He began his military career under the command of A.V. Suvorov with participation in the suppression of the Polish uprising of 1794. During the Russian-Prussian-French campaign (1806–1807) he was in battles at the town of Golomin, Preussisch-Eylau and other battles.

In 1812, D.V. Golitsyn bravely fought at Borodino, Tarutin, Maly Yaroslavets and during the foreign campaigns of the Russian army (1813–1814).

Knight of the highest Russian and foreign orders.

The Golitsyn period in the history of Moscow was marked by major transformations in the field of architectural and urban development of the city. In 1821–1823, over the old bed of the Neglinnaya River, the Resurrection Garden with a grotto arch was built according to the design of the architect O.I. Bove, in 1821 - a boulevard on the Kremlin embankment. By 1830, the restoration of the city ensemble after the fire of 1812 was completed and work began on the implementation of a fundamentally new program for planning and development of the capital, which was the result of close cooperation between the Governor General and the architects M.D. Bykovsky and K.A. Ton.

In 1839, a solemn ceremony of laying the foundation of a temple in the name of Christ the Savior took place. The reconstruction and expansion of the boundaries of the center and the streets adjacent to it, and the restoration of architectural monuments of the Kremlin were carried out. The construction of the Alekseevsky water-lifting building, which began in 1828, contributed to improving the city’s water supply. In 1824, repairs were made to the bridges damaged by the flood in November 1823, and in 1829 the permanent Moskvoretsky Bridge was erected “on stone piers and abutments.” The decoration of Moscow was the Triumphal Gate, built in 1829–1831.

By order of D.V. Golitsyn, money was allocated for the construction of a highway from the Crimean Bridge to Kaluga Square, for the finishing of Chistye Prudy, the construction of a wooden water supply canal from Tverskaya Square along Stoleshnikov Lane, paving streets, etc.

One of the features of the urban planning plan was the construction of a new type of trading buildings: the Merchant Exchange on Ilyinka, the first passage in Russia between the Bolshoi Theater and the Kuznetsky Most.

The sphere of charity enjoyed the attention and care of the Governor General. During his tenure in Moscow, the 1st children's hospital, the Nabilkovskaya and Maroseiskaya almshouses, the city orphanage, the Bourgeois School, the Committee for the analysis and charity of those asking for alms, the Charitable Society of 1837, the House of Diligence, Glaznaya, the 1st Gradskaya and Novo-Ekaterininskaya hospitals, educational institutions - Aleksandrovsky and Nikolaevsky orphan institutes.

D.V. Golitsyn became the founder of the Moscow Society of Agriculture in December 1820. The Moscow Provincial Archive owes much of its creation in 1823 to him. At the end of 1824, the Maly Theater opened its doors. In 1821–1824, according to the design of architects O.I. Bove and A.A. Mikhailov, the Bolshoi Theater building was built.

D.V. Golitsyn laid the foundation for organizing exhibitions of manufactured and handicraft products, the first of which opened in June 1831 in the halls of the Noble Assembly.

The cholera epidemic that swept through Russia in 1830–1831 became a serious test for the capital's administration, but it was successfully dealt with. And not the least role here was played by the Moscow police service. However, the numerical strength of this department could not fully ensure the fulfillment of all the necessary requirements that arose not only in extreme, but also in ordinary situations. Therefore, in 1841, the prince made a request to the emperor to revise the staff of 1822 and establish a committee to draw up a new regulation and staff of the Moscow police, which began to operate under his leadership.

For his tireless and varied activities, D.V. Golitsyn was repeatedly awarded the highest gratitude with the expression of “special and complete gratitude for his excellent service and zealous care for the improvement of the capital entrusted to him.”

On June 6, 1843, he was dismissed upon request for leave for treatment. Died in Paris. He was buried in the Donskoy Monastery.

Biography

early years

Representative of the third branch of the Golitsyn princes - the Golitsyn-Alekseevichs, whose ancestor was the boyar Alexei Golitsyn (1632-1694). Grandson of Princess Anastasia Petrovna, “abbess of the most drunken cathedral.”

Golitsyn was also involved in the selection and acquisition of works of painting to be sent to St. Petersburg: with his help, the Crozat collection, the collections of Kobenzl, and Feitam were purchased for the Hermitage. Diderot spoke about the prince’s artistic passions in the following way:

I properly felt the current decline of painting only after the acquisitions made by Prince Golitsyn for Her Majesty and which attracted my attention to ancient paintings. You will get a great collection there! The prince, our mutual friend, was incredibly successful in his knowledge of art. You yourself will be surprised how he understands, feels, judges. And this, my friend, is because he has high thoughts and a beautiful soul. And a person with such a soul does not have bad taste.

