When Napoleon was informed about the withdrawal of the Russian army, this message did not prompt him to energetic actions. The emperor was in a state of apathy. In addition, the offensive capabilities of the "Grand Army" were severely undermined: the best parts of the French infantry, which were part of the corps of Davout, Ney and Junot, suffered heavy losses at the Semyonov flushes. The French cavalry suffered particularly heavy losses. Only on August 31 did Napoleon decide to inform Europe about a new "brilliant victory" (the eighteenth bulletin was issued for this). He will exaggerate the scale of his "success", declare that the Russians had a numerical superiority - 170 thousand people (later he will state that he attacked "the Russians, consisting of 250,000, armed to the teeth, and defeated them ..." ). In order to prove his success, Napoleon had to enter Moscow. Ney offered to retreat to Smolensk, replenish the army, strengthen communications. Napoleon also refused Murat's proposal to immediately resume the battle.

It was easier to deceive the European public than the army. The "Great Army" took the battle of Borodino rather as a defeat, many of Napoleon's entourage noted the decline in the spirit of soldiers and officers. It was not possible to defeat the Russian army in a general battle, it retreated in perfect order, and this threatened with new battles in the near future, the losses were terrible.

Kutuzov also did not have the opportunity to immediately go on the offensive, the army was bled dry. He decided to retreat to Moscow and, having received reinforcements, to give a new battle to the enemy. Arriving in Mozhaisk, Kutuzov found no reinforcements, no ammunition, no carts, horses, trench tools, which he requested from the military governor of Moscow, Rostopchin. Kutuzov wrote a letter to the governor, where he expressed extreme surprise at this and reminded that it was "about saving Moscow."

On August 27-28 (September 8-9), 1812, Platov fought a rearguard action. He could not hold out west of Mozhaisk and by the end of the day began to retreat under the pressure of Murat's cavalry. He entrenched himself near the village of Modenova and Kutuzov was forced to reinforce the rearguard with two infantry brigades from the 7th and 24th divisions, three regiments of chasseurs, the rest of the 1st cavalry corps, the 2nd cavalry corps and an artillery company. Kutuzov, dissatisfied with Platov's actions, changed him to Miloradovich, who by that time was the commander of the 2nd Army instead of the retired Bagration.

August 28 (September 9) Kutuzov announced gratitude to all the troops that participated in the battle of Borodino. The order for the army spoke of love for the fatherland, the courage inherent in Russian soldiers, and expressed confidence that "having inflicted a terrible defeat on our enemy, we will give him the final blow with the help of God. For this, our troops are going to meet fresh troops, burning with the same zeal to fight against enemy." On August 28-29, Kutuzov distributed the militia warriors between the troops of the 1st and 2nd armies. D. I. Lobanov-Rostovsky, who, with the outbreak of the Patriotic War of 1812, was appointed military commander in the territory from Yaroslavl to Voronezh, the commander-in-chief gave the order to send all the reserves at his disposal to Moscow. A. A. Kleinmikhel was supposed to lead three regiments that were being formed in Moscow. In addition, Kutuzov sent an order to Major General Ushakov in Kaluga for the immediate dispatch of 8 infantry battalions and 12 cavalry squadrons to Moscow.

On August 29, Kutuzov informed Emperor Alexander that the battle had been won, but "extraordinary losses" and injuries to "the most needed generals" were forcing him to retreat along the Moscow road. The commander-in-chief notified the sovereign that he was forced to retreat further, since he had not received reinforcements. Kutuzov expected to increase the army by 40-45 thousand bayonets and sabers. However, he did not know that the emperor, without notifying him, forbade Lobanov-Rostovsky and Kleinmichel to transfer reserves to his disposal until a special order. Even before the start of the battle of Borodino, the emperor ordered Lobanov-Rostovsky to send the regiments formed in Tambov and Voronezh to Voronezh, and Kleinmichel to Rostov, Petrov, Pereyaslavl-Zalessky and Suzdal. In addition, the troops sent from St. Petersburg moved to Pskov and Tver, and not to Moscow. This suggests that Alexander I cared more about the fate of St. Petersburg, and not Moscow. His orders objectively led to the disruption of the defense of the ancient capital of the Russian state. Kutuzov did not know about these orders and made his plans based on the arrival of reserve troops.

On August 28, the main forces of the Russian army made the transition from the village of Zemlino to the village of Krutitsy. The rearguard fought back behind the main forces, the Russian troops fought with the vanguard of Murat. The battle lasted from dawn until 5 pm, when it became known about the successful withdrawal of the army. By August 30, the army made a new transition and camped for the night at Nikolsky (Bolshaya Vyazema). The rearguard retreated with a fight that day. Kutuzov sent the chief of engineers of the 1st Western Army, Christian Ivanovich Trousson, with a tool for fortification work, outside the village of Mamonova (where Bennigsen chose a position for battle). Kutuzov also sent several letters to Rostopchin, repeating previous requests, the commander-in-chief demanded to immediately send all the guns that are in the Moscow arsenal, ammunition, shovels and axes.

On the same day, Kutuzov received Alexander's rescript dated August 24, where it was said that the regiments of Lobanov-Rostovsky would not be attached to the active army, they would be used to prepare a new recruit set. The emperor promised the supply of recruits as they were trained, and Moscow troops, the number of which was allegedly increased by Rostopchin to 80 thousand people. It was a serious blow to Kutuzov's plans, but he still hoped to defend the city. On August 31, the army received an order to move towards Moscow and stop, take a position three miles from it. Kutuzov informed Miloradovich that near Moscow "there must be a battle that would decide the success of the campaign and the fate of the state."

On September 1 (13), the Russian army approached Moscow and settled in the position chosen by Bennigsen. The right flank of the position rested on the bend of the Moskva River near the village of Fili, the center of the position was in front of the village of Troitskoye, and the left flank adjoined the Sparrow Hills. The length of the position was about 4 km, and its depth was 2 km. The position began to actively prepare for the upcoming battle. But when Barclay de Tolly and some other generals got acquainted with the position, they sharply criticized it. In their opinion, the position was extremely uncomfortable for battle. Kutuzov's determination to give a second battle to Napoleon's "Great Army" was shaken. In addition, news was received about the enemy's detour maneuver - significant French forces were moving towards Ruza and Medyn. The Vintzingerode detachment covering this direction, with the help of three Cossack, one dragoon and several infantry regiments, held back the enemy at Zvenigorod for several hours, then was forced to retreat.

