A. S. Figner - a partisan hero who terrified the French army
World War 1812 of the year was distinguished by a huge front of the Russian partisan movement. A characteristic feature of the partisan struggle against the French was the fact that it led the national detachments of the color of the military movement, decisive and courageous officers, sent by the hand of field marshal M.I. Kutuzov. Such well-known heroes of the war as F. F. Wintzgerode, A. P. Ozherovsky, I. S. Dorokhov commanded the partisans, while A. Seslavina, D. V. Davydova, A. S. were their own separate detachments. Figner.
Alexander Samoilovich Figner was a descendant of the ancient German family Figner von Rutmersbach. Alexander's father, starting military service in the rank of rank, managed to rise to the rank of head officer, and was determined after the resignation of the head of the Imperial glassworks. He ended this service with a state adviser, having numerous orders, and was granted hereditary dignity and in 1809 he was appointed vice-governor to the Pskov province.
Alexander Figner was born in 1787 year and grew up a modest, loving loneliness child, who, however, was already delirious with a thirst for glorious military campaigns and admired his idol A. V. Suvorov.
At the age of 15, Alexander entered the 2 Cadet Corps, which he brilliantly graduated from in the year 1805 with the rank of second lieutenant. In the same year, Figner took a trip to the Mediterranean as part of an Anglo-Russian expedition. During this trip, Alexander Samuilovich learned Italian quite well, he was very good at fluent German, French and Polish, which in the future would be very useful for him.
After returning to the Russian empire, Figner is promoted to lieutenant and transferred to the 13 artillery brigade.
Alexander Figner received his first combat experience during the Russian-Turkish campaign. Enrolling in the 1810 year in the service of the Moldavian army, he attacked the Turtukai fortress as part of the General Sass detachment, and a little later - he heroically takes part in the blockade and capture of the Ruschuk fortress. For the difference in these matters, Figner receives the order of St. George of the 4 degree, directly on the battlefield under the fortress of Rushchuk, and a little later - with the name of the Most Gracious Rescript.
In 1811, Alexander Samuilovich gets the rank of staff captain, is transferred to the 11-th artillery brigade and takes command of the light 3-th company in this brigade.
With the beginning of World War 1812, Figner firstly distinguished the protection of guns on the left flank of the Russian troops on the Stragani River, while being able to beat off one of the guns they had previously captured from the French and received the rank of captain for it.
During the retreat of the Russian troops to Moscow, Alexander Figner received a secret prescription from Kutuzov - disguised as a peasant, sneak into Moscow occupied by the enemy and, in some way, approach Napoleon, kill him. This unprecedented audacity act, alas, Figner fails, however, his stay in Moscow gave Napoleon a lot of trouble. Gathering a partisan detachment from the city dwellers, Figner periodically organized raids on the French from ambushes, and the unpredictability of his actions brought panic to the enemy. It was here that the knowledge of European languages came in handy to him: dressing up in foreign dresses, he wandered among French soldiers during the day, listening to their conversations. So, with a variety of information received, Fignner got out of Moscow and arrived at the headquarters of the commander in chief in Tarutino.
Preserved information that once the French still managed to grab Figner. Alexander Samuilovich at the Spassky Gates, disguised as a beggar, fell into the hands of them and was immediately captured and interrogated. The hero was rescued by a high degree of self-control and a talent for reincarnation: pretending to be a city madman, Figner confused his head and was released to Napoleon.
The information received by Kutuzov from Alexander Figner was very important. Figner's guerrilla experience was taken into account by the commander-in-chief, and soon several guerrilla groups were formed (in addition to the figner group, there were groups of Dorokhov and Seslavin). Alexander Samuilovich himself scored two hundred udaltsy and went out with them on the Mozhaisk road.
Figner's strategy of action was unchanged: driving around in the afternoon in French, Polish or German clothes around the enemy outposts, Figner remembered the location of the enemy troops. With the onset of the night, he and his squad flew into the French positions, mercilessly smashing them and taking the enemy prisoner. With his periodic attacks on the French, Figner annoyed Napoleon so much that he even awarded a prize to his head. This, however, did not frighten the valiant partisan at all, quite the contrary - having received from Kutuzov 600 a man of selected cavalrymen and Cossacks, a dozen brilliant officers, Alexander Figner forms a new squad.
The actions of this detachment only strengthened hatred on the part of the Napoleonists to Figner: Alexander Samuilovich constantly disturbed the enemy camps, smashed the train of foragers, intercepted couriers with reports and was a real disaster for the French. Such a remarkable case speaks of Figner’s courage: once, near Moscow itself, he attacked Napoleon’s cuirassier guardsmen, wounded their colonel and captured him and 50 soldiers.
Many times the French overtook Alexander Samuilovich’s detachment, surrounded him, and already seemed the inevitable death of the brave partisans, but Figner managed to manage to fool the enemy with cunning, deceptive maneuvers and get out of the encirclement.