In 1767, due to a diplomatic conflict: belittling the title of Catherine II in official correspondence with St. Petersburg by the Versailles court, Golitsyn was ordered to “leave Paris without an audience.” During his stay in Russia, he received the rank of full chamberlain and the rank of privy councilor. In 1769 he was appointed "Minister Plenipotentiary and Extraordinary to the States General of the United Provinces of the Lower Netherlands." His diplomatic activities in The Hague were largely aimed at ensuring the safety of Russian merchant ships during the war for the independence of the British colonies in North America. The extent of Golitsyn’s participation in the creation of the “Declaration of Armed Neutrality” (1780) is not fully clear. However, according to the research of historians and, above all, N.N. Bolkhovitinov, Golitsyn was the initiator of the creation of the “Declaration...” and the compiler of its draft. Golitsyn convinced Stadtholder Wilhelm V, who had previously been a supporter of England, to join the countries that adopted the “Declaration...”.

Probably, the dissatisfaction of the Russian court with Golitsyn's contacts with Adams, the US representative in the Netherlands, explains his recall from The Hague and subsequent appointment as envoy to Turin (November 24, 1782). Having never left for Turin, at the end of 1783 Golitsyn resigned and remained to live in Holland.

Family

In 1767, forced to leave France, Golitsyn asked permission to stay abroad to continue his education. Neither his direct superiors nor the Empress, to whom Golitsyn addressed through Falcone, gave him this opportunity. Due to health reasons, he delayed his departure to Russia for several months. In the summer of 1768, while undergoing treatment in Aachen, the prince met the daughter of Prussian Field Marshal Samuel von Schmettau Amalia, who accompanied Frederick II's daughter-in-law Ferdinanda on a trip to the resort. The wedding took place in Aachen on August 14, 1768. The young people arrived in St. Petersburg in October of the same year. As soon as Golitsyn received a new appointment, the couple left for Holland. In Berlin, the Golitsyns had a daughter, Marianna (December 7, 1769), and a year later in The Hague, a son, Dmitry (December 22, 1770). From 1774, perhaps seeking a less formal lifestyle, Amalia Golitsyna lived near The Hague and raised her children. At first, she shared her husband’s atheistic way of thinking, but the princess later became very religious. In 1780, there was a break between the spouses, and Amalia Golitsyna moved to Münster with her children. In 1786, the princess converted to Catholicism and opened a religious-mystical salon (Kreise von Münster). Nevertheless, the couple corresponded and Golitsyn sometimes visited his family in Munster. At the age of 50, his daughter will become the wife of Prince Salma.

Golitsyn and the peasant question. Physiocrats

During his service in France, Golitsyn was a regular visitor to the salon of Victor Mirabeau, a kind of branch of the circle of the creator of physiocracy, F. Quesnay. He became one of the first Russians to join the ideas of the physiocrats. In his letters to Chancellor A. M. Golitsyn, understanding the need to increase agricultural productivity in Russia, D. Golitsyn spoke out for the liberation of the peasants and granting them ownership of property, the gradual formation of land ownership, through the purchase of land by farmers, the creation of a middle class, and the destruction of subsistence farming. In his correspondence with the Chancellor, Golitsyn referred to the example of Denmark; he closely followed the progress of socio-economic reforms in this country. In 1766, Golitsyn studied more than half of the works on legislation favorable to agriculture submitted to a competition announced by the Economic Society in Bern. In letters to A. M. Golitsyn, the envoy retells and extensively quotes some of the competition works. Believing that changes should be achieved gradually, through the power of persuasion, he believed that the most effective would be the example set by the empress herself. Golitsyn’s letters were read by Catherine II, judging by the notes left on them, who was very skeptical of his proposals, and, unlike the prince, did not idealize the noble landowners. A supporter of social reforms, Golitsyn was nevertheless an opponent of the revolutionary coup. Later, influenced by the events of the French Revolution, he wrote:

In 1796, Golitsyn published the book “On the Spirit of Economists, or Economists Acquitted of the Charge that Their Principles and Ideas Formed the Foundation of the French Revolution” (“De l'esprit des economistes ou les economists justifies d'avoir pose par leurs principes les bases de la revolution francaise"), where he argued that the physiocrats of the older generation did not strive for revolution, but tried to support the collapsing existing system.

Scientific work

Even while working in Paris, Golitsyn was interested in scientific and technical innovations, followed natural science literature and maintained correspondence with scientists. Golitsyn's letters, sent to the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences through diplomatic channels, were valuable because in the last decade of the 18th century and the first years of the 19th century, almost no literature came to Russia from abroad.

Like many naturalists of the 18th century, Golitsyn was interested in various fields of science. Having become the Russian envoy to Holland, he established connections with Dutch scientists from different cities. Around 1776, Golitsyn created his home laboratory in The Hague, but also experimented in other people's laboratories, and also assisted other scientists. Judging by a letter dated February 28, 1778 to Swinden, Golitsyn had the largest electrostatic machine at that time (the diameter of two disks was 800 mm) of his own design. After retiring in 1783, the prince was able to seriously engage in scientific research.