Kutuzov, not being able to separate significant forces from the army to advance towards the enemy corps making a roundabout maneuver, waited for the approach of the promised Moscow militia (Moscow squad). However, Rostopchin sent the militias at his disposal to the active army even before the Battle of Borodino, he had no more people, the governor simply did not notify the commander-in-chief about this.

Council in Fili and leaving Moscow

On September 1 (13), a military council was assembled, which was supposed to decide the fate of Moscow. Minister of War Barclay de Tolly, Chief of the General Staff of the 1st Western Army Yermolov, Quartermaster General Tol, Generals Benningsen, Dokhturov, Uvarov, Osterman-Tolstoy, Konovnitsyn, Raevsky, Kaisarov gathered in Fili. Miloradovich was not at the meeting, because he could not leave the rearguard. Kutuzov raised the question of whether to wait for the enemy in position and give him a battle or give Moscow without a fight. Barclay de Tolly replied that it was impossible to accept the battle in the position where the army was standing, therefore it was necessary to retreat along the road to Nizhny Novgorod, where the southern and northern provinces were connected. The opinion of the commander of the 1st Army was supported by Osterman-Tolstoy, Raevsky and Tol.

General Bennigsen, who chose a position near Moscow, considered it convenient for battle and offered to wait for the enemy and give him a fight. Dokhturov supported his position. Konovnitsyn, Uvarov and Yermolov agreed with Bennigsen's opinion to fight near Moscow, but considered the chosen position unfavorable. They proposed an active battle strategy - to go to the enemy themselves and attack him on the move.

Field Marshal Kutuzov (his Serene Highness on August 30 (September 11) was promoted to field marshal general) summed up the meeting and said that with the loss of Moscow, Russia and his first duty were not lost, to save the army, to connect with reinforcements. He ordered to retreat along the Ryazan road. Kutuzov took full responsibility for this step. Considering the strategic situation and expediency, it was a difficult but sure step. Each new day led to the strengthening of the Russian army and to the weakening of Napoleon's forces.

Alexander was not satisfied with Kutuzov's decision, but he himself did not dare to remove him from the post of commander in chief. He referred the question of leaving Moscow to the Committee of Ministers. However, at the meeting of the Committee of Ministers on September 10 (22), where Kutuzov's report was discussed, none of the ministers raised the question of changing the commander-in-chief. Some generals were also unhappy with Kutuzov's actions. Bennigsen sent a letter to Arakcheev, where he expressed his disagreement with the decision of the commander in chief. He became the center of all intrigues against Kutuzov. Barclay de Tolly believed that the general battle should have been given earlier - at Tsarev-Zaimishch and was sure of victory. And in case of failure, it was necessary to withdraw troops not to Moscow, but to Kaluga. Yermolov also expressed his dissatisfaction. He accused Kutuzov of hypocrisy, believing that "Prince Kutuzov showed his intention, before reaching Moscow, to actually give another battle to save her ... in reality, he did not think about it at all." Yermolov's opinion about Kutuzov's duplicity is popular in the historical literature to this day.

On the night of September 1-2, the French avant-garde was on the outskirts of Moscow. Following him, 10-15 km away, were the main forces of the French army. The Russian rear guard at dawn on September 2 was 10 km from the old capital. At about 9 o'clock, French troops hit Miloradovich's troops and by 12 o'clock pushed him back to Poklonnaya Hill. Miloradovich occupied the line on which the main forces had previously stood. At this time, the Russian army was passing through Moscow. The first column went through the Dorogomilovsky bridge and the city center, the second - through Zamoskvorechye and the Stone bridge. Then both columns headed for the Ryazan outpost. Together with the army, the townspeople left (out of 270 thousand of the city's population, no more than 10-12 thousand people remained), convoys with the wounded - about 25 thousand people were evacuated on five thousand carts (some of the seriously wounded did not manage to be taken out of the city). Kutuzov, through Yermolov, conveyed to Miloradovich an order to hold the enemy by all means until the wounded, convoys and artillery were taken out of Moscow.

The rearguard had difficulty holding back the enemy. Miloradovich was especially worried about the fact that the Winzingerode detachment could not hold the troops of General Beauharnais and the enemy went to the Moscow River and could be in the city earlier than the Russian rearguard. Having received an order from Kutuzov to restrain the enemy, Miloradovich sent an envoy to Murat - the headquarters captain Akinfov. He proposed to the King of the Kingdom of Naples to stop the advance of the French avant-garde for four hours in order to enable the Russian troops and the population to leave the city. Otherwise, Miloradovich promised to fight in the city itself, which could lead to severe destruction and fire. Murat accepted Miloradovich's condition and stopped the offensive. Miloradovich informed Kutuzov about this and suggested that Murat extend the truce until 7 am on September 3. The French agreed to this condition. Apparently, the enemy did not want to destroy the city, where he was going to stop for a long time and cause unnecessary irritation among the Russians on the eve of peace (Napoleon was sure that peace negotiations would soon begin). As a result, the Russian army was able to calmly complete the withdrawal.

On September 2 (14), Napoleon arrived at Poklonnaya Gora and looked at the city for a long time through a telescope. Then he gave the order for the troops to enter the city. The French emperor stopped at the Kamer-kollezhsky shaft in anticipation of a delegation of citizens with the keys to Moscow. However, he was soon informed that the city was empty. This greatly surprised the emperor. He perfectly remembered the meetings (similar to a holiday) that were arranged for him in Milan, Vienna, Berlin, Warsaw and other European cities. The deathly silence and the emptiness of the huge city were a sign that foreshadowed the terrible end of the "Great Army".

Before Moscow. Waiting for the deputation of the boyars. Napoleon on Poklonnaya Hill. Vereshchagin (1891-1892).

The French vanguard entered the city at the same time as the Russian rearguard. At the same time, the last units of the main forces of the Russian army were leaving the city. At that moment, people heard several artillery shots in the city. These shots were fired at the gates of the Kremlin on the orders of Murat - a handful of Russian patriots settled in the fortress and fired on the French. The French gunners broke through the gates, the nameless defenders perished. By the end of the day, all city outposts were occupied by the enemy.

