paul I
1796 - 1800 - Grand Duke Tsarevich Konstantin Pavlovich
1800 - 1855 - Emperor Nicholas I

1855 - 1881 - Emperor Alexander II
1881 - 1894 - Emperor Alexander III

1894 - 1917 - Emperor Nicholas II

Famous people who served in the regiment

Bulatov, Mikhail Leontievich - governor general, hero of Catherine's wars with Turkey, military leader during the Russian-Swedish war of 1808-1809. and during the Napoleonic Wars.
Wolf, Nikolai Ivanovich - lieutenant general, participant in the Caucasian War.
Kozlov, Alexander Alexandrovich - cavalry general, adjutant general, at various times St. Petersburg mayor, Moscow mayor.
Romanov, Konstantin Konstantinovich - member of the Russian Imperial House, Adjutant General (1901), General of the Infantry (1907), Inspector General of Military Educational Institutions, President of the Imperial St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences (1889), poet, translator and playwright.
Miloradovich, Mikhail Andreevich - Russian general, one of the leaders of the Russian army during the Patriotic War of 1812, Governor-General of St. Petersburg
Romanov, Konstantin Konstantinovich (junior) - Russian prince of imperial blood, son of Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich and Grand Duchess Elizaveta Mavrikievna, great-grandson of Emperor Nicholas I.

Unknown artist. Mid-18th century Fragment.

Empress Anna Ioannovna. Unknown artist. 1730s

Grand Duke Nikolai Pavlovich, future Emperor Nicholas I

in the uniform of the Life Guards. Izmailovsky Regiment. J. Lowe, 1820s

The ceremonial return of the Russian Guard to St. Petersburg through the Narva Triumphal Gate. I. A. Ivanov. 1815

Emperor Nicholas II in the uniform of the Life Guards. Izmailovsky Regiment on Izmailovsky Prospekt. May 1904

 
Word from His Holiness Patriarch Kirill on the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Borodino

On September 8, 2012, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' performed a thanksgiving prayer on the Borodino field “in remembrance of the deliverance of the Church and the Russian State from the invasion of the Gauls and with them twenty languages.”

At the end of the service, the Primate of the Russian Church addressed those gathered with a Primate’s word.

Dear rulers, fathers, brothers and sisters!

Today, on the very day when the Battle of Borodino took place, here, on the Raevsky battery, we perform a prayerful commemoration of our heroes who laid down their lives for the Fatherland. By coincidence, today during the Liturgy, according to the Church Charter, the First Epistle to the Corinthians was read, where there are amazing words: “Every steward is required to always remain faithful” (see 1 Cor. 4:2). A house cannot be built if the family has broken up. The state cannot be created, society cannot be strengthened if it falls apart. It is impossible to win a battle if people lose their loyalty. And how wonderful, in connection with the letter of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians, to remember the words of Lermontov: “and we kept the oath of allegiance in the Battle of Borodino”!

What is loyalty? This is the ability to move forward, regardless of dangers, even mortal ones, or temptations, temptations, or the influence of the environment; to move forward to achieve ideals that are sacred. Remaining true means always serving these ideals. If we want our people to be united, then it is required that people be ready to give their lives for their ideals.

Today, popular culture imposes other ideals on us. However, no one will give their life just for an increase in wages or for improved living conditions. No one will give their life to live a little better tomorrow than today. They give their lives only for what is sacred, and only what God has put into the consciousness of people can be sacred. And first of all, these are God’s great commandments, which are reflected in the moral law of the human race, and at the basis of this moral foundation are such concepts as love for one’s neighbor, love for one’s country, for one’s people. These concepts, sanctified by Divine authority, become indisputable. Nothing else can explain how here, on this field, the Russian army confronted the army of twenty languages, led by Napoleon, face to face. It wasn’t just the French - half of Europe here, under duress, and some out of conviction, closed their ranks to crush Rus'.

We know that this did not work out - precisely because every housebuilder is required to always remain faithful. Perhaps these words were not literally known to those who defended Raevsky’s battery or Bagration’s flushes, or who fought on the flanks, or who attacked head-on against a superior enemy. But they remained faithful to the way love for God and love for the Fatherland were refracted in their consciousness, in their will, in their feelings.

And today, 200 years later, we bow our heads before their feat, learning from them loyalty to God, our people, and the Fatherland. And we know for sure that if we do not lose this loyalty, then we will retain great impregnable strength and will be able not only to defend our Fatherland, but also to build it, rising from strength to strength.

Today, according to the church calendar, is the day of remembrance of the bringing of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God to Moscow. Back in 1395, 15 years after the Battle of Kulikovo, Tamerlane decided to crush Moscow and marched against it in a countless horde. Then the great shrine of our land - the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God - was brought to the capital. Our people fervently prayed for the salvation of the Mother See, and for reasons incomprehensible to historians, inexplicably Tamerlane did not go to Moscow. On the same day, here, on the Borodino field, 200 years ago, the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God was brought, before which Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov and all our army, kneeling, prayed. How wonderfully this sacred moment is depicted in S. Bondarchuk’s wonderful film “War and Peace”! At a time when it was impossible to talk about faith, how many bright feelings this one episode of the kneeling field marshal and the Russian army generated in the hearts of our people!

A hundred years ago, when the passion-bearer Tsar Nicholas II led the celebration of his 100th anniversary here, on this field, the same icon was again brought from Smolensk. And today, on the day of the celebration of the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Borodino, we also brought here the same miraculous image. He stood next to the altar erected in the Spaso-Borodinsky Monastery, before which we bowed our knees today for our Fatherland, for our Church, for our people, so that no enemies - neither physical nor spiritual - could shake the foundations of our national life and so that no force could ever tear our people away from faith, which through the heart ignites the mind, giving rise to a feeling of devotion and loyalty to the country and its people.