Electricity

Golitsyn summarized the results of his experiments on electricity in the works: “Letter about some objects of electricity...” and “Observations of natural electricity through a kite”. In the first work, the question of the nature of electricity was considered (Golitsyn’s concept is one of the variations of the fluid theory), a guess was made about “rays emanating from a positively charged body”, the topic of lightning protection devices was discussed, as well as the influence of electricity on biological processes (using the example of the electrification of chicken eggs brooded by a hen). In the second work, Golitsyn drew an analogy between a cloud carrying an electric charge and a Leyden jar and described attempts to charge the latter using a kite in different weather conditions, noting the lack of a stable result. Golitsyn also conducted a series of experiments to prove that a pointed spark gap is more effective than rounded or flat spark gaps. In the article “Letter on the Form of Lightning Rods” (July 6, 1778, published in 1780), he covered this issue in detail. Golitsyn developed the design of a single-rod lightning rod to ensure the insulation of its metal parts from the building structures of the protected structure to prevent their damage when the rod is heated from a lightning strike. A similar lightning rod was installed at Rosendal Castle (Geldern). In this installation, Golitsyn anticipated modern lightning protection standards for explosive and fire-hazardous objects. Together with Swinden, Golitsyn carried out experiments to discover the influence of electricity on magnetism. Scientists were one step away from success: placing a magnetic needle in the plane of a spark discharge, they did not detect its movement under the influence of electricity. A positive result could be achieved if the arrow were above or below the discharge. Based on unsuccessful experiments, Swinden denied the connection between electricity and magnetism.

Mineralogy

Having become interested in mineralogy in the 80s, Golitsyn, like many others, began collecting specimens - mostly in the mountains of Germany. His collection of minerals was replenished with receipts from Russia; P. S. Pallas provided great assistance to the prince in this. Forster, who visited Golitsyn in 1790, spoke about it this way: “The prince’s mineralogical cabinet is the collection of an expert who himself collected and preserved it, which happens rarely and is instructive in its own way. We were amazed at the one and a half pound block of flexible Peiresque sandstone brought from Brazil; The prince’s experiments convinced us that the decomposed types of Siebengebirg granites near Bonn are even more strongly attracted by a magnet than basalts.”

Golitsyn’s last and largest work was “A collection of names in alphabetical order adopted in mineralogy for earths and stones, metals and semimetals and rock resins...” (Gallitzin D. Recuel de noms par ordre aiphabetique apropries en Mineralogie aux terres et pierres, aux metaux et demi metaux et au bitume... Brunsvik, 1801, p. 320; Nouvelle edition. Brunsvik, 1801, p. 316). The second, revised, edition of the “Collection...” was published just before the author’s death. The book was not translated into Russian, but domestic mineralogists were familiar with it, in particular, V. M. Severgin, when compiling the “Detailed Mineralogical Dictionary,” used material from Golitsyn’s “Collection...”.

While exploring the Spessart plateau on one of his last trips, the prince discovered an unknown mineral. Golitsyn sent a sample of the mineral to Klaproth in Berlin: chemical research showed that it was titanium oxide with iron. The prince sent a sample of the mineral with the results of the analysis to the Jena Mineralogical Society. Its founder and director, Lenz, named the mineral “gallicinite” (the name lasted until the mid-19th century; the name rutile is currently used).

In the summer of 1799, Golitsyn was elected president of the Jena Mineralogical Society. Despite his serious illness, the prince took an active part in his work.

Before his death, Golitsyn donated his collection to the Mineralogical Museum of Jena (the 1850 kg load arrived in December 1802), asking that the specimens be placed according to the Haüy system.

Volcanology

Golitsyn was one of the first to study the extinct volcanoes of Germany, noting the surprising silence of local naturalists, when “their [volcanoes] number is amazingly large, their products are very diverse and they are constantly in sight; the materials that these volcanoes emitted have been used for centuries...” The prince saw the reason for this in the relative youth of mineralogy and volcanology and in the absence of a unified classification of minerals. “A Memoir on Some Extinct Volcanoes of Germany” was provided by Golitsyn in February 1785 to the Brussels academicians (Gallitzin D. Memoire sur guelgues vilcans etenits de l’Allemaqne. - Mem. Acad. Bruxelles, 1788, 5, p. 95-114). In his work, the prince summarized the results of research on volcanoes in the Rhine region below Andernach, in Hesse and near Göttingen (in the Fulda River basin) and noted the successes of French scientists in studying the volcanoes of Auvergne, Languedoc and Dauphine. While working on the “Memoir...” Golitsin used the works of Buffon, Dolomier, Hamilton and criticized a number of provisions of Neptunism.

Economy

In his economic writings, Golitsyn paid considerable attention to the issues of population development in Russia. Being a supporter of the physiocrats, he believed that agricultural labor ensured the existence and development of the state. He advocated the easing of serfdom, proposing to release peasants for high redemption payments, without allocating land. Golitsyn condemned the prohibition of the transition of peasants to urban classes and believed that the reason for the weak development of industry in Russia was the small number of people employed in industry and trade. Golitsyn's economic ideas were actually directed against serfdom and contributed to the development, albeit limited, of bourgeois relations.