Rostopchin and the Russian command did not have time to take out huge stocks of weapons, ammunition and food from the city. We were able to evacuate only a small part. They managed to burn up to half of all the gunpowder and blow up artillery ammunition, the cartridges were drowned in the river. Warehouses with food and fodder were also destroyed (the barges with bread were drowned). Military property was liquidated for a huge amount - 4.8 million rubles. Worst of all, almost all the stocks of weapons that were in the Kremlin arsenal, the arsenal, were left to the enemy. The French got 156 guns, about 40 thousand good guns and other weapons and ammunition. This allowed the French army to replenish the lack of weapons and ammunition that they experienced after the Battle of Borodino.

In Europe, the news of the entry of the "Great Army" into Moscow was perceived as a sure sign of the defeat of the Russian Empire in the war with Napoleonic France. Some of the courtiers began to advocate for peace with Napoleon. In particular, Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich spoke for peace.

/Guard/ - One-eyed where?
/We/ - ???
/Guard/ - Where is the one-eyed one, I say?!
/we/ - What, sorry?
/Guard/ - Where is the one-eyed one?! Ato arranged a council here in Fili!

(Incident at school)

This post is dedicated to the painting by A. Kivshenko "Council in Fili", painted in 1882. I’m not a master of identification and I don’t understand uniforms and orders well, but still I’ll try to recognize who is who here, and at the same time tell a little about each. So:

The Council in Fili took place approximately at the same place where the Borodino Battle panorama now stands, on September 1 (13), 1812, a week after the Battle of Borodino. The agenda consisted of one single question: whether to surrender Moscow without a fight or accept the battle on Sparrow Hills.

This glorious Areopagus was made up of: Kutuzov, Bennigsen, Barclay de Tolly, Tol, Dokhturov, Uvarov, Osterman-Tolstoy, Raevsky, Konovnitsyn, Kaisarov and Yermolov. In total - 11 people. All of them are shown in the picture. In addition, in the picture, in the upper left corner, a peasant girl is depicted, which, apparently, refers us to Tolstoy's novel War and Peace. Tolstoy depicts this scene through her eyes.

Kutuzov I think everyone knows. He began the council with the words that the position on Sparrow Hills was extremely inconvenient and left no hope of victory over twice as strong an enemy. "Should we expect an attack in an uncomfortable position or retreat behind Moscow?" - asked the Prince.

Opinions were divided as follows:

It draws attention to the fact that it was mainly the “Germans” who spoke in favor of leaving Moscow, and, let’s say, the “natural Russians” were in favor of a hopeless battle. An interesting illustration of national characters!

Who were these people who decided the fate of the Fatherland and its ancient capital?

The main inspiration for the new battle was bennigsen, chief of staff Kutuzov. He sits with his back to the viewer right in the center. A blue ribbon of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called is thrown over his shoulder - a reward for the battle of Preussisch-Eylau. He chose the position for the army on Sparrow Hills. Bennigsen was one of the main instigators of the murder of Paul, for which Alexander did not really like him. There are a lot of bad rumors about him. So, they say that Bennigsen achieved a place at the headquarters of Kutuzov in the hope of "siding up" the old prince and taking his place. Their relationship was strained, and soon after leaving Moscow, Kutuzov would send Bennigsen to resign.

Bennigsen's main opponent was Barclay de Tolly. He, with gray whiskers, sits directly under the icon. Barclay is a truly tragic man. At the beginning of the war, he saved the army when it was in the most difficult situation, but for this he had to sacrifice his reputation. Because of the constant retreat, he was accused of cowardice, of treason, they did not shake hands with him. As a result, all the laurels went not to him, but to Kutuzov, who arrived in the army a week before Borodin. On the Borodino field, he sought death, about which he frankly wrote to the emperor, but fate did not give him eternal rest. (However, I was always surprised how he managed not to find death on the Borodino field, since he had such a desire). Barclay continued to insist on his own: the main thing is to save the army.

The artist depicted Aleksey Petrovich opposing Kutuzov Eromolov. He is standing with a heated look, as if he had just jumped up, on the right side of the picture. Before conquering the highlanders of the Caucasus, Yermolov served in the headquarters of the First Western Army. Chance provided this ardent general to play a crucial role in the Battle of Borodino. At the first French attack on Raevsky's battery, our troops faltered and fled. The center was actually broken through, and our army could easily be divided into two parts. Having happened to be nearby, Yermolov stopped the fleeing soldiers and led the counterattack of the Ufa Infantry Regiment. It is not surprising that such a decisive and ardent man as Yeromolov was, could not accept the idea of ​​​​retreating for Moscow without a fight.

As if not paying attention to disputes, Karl Fedorovich is depicted in the picture Tol, quartermaster general of our army. He stands behind Kutuzov in the shade of the stove with a notebook in his hands. Toll was the most important, although not very visible person in the army. The Quartermaster General is responsible for organizing the supply, movement and disposition of our troops. It was he who chose the position at Borodino, where the battle was given to the French. Talking about Tol, Clausewitz writes that he was one of the most educated officers and was distinguished by harshness and lack of tact. So, when Bagration, for no apparent reason, opposed the position found by Tol near Dorogobuzh, Colonel Tol did not want to refuse his proposal. As a result, Bagration was forced to pull him up: "Mr. Colonel! Your behavior deserves to be sent with a gun behind your back!" Those. temporarily demoted to the soldiers, which, by the way, was practiced.

Directly at the window, to the left of Barclay sits, looking sadly to the side, Count Osterman-Tolstoy, commander of the 4th Corps. Just a week ago, he was shell-shocked on the battlefield of Borodino. The count is famous for his words, spoken by him in the battle near Ostrovno: “The enemy artillery thundered furiously and pulled out whole ranks of the brave Russian regiments. It was difficult to transport our guns, the charges were fired, they fell silent. They ask the count: “What to do?” “Nothing,” he answers, “to stand and die!” (S.N. Glinka). Count Osterman remained true to his motto in the next 1813, when his finest hour came. In the battle of Kulm, he was able to hold back the enemy twice as large all day, preventing him from surrounding the army. In this fight, his arm will be torn off by a ball.