May the Lord accept into His Heavenly abodes the souls of those who laid down their lives on the Borodino field and on all the fields of the Great Patriotic War of 1812, as well as the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. We believe that those who lay down their souls for their friends, according to the commandment of Christ, are blessed in His Heavenly Kingdom. Let us pray for our Fatherland, for our people, that the Lord will preserve us all in unity, like-mindedness, strength of spirit, clarity of thought, strong faith, and respect for each other, regardless of our religious and national differences. And we believe that multinational Rus' will always remain united and strong - both spiritually and materially. We pray about this on the day when 200 years ago the fate of our Fatherland was decided on this place. Amen.

Mountain Dubnyak

2018 marks 140 years since the beginning of the Russian-Turkish War of 1877-78. The war, which was called throughout the world “the last just war.”

For brevity, here is material from Wikipedia:

“...The cruelty with which the April Uprising in Bulgaria was suppressed aroused sympathy for the situation of Christians of the Ottoman Empire in Europe and especially in Russia. Attempts to improve the situation of Christians by peaceful means were thwarted by the stubborn reluctance of the Turks to make concessions to Europe, and in April 1877 Russia declared war on Turkey. During the ensuing hostilities, the Russian army managed, using the passivity of the Turks, to successfully cross the Danube, capture the Shipka Pass and, after a five-month siege, force the best Turkish army of Osman Pasha to capitulate in Plevna. The subsequent raid through the Balkans, during which the Russian army defeated the last Turkish units blocking the road to Constantinople, led to the Ottoman Empire's withdrawal from the war. At the Berlin Congress held in the summer of 1878, the Berlin Treaty was signed, which recorded the return to Russia of the southern part of Bessarabia and the annexation of Kars, Ardahan and Batum. The statehood of Bulgaria (conquered by the Ottoman Empire in 1396) was restored as the vassal Principality of Bulgaria; the territories of Serbia, Montenegro and Romania increased, and Turkish Bosnia and Herzegovina was occupied by Austria-Hungary..."

The cruelty of the Turkish authorities towards Eastern Christians was so horrific that it caused a wave of indignation in almost all countries of the world. But only Russia provided practical assistance; on April 12, 1877, after unsuccessful diplomatic negotiations, it declared war on Turkey.

The beginning of hostilities was, without exaggeration, brilliant in all respects, strategically, tactically, diplomatically, and even (which is rare for “military” Russia) - in terms of time... But then came the retaliatory move of the Turkish Marshal Osman Pasha, who occupied and fortified the city Plevna, and it was this page that became one of the most heroic (and at the same time tragic) in the history of the Russian Guard. Three assaults on Plevna failed, despite impressive losses of the Russian army. To put the city under siege, it was necessary to cut off and capture three fortified settlements through which reinforcements, ammunition and food were sent to Plevna. These points were Dolniy Dubnyak, Gorniy Dubnyak and Telish. It was this task that was entrusted to the guard, which included, of course, the glorious Izmailovsky regiment.

HELL. Kivshenko “The Capture of Mountain Dubnyak”

The 1st battalion of the Life Guards Izmailovsky Regiment was commanded by Colonel V.N. Klevezal. The regiment commander, Major General N.V. Ellis, in his report to the division commander, highly appreciated the actions of the 1st battalion and its commander:

“The 1st battalion, the regiment entrusted to me, was ordered to go to support the Life Guards. Grenadier Regiment, which he did, having suffered heavy losses in people during his movement in dashes... Giving complete justice to the fearlessness and calmness of all ranks of the regiment, I consider it my duty to inform Your Excellency in particular about the merits of all 4 battalion commanders, which, acting every separately, with diligence and understanding of the matter, they strived for one goal and achieved the brilliant result of capturing the redoubt, having suffered small losses compared to other units...”

The history of the Battle of Gorniy Dubnyak deserves a separate and more detailed story, which we, unfortunately, cannot give due to the limited size of the article. But here are some interesting facts: it was after this battle that the battle tactics of the Russian troops were changed. “Marching” towards the enemy in orderly columns is, of course, beautiful, but it leads to a huge number of casualties, because the enemy has the opportunity to fire at the attackers, as if in a shooting range. Such attacks led to huge casualties at Gorny Dubnyak, and only the tactics of the Izmailovsky regiment, which timely applied an approach to the enemy by running from cover to cover, was able to reduce the number of casualties among the attackers and ensured the completion of the task. Also, it was after analyzing this battle that an entrenching tool was introduced into the Russian army, allowing soldiers to dig in on the ground... One way or another, it was the Izmailovsky regiment that played a decisive role in this battle, which subsequently led to the surrender of the entire Turkish army.

The bravery of the regiment was appreciated, and the regiment received a badge for a military headdress:

The Izmailovsky regiment was accompanied on this campaign by Archpriest Alexander Filaretov.

O. Alexander with officers of the Izmailovsky regiment 15 km away. from Constantinople

For his exploits at Gorny Dubnyak and at Telish, Archpriest Filaretov was awarded a golden pectoral cross on the St. George Ribbon. He died on October 4 (old style) 1898 and was buried at the Mitrofanevskoye cemetery. (We will tell in much more detail in the following issues the history of the military clergy and the brave priests of the Izmailovsky regiment, who did not abandon their flock at the most dangerous time...)