The guerrilla war intensified even more with the start of Napoleon’s withdrawal from Russia, and Figner also played an important role in it. So, once, having connected with the detachment of Seslavin, he fought off a large transport carriage with jewels. Later, having met with a detachment of the enemy near the village of Kamenny, he also defeated him, putting him in place before the 350 man and taking about the same number of lower ranks captive. Finally, on November 27, connecting with the partisan groups of Count Orlov-Denisov, Denis Davydov and Seslavin, he inflicted a crushing defeat on the French general Ogero in the village of Lyakhov. The french general who had fought to the last, nevertheless, was forced to surrender, laying down a considerable amount of him before Figner, who had spoken before him as an envoy. weapons. Here is what Kutuzov wrote about this feat of the valiant partisan: “This victory is all the more famous because for the first time in the course of the current campaign the enemy corps laid a weapon in front of us”.
This feat Figner admired the emperor Alexander himself, who awarded Alexander Samuilovich the rank of colonel, 7000 rubles (with a lot of money for those times) and transferred him to the Guards artillery.
The amazing curiosities of a difficult partisan life were waiting for Figner in the campaign of the Russian army abroad. Acting underground on the instructions of General Wittgenstein in besieged Danzig, Alexander Figner was captured by the French and spent two months languishing behind bars in a fortress, tormented almost daily by interrogations. Knowledge of foreign languages and natural cunning and resourcefulness saved him this time too: having managed to turn the seemingly fatal business to 180 degrees, Figner became so credible with the French military authorities that he was sent with important reports to Napoleon. Which he, of course, delivered to the Russian military headquarters, after which he again received a promotion, becoming a colonel.
Subsequently, Figner forms the so-called “legion of death” from French deserters (mainly Spaniards, with a small group of German volunteers), and again brings awe to the French and carefully thought-out military provocations.
The death of this one of the most worthy people, a true hero of World War 1812, is as valiant as his entire struggle with the French invaders.
In the fall of 1813, Figner, along with his “death squad”, crossed the Elbe River near the city of Dessau. However, they did not succeed in sneaking unnoticed into the city, because a large detachment of enemy French forces met Fisher. Having started an unequal battle, the Russians had no choice but to hastily retreat, crossing back across the river. And already Alexander Samuilovich Figner couldn’t manage this crossing, under fierce artillery fire, - trying to save one of his hussars-subordinates, he drowned ...
And it’s not at all surprising that this particular person became the prototype of one of the heroes of L.N. Tolstoy’s novel, Fedor Dolokhov, and the remarkable Russian poet V. A. Zhukovsky dedicated the following lines to him:
"... Our Figner is an old man to the camp of enemies
It goes in the darkness of the night;
Like a shadow, crept round the tents.
All eyes were quick eyes ...
And the camp is still in deep sleep,
The day did not look bright -
And he, knight, on horseback,
Already with the squad he struck! ”
Alexander Samoilovich Figner was a descendant of the ancient German family Figner von Rutmersbach. Alexander's father, starting military service in the rank of rank, managed to rise to the rank of head officer, and was determined after the resignation of the head of the Imperial glassworks. He ended this service with a state adviser, having numerous orders, and was granted hereditary dignity and in 1809 he was appointed vice-governor to the Pskov province.
Alexander Figner was born in 1787 year and grew up a modest, loving loneliness child, who, however, was already delirious with a thirst for glorious military campaigns and admired his idol A. V. Suvorov.
At the age of 15, Alexander entered the 2 Cadet Corps, which he brilliantly graduated from in the year 1805 with the rank of second lieutenant. In the same year, Figner took a trip to the Mediterranean as part of an Anglo-Russian expedition. During this trip, Alexander Samuilovich learned Italian quite well, he was very good at fluent German, French and Polish, which in the future would be very useful for him.
After returning to the Russian empire, Figner is promoted to lieutenant and transferred to the 13 artillery brigade.
Alexander Figner received his first combat experience during the Russian-Turkish campaign. Enrolling in the 1810 year in the service of the Moldavian army, he attacked the Turtukai fortress as part of the General Sass detachment, and a little later - he heroically takes part in the blockade and capture of the Ruschuk fortress. For the difference in these matters, Figner receives the order of St. George of the 4 degree, directly on the battlefield under the fortress of Rushchuk, and a little later - with the name of the Most Gracious Rescript.
In 1811, Alexander Samuilovich gets the rank of staff captain, is transferred to the 11-th artillery brigade and takes command of the light 3-th company in this brigade.
With the beginning of World War 1812, Figner firstly distinguished the protection of guns on the left flank of the Russian troops on the Stragani River, while being able to beat off one of the guns they had previously captured from the French and received the rank of captain for it.
During the retreat of the Russian troops to Moscow, Alexander Figner received a secret prescription from Kutuzov - disguised as a peasant, sneak into Moscow occupied by the enemy and, in some way, approach Napoleon, kill him. This unprecedented audacity act, alas, Figner fails, however, his stay in Moscow gave Napoleon a lot of trouble. Gathering a partisan detachment from the city dwellers, Figner periodically organized raids on the French from ambushes, and the unpredictability of his actions brought panic to the enemy. It was here that the knowledge of European languages came in handy to him: dressing up in foreign dresses, he wandered among French soldiers during the day, listening to their conversations. So, with a variety of information received, Fignner got out of Moscow and arrived at the headquarters of the commander in chief in Tarutino.