Confession

• Member-Director of the Dutch Society of Sciences (1777)
• Honorary member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences (1778)
• Foreign member of the Brussels Academy of Sciences (1778)
• Foreign Member of the Swedish Academy of Sciences (1788)
• Foreign member of the Berlin Academy of Sciences (1793)
• Member of the German Academy of Naturalists (Leopoldina, Halle) under the name Maecenas III (1795)
• Foreign Fellow of the Royal Society of London (1798)
• Member of the St. Petersburg Free Economic Society (1798)
• President of the Jena Mineralogical Society (1799-1803)

Last years

In 1795, before the occupation of Holland by French troops, Golitsyn moved to Brunswick. In recent years he was seriously ill and experienced financial difficulties. He died of tuberculosis in Brunswick on March 16, 1803, and was buried in the cemetery of the Church of St. Nicholas (the grave has not survived). The prince's personal archive was kept in Brunswick and was lost during World War II.

Awards

Translations of Golitsyn and books published by him

In 1771, having learned from Helvetius’s relatives about the unpublished work he left behind “On Man, His Mental Abilities and His Education” (De l’homme, de ses facultes intellectuelles et de son education), Golitsyn, who was personally acquainted with the philosopher and shared his views , decided to publish a book. Through the vice-chancellor, the prince informed the empress of his intention. Catherine II requested a copy of Helvetius's work. In December 1772, the first part of the book was rewritten, but, without waiting for Catherine's decision, Golitsyn published the book in The Hague (June 1773) with a dedication to the Empress. Helvetius's work, with some provisions of which not everyone agreed in France, received approval in Russia.

In 1773, Golitsyn edited the book “History of the War between Russia and Turkey, in particular the campaign of 1769” by a professor at the Paris Military School Keralio. Keralio’s work was published in St. Petersburg in French without indicating the author’s name in the same volume with “Genealogy of the Golitsyn princes” and “Notes on the article by an anonymous person from the Military Encyclopedia on the Russian-Turkish War and the Campaign of 1769.” According to historians, the second and third parts of the publication were written by D. A. Golitsyn. "Remarks" are a critical analysis of an article that appeared in January-April 1770 in the magazine "L'Encyclopedie Militaire", which presented the course of the military campaign in a distorted light, and also contained attacks on the commander of the 1st Russian Army A.M. Golitsyn.

In 1785, Golitsyn translated into French the first description of the physical geography and economy of Crimea by K. I. Gablitz. “A physical description of the Tauride region according to its location and all three kingdoms of nature” was published in 1788 in The Hague with a preface and comments by Golitsyn, who noted that the author continued the work begun by descriptions of travel “through the vast expanses of the empire” of Pallas, Johann and Samuel Gmelin , Lepekhina.

"Defense of M. de Buffon"

In 1790-1793 in the Paris Journal de physique, published by Jean Metairie, several articles by J. A. Deluc were published attacking his scientific opponents, including Buffon. In response to Deluc and the chemist Balthazar de Sage, who also published materials in the journal directed against progressive French naturalists, an anonymous Defense de M. de Buffon(1793, The Hague). In Russia, this work was published in the magazine “New Monthly Works” translated by D. Velichkovsky, N. Fedorov, P. Kedrin and I. Sidorovsky. Based on the surviving copy with Golitsyn’s dedicatory inscription, it was established that he was the author of the pamphlet. This is the only work of the prince that has been translated into Russian. Recognizing some of Buffon’s theories as erroneous, the author of “Defense...” consistently rejected Deluc and Sazh’s accusations against him:

…scientists of all countries, working to improve the sciences, continue to always show respect to them [Buffon’s works], despite the errors that have crept into them. I spent a deliberate part of my life getting to know Camper, Allaman and others; I know quite a few scientists in Germany. They are not exactly the opinions of Messrs. Deluc and Sazh: they think and speak frankly, they even write that the work of M. de Buffon, with all its errors, is and will remain forever the creation of a man with talents, and not a dry, so to speak, journal, like that ancient one

A.M. Ryazanov

Prince D.V. Golitsyn in documents and memoirs of participants in the Battle of Borodino

Looking through documents on the history of the Patriotic War and the memoirs of participants in the Battle of Borodino, you involuntarily pay attention to the fact that the name of Prince Dmitry Vladimirovich Golitsyn is mentioned very rarely. This is also surprising because in the Russian army he held important positions and commanded large military forces. Golitsyn was not only a brave military general, but also a major cavalry theorist. What is the reason for such hushing up of his name?

Let us recall that D.V. Golitsyn before 1812 . already had extensive experience in participating in the Napoleonic wars. So, in the battle of Golymin on December 14 1806 . his division was cut off from the main forces of the army and was surrounded by the French. For a long time, Golitsyn had to hold back the French troops led by Napoleon himself, who ultimately got the place of battle, and the Russians got the glory. Also in 1805 . The collective work of the officers of the Cuirassier Military Order of the Regiment under the leadership of Prince, which was sensational in its time, was published. Golitsyn “Experience of instructions concerning exercises and maneuvers of the Cavadorian regiment”, where bold thoughts were expressed that contradict the “Charter of the Cavalry Regiment” ( 1796.). This work was very popular in the army and soon became a bibliographic rarity.

During the Russian-Swedish war of 1808-1809. D.V. Golitsyn had a daring plan to cross the ice of the Gulf of Bothnia, which turned out to be a decisive factor in the victory over Sweden. According to military historian A.A. Kersnovsky, this transition “can rightly be considered one of the most glorious pages of our military history.”

