The epoch of the Patriotic War of 1812 that has gone down in history looks at us today from the portraits of its heroes, hung on the walls of the famous Hermitage hall dedicated to their memory. Among those, thanks to whose unbridled courage and heroism Russia with honor came out of this test, Lieutenant General Ivan Semenovich Dorokhov remained in the memory of his descendants.
Son of a veteran of the Russian-Turkish war
From the documents of the past it is known that on April 14, 1762, a son was born to a retired second-major Semyon Dorokhov, who retired due to a wound and lived by that time in the city of Tula. In holy baptism, the boy was named Ivan. That, perhaps, is all that is reliably known about the birth of the future hero and fearless hussar, who gained unfading glory in battles.
Having received an education at home, suitable for his noble origin, in 1783 Ivan entered the St. Petersburg Artillery and Engineering Cadet Corps. It was a highly privileged traininginstitution. Suffice it to say that among Dorokhov's classmates were then very young A. A. Arakcheev and S. V. Nepeitsyn - people who would occupy leading government posts in the future.
First baptism of fire
In October 1787, barely having time to celebrate the end of his studies and promotion to the rank of lieutenant with a hussar proper, the young officer went to take his baptism of fire. His military debut took place at the beginning of another war with Turkey, which began that year and lasted for four years. A desperate fighter, afraid of only one thing - to show himself a coward, the future General Dorokhov in August 1789 managed to distinguish himself in the battle of Focsani, and a month later in the famous battle of Rymnik he was the orderly of A. V. Suvorov.
It was a great start to a career - noted in the report of the commander-in-chief, sent by him to the highest name, Dorokhov was promoted to captain for "zeal for service and fearlessness" and assigned to the Phanagoria Grenadier Regiment. For a man who entered the military path relatively late (Ivan was twenty-second when he entered the cadet corps), such a debut exceeded all expectations.
In rebellious Poland
By the will of fate during the uprising that swept Poland in early 1794, Dorokhov ended up in Warsaw and became a participant in its suppression. Subsequently, the events of those days received various moral and legal assessments from historians and publicists, while a military man was obliged to fulfill his duty, and Ivan Semyonovich did this with his inherentglitter.
His fearlessness was legendary. They talked about how, leading a company that repelled the attack of numerous rebels, and having lost all the calculation of the only gun at his disposal, Dorokhov himself fired, performing the duties of both a gunner, a loader, and a commander. He was wounded twice, but nevertheless held the position for a day and a half. Only after the order to retreat was received, he and the surviving soldiers, breaking through a solid enemy barrier, went to their own.
Forced resignation
Having barely healed his wounds, he again rushes into battle and, when one of the suburbs of Warsaw is taken, is the first to burst into the position of an enemy battery. For this feat, Captain Dorokhov was awarded the rank of second major, just like once his father, the same fearless warrior as he was.
Further, Ivan Semyonovich continued to serve in different parts, and in 1797 the Hussar Regiment was assigned to the Life Guards with the rank of colonel, but was unexpectedly dismissed by Emperor Paul I, who had ascended the throne by that time. he was deprived not only of military service, which was the meaning of his life, but even of the recently received title, replaced by the rank of collegiate adviser corresponding to him according to the table of ranks.
Back in the saddle
Having retired to his Tula estate and relying on the will of God in everything, the combat hussar was waiting for changes in fate, and they were not slow to follow. As you know, the reign of Paul I was short-lived and in March 1801the vacant throne was occupied by his son, Alexander I. This made it possible for Dorokhov to return to his dear army life. Already in August of the same year, he was promoted to major general and was appointed commander of the Izyum Hussar Regiment.
Under the banner of this glorious regiment, General Dorokhov fought the entire campaign of 1806-1807, participated in almost all of its major battles and was awarded the orders of Saints George and Anna of the third degree for his heroism. In one of the battles, he was seriously wounded in the leg and went for long-term treatment.
The beginning of the great war
On the night of June 24, 1812, the four hundred thousandth Napoleonic army crossed the Neman and invaded Russian territory. This was the beginning of the first war in the history of our country, called "Patriotic". Having conquered most of Europe and put a significant part of its population under arms, the ambitious Corsican saw Russia as the final stage of his victorious campaign.