Preserved information that once the French still managed to grab Figner. Alexander Samuilovich at the Spassky Gates, disguised as a beggar, fell into the hands of them and was immediately captured and interrogated. The hero was rescued by a high degree of self-control and a talent for reincarnation: pretending to be a city madman, Figner confused his head and was released to Napoleon.
The information received by Kutuzov from Alexander Figner was very important. Figner's guerrilla experience was taken into account by the commander-in-chief, and soon several guerrilla groups were formed (in addition to the figner group, there were groups of Dorokhov and Seslavin). Alexander Samuilovich himself scored two hundred udaltsy and went out with them on the Mozhaisk road.
Figner's strategy of action was unchanged: driving around in the afternoon in French, Polish or German clothes around the enemy outposts, Figner remembered the location of the enemy troops. With the onset of the night, he and his squad flew into the French positions, mercilessly smashing them and taking the enemy prisoner. With his periodic attacks on the French, Figner annoyed Napoleon so much that he even awarded a prize to his head. This, however, did not frighten the valiant partisan at all, quite the contrary - having received from Kutuzov 600 a man of selected cavalrymen and Cossacks, a dozen brilliant officers, Alexander Figner forms a new squad.
The actions of this detachment only strengthened hatred on the part of the Napoleonists to Figner: Alexander Samuilovich constantly disturbed the enemy camps, smashed the train of foragers, intercepted couriers with reports and was a real disaster for the French. Such a remarkable case speaks of Figner’s courage: once, near Moscow itself, he attacked Napoleon’s cuirassier guardsmen, wounded their colonel and captured him and 50 soldiers.
Many times the French overtook Alexander Samuilovich’s detachment, surrounded him, and already seemed the inevitable death of the brave partisans, but Figner managed to manage to fool the enemy with cunning, deceptive maneuvers and get out of the encirclement.
The guerrilla war intensified even more with the start of Napoleon’s withdrawal from Russia, and Figner also played an important role in it. So, once, having connected with the detachment of Seslavin, he fought off a large transport carriage with jewels. Later, having met with a detachment of the enemy near the village of Kamenny, he also defeated him, putting him in place before the 350 man and taking about the same number of lower ranks captive. Finally, on November 27, connecting with the partisan groups of Count Orlov-Denisov, Denis Davydov and Seslavin, he inflicted a crushing defeat on the French general Ogero in the village of Lyakhov. The french general who had fought to the last, nevertheless, was forced to surrender, laying down a considerable amount of him before Figner, who had spoken before him as an envoy. weapons. Here is what Kutuzov wrote about this feat of the valiant partisan: “This victory is all the more famous because for the first time in the course of the current campaign the enemy corps laid a weapon in front of us”.
This feat Figner admired the emperor Alexander himself, who awarded Alexander Samuilovich the rank of colonel, 7000 rubles (with a lot of money for those times) and transferred him to the Guards artillery.
The amazing curiosities of a difficult partisan life were waiting for Figner in the campaign of the Russian army abroad. Acting underground on the instructions of General Wittgenstein in besieged Danzig, Alexander Figner was captured by the French and spent two months languishing behind bars in a fortress, tormented almost daily by interrogations. Knowledge of foreign languages and natural cunning and resourcefulness saved him this time too: having managed to turn the seemingly fatal business to 180 degrees, Figner became so credible with the French military authorities that he was sent with important reports to Napoleon. Which he, of course, delivered to the Russian military headquarters, after which he again received a promotion, becoming a colonel.
Subsequently, Figner forms the so-called “legion of death” from French deserters (mainly Spaniards, with a small group of German volunteers), and again brings awe to the French and carefully thought-out military provocations.
The death of this one of the most worthy people, a true hero of World War 1812, is as valiant as his entire struggle with the French invaders.
In the fall of 1813, Figner, along with his “death squad”, crossed the Elbe River near the city of Dessau. However, they did not succeed in sneaking unnoticed into the city, because a large detachment of enemy French forces met Fisher. Having started an unequal battle, the Russians had no choice but to hastily retreat, crossing back across the river. And already Alexander Samuilovich Figner couldn’t manage this crossing, under fierce artillery fire, - trying to save one of his hussars-subordinates, he drowned ...
And it’s not at all surprising that this particular person became the prototype of one of the heroes of L.N. Tolstoy’s novel, Fedor Dolokhov, and the remarkable Russian poet V. A. Zhukovsky dedicated the following lines to him:
"... Our Figner is an old man to the camp of enemies
It goes in the darkness of the night;
Like a shadow, crept round the tents.
All eyes were quick eyes ...
And the camp is still in deep sleep,
The day did not look bright -
And he, knight, on horseback,
Already with the squad he struck! ”
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