However, the laurels of the winner went not to the author of the operation, but to its executor, a subordinate of the prince - M.B. Barclay de Tolly. The circumstances surrounding the award, which are now well known to military historians, forced D.V. Golitsyn to resign. This resignation became a kind of protest against the willfulness of Alexander I, who not only violated the principle of rank, but also encroached on the noble dignity of the prince. More than ten prominent military leaders resigned in protest. Alexander 1 remembered this incident forever, recalling at the same time the mistakes of the prince’s youth when he 1789. participated in the storming of the Bastille and spoke loudly about freedom. Now it becomes clear why memoirists of the early 19th century. at the mention of the name of Prince D.V. Golitsyn carefully explained that “under Emperor Alexander Pavlovich, Prince Golitsyn was not particularly favored…”

For unknown reasons, Dmitry Vladimirovich was able to return to the active army only after the appointment of M.I. as Commander-in-Chief. Kutuzova. For the latter, the arrival of an experienced and famous cavalry commander with a reputation as an honest man was apparently a pleasant event, for in the order to the armies on August 20 1812 . Kutuzov, in joy, called D.V. Golitsyn first, and not 5th, as he was listed before his resignation. Although it is known that Golitsyn was the first in the campaign 1812. Alexander Yakovlevich Golitsyn was listed as commander of the 2nd squadron of the Life Guards. Horse regiment. The same order stated: the arriving army “Lieutenant General Prince Golitsyn 1st and Golitsyn 2nd are assigned: 1st to the 2nd, and 2nd to the 1st Western Army.” It is clear from the document that Kutuzov not only remembered Dmitry Vladimirovich’s disagreements with Barclay, but also that the Order Cuirassier Regiment, whose chief was Golitsyn for a long time, was part of this army. Golitsyn 2nd in the order is Dmitry Vladimirovich’s older brother, Boris Vladimirovich, who received the rank of general somewhat earlier than his brother. Let us note that the highest order to enlist both Golitsyns in the army followed only on August 31, after the Battle of Borodino, when one of them was already on his deathbed, the other became the hero of Borodin, and the Russian army was already 40 versts from Moscow on the Vyazema estate, owned by Boris, and then Dmitry Golitsyn.

A day later, August 22, after D.V. returned. Golitsyn to the army, P.I. Bagration instructs “Mr. Lieutenant General Prince Golitsyn 2nd to command all the regular cavalry, led by me, of the 2nd Western Army, to which all matters of service relate.” This appointment was not accidental, since D.V. Golitsyn was considered the best cavalry general in the army at that time. An expert in cavalry, Lieutenant General Count D.B. Osten-Sacken in his work “On Some Subjects of Military Affairs”, published in 1832., confirms this fact: “Meanwhile, we had a few excellent riders. I will name three: the chief of the Cuirassier Military Order of the regiment, Prince Dmitry Vladimirovich Golitsyn, after him the chief of the same regiment, Count Andrei Ivanovich Gudovich, and the chief of the Pavlovsk Dragoon Regiment, Baron Fedor Karlovich Korf. These excellent regiments had, for those times, decent riding."

But before the Battle of Shevardin, Golitsyn received a new appointment. The disposition for August 24 reads: “Lieutenant General Prince Golitsyn 1st commands the 1st and 2nd Cuirassier divisions, which are to be united together in columns behind the 5th Corps.” If we recall that the 1st Cuirassier Division was part of the 1st Army, and the 2nd Division was part of the 2nd Army, then it will become clear that M.I. Kutuzov subordinated the most powerful part of the cavalry for operational leadership directly to himself through the faithful and experienced general D.V. Golitsyn. This step fully justified itself during the battle.

A.I. Mikhailovsky-Danilevsky describes the prince’s actions this way: “Kutuzov personally ordered Prince Golitsyn to send the 2nd Cuirassier Division there. Having arrived at the appointed place, Prince Golitsyn placed the division in reserve, waiting for an opportunity to attack. When, after a stubborn battle with our infantry, the French, already in the darkness of the night, moved for the last time to the redoubt and were defeated by Neverovsky’s division, the attack of the cuirassiers completed their defeat; five guns were captured by the cuirassiers." In the official publication “Description of the Battle of the village. Borodino" it is specified that "the cuirassier regiments of Ekaterinoslav, Order, Glukhov and Little Russia completed his defeat with a quick attack."

It is interesting to note: in all the documents describing the battles of August 24 and 26, the fact is noted that the Russian cavalry did not surrender any of its positions to the French. “No matter what difficult conditions our cavalry regiments were in during the battle: whether they stood in cover of batteries, under enemy cannonballs and bullets, or fought in a raid with French men-at-arms, the matter always ended in a brilliant reflection of the enemy’s attacks.” And this is a considerable merit of the book. D.V. Golitsyn.