Interesting fact: many of you know this painting by Vasily Vereshchagin “Requiem Service”, dedicated to the victims of the siege of Plevna and the Russian-Turkish war in general:

...but few people know that the priest of the Semenovsky regiment, Archpriest Evstafiy Vasilyevich Kryukov, depicted on it, previously served in the Izmailovsky Cathedral, caring for the Izmailovsky regiment, like his father, Archpriest Vasily Alekseevich Kryukov.

Here is another interesting photo of a second lieutenant of the Izmailovsky regiment, who participated in the Russian-Turkish War (photo from 1881). On the chest of the second lieutenant is the Order of St. Stanislaus, third degree with swords and a bow, a medal in memory of the Russian-Turkish War of 1877-1878. and a bronze Romanian cross of military merit...

For those who want to learn more about that heroic time, the work of N.I. is recommended. Belyaev “Russian-Turkish War of 1877-1878”, 1956 edition.

...Having captured the Shipka Pass and the fortifications of Gorniy Dubnyak, the Russian army forced the Turkish troops settled in Plevna to surrender. Having crossed the Balkans, they defeated the remnants of the garrisons that blocked the path to Constantinople, the Turks entered into negotiations on surrender, but... The intervention of the eternal hater of Russia - England, delayed them and greatly adjusted them in favor of the Ottoman Empire. England attempted to put psychological pressure on Russia by sending its squadron into the Dardanelles. The Russians, in response, promised to capture Constantinople, and the squadron retreated. The signed preliminary “San Stefano Agreements” were disputed by England and Austria (who demanded considerable benefits from the results of the Russian-Turkish War), and a new “Berlin Treaty” was signed. Russia regained Bessarabia and received the Kars region, inhabited by Orthodox Armenians and Georgians.

Soon, thanks to the significant weakening of Turkey, Bulgaria completely regained its independence. The Ottoman Empire was driven out of the Balkans without oppressing the more Orthodox peoples, and gradually became a minor European power...

From that time to this day, during the Liturgy in all Orthodox churches in Bulgaria, the Russian Tsar Alexander and all his soldiers who laid down their lives on the battlefield for the liberation of Orthodox peoples from the Turkish yoke are commemorated. There are still almost 400 monuments to Russian soldiers on Bulgarian territory. In the capital of Russia, near the Holy Trinity Cathedral of the Izmailovsky Regiment, the “Column of Glory” monument was erected, made up of six rows of cannons captured from the Turks. The Russian-Turkish War in those years was called throughout the world “the fairest war of the 19th century.”

Russian losses in this war ranged from 16 to 30 thousand soldiers killed and from 7 to 15 thousand soldiers who died from wounds and illnesses... (According to some sources, the number of deaths from wounds and illnesses approached 80 thousand...)

This war in the world was called “the last just war”...

On October 12, 1886, on the anniversary of the capture of Gorny Dubnyak, the “Column of Glory” was opened on the square in front of the cathedral. The initiator of the installation of the memorial column was the commander-in-chief of the Russian troops in the Russian-Turkish War of 1877-1878, Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich, the author of the project was the architect D.I. Grimm. The monument, 29 meters high, consisted of 44 steel and 60 copper gun barrels captured from the Turks... Work on creating the monument lasted almost a year and a half. 175 thousand rubles were spent on construction. The monument was opened by Emperor Alexander the Third.

photo of the opening of the Column of Military Glory from an album dedicated to the monument, published in 1889 and posted on the New York Public Library website

Here is what the Encyclopedia of St. Petersburg writes about that event:

“... To participate in the grand opening ceremony of the monument in St. Petersburg, “all the main participants in the war located outside it, as well as more than 1000 people of lower ranks, Knights of St. George” were invited to St. Petersburg, who formed a special combined regiment of three foot battalions. From the troops located in St. Petersburg, combined battalions were also composed of the best people, since lack of space did not allow all the troops to take part in the celebration, so only 14 battalions, 12 squadrons and 22 guns took part in the parade. The families of officers and soldiers who fell in the war, as well as members of the Red Cross who were in the war, nurses, doctors and children of killed lower ranks who studied in 9 city orphanages were not forgotten. Special places were reserved for them to attend the celebrations. The opening of the monument was described in detail in the magazines “Russian Antiquity” and “Historical Bulletin”. The monument was opened on October 12, 1886, on the ninth anniversary of the capture of the fortifications of Gorny Dubnyak. A salute of 101 artillery shots sounded from the bastions of the Peter and Paul Fortress.”

...But after the revolution, it was decided to dismantle the monument as “not of historical value,” because the Bolsheviks preferred to start writing history from themselves, and the former glory of Russian weapons and the salvation of fraternal peoples were not very interesting to them at that time... According to rumors, the demolition of the monument was preceded by and negotiations with Turkey, for which this monument was not the most pleasant memory... By the resolution of the Presidium of the Leningrad City Council of October 27, 1929 (protocol No. 30, paragraph 90), at the request of the Moscow-Narva Leningrad Executive Committee, the “Military Glory” column was dismantled and handed over to the State Fund for scrap metal as a “symbol of imperial militarism” The cost of demolition was about 3 thousand rubles, and the income from the sale of metal was about 30 thousand rubles.

One way or another, the unique column, which St. Petersburg residents called the “Second Pillar of Alexandria” (since the Pillar of Alexandria was a symbol of victory over the Napoleonic Armada, and the Izmailovskaya Column of Glory over Turkey), was dismantled and sent as scrap to Germany... On his In 1969, a bust of V. P. Stasov was erected on the spot by the sculptor M. T. Litovchenko and the architect Zh. M. Verzhbitsky.