Crossing his legs, the fair-haired man sits closest to Kutuzov. Konovnitsyn, commander of the 3rd Infantry Division, and after Borodin - the 3rd Infantry Corps, instead of the deceased Tuchkov. His division staunchly defended Smolensk, taking the main blow. Konovnitsyn was wounded in the arm. His son became a Decembrist and was exiled to Siberia, and his daughter also went to Siberia after her Decembrist husband.

Sitting between Konovnitsyn and Osterman, leaning over the table and looking at Kutuzov, N. Raevsky, commander of the 7th Infantry Corps. According to legend, he led his underage sons to the attack near Saltanovka, but apparently this still did not happen. No less glorious was his defense of Smolensk until the approach of the main forces, but any cornet knows Raevsky's battery. Again, it is a shame not to know about Pushkin's friendship with the Raevsky family, with whom he rested in the Caucasus.

To the right of Barclay with a map in his hands sits Uvarov, the only cavalryman on the council. He commanded the 1st Cavalry Corps. He did not have a relationship with Kutuzov. The prince was very dissatisfied with his raid on the rear of Napoleon at Borodino and even surrounded him with awards for the battle. Military writers, indeed, have difficulty finding the fruits of this raid and often scold Uvarov for it. I'm already talking about the case when Uvarov submitted a letter of resignation in connection with the rudeness that V.Kn. Konstantin Pavlovich in relation to his subordinate.

To the right of Uvarov sits and looks testily at Kutuzov Dokhturov, commander of the 6th Infantry Corps. With his back to us, next to Bennigsen sits the youngest member of the council - Paisius Kaisarov, army general on duty and Kutuzov's protégé. It is not known what his opinion was about the possible abandonment of Moscow. Unfortunately, I can't say much about the two of them.

Under the cover of a special rearguard, now under the command of General of Infantry Mikhail Andreevich Miloradovich, who replaced the Cossack chieftain Matvey Platov, whose actions Kutuzov was still dissatisfied with, the Russian army retreated behind Mozhaisk, Nara, Bolshie Vyazemy and on September 13 approached Moscow.

Mozhayskaya road in 1812
Chromolithography based on the original by P. KOVALEVSKY

Already on September 11, the rescript of Emperor Alexander I to General Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov followed: As a reward for your merits and labors, we confer on you the rank of Field Marshal General, grant you one hundred thousand rubles at a time, and command your wife, the princess, to be our court lady

Portrait of M.I. Kutuzov
Roman VOLKOV

We grant all the lower ranks who were in this battle five rubles per person. We expect from you a special report on the chief commanders who have joined with you, and after them, on all other ranks, in order to make a worthy reward at your suggestion. We are favorable to you. Alexander.

Kutuzov on Poklonnaya Hill in front of the military council in Fili
War and Peace
Alexey KIVSHENKO

Sent for reconnaissance of the alleged battle site, the chief of staff, Infantry General Leonty Bennigsen, reported at the end of the day on September 12 that such a position had been found 3 versts from Moscow. The next day Kutuzov went there. The Commander-in-Chief asked Generals Barclay de Tolly, Yermolov, Tolya to carefully examine the positions and report their opinion. Barclay, who had already been ill for several days, rode around the battlefield and reported on his complete unfitness. Yermolov and Tolya were of the same opinion. Having given the order to notify the military leaders of the convening of the military council, Kutuzov departed for the village of Fili, where the main apartment of the Russian army was located in the hut of Krastyanin Frolov.

Kutuzov hut in Fili
Alexey SAVRASOV

Kutuzov hut in Fili
Alexey SAVRASOV

Kutuzov at the military council in Fili
Illustration for Leo Tolstoy's novel War and Peace
Andrey NIKOLAEV

The military council, held in secrecy and without protocol, was attended by 10 to 15 people. It is well established that Generals Kutuzov, Barclay de Tolly, Bennigsen, Dokhturov, Yermolov, Raevsky, Konovnitsyn, Osterman-Tolstoy, Tol, Uvarov, Kaisarov were present. Bennigsen was a little late, then Toll arrived, and the last to appear after the beginning of the council was General Raevsky. The question was posed by Kutuzov as follows: is it necessary to risk the entire army located in a disadvantageous position, or should Moscow be left without a fight. Contrary to the regulations (a statement from junior to senior), Barclay de Tolly took the floor and clearly, consistently explained why it was impossible to give a battle, it was necessary to retreat. And he was actually the first to voice the idea that with the loss of Moscow, Russia was not lost, but the capture of Moscow will prepare the death of Napoleon... And I must say, Mikhail Bogdanovich was able to convince even military leaders of his rightness, whose courage there was no doubt: Alexander Osterman-Tolstoy, Karl Tol, Nikolai Raevsky.

Military Council in Fili
Illustration for the novel by Leo Tolstoy War and Peace
Alexey KIVSHENKO
(the picture shows from left to right: Kaisarov, Kutuzov, Konovnitsyn, Raevsky, Osterman-Tolstoy, Barclay de Tolly, Uvarov, Dokhturov, Ermolov, Tol, Bennigsen)

Recognizing the hopelessness of the chosen position for the battle, as an alternative, the intention was expressed to show patriotism and beautifully accept death near the walls of the Kremlin. She was supported by Bennigsen, Yermolov (who later wrote that he spoke out because he was afraid of the reproaches of his contemporaries), Dokhturov, Konovnitsyn. That is, there was practically parity.

Military council in Fili.
Alexey KIVSHENKO

Kutuzov at the end of the council summed up these statements and made a final decision:

With the loss of Moscow, Russia is not lost yet. I make it my first duty to preserve the army, to get closer to those troops that go to reinforce it, and by the very concession of Moscow to prepare for the inevitable death of the enemy. Therefore, I intend, after passing through Moscow, to retreat along the Ryazan road. I know that responsibility will fall on me, but I sacrifice myself to save the Fatherland. I order you to retreat!