On the day of the Battle of Borodino, under the command of D.V. Golitsyn were the 1st and 2nd Cuirassier divisions, united in the Cuirassier Corps, and the 4th Cavalry Corps of Major General Count K.K. Sievers. All 10 cuirassier regiments that then existed in Russia took part in the battle itself under the command of the prince. Consequently, the French were opposed by 40 squadrons, or about 5,000 Russian men-at-arms. Perhaps this was the largest and most significant battle, where the cuirassiers had a decisive influence on the outcome of the battle; At the same time, Borodino became the “swan song” of this type of troops, commanded by D.V. Golitsyn. Oddly enough, despite the detailed study of the Battle of Borodino, both in pre-revolutionary and modern historiography there is no special study on the actions of the Russian cavalry in this battle. The only essay by N. Ivanov “Russian cavalry in the great Battle of Borodino”, published in Odessa in 1912., unfortunately, does not give a complete picture of the participation of cuirassiers in the Battle of Borodino. Unfortunately for our historians, the source study base here is very weak, since the most prominent cuirassier military leaders are Prince. D.V. Golitsyn and I.M. Duka - they did not draw up reports on the battle. The actions of this type of troops in the Battle of Borodino can only be judged by the reports of generals A.V. Rosena, N.M. Borozdin, description of the battle compiled by A.I. Mikhailovsky-Danilevsky, and episodic testimonies of participants in the Borodino battle.

In the “Description of the Battle of the village. Borodino" ( 1839.) only dry facts are given. Nevertheless, the name of D.V. is mentioned here. Golitsyn: “As soon as they appeared from the forest, Lieutenant General Prince. Golitsyn with the cuirassier regiments, reinforced by the 4th Infantry Division of Major General Prince Eugene of Württemberg, which had arrived from the 2nd Corps, attacked the heads of the enemy columns and, scattering them, drove them back into the forest...” Actions of D.V. Golitsyn at this moment in a report to Alexander I M.I. Kutuzov describes in more detail: “After this failure, the French, taking several columns of both infantry and cavalry to the right, decided to bypass our batteries. As soon as they emerged from the forest, Lieutenant General Prince Golitsyn, who commanded the cuirassier divisions located to the left of the Third Infantry Division, ordered Major General Borozdin and Major General Duque to strike at the enemy. He was instantly put to flight and forced to hide in the forest, from where, although he showed up several times later, he was always driven away with loss.” This episode was very figuratively depicted in his “Essay on the Battle of Borodino” by battle participant F.N. Glinka: “Meanwhile, in that important gap, in those unlocked gates, between the left wing; A slender, dignified knight had long been riding along the main line for a whole mile. His cuirassier uniform and warlike posture distinguished him from the crowd in this picture of attacks and fights.

Anyone who knew more closely the pleasantness of his rights and spiritual qualities, without hesitation, was ready to rank him among the leaders of the noblest times of chivalry, but no one could foretell then that this warrior, unyielding, firm in battle, like the steel of his broadsword, would never a peaceful judge, a wise mayor and will heal the wounds of the capital, which willingly gave itself up for a solemn burnt offering for the salvation of Russia!! It was Prince Dmitry Vladimirovich Golitsyn! With the help of the division of Prince Eugene, he defended the plain to the left of the village of Semenovskaya, the living walls of our cavalry replaced the trenches, which they did not have time to fill here... All the enemy crowds were disintegrating on the broadswords of the cuirassiers... Both columns had already shown their heads from the forest, but the cuirassiers of Prince Golitsyn cut off those heads ".

High praise for the actions of the cuirassier Prince. Golitsyn was given by A.P. Ermolov in his “Notes”. Without noting the name of the prince, he wrote: “The Cuirassier regiments repeatedly turned the strongest cavalry to the very batteries, behind which it found salvation. With excellent courage, the regiments of the Life Guards Cavalry Guard and Horse, His Majesty’s Life Cuirassier attacked, the regiments of the 2nd Cuirassier Division covered themselves glory."

A.I. Mikhailovsky Danilevsky noted that “during the bloody, unprecedented battle, Prince Golitsyn commanded the selected army with his usual composure.”

In his nomination for the award, D.V. Golitsyn for participation in the Battle of Borodino was stated: “Commanding both cuirassier divisions, he made repeated successful attacks against the enemy cavalry, destroying part of it.” And in the Highest order of April 13 1813 ., regarding the actions of the cuirassier regiments, it was noted: “Solid ranks served as a faithful bulwark against the enemy forces; their courage and speed preceded victories...” Dmitry Vladimirovich himself, recalling the Battle of Borodino, wrote in his report. book To Konstantin Pavlovich December 25 1812. This is how he assessed the actions of the forces entrusted to him: “During the continuation of the campaign, bloody and cruel battles, crowned with victories, accompanied by glory and extermination of the enemy, are all without exception marked by excellent courage and famous exploits of the Cuirassier Corps. Neither by violent desire, nor by superiority of forces, not even by the artillery itself, he was never defeated or upset, but rightly served as a strong stronghold, hope and new encouragement for battle to our pressed and retreating ranks... The Cavalry Guard and Life Guard Cavalry regiments in the very heat of the battle and the violence of the attacking enemy can boast of saving our lines from defeat at Borodino on August 26. Under strong grapeshot shots, having repeatedly settled down again, they resumed the attack, restrained the enemy’s aspirations and destroyed him... Each Cuirassier attack corrected the matter! The cuirassier's bravery was crowned by the defeat of the enemy. The descriptions of the actions that took place and the repeated gratitude of the commander-in-chief testify to this.”