“With the blessing of Metropolitan Vladimir of St. Petersburg and Ladoga, the initiative of the St. Petersburg Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church and the St. Petersburg Public Charitable Foundation for the restoration and support of the Cathedral of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity of the Izmailovsky Life Guards Regiment, as well as by order of the city governor V.A. Yakovlev, in 2001 the reconstruction of the column began. More than 20 Russian enterprises and organizations took part in financing the work. In the new design solution, the column trunk has a decorative relief imitating cannon barrels. Parts of the column were cast from cast iron free of charge at the Novo-Lipetsk Metallurgical Plant, painting and finishing were done at the St. Petersburg enterprise “Admiralty Shipyards”. The bronze sculpture of Glory was cast at the Monumentsculpture factory according to the model of Z. K. Tsereteli. The sculpture was installed on the column on August 26, 2005, and the grand opening took place on October 1 of the same year.” (“Encyclopedia of St. Petersburg”).

The monument to Stasov was preserved and only moved a few meters to the right of the military composition.

The total height of the monument is 28.76 m, the pedestal is 5.33 m, the statue is 4.6 m.

And this is just one of the restored (or rather, first destroyed, and now literally torn from oblivion) ​​amazing relics of the cathedral. As you can see with your own eyes, the temple is returning to St. Petersburg, with its history, glory and architecture, worthy again to stand on a par with the most famous cathedrals in the world...

The article uses photographs of S. Zaburdaev, as well as paintings, engravings and drawings that are in the public domain

Regimental churches

The very first church of the Izmailovsky regiment was... a tent. It was convenient to take on a hike, and could be used in a regiment position - in the summer, of course. The construction of the camp church was entrusted to Lieutenant Avtonom Savelov. He was ordered to “apply his diligent efforts so that this church was built with the best materials.” We bought red calico for the tent, and green taffeta for the lining. On July 12, 1733, a camp church was installed in the regimental camp on the banks of the Fontanka.
The camp church consisted of a folding iconostasis, sacred vessels (first tin and copper, and then made of more expensive metals), and a complete set of liturgical books was transferred there. The throne was installed in the same size as in permanent churches. Such field conditions, of course, made the service of the regimental priest quite difficult: when moving the regiment, he had to monitor the safety of church property, sometimes loading it onto carts himself and accompanying it to a new place. He had to set up and assemble the church tent, and then, tired, perform the service. Dust and dirt of the roads, rain and bad weather in the off-season, constant searches for temporary shelter are everyday components of the life of a regimental priest.

The marching church accompanied the Izmailovsky regiment in all military campaigns. After the battles, the priest performed a prayer of thanks, and at least served a memorial service for the fallen soldiers.

As we have already noted, in the summer the camp church was also used at the permanent location of the Izmailovsky regiment in St. Petersburg. However, in winter, the military had to go to the other side of the Fontanka, to Perevedenskaya Sloboda to the church in honor of the Ascension of the Lord. But it was full of parishioners, so Izmailovo residents sometimes had to participate in the service... on the street.

“... It happens that the soldiers of the Izmailovsky regiment are no longer standing outside the church, in the cold, and many times they are not honored to listen to God’s service,” wrote Major Ivan Shipov.
A few years later, in 1742, in the Izmailovskaya Sloboda, which was under construction, one of the newly built regimental “svetlitsa” buildings was allocated to house the temple. This option also turned out to be unsuccessful - it was cramped and stuffy in a small building with very low ceilings.

“As in the whole church, so especially in the altar above the altar, where the Holy Mysteries are performed, there are great drops from the crowded meeting,” reported regimental priest Alexei Gusev.

Another 10 years later, in 1752, Empress Elizaveta Petrovna gave her consent to the construction of a regimental church. The temple was founded two years later on a spacious vacant plot on Polkovaya Street near Fontanka - on the very spot where the cathedral now stands. The foundation stone was laid on July 1, 1754 by Archbishop of St. Petersburg and Shlisselburg Sylvester (Kulyabka). Construction lasted two years. The new wooden church on a stone foundation was consecrated in the name of the Holy Trinity (regimental holiday), and its chapel was consecrated in honor of St. martyr John the Warrior (it was built in memory of the chapel of the Church of the Ascension of the Lord, where the Izmailovites used to pray).

It is interesting that the Trinity Church was built on the model of southern Russian wooden churches. There is even a specific “prototype” - a church in honor of the icon of the Mother of God “Joy of All Who Sorrow,” which was located in the village of Kerstovo, Yamburg district, St. Petersburg province. The empress's confessor, Archpriest Fyodor Dubyansky, a Little Russian by origin, pointed to this temple as a model. The village of Kerstovo was granted to him by the empress.

It is known that the temple accommodated about 1,280 people. All icons were painted by one of the best painters in St. Petersburg - Fedot Kolokolnikov.

In the 1760s Another church was built in the regiment. It was also made of wood and extremely simple. It was also consecrated in the name of the Holy Trinity, but in everyday life, and often in documents, it was called the Church of Saints Adrian and Natalia, and the icon of Sts. mchch. Adriana and Natalia stood in the iconostasis like a church icon. This temple was seriously damaged during the catastrophic flood of 1824.

“The water stood three arshins deep inside, overturned the chests of drawers with the sacristy, moved the throne somewhat out of place, destroyed the stoves, soaked the antimension and books. The cup and the ark were filled with water. The watchmen could barely escape by climbing under the roof,” wrote Archpriest Fyodor Raevsky.