Kutuzov after the military council in Fili
Illustration for the novel by Leo Tolstoy War and Peace
Dementy SHMARINOV

Kutuzov in Fili
Alexander APSIT

So, at the military council in Fili on the evening of September 13, two very important decisions were made: the surrender of Moscow without a fight and the retreat of the Russian army along the Ryazan road. The passage of troops through Moscow was entrusted to Barclay de Tolly, and the commander of the rearguard, General Miloradovich Kutuzov, ordered through Yermolov honor the ancient capital with the VIEW of the battle under its walls.

Having received such an order from the commander-in-chief, Mikhail Andreevich Miloradovich was very surprised, became furious and refused to give battle. Of course, he understood the danger that threatened the Russian army at that moment, and sent his adjutant to Murat with a proposal to conclude a one-day truce, during which the Russian army could freely proceed through Moscow, unambiguously hinting to the marshal that otherwise his detachment would fight for every house and street and leave Moscow in ruins for the French... The French dutifully waited for the Russian army and the inhabitants of Moscow to leave the ancient capital.

The Russian army and residents leave Moscow in 1812.
A.SEMYONOV, A.SOKOLOV

This truce also suited the enemy, since both Murat and Napoleon believed that this was the first signal for peace negotiations, which the French emperor was so eager for. And no one wanted to sacrifice their own forces, pretty battered in the battle of Borodino. Whether a personal meeting took place at that historical moment of two great military leaders - Marshal Murat and General Miloradovich, nicknamed the Russian Murat, these two dandies are not exactly known (there are different opinions on that), but here is what he recalled about their contacts in his Notes General Alexey Ermolov:

General Miloradovich more than once had a meeting with Murat, the king of Naples... Murat would appear now dressed in Guishpan, now in an imaginary stupid costume, with a sable hat, and eyelet pantaloons. Miloradovich - on a Cossack horse, with a whip, with three shawls of bright colors that do not agree with each other, which, with their ends wrapped around the neck, developed to their full length at the behest of the wind. The third such was not in the armies.

In the Russian troops, after the announcement of the decision in Fili, despondency reigned. The officers and soldiers, entangled in the constantly changing statements of the field marshal, were perplexed and did not want to believe: I remember when my adjutant Lindel brought the order for the surrender of Moscow, all minds were in agitation: most of them wept, many tore off their uniforms and did not want to serve after the reprehensible retreat, or better, the surrender of Moscow. My General Borozdin resolutely considered this order treacherous and did not budge until General Dokhturov arrived to replace him.(S.I. Maevsky My age...)

Portrait of Count Fyodor Vasilyevich Rostopchin
Orest Kiprensky

What can we say then about the Governor-General of Moscow, Fyodor Vasilyevich Rostopchin, whom Kutuzov confused and led by the nose with his contradictory declarations: My real subject is the salvation of Moscow; The question has not yet been resolved: should we lose the army, or lose Moscow? In my opinion, the loss of Russia is connected with the loss of Moscow; It is not unknown to each of the chiefs that the Russian army must have a decisive battle under the walls of Moscow (the latter was said on September 12) So you just have to sympathize with this unsympathetic person.

Count Rostopchin and merchant son Vereshchagin in the courtyard of the governor's house in Moscow
Illustration for the novel by Leo Tolstoy War and Peace
Alexey KIVSHENKO

On the morning of September 13, Count Rostopchin committed a senseless and cruel act. At 10 o'clock in the morning, he left his house on Bolshaya Lubyanka to a huge crowd that had gathered to find out from the commander-in-chief himself whether Moscow would really be surrendered. In order to divert her attention and direct the passions of those gathered in a different direction, Rostopchin ordered that the arrested merchant son Vereshchagin be brought, whom he personally accused of betrayal, accusing him of translating old Napoleonic leaflets - Letters from Napoleon to the King of Prussia And Speech delivered by Napoleon to the princes of the Confederation of the Rhine in Dresden. From this, the governor-general inflated the case of a universal scale, presenting Vereshchagin as a malicious drafter of proclamations.

Death of Vereshchagin
Claudius Lebedev

Rostopchin began to shout that Vereshchagin was the only Muscovite who had betrayed the Fatherland, and ordered two dragoon non-commissioned officers to hack him to death with sabers. When Vereshchagin fell, the crowd carried out the massacre...

Of course, not all Muscovites were waiting for the order to retreat, when a couple of weeks before that, the transfer of various state institutions, offices, state property to Vladimir, Nizhny Novgorod and other cities began. More far-sighted and wealthy citizens began to slowly leave the capital. Nevertheless, a lot of people still remained, among them a large number of sick and wounded (according to various sources, about 20 thousand people), evacuated from previous battles to Moscow and those who managed to get out of the Borodino hell and from under Mozhaisk.

The wounded in the Battle of Borodino arrive in Moscow
Illustration for the novel War and Peace Lev Tolstoy
Alexander APSIT

The wounded in the Rostov courtyard
Illustration for the novel War and Peace Lev Tolstoy
Andrey NIKOLAEV

There were, of course, kind souls, such as the commander of the 2nd Combined Grenadier Division, Count Vorontsov, wounded at Borodino (yeah, exactly the same half lord half ignorant... but there is hope..., glorified later our everything for centuries), who ordered to leave the junk and wealth of several generations of his family, loaded on carts, and give them to evacuate the wounded; he was taken to the estate in the Vladimir province of about 450 people - generals, officers, batmen and soldiers. And then in Andreevsky, Mikhail Semyonovich organized a hospital where these wounded were treated at his expense until full recovery.

Portrait of General Mikhail Vorontsov
George Doe

But others are not so lucky. According to the testimony of the French staff general Jean-Jacques-Germain Pele-Closo, on September 14, Kutuzov ordered Miloradovich to deliver to the French a note signed by the duty general P. Kaisarov and addressed to the Chief of the General Staff of the French Army, Louis-Alexandre Berthier: The wounded remaining in Moscow are entrusted with the philanthropy of the French troops. It is not difficult to guess how this philanthropy turned out in burned Moscow.

My soul was torn apart by the groan of the wounded, left at the mercy of the enemy. ... The troops looked at this with indignation
(General Alexey Ermolov)

As I have already said, Kutuzov entrusted the organization of the passage of troops through Moscow to Barclay de Tolly, who wrote to Rostopchin: The armies are moving out this night in two columns, of which one will go through the Kaluga outpost, and the other will go through the Smolensk ... I ask you to order to take all necessary measures to preserve peace and quiet both on the part of the remaining inhabitants, and to prevent the abuse of troops, placing police teams all over the streets. For the army, it is necessary to have as many guides as possible, to whom all the big and country roads would be known..