For participation in the Battle of Borodino, Prince D.V. Golitsyn was nominated for the Order of St. George III class, but he was already awarded this order for Golymin. Thus, Golitsyn never received an award for the Battle of Borodino.

Avraham Sergeevich Norov (1795-1869), a participant in the Battle of Borodino, the future Minister of Public Education, exclaims in his memoirs: “Can the names of Kutuzov, Bagration, Barclay, Miloradovich... Bennigsen... Platov die in the memory of Russians along with Rumyantsev and Suvorov... Let's count only the main figures of the war of 1812... How many generals such as: Kulnev, Dorokhov, Ilovaisky, Uvarov, Borozdin... Levenshtern, Likhachev, Kretov, Duka... Prince Golitsyn..."

Golitsyn, Dmitry Vladimirovich, His Serene Highness Prince General Adjutant, Member of the State Council (1771-1844), received his military education at the Strasbourg Academy, the result of his stay in which were the Remarks of a young Russian officer and prince on ... Biographical Dictionary

Golitsyn Dmitry Vladimirovich- Biography Dmitry Vladimirovich GOLITSYN, statesman and military leader, cavalry general (1814), prince (since 1841 his Serene Highness).... ... Military biographical dictionary

- (1771, Yaropolets 1844, Paris), prince (since 1841 his Serene Highness), cavalry general (1814), adjutant general. From the family. He studied at the Strasbourg Military Academy, then in Paris, and served in the Life Guards Cavalry Regiment. During the Russian period... ... Moscow (encyclopedia)

- ... Wikipedia

Golitsyn, Dmitry: Golitsyn, Dmitry Alekseevich (1734 1803), colonel, ambassador, chemist, mineralogist Golitsyn, Dmitry Vladimirovich (1771 1844), military leader Golitsyn, Dmitry Dmitrievich (1770 1840), priest Golitsyn, Dmitry Mikhailovich (1665 1737),… ... Wikipedia

October 29, 1771 March 27, 1844 Portrait of D.V. Golitsyn by George Dow. Military Gallery of the Winter Palace, State Hermitage Museum (St. Petersburg) ... Wikipedia

Adjutant General, Cavalry General, b. Oct 21 1771 and 10 l. was sent with his brother Boris to Strasbourg. military Academy, where I spent 5 years. After graduating, G. went to Paris, but even here, amidst the holidays. life Versailles. yard... Large biographical encyclopedia

Golitsyn, Prince Dmitry Vladimirovich- See also (1771 1844). Combat General; in the 20s and 30s, the General Governor of Moscow... Dictionary of literary types

Dmitry Vladimirovich Uspensky Date of birth: 1902 (1902) Date of death: 1989 (1989) ... Wikipedia

Golitsyn, Dmitry Vladimirovich, military leader Golitsyn, Dmitry Dmitrievich, priest Golitsyn, Dmitry Mikhailovich, associate of Peter the Great Golitsyn, Dmitry Mikhailovich (1721 1793), diplomat ... Wikipedia

Books

• , . The collection you are holding in your hands was conceived a long time ago. After the death of Prince Dmitry Vladimirovich Golitsyn, a number of attempts were made to write a biography of this amazing man. A…
• Dmitry Vladimirovich Golitsyn in the War of 1812, Ryazanov A. (ed.). The collection you are holding in your hands was conceived a long time ago. After the death of Prince Dmitry Vladimirovich Golitsyn, a number of attempts were made to write a biography of this amazing man. A…

Golitsyn, Prince, Dmitry Vladimirovich
General of the Cavalry
From Russian princes

Has the following orders: Russian - St. Andrew the First-Called, decorated with diamonds, St. Alexander Nevsky, decorated with diamonds, St. Vladimir 1st class, St. George 3rd class, St. Anna 4th class. and St. John of Jerusalem Commander; foreign - Austrian Maria Theresa, Prussian Black and Red Eagle, Bavarian Maximilian, Persian Lion and Sun and Art., decorated with diamonds; has a portrait of Emperor Nicholas I, decorated with diamonds; a golden sword, decorated with diamonds, with the inscription “for bravery”; silver medals for 1812 and 1814 and the insignia of blameless service for XL years.

In service: sergeant 1777, July 14, in the Leningrad Guards. Preobrazhensky Regiment; transferred to the Leningrad Guards. Horse Regiment 1785 December 11; promoted: sergeant 1785 December 11, cornets 1786 January 1, second lieutenants 1788 January 1, lieutenants 1789 January 1, second captains 1791 January 1, captains 1794 January 1, colonels 1797 May 2, major general 1798 August 5; appointed chief of the cuirassier regiment named after his regiment (later Order) 1800 June 22; promoted to lieutenant general 1800 August 21; discharged from service, wearing a uniform, April 8, 1809; accepted into the service, with a condition in the army, 1812 August 31; promoted to general from cavalry 1814 April 2; appointed commander of the 1st reserve cavalry corps 1814 August 9; entrusted with command of both guards divisions 1814 September 2; assigned to command the Guards Cavalry Division 1815 March 9; appointed: commander of the 2nd Infantry Corps 1818 July 12, Moscow Military Governor-General 1820 January 6; ordered to be a member of the State Council 1821 October 31; ordered to be listed in the L.-Guards. Cavalry regiment 1842 March 25.