According to him, in the Church of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity “the floors were damaged, the pulpit exploded, and the entire sacristy was soaked. The tide of water was up to the windows, the water stood in the altar halfway up the altar. The storm above and below broke all the windows, broke the fence, porches, walkways, and blew it all away.”

The damage was so great that dismantling the Trinity Church was a done deal. However, it stood for another four years, until the laying of the stone cathedral; after this solemn moment it was dismantled. The icons painted for the wooden church were subsequently, for the most part, transferred to the Trinity Cathedral, where they remained until its closure during the years of Soviet power.

The Church of Saints Adrian and Natalia stood until the consecration of the stone cathedral. In May 1835 it was dismantled. The temple icon of the martyrs was transferred to the cathedral, and the iconostasis and other icons were transferred to the church in honor of the All-Merciful Savior at the Mitrofanevskoye cemetery. They died in a fire in 1883 that destroyed the church.

Iconostasis of the marching church of the Lieutenant-Guards. Izmailovsky Regiment. 1894

Church of the Icon of the Mother of God “Joy of All Who Sorrow.” Kerstovo, Yamburg district. 1928

Project of a wooden cold church of the Lieutenant-Guards. Izmailovsky Regiment. V. P. Stasov. June 28, 1827

V. P. Stasov. Unknown artist

Facade of a warm wooden church of the Lithuanian Guards. Izmailovsky Regiment. 1813-1835

Traveling iconostasis

Everyone knows that the construction of the first Temple, better known today as Solomon's Temple, began with the Ark of the Covenant and lasted seven years. It is in the same form (but, of course, not in content, for, despite the fact that the Ark of the Covenant is one of the greatest shrines in the world, our churches are bequeathed from our Lord Jesus Christ - the House of Prayer), the history of the Cathedral of the Holy Life-Giving began Trinity of the Life Guards of the Izmailovsky Regiment, which was built for seven long years - from the marching iconostasis, which faithfully served the Russian soldiers both in the Izmailovskaya Sloboda and on long campaigns...

The regiment, as you know, was created by Empress Anna Ioannovna in 1730, and upon formation, immediately began creating a mobile (camping) church, which was the forerunner of wooden churches and the stone cathedral of the guards, or, to put it artistically, the “ark” of the cathedral, which existed until its closure temple and mysteriously disappeared in the middle of the 20th century...

A mobile temple is generally a unique phenomenon. We are so accustomed to the idea that a church or cathedral is something monumental, or at least firmly established in one place, that even the very concept of a “mobile temple” is perceived as something very unusual... But by the very essence of Christianity, if an Orthodox person is in danger, it is necessary that there be a priest nearby - praying for him, instructing, comforting, encouraging... and, in case of trouble, ready to give communion and the funeral service to his spiritual child... That is why on all ships (in including those setting off on a circumnavigation of the world - which has recently begun to be forgotten) and military units leaving for the just (and dangerous) cause of defending the Fatherland, there were always camp churches and priests accompanying their flock.

Also, “prefabricated churches” can be located on the site of churches under construction or reconstruction, when it is not yet possible to hold services in the main church - and in this form, the mobile iconostasis of the Izmailovsky regiment was also used during the construction of the Trinity Cathedral. (But there are also “floating” temples, “carriage” temples and even “landed marching temples”).

But first, (to spark curiosity and imagination) - one old story... It is known that the great Russian poet Nekrasov spent the last months of his life in terrible suffering caused by rapidly developing intestinal cancer. The pain was so terrible that the poet suffered not only from the blanket thrown over him, but even from the loosest clothes (even the poet’s nightgown was cut into strips). And even more so, there was no talk of going out into the streets. However, in the face of eternity, Nekrasov still wanted to marry his “common-law wife” Fekla (Zinaida) Anisimovna Viktorova, who had so patiently and selflessly cared for him during his illness. But he no longer had the physical strength to get to the church and perform the Sacrament there. Nekrasov’s friends asked Metropolitan Isidore of St. Petersburg to contribute at least something in this difficult situation. The Metropolitan was forced to refuse - the statutes of the Church are strict, and even he could not violate or change them, but he spoke about the military clergy, with their unique mobile churches: “They will set up a tent: here they have a temple, where they have the right to perform every Sacrament.” The advice was heeded: the poet’s friends turned to the military clergy and the next day a regimental iconostasis was erected at Nekrasov’s apartment, as if on a battlefield... The last will of the dying genius was fulfilled...

But let's return to the camp church of the Izmailovsky regiment. The meeting of regimental officers decided on what kind of tent it should be and what icons should be in the iconostasis and allocated money from their own funds for its creation.

The iconostasis contained the following images: to the right of the Royal Doors: the Savior, St. Trinity, Simeon the God-Receiver and Anna the Prophetess. On the left side: the image of the Mother of God praying, Nicholas and Sergius the Wonderworkers. On the royal doors - the Annunciation and the four Evangelists, on the northern ones - the High Priest Aaron, above the royal doors - the Last Supper. Above, in the large triangle that crowns the iconostasis, in the middle is the image of the Fatherland, and on its sides are the Holy Prophets and Apostles (20 icons), there is also an abundant gilded ornament and gilded faces of seraphim and cherubim.

The decision was left to the discretion of the empress: “.. in what name should we build the church: in the name of the Holy Trinity or in the name of Simeon the God-Receiver and Anna the Prophetess?” Anna Ioanovna chose the church in the name of the Holy Trinity, the regimental holiday was established on this very day and the icon of the Trinity became the regimental icon of the Izmailovites. The camping tent was made of red calico, with green silk lining on the inside. The icons were entrusted to the Moscow master Ivan Adolsky to paint (he created them in the Baroque style), on azure satin with “good German paints.” The frames of the iconostasis were made of oak, “Siberian iron” was used for the screws, and the ornament decorating the iconostasis was richly gilded. It reached 7 meters in length and three meters in height.