Withdrawal of Russian troops through Moscow
I. ARKHIPOV

The withdrawal of Russian troops from Moscow in 1812
Vasily LEBEDEV

Rostopchin carried out the order, and discipline during the passage of troops through Moscow was the strictest. Barclay spent eighteen hours in the saddle and left Moscow with the last detachment at 9 pm. Muscovites, who at first greeted the Russian army cordially and enthusiastically, then realized that it was simply following through Moscow, fell silent in confusion, looking at the departing army. The soldiers felt embarrassed, were gloomy, did not speak, some even cried. Kutuzov, not yet assuming the strength of Muscovites' discontent against him, first rode through the city on horseback, but then got into a carriage and asked his adjutant, Prince A.B. Golitsyn to see him out of Moscow so as not to meet anyone as much as possible.

Together with the army, Fyodor Rostopchin also left Moscow. As the governor-general of Moscow, he considered it his duty to be with the army as long as it remained within the boundaries of the Moscow province.

Residents leave Moscow
Nikolay SAMOKISH

Flight of residents from Moscow
Claudius Lebedev

Flight of residents from Moscow
Alexander APSIT

Following the army or together with it, thousands of carts and carriages, as well as tens of thousands of citizens who left the city on foot, moved through the Moscow outposts. This gigantic full-flowing river, consisting of old men, peasants, women, discharged young ladies, mothers with babies in their arms and young children, carriages, carts and wagons loaded with goods, household belongings and all kinds of domestic animals, gushed at once through all squares, streets and lanes. It was no longer the move of the army, but the movement of entire peoples from one end of the world to the other.(S.I. Maevsky My age, or the history of General Mayevsky)

Departure of residents from Moscow
Illustration for the novel by Leo Tolstoy War and Peace
Andrey NIKOLAEV

Suddenly, in the battalions that were the last to leave the city, music began to play ...
– What rogue told you to play music?- Shouted General of Infantry Mikhail Andreevich Miloradovich to the commander of the garrison, Lieutenant General Brozin.
– According to the charter of Peter the Great, when the garrison leaves the fortress, music plays- answered the pedantic Vasily Ivanovich.
– And where is it written in the charter of Peter the Great about the surrender of Moscow? Miloradovich barked. Please tell the music to stop!

Portrait of General Mikhail Andreevich Miloradovich
Yuri IVANOV

And already on the evening of September 14, the soldiers and officers of the retreating Russian army saw flashes of the Moscow fire on the horizon: it was burning on Solyanka, in Kitay-gorod, behind the Yauza bridge ... During the night, the fire intensified significantly and engulfed most of the city.

The Council in Fili is a curious event in Russian history. In an ordinary peasant hut, the commander-in-chief of the Russian army with other high-ranking officials decided the fate of the ancient capital of the country - Moscow, and in a sense, all of Russia.

In September 1812, after the bloody Battle of Borodino, the army faced a difficult task. The troops positioned themselves west of Moscow to fight Napoleon when he approached.

However, the general, having inspected the territory of the location, came to the conclusion that it was unprofitable. This was agreed with by other officers who passed through the headquarters. It became clear that a new battle would only lead to many casualties, and Moscow would go to the enemy.

The meeting, as already mentioned, was brought together by M. I. Kutuzov. Its participants, some of whom did not appear immediately, were divided into two groups. The following were in favor of the retreat:

• Barclay de Tolly;
• Osterman-Tolstoy;
• Tol; ;
• M. I. Kutuzov himself.

Nevertheless, most of the council members were in favor of giving a fight. Leonty Bennigsen, who chose the location for the troops, emphasized that Moscow is a sacred city for Russia (he spoke German, because he did not know Russian); besides, the retreat made senseless the previous Battle of Borodino, in which there were many losses.

However, the commander-in-chief reasonably noted that Russia is not in Moscow alone; the exhausted army must take a breather to restore combat power and link up with new units. As a result, it was decided to retreat.

Retreat

It is known that when the news reached the troops, it was met with murmuring and bewilderment. The soldiers were preparing to fight at all costs, they wanted to die for their "old capital", but they were forbidden to perform this feat. According to the memoirs of the council members, Kutuzov, having given the order to retreat, wept alone; he himself did not like the decision, although he realized that it was "the lesser evil."

Retreat of the Russian army 1812 photo

It was decided to retreat in the direction of Ryazan. Then one part of the troops turned towards Podolsk, while the rest continued to move towards Ryazan. It was here that the advantage of the decision was revealed: for nine days the French army, perplexed by the sudden retreat of the Russians, was disoriented and could not understand where the Russian troops were.

Due to the current situation - the decision had to be made quickly - the minutes of the meeting were not kept, so historians have an idea about it only from the memoirs of some participants. They were enough for Leo Tolstoy to describe the council in Fili in the novel War and Peace.

In the spacious, best hut of the peasant Andrey Savostyanov, a council met at two o'clock. The peasants, women and children of the large peasant family crowded into the black hut across the canopy. Only Andrei's granddaughter, Malasha, a six-year-old girl, to whom the brightest, after caressing her, gave a piece of sugar for tea, remained on the stove in a large hut. Malasha timidly and joyfully looked from the stove at the faces, uniforms and crosses of the generals, one after another entering the hut and taking seats in the red corner, on the wide benches under the images. Grandfather himself, as Malasha Kutuzova internally called him, sat separately from them, in a dark corner behind the stove. He sat sank deep into a folding chair, and incessantly grunted and straightened the collar of his coat, which, although unbuttoned, still seemed to pinch his neck. One by one, those who entered approached the field marshal; to some he shook hands, to others he nodded his head. Adjutant Kaisarov wanted to draw back the curtain in the window against Kutuzov, but Kutuzov angrily waved his hand at him, and Kaisarov realized that his Serene Highness did not want to be seen on his face.