He was on campaigns: in 1794, after the opening of the war with the Poles in the Kingdom of Poland, under the leadership of Count Suvorov-Rymniksky, during the battle during the capture of the heavily fortified Warsaw suburb of Prague by storm, he ascended an enemy battery with the first ranks, for which, on October 24 the same year, awarded the Order of St. George 4th class; in 1806 he was on a campaign in Prussia, against the French and for excellent courage and bravery in the battle of Golimin, December 14, was awarded the Order of St. George, 3rd class; in 1807, for excellent courage and bravery shown in the battle against French troops at Preussisch-Eylau, where he commanded all the cavalry, and for prudent orders that contributed to great successes, on January 27 he was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir, 2nd Art. Grand Cross; 1807 May 18, for decisiveness and personal courage shown in various battles, awarded the Prussian Order of the Red Eagle, Grand Cross; 24 - for excellent courage shown in the battle against French troops at the city of Wolfsdorf and the village of Lingenau, where, commanding the cavalry of the left flank, he fearlessly attacked the enemy and repeatedly drove him out of his position, and destroyed and captured many, and generally prudent by orders he contributed to the success of the battle, for this he was awarded a golden sword, decorated with diamonds, with the inscription “for bravery”; On June 25, for brilliant distinctions in various matters, he was awarded the Prussian Order of the Black Eagle, 1st class; in 1809 he served in Finland in the campaign against Swedish troops, commanding a corps near the city of Vasa, and was in various battles; in 1812 during the Patriotic War he was in Russia, commanding cuirassier divisions; was in the general battle on August 24 and 26 at Borodino; then, October 6, at the village. Tarutino; 12 – under Maloyaroslavets; 22 – near Vyazma; On November 3 and 4 near Krasny, where, during the destruction of Marshal Davout’s corps, he commanded two cuirassier divisions and the 3rd Infantry Corps and contributed to the complete defeat of the enemy, being personally present wherever the need required it for a successful strike, and on November 6 in the same battle, having under his command the same corps of troops that made up the left flank of the army, during the decisive attack of the enemy on our right flank, he attacked him with all his might with bayonets, destroyed the enemy columns and thereby completely destroyed his intention to break through our army, while one a French general and many prisoners; for these distinctions he was awarded the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky, and then diamond signs to it; for the same Patriotic War he received a silver medal to wear in his buttonhole on a blue ribbon and, as a nobleman S. -Petersburg province, according to the Highest Manifesto on August 30, 1814, he was also awarded a bronze medal on the Vladimir ribbon to be worn in the buttonhole, in memory of the patriotic exploits performed by the Russian nobility during the French invasion of the Fatherland; in 1813 in Saxony he was in battles against the French: April 20 near Lutzen, May 9 and 10 near Bautzen, August 15 near Dresden, 17 and 18 near Kulm; for excellent feats and prudent decisions in these battles, he was awarded the Knight of the Order of St. Vladimir, 1st class; October 4 and 6 in the general battle of Leipzig, for which he was awarded the 3rd class by the Austrian military order of Maria Theresa; in 1814 in France he was in battles: January 20 at Chateau-Brienne, February 11 at Malmaison, 15 at Laferte, March 8 at Arcis-sur-Aube, 12 at Ferchampenoise and 18 at Paris. 1825 December 25, Emperor Nikolai Pavlovich, in commemoration of the constant respect that Prince Golitsyn enjoyed from Emperor Alexander I, and in His Majesty’s own attention to new experiences of excellent service to the state and the preservation of exemplary order in the entrusted management of his capital, Moscow, with the true benefit of the Fatherland, he was awarded the Knight of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called; 1830 March 19, in commemoration of His Majesty’s new perfect gratitude for his excellent service and zealous care for the improvement of the capital of Moscow entrusted to him, he was awarded the diamond insignia of the Order of St. Andrew the First-Called; November 8, 1831, the Emperor, as a sign of his special respect and full gratitude for his tireless activities in the extensive management of the capital, granted a monogram image of His Majesty’s name on epaulettes; 1841 April 16, Sovereign Emperor, as proof of His Majesty’s constant favor towards him and perfect gratitude for his long-term, always useful service to his throne and the Fatherland, marked by feats of excellent courage and bravery during the war and many experiences of fiery zeal and exemplary trusteeship for the benefit and improvement of the capital, during the 24-year-long administration of it in the rank of chief, he most mercifully deigned to assign the title of “lordship” to the princely dignity borne by him and his descendants.

Widows; has children: daughters - Ekaterina and Natalia, who are married, and sons - Vladimir 27 and Boris 23 years old.

Formal list for 1842. (Book of Form Lists No. 6625/2.)