In 1845, the iconostasis was “added” in two halves: the southern gate with the icon of the Archangel Michael was built and the image of St. Alexander Nevsky. (the camp church was then the church of the division and was located in Krasnoye Selo, so the tent had to be significantly expanded). The iconostasis remained in this form until the Bolsheviks closed the Izmailovsky Regiment Cathedral.

The Empress donated chasubles for the church (unfortunately they have not survived), a complete set of liturgical books and church utensils.

January 27 In 1737, the combined battalion of the regiment went on a campaign near Ochakov. The regimental order dated January 24 ordered that the regimental church be assembled and packed with the necessary utensils and vestments for worship on the march; at the same time, the priest was also ordered to go on the campaign. In this campaign, as in the three subsequent ones (not counting the company of 1812), this camp church was the church of the entire imperial Life Guard. On the first campaign, the regiment was accompanied by priest John Georgiev (later transferred from the Izmailovsky regiment to the position of rector of the Annunciation Cathedral in the Moscow Kremlin.)

The regiment (and the priest accompanying it) spent three years on this campaign, accomplishing a considerable number of feats (we will talk about the capture of Ochakov in more detail someday - it deserves it.).

Upon returning to St. Petersburg, a place was specially designated for the camp church, where the regiment prayed and received communion until the construction of the first wooden church. (A belfry with three bells ordered in Moscow was built separately).

The marching iconostasis was with the Izmailovsky regiment in the following campaigns: 1) During the Russian-Turkish War of 1735-1739. (Priest Ioann Georgiev) 2) During the coronation of Catherine the Great in Moscow - from August 1762 to the end of 1763 (Priest Alexei Gusev - who led the regiment to the Empress in St. Petersburg) During the Patriotic War and foreign campaigns of 1812, 1813 and 1814. (some services were conducted in it in the presence of Emperor Alexander the First). (Priest Antipa Gavrilov, Participant in many military campaigns, hero of the Battle of Borodino, reached Paris. Awarded a golden cross on the St. George Ribbon from the Holy Synod. For the battles of Pirka and Kulma, awarded the Order of St. Anne, 2nd degree, later - skufia and kamilavka.) During the campaign in Poland 1830-1831. (priest Simeon Alexandrov. With the Izmailovsky regiment he took part in the campaign of 1828, was at the siege of the Varna fortress, a participant in the 1831 campaign in Poland. Awarded the pectoral cross on the St. George ribbon, the Order of St. Anna, 2nd degree 3) Accompanied the regiment during the campaign to the western borders in 1849 (accompanied by priest Ioann Nazarov. During the Crimean War, already in old age, he participated with the regiment in guarding the shores of the Gulf of Finland and priest Vasily Kryukov. During the Crimean War, he went with the regiment to guard the borders on the Gulf of Finland. Both, at different times - Rectors of the Trinity Church. 4) During the Russian-Turkish War of 1877-1878. (priest Alexander Filaretov. - Awarded the pectoral cross on the St. George ribbon for courage at Gorny Dubnyak, for crossing the Balkans - the Order of St. Vladimir, 4th class with swords, etc.) (Due to the lack of documents related to the revolutionary events of 1917 The situation with its participation in the campaigns of the First World War is still unclear: priests accompanied the regiment on all campaigns, but research work remains to be done on the history of the march iconostasis).

It should be noted that, judging by the plans for the deployment of the regiment, the camp church was moved after campaigns to different places in the Izmailovskaya Sloboda (which is not surprising: the settlement was rebuilt, expanded, equipped... And only in 1814, upon returning from Paris, it finally “settled” in a wooden church built almost on the spot where the cathedral is now located.

Interesting fact: when the work on the construction of the stone Izmailovsky Cathedral was completed, and the old wooden church was dismantled and transported to a new place (we will definitely return to the history of the churches of the Izmailovsky regiment in one of the issues of the magazine), then during the period of termination of services in the wooden church and the consecration of the stone cathedral, the marching iconostasis was taken out next to the cathedral and for several weeks again served as a “House of Prayer” for his regiment, after which it took pride of place in the temple, located in the area of ​​St. John the Warrior.

According to the data we collected in the archives, on March 17, 1936, inspector of the Department of Arts of the Museum Sector under the Leningrad City Council F.M. Morozov took a number of things from the Trinity Cathedral of the Izmailovsky Life Guards Regiment to the Hermitage, including the iconostasis of the regimental camp church-tent. Unfortunately, to our requests to the Hermitage, the answer was “this exhibit is not listed on the balance sheet”...

At the time of writing, with the blessing of the rector of the cathedral, Archpriest Gennady Bartov, preliminary preparatory work had been carried out for the restoration of the marching iconostasis and, if the Creator wishes, when funding becomes available, the glorious marching iconostasis of the Life Guards Izmailovsky Regiment, which accompanied the soldiers on campaigns, will return again to its historical place...