The outbreak of hostilities, General Dorokhov met, being the commander of the vanguard of the infantry corps, stationed in those days between Grodno and Vilna. It so happened that in view of the onslaught of the enemy, it was decided to retreat from the border Neman, but in the cycle of affairs the command did not send the appropriate order to Dorokhov's headquarters, and as a result of this, of course, a criminal oversight by military standards, the general and the units under his command ended up in environment.
Having decided, despite all the risk, to break through to his own, General Dorokhov commitsan unprecedented raid on the territory occupied by the enemy. Soon, with minimal losses, he manages to withdraw the units entrusted to him from the environment. In August, commanding the rearguard of the Russian troops retreating towards Borodino, Ivan Semyonovich was seriously wounded, but nevertheless remained in the ranks.
On the Borodino field
Undoubtedly, the brightest page in the life and military career of General Dorokhov was August 26, 1812 - the day of the Battle of Borodino. From early morning he was in the reserve corps of Baron Korf, and at about nine o'clock, when a threatening situation developed in the positions occupied by Bagration, he rushed to his rescue at the head of four cavalry regiments.
As a result of a successful counterattack, his regiments managed to overcome the enemy and provide the Russian troops with an advantage in this area of the battle. On the same evening, the general led a cavalry regiment into battle, which managed to stop the enemy, who was trying to enter the rear of Raevsky's battery. For the heroism shown on this historical day for Russia, General Dorokhov, whose portrait of that time is presented in our article, was presented by M. I. Kutuzov to the order, and promoted to lieutenant general by the sovereign emperor.
Partisans - a thunderstorm of the invaders
Shortly after the Russian troops left Moscow, Ivan Semyonovich Dorokhov, a lieutenant general from the cavalry, who already had extensive combat experience behind him, opened a new page in his biography. He led oneof the largest partisan detachments, which included a hussar, a dragoon and three Cossack regiments.
At that time, the Mozhaisk road was the main area for partisan operations. There, his fearless cavalry, suddenly appearing in front of enemy columns, de alt crushing blows, and in mid-September they managed to destroy a detachment under the command of Colonel Mortier.
The operation that became the apogee of the general's glory
But General Dorokhov, the hero of the Patriotic War of 1812, gained the loudest fame during the capture of the city of Vereya, which was the most important communication hub of the enemy. Having crossed under the cover of night across the Protva River, which skirted the city, Dorokhov and his people quietly crept up to the enemy positions and removed the guards in complete silence.
Penetrating without a sound behind the defensive shaft, they suddenly attacked the enemy, for whom their appearance was a complete surprise. After a short but bloody battle, the French were forced to surrender and the city was in the hands of our troops. As a result of such a brilliant operation, Dorokhov's numerous awards were replenished with a golden sword, showered with diamonds, granted to him personally by the sovereign.
End of military career
In the future, Ivan Semyonovich fought in the sixth infantry corps, commanded by another hero of the Patriotic War of 1812 - General of Infantry Dmitry Sergeevich Dokhturov. Together with him, on October 24, Dorokhov took part in the battle ofMaloyaroslavets, which took place shortly after the retreat of Napoleon's troops from Moscow. During one of the cavalry attacks he led, the general was seriously wounded, after which he could no longer remain in the ranks and was forced to retire.
The last years of his life, General Dorokhov, whose biography is an endless list of campaigns and battles, spent in his family estate in Tula, where he was once born and where he spent his childhood. We can only guess what the honored veteran was going through in those years, torn out of his usual circle of dangers and adventures by the will of fate.
The end of a heroic life
He died on April 25, 1815, and, according to his last will, was buried in the Nativity Cathedral of the very city of Vereya, the capture of which brought him fame three years ago. He left this world not at all an old man, fifty-three years for a seasoned fighter is far from the limit. Apparently, he simply could not, and did not want to drag out a further existence without what was the meaning of his whole life.
Today, visitors to the St. Petersburg State Hermitage pass through the hall where heroes of the Patriotic War of 1812 look at them from portrait frames. There is also General Dorokhov among them. Merit to the Motherland gave him every right to take a place in their honorary ranks.
Russians have always been of great interest to everything connected with the heroic past of our country. Numerous publications are dedicated to him.exhibitions, as well as television and radio broadcasts. Becomes the property of the general public and the role that General Dorokhov played in the Patriotic War of 1812. Little-known facts from the life of the hero invariably attract everyone's attention. And this is quite natural, since only on the examples of high patriotism of the past years can one instill in the current generation love for their homeland. A monument to the famous military leader stands today in the city of Vereya.