So many people gathered around the peasant's spruce table, on which lay maps, plans, pencils, papers, that the batmen brought another bench and put it at the table. The newcomers sat on this bench: Yermolov, Kaisarov and Tol. Under the very images, in the first place, sat with George on his neck, with a pale sickly face and with his high forehead, merging with his bare head, Barclay de Tolly. For the second day already, he was tormented by a fever, and at that very time he was shivering and breaking down. Next to him sat Uvarov and in a low voice (as everyone else said) something, quickly making gestures, informed Barclay. Small, round Dokhturov, raising his eyebrows and folding his hands on his stomach, listened attentively. On the other side, Count Osterman-Tolstoy, leaning his broad head with bold features and sparkling eyes, leaned on his arm, seemed lost in his own thoughts. Raevsky, with an expression of impatience, curling his black hair at his temples forward with a habitual gesture, glanced first at Kutuzov, then at the front door. Konovnitsyn's firm, handsome and kind face shone with a gentle and sly smile. He met Malasha's gaze and made signs to her that made the girl smile.

Everyone was waiting for Bennigsen, who was finishing his delicious dinner under the pretext of a new inspection of the position. They waited for him from four to six hours, and during all this time they did not start the meeting and carried on extraneous conversations in low voices.

Only when Benigsen entered the hut did Kutuzov move out of his corner and move towards the table, but so much so that his face was not illuminated by the candles served on the table.

Bennigsen opened the council with a question: "Should we leave the sacred and ancient capital of Russia without a fight or defend it?" There was a long and general silence. All faces frowned, and in the silence one could hear Kutuzov's angry groaning and coughing. All eyes were on him. Malasha also looked at her grandfather. She was closest to him and saw how his face wrinkled up: he seemed to be about to cry. But this did not last long.

– The sacred ancient capital of Russia! - he suddenly spoke, repeating Bennigsen's words in an angry voice, and thereby pointing out the false note of these words. - Let me tell you, Your Excellency, that this question does not make sense for a Russian person. (He rolled forward with his heavy body.) Such a question cannot be asked, and such a question does not make sense. The question for which I asked these gentlemen to gather is a military question. The question is the following: “The salvation of Russia in the army. Is it more profitable to risk the loss of the army and Moscow by accepting the battle, or to give Moscow without a fight? That's the question I want to know your opinion. (He leans back on the back of his chair.)

Debate began. Bennigsen did not yet consider the game lost. Admitting the opinion of Barclay and others about the impossibility of accepting a defensive battle near Fili, he, imbued with Russian patriotism and love for Moscow, proposed to transfer troops at night from the right to the left flank and strike the next day on the right wing of the French. Opinions were divided, there were disputes in favor of and against this opinion. Yermolov, Dokhturov and Raevsky agreed with Bennigsen's opinion. Whether guided by a sense of need, the sacrifice of leaving the capital or other personal considerations, but these generals did not seem to understand that this council could not change the inevitable course of affairs and that Moscow had already been abandoned. The rest of the generals understood this and, leaving aside the question of Moscow, talked about the direction that the army was supposed to take in its retreat. Malasha, who kept her eyes fixed on what was happening in front of her, otherwise understood the meaning of this advice. It seemed to her that it was only a personal struggle between "grandfather" and "long-sleeved", as she called Benigsen. She saw that they were angry when they talked to each other, and in her heart she held the side of her grandfather. In the middle of the conversation, she noticed a quick sly look thrown by her grandfather at Benigsen, and after that, to her joy, she noticed that grandfather, having said something to the long-haired man, reined in him: Benigsen suddenly blushed and walked angrily up and down the hut. The words that had such an effect on Bennigsen were, in a calm and quiet voice, the opinion expressed by Kutuzov about the benefits and disadvantages of Bennigsen's proposal: about the transfer of troops from the right to the left flank at night to attack the right wing of the French.

“I, gentlemen,” said Kutuzov, “cannot approve the count’s plan. Movements of troops at close range to the enemy are always dangerous, and military history confirms this consideration. So, for example ... (Kutuzov seemed to be thinking, looking for an example and looking at Benigsen with a bright, naive look.) Yes, at least the Friedland battle, which, as I think, the count remembers well, was ... not quite successful just because our troops rebuilt at too close a distance from the enemy ... - Followed, which seemed to everyone very long, a minute's silence.

The debate resumed again, but often there were breaks, and it was felt that there was nothing more to talk about.
During one of these breaks, Kutuzov sighed heavily, as if about to speak. Everyone looked back at him.

- Eh bien, messieurs! Je vois que c "est moi qui payerai les pots casses, [ So, gentlemen, therefore, I have to pay for broken pots, ] - he said. And, slowly rising, he approached the table. “Gentlemen, I have heard your opinions. Some will disagree with me. But I (he stopped) by the power entrusted to me by my sovereign and fatherland, I order a retreat.

Following this, the generals began to disperse with the same solemn and silent caution with which they disperse after the funeral.

Malasha, who had been waiting for supper for a long time, cautiously descended backwards from the bed, clinging with her bare little legs to the ledges of the stove, and, mingling between the legs of the generals, darted through the door.

Having released the generals, Kutuzov sat for a long time, leaning on the table, and thought about the same terrible question: “When, when, at last, was it decided that Moscow had been abandoned? When was the thing done that settled the issue, and who is to blame for it?”

“I didn’t expect this, I didn’t expect this,” he said to Adjutant Schneider, who came in late at night, “I didn’t expect this!” I didn't think that!

“You need to rest, Your Grace,” Schneider said.

- No! They will eat horse meat like Turks, ”Kutuzov shouted without answering, striking the table with his plump fist,“ they will, if only ...

Lev Tolstoy. "War and Peace".

Professor of the Academy of Arts Alexei Danilovich Kivshenko (1851-1895) is not one of the outstanding painters of his time. In fact, he, who painted many paintings on everyday and battle themes, became famous for only one of them, countless reproductions of which could be found throughout the country. Not a single textbook on the history of the USSR (later - Russia) can do without this picture for 70 years, dozens of times the picture was reproduced in the form of postcards, and the glory of this picture was almost not prevented by the revolution: as soon as in the 1930s the concept of patriotism (even if “Soviet ) was restored in its rights, the picture of Kivshenko turned out to be very popular and Soviet propaganda.