The “Immortals” of the Persian kings, the Praetorians of the Roman Caesars, the Varangian and Slavic mercenaries of the Byzantine emperors, the Drabants of the Scottish kings, the “Black Walloons” of the Burgundian dukes, the Scottish Guard of the French Valois, the Swiss Guard of the French Bourbons... The personal guard was an integral attribute of any self-respecting autocrat. As soon as he ascended the throne, the monarch began reforming the guard inherited from his predecessors, but even greater reforms awaited the guard in the event of a change in the ruling dynasty. The dynasty of Russian tsars, the Romanovs, was no exception. Traditionally, the creation of the guard in general and the guards infantry in particular is attributed to Peter I, but in fact this process began under his predecessors. Having ascended the throne, the first tsar of the Romanov dynasty, Mikhail Fedorovich, carried out a thorough purge of the personnel of the guard inherited from his predecessors (the Stirrup Streletsky Regiment) and thought about creating a new guard of his own. The process of reforming the guard regiments lasted for the entire 300-odd years of the dynasty's reign. Here are some facts from the history of the guards infantry of the Romanov tsars.

1. The first guards infantry units of the Romanovs were the Moscow elected soldier guards regiments:

The 1st Moscow elective soldiers' regiment was formed on June 25, 1642 (during the reign of Mikhail Fedorovich) and is better known as the Lefort infantry regiment (named after Franz Lefort, who was appointed its commander in 1692). On January 14, 1785, it was named the Moscow Grenadier Regiment, and on September 8, 1791, it was disbanded by joining the Ekaterinoslav Grenadier Regiment.

The 2nd Moscow elective soldiers' regiment was also formed in 1642 by decree of the same Mikhail Fedorovich, consisting of 52 companies of 100 people each. Better known as the Butyrsky Regiment (based on the Butyrskaya Sloboda in Moscow) and the Gordon Regiment (named after one of the commanders, Patrick Gordon). From March 9, 1914 – 13th Life Grenadier Erivan Regiment of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich. Disbanded at the beginning of 1918.

The 3rd Moscow elective soldiers' regiment was formed in 1692.

2. Initially, elective soldier regiments were conceived as cadre units: in peacetime they consisted of “initial” people from foreman to colonel, and in wartime they were replenished with ordinary riflemen and deployed into several regiments each. Later, the principle of framing was abandoned, but the somewhat unusual division of regiments into regiments remained. Thus, the 1st Moscow elective soldiers' regiment consisted of 5 regiments, the 2nd Moscow elective soldiers' regiment - of 6 regiments, and the 3rd Moscow elective soldiers' regiment - of 2 regiments.

1698–1702. From left to right: fusilier of the Semenovsky regiment in a winter caftan, chief officer of the Preobrazhensky regiment
regiment, fusilier of the Butyrsky regiment in a summer caftan, grenadier of the Preobrazhensky regiment
Source: O. Leonov, I. Ulyanov “Regular infantry 1698–1801”

Patrick Gordon - military teacher of Peter I. For a long time he commanded the 2nd Moscow
elected soldiers' regiment
Source: http://catholichurch.ru/index.php/gallery/member/4-drogon/

3. All three Moscow elective regiments took part in the Battle of Narva in 1700, which was unsuccessful for the Russian army. As a result of this battle, the Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky Guards regiments (at that time part of the 3rd Moscow elective soldiers' regiment) received the status of Life Guards. There is an opinion in the literature that the Preobrazhensky Regiment is the oldest guard regiment. This statement is quite controversial in light of the fact that from the moment of its creation until 1706, the Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky Guards regiments were divisions of the same military unit and had a common regimental commander (at first it was Major General A. M. Golovin, and from 1700 - General -Major I.I. Chambers). The official history of the Russian Imperial Army established the seniority of the Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky regiments from 1683. The reason for the birth of the version of the “birthright” of the Preobrazhensky Regiment was some subjective facts from the history of the Semenovsky Regiment. Court historians condemned this regiment for its “rebellion” (October 16, 1820, the head company of the Semenovsky regiment, dissatisfied with the ban of the new regimental commander Schwartz on soldiers engaging in crafts, submitted a request to change the regimental commander. The regiment was disarmed and sent in full force to the Peter and Paul Fortress), and the Soviets disliked him for his participation in the suppression of the Moscow uprising in 1905.

Life Guards Semenovsky Regiment
Source: http://russiahistory.ru/lejb-gvardii-semenovskij-polk/

4. Life Guards regiments were conceived by Peter I as a kind of personnel reserve. Initially, all guardsmen had an advantage of two ranks over military personnel of army units. Later, this advantage was retained only for officers, and then, as the number of the guard grew, it was divided into the “old” guard (with an advantage of two ranks) and the “young” guard (with an advantage of one rank). By the beginning of the twentieth century, all guards officers had an advantage of one rank. In the guards hierarchy of the early twentieth century, there was no rank of lieutenant colonel, so the guards captain was immediately promoted to colonel.

Colonel, battalion commander of the Life Guards Semenovsky Regiment in full dress uniform
Source: http://maxpark.com/community/129/content/1797108

5. By the beginning of the twentieth century, the Russian Guards Infantry had reached its maximum development and included 12 infantry and 4 rifle regiments, as well as one separate company. Twelve of the sixteen guards infantry regiments (Preobrazhensky, Semenovsky, Izmailovsky, Jaeger, Moscow, Finland, Lithuanian, Volynsky, 1st Infantry of His Majesty, 2nd Infantry of Tsarskoye Selo, 3rd Infantry of His Majesty, 4th Infantry of the Imperial Family) were initially formed as guards, and four (Grenadier, Pavlovsky, Kexholm of the Austrian Emperor and Petrograd King Frederick William III) were transferred to the guard for special military merits. Organizationally, by 1914, the guards infantry units were consolidated into three guards infantry divisions and a guards rifle brigade (the 1st, 2nd divisions and the rifle brigade made up the guards infantry corps, and the 3rd division was part of the 22nd army corps). The Guards Infantry took an active part in the First World War and was involved in the Lublin (1914), Warsaw-Ivangorod (1914), Czestochowa-Krakow (1914) operations, positional battles near Lomza (1915), and military operations in the city area Kholm (1915), Vilna (1915), Kovel (1916), Vladimir-Volyn (1916) operations, positional battles on the Stokhod River (1916), Galician operation (1917). Guards units were used as shock infantry, which led to large losses in personnel. The losses of the Guards infantry in the first year of the war alone are estimated at 30% of officers and 80% of lower ranks.

6. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the guards infantry was recruited, as a rule, by recruits from the Great Russian provinces. A necessary condition was the presence of a certificate of trustworthiness, which was issued by the police at the recruit’s place of residence. The distribution of recruits among regiments was carried out in accordance with their appearance. So, tall blond men were recruited into the Preobrazhensky Regiment, and in the 3rd and 5th companies - with beards; in Semenovsky - tall brown-haired men; in Izmailovsky and Grenadiersky - brunettes (in His Majesty's company - bearded); in Moscow - brunettes (in the 9th company), the tallest - in the company of His Majesty; in Lithuanian - beardless, tall blonds; in Kexholmsky - beardless, tall brown-haired men; in St. Petersburg - brunettes; in Yegersky, Finlyandsky and Volynsky - people of “light build” of any hair color. The 1st Infantry Regiment was staffed with blondes, the 2nd with brunettes, and the 4th with “short-nosed” men. The military training program for the guards units did not differ significantly from the army one and included the following disciplines: shooting training (the training course included initial training, training in field observation and determining distances to a target, shooting practice, shooting training for commanders and tactical training with combat shooting); engineering training (the course included self-digging, construction of simple engineering structures and the basics of camouflage); bayonet fight. In the guards units, gymnastic (physical) training was introduced earlier than in the army units. The system of gymnastic exercises included: freestyle movements and exercises with guns and sticks; exercises on apparatus; walking, running and marching; field gymnastics; group exercises, games (in 1908, football was included in the list of recommended games); throwing spears and weights.

7. In the Russian Imperial Army, with the exception of the reign of Paul I, they tried not to change the names of the regiments. In the history of the Russian Guards Infantry, only three regiments changed their name. The Life Guards St. Petersburg Regiment was renamed the Life Guards Petrograd Regiment on August 24, 1914 (in connection with the renaming of St. Petersburg to Petrograd). On October 12, 1817, the Lithuanian Life Guards Regiment was renamed Moscow, and on the basis of its 3rd battalion a new Lithuanian Life Guards Regiment was formed in Warsaw. In 1855, the Life Guards Jaeger Regiment was renamed the Life Guards Gatchina, but on August 17, 1870, on the day of the regimental holiday, the regiment was returned to its former name. According to legend, the old name of the regiment was returned thanks to the wit of an elderly honored general (some history buffs attribute the wit to Lieutenant General Ivan Gavrilovich Chekmarev, which seems doubtful, and, most likely, the story is still anecdotal in nature), who responded to the emperor’s greeting: “Hello, old huntsman” - “I’m not an old huntsman, but a young Gatchina resident!”

14 banners of the Preobrazhensky regiment of 1742. One is made of white, the rest are made of orange silk material. All with a narrow double side and red. A double-headed eagle is embroidered with silk. On the eagle's chest is the monogram of Elizabeth Petrovna. 13 with flat copper gilded spears, red shafts with copper underflows. The banners were deposited in the Artillery Museum in 1796. In 1762 they were replaced by new ones in the regiment.

“Inventory of banners, standards, ensigns, ensigns, badges, trumpets for distinction, certificates, staples and other military regalia stored in the Artillery Historical Museum, indicating the affiliation of such military units.” - St. Petersburg, 1903.

On February 19, 1762, a new design for regimental banners was approved. On the banner panel there is a widened cross. In the center of the banner in an orange circle is a double-headed eagle surrounded by Holstein coats of arms. The main regimental banner had a white cross, the colored banners had a red cross. The corners are red. The shafts are yellow. In the corners are the golden imperial monograms of Peter III. According to V. Zvegintsov, white banners have a white cross and blue corners, while colored banners have a red banner and blue corners. Gilded spear. Silver cords and tassels.

Handwritten drawing from Zvegintsov's work

After the palace coup on June 29, 1762, which brought Catherine II to the throne, the monograms on the banners changed to the appropriate ones.

In 1763, the Guards regiments received one white banner and several black ones with gold fringe (16 in Preobrazhensky). In the center there is an orange circle framed by a laurel wreath, in which there is a black double-headed eagle with a St. Andrew's cross on the chest. The corners are red, in the corners are the golden monograms of the Empress. The banners had gold cords and tassels. At the top there is Catherine's monogram.

An illustration was used from the book “Banners of Russian Regiments”, comp. V. Gonikberg, A. Meshcheryakov, I. Ostarkova. Text by A. Viskovatov. On the right is a handwritten drawing from the book by V. Zvegintsov

13 banners of 1762 entered the Artillery Museum for storage in 1797 in the presence of Paul I. One of white silk material, 12 of black material. In the center, on an orange silk oval, the state eagle is embroidered in black and yellow silk. On the chest of the eagle is the crucifix of St. Andrew. In the corners there are triangular inserts made of red material, with the monograms of Catherine II on them. In 1796 they were replaced in the regiment with new ones.

“Inventory of banners, standards, ensigns, ensigns, badges, trumpets for distinction, certificates, staples and other military regalia stored in the Artillery Historical Museum, indicating the affiliation of such military units.” - St. Petersburg, 1903.