Kivshenko did not hide the fact that he painted the picture under the influence of Leo Tolstoy's novel "War and Peace", which describes this famous military council on September 1, 1812 in the village of Fili near Moscow, in Andrei Frolov's peasant hut. As you know, Tolstoy showed the historical event that took place that day through the eyes of the peasant girl Malasha, who “timidly and joyfully looked from the stove at the faces, uniforms and crosses of the generals, one after another entering the hut and sitting in the red corner, on wide benches under the icons. Grandfather himself, as Malasha Kutuzova internally called him, sat separately from them, in a dark corner behind the stove.<…>. So many people gathered around the peasant's spruce table, on which lay maps, plans, pencils, papers, that the batmen brought another bench and put it at the table. Those who came sat on this bench: Yermolov, Kaisarov, Tol. Under the very images, in the first place, sat with George on his neck, with a pale sickly face and with his high forehead, merging with his bare head, Barclay de Tolly. For the second day already, he was tormented by a fever, and at that very time he was shivering and breaking down. Next to him sat Uvarov and in a low voice (as everyone else said) something, quickly making gestures, informed Barclay. Little round Dokhturov, raising his eyebrows and folding his hands on his stomach, listened attentively. On the other side, Count Osterman-Tolstoy, leaning his broad head with bold features and sparkling eyes, leaned on his arm, seemed lost in his own thoughts. Raevsky, with an expression of impatience, curling his black hair at his temples forward with a habitual gesture, glanced first at Kutuzov, then at the front door. Konovnitsyn's firm, handsome and kind face shone with a gentle and sly smile. He met Malasha's gaze and made signs to her that made the girl smile. Everyone was waiting for Bennigsen ... ”Tolstoy, and after him and Kivshenko, for some reason forgot Ataman M.I. Platov. who was also on the board.

It was a military council at which one vital question for the army and Russia was discussed: to surrender Moscow to the enemy without a fight, or to give him a fight in those positions near Poklonnaya Gora that Chief of Staff Bennigsen picked up? Having opened the council, he immediately raised the question in a demagogic vein: “If we leave Moscow, will society believe us that we won the Battle of Borodino, as we have already announced this?” Kutuzov immediately interrupted the chief of staff - Bennigsen aimed directly at him. The fact is that on the night after the battle of Borodino on August 27, Kutuzov, indeed, informed Tsar Alexander about the retreat of the enemy from the Borodino field and even about the alleged pursuit of him by the Cossacks. Later, by morning, it became clear that the French had kept the battlefield behind them, and the Russian command, having calculated their huge losses, on the contrary, had to issue an order to retreat. The stop in this backward movement was the position at Poklonnaya Gora. Kivshenko is just “photographing” the very moment when Kutuzov interrupts Benningsen and raises the question differently, more pragmatically, to the point: “Is it decent to expect an attack in an uncomfortable position or leave Moscow to the enemy?” The floor was taken by Barclay de Tolly, who said that the chosen position was weak, that Moscow had to be abandoned, because, having saved the army, we could count on victory. A heated argument ensued, which the members of the council conducted, by the way, in French. Bennigsen was supported by six of the eleven generals, and Barclay was supported by only three - Tol, Osterman and Raevsky. But the decisive word still remained with Kutuzov. It follows from Yermolov's memoirs that Kutuzov allegedly did not yet know what to do on the eve of the council. When on the morning of September 1 Yermolov expressed doubts about the reliability of the position near Vorobyov, Kutuzov defiantly felt his pulse and asked: “Are you healthy?” - but when, in the evening of the same day, Barclay began to persuade Kutuzov to leave Moscow, he, Yermolov writes, “could not hide his admiration that the thought of retreat would not be assigned to him, and, wanting to deflect reproaches from himself as much as possible, ordered<…>call Messrs. generals for advice. Alas, you should not trust Yermolov - he himself was not distinguished by nobility, often writing vile things about others. And here he denigrates Kutuzov, who still bore full responsibility for his orders in the army, no matter who offered him the very ideas of orders. So here, repeating Barclay's arguments about the weakness of the chosen position, Kutuzov closed the council with the words: “I know that responsibility will fall on me, but I sacrifice myself for the good of the Fatherland. I order you to retreat!” Tolstoy caught this main thought of Kutuzov, putting into his mouth the words: “Eh bien, messieurs! Je vois que c'est moi gui payerai les pots cases" ("So, gentlemen, therefore, I have to pay for broken pots"). There is no doubt that a heavy burden fell on the shoulders of Kutuzov. He knew that for this decision all the slop would be poured on his gray head (which Yermolov did in his memoirs), but then the commander-in-chief knew about the deplorable state of his army, about colossal losses, about the lack of reserves, about the weakness of a narrow position crossed by ravines at Poklonnaya Hill. All this did not give him any hope of victory. All the experience and intuition of the old commander prompted Kutuzov the decision to retreat, the correctness of which was so vigorously disputed by his generals at the council. That is why he decided to take sin on his soul, relying on God, luck and ... Moscow, which, as he wrote at the same time, would be “like a sponge that sucks him (Napoleon. - E.A.) into itself. Something similar had already happened to him in 1811, during the Russian-Turkish war. Having decided to change the unsuccessful course of the war and lure the Turks into a trap, he suddenly left the fortress Ruschuk, which had just been taken by his army, and retreated, to the indignation of the tsar and his generals. Then he wrote. That Ruschuk's concession does harm only to his personal reputation, and not to the whole army, and that the honor of Russia and the sovereign will not suffer from this. And then he defeated the Turkish army surrounded by him. Something similar happened near Moscow. It is noteworthy that the most indignant at Kutuzov for the retreat was the commander-in-chief of Moscow, Fedor Rostopchin. As you know, he planned to set fire to Moscow when the French appeared near the capital. And Kutuzov wrote and told him many times (including at the position near Vorobyov) that he would “lie down with bones”, but he would not surrender Moscow. But ... passed! The Russian Herostratus was unaware that if, having learned about the true intentions of Kutuzov to retreat, he set fire to Moscow before the approach of the Russian army, then the troops would be in a catastrophic situation - between the burning capital and the fire of the French. And so, having surrendered Moscow, Kutuzov kept the army and hope ...