The Battle of Poltava is the most important thing. When was the Battle of Poltava. Losses of the parties and pursuit of the enemy

At the end of February 1709 CharlesXII Having learned about the departure of Peter I from the army to Voronezh, he redoubled his efforts to force the Russians into battle, but it was all in vain. As a last resort, he undertook the siege of Poltava, where at the end of 1708 Peter sent the 4th battalion of the garrison, under the command of Colonel Kellin, and where, according to the assurance of the Zaporozhye ataman Gordeenko and Mazepa, there were significant stores and huge sums of money. Having personally examined the Poltava fortifications, Charles XII at the end of April 1709 moved to this city from the village of Budishcha, where his main apartment was then located, Colonel Shparre with 9 infantry regiments, 1 artillery and the entire army convoy. On the Russian side, General Renne was sent against him with a 7,000 cavalry detachment, which stood directly opposite the city, on the left bank of the Vorskla. He built two bridges and covered them with retrenchments, but his actions to maintain contact with Poltava were unsuccessful, and Renne returned to the army.

The city of Poltava was located on the heights of the right bank of the Vorskla, almost a mile from the river itself, from which it was separated by a very swampy valley. It was surrounded on all sides by a chain earthen rampart, and inside it a retrenchment with palisades was made by the garrison. Gordeenko advised the Swedes to capture Poltava through an accidental attack; but they failed to take advantage of his offer, and on the night of April 30 to May 1, 1709, taking advantage of the cover of bushes and a rather deep ravine, they opened the first trenches, at a distance of 250 fathoms from the city. The conduct of the siege was entrusted to Quartermaster General Gyllenkrok. According to his plan, it was supposed to conduct an attack, first of all, on the suburb, from the side where there was a high wooden tower, and then attack the Russian suburb. This was based on news received that in the suburbs of Poltava there were many wells, while in the city itself there was only one. Gillenkrok decided to lay three parallels at the same time, connected to each other by aproshas. Zaporozhye Cossacks were assigned for the work, and a detachment of Swedish infantry provided cover for them. Due to the inexperience of the Cossacks, the work proceeded slowly and unsuccessfully, so that by morning the troops could only occupy the first two parallels, while the third, barely begun, was not yet completed. The next night the Swedes managed to complete the broken routes leading to the third parallel. Gillenkrok suggested that the king attack Poltava at dawn, but Charles XII did not agree to his proposal, but ordered him to go through the ditch with grapnels and lay a mine under the rampart. This enterprise failed because the Russians, having fired a countermine, discovered the enemy's intentions.

Having no siege weapons, with only a small number of small-caliber field weapons, the Swedes could not hope for success, but, despite this, their actions became more decisive from hour to hour, and Poltava was in imminent danger. Colonel Kellin, who was in Poltava with 4 thousand regular troops and 2.5 thousand townspeople, sought all means for defense. He ordered a fence made of barrels to be made on the rampart and in the suburbs and repeatedly sent word with empty bombs to the Russian troops stationed near Poltava that the Swedes were getting closer and closer to the city and that the garrison was in a dangerous position, suffering a shortage of combat and partly life supplies. As a result, the Russians launched demonstrations against the enemy. Menshikov crossed to the left side of the Vorskla, and General Beling, following its right bank, attacked Colonel Shparre. The Swedes were repulsed, but Charles XII, who arrived in time with cavalry regiments, stopped the Russians and forced them to retreat. Despite this, Menshikov continued his movement along the left bank of the Vorskla and positioned himself opposite Poltava at the villages of Krutoy Bereg, Savka and Iskrevka, in two fortified camps separated from each other by the Kolomak stream, which flows in a swampy and wooded valley. Through it, 4 fascine roads with posts were made, which served as communications for both camps. Wanting to reinforce the city garrison, Menshikov took advantage of the Swedes’ oversight and on May 15 brought 2 battalions into Poltava, under the command of brigadier Alexei Golovin. Encouraged by this, Kellin began to act more decisively, and the Swedes had a lot of difficulty repelling his attacks.

On May 10, the main Swedish forces arrived at Poltava: the infantry occupied the surrounding villages; The cavalry stood at some distance from the city, supporting themselves by foraging. Charles XII, wanting to stop relations between the Poltava garrison and Menshikov, ordered the construction of a redoubt at the height of the right bank of the river, opposite the bridge, near the Steep Bank, and began to actively prepare all measures for the capture of the city. Then Sheremetev, who commanded the Russian army in Peter’s absence, decided to unite with Menshikov. At the end of May 1709, he crossed Psyol and Vorskla and occupied a camp at Kruty Bereg, adjoining this village with his left flank. The main forces of his army stood in two lines with a front to the north, while the vanguard was located to the left of Iskrevka and Savka, parallel to the Kharkov road, and a front to the south. Thus, both parts of the Russian army were facing each other with their rears. The main apartment of the Russians was in the village of Krutoy Beregu. From the vanguard, a detachment was sent all the way to Vorskla, which began laying various fortifications: several redoubts were built near the river bank, and a closed trench was located at a height near the bridge. But all attempts by Sheremetev to provide assistance to Poltava were in vain. The Swedes laid a series of closed fortifications along the right bank of the river, near the bridge, and thus completely interrupted the communication of the Russians with the city, the situation of which was becoming more dangerous from day to day. On June 1, the Swedes began to bombard Poltava and, having managed to set fire to the wooden tower of the suburb, launched an attack, but were repulsed with damage.

Preparations for the Battle of Poltava

On June 4, Peter himself arrived at the Russian army. His presence inspired the troops. Having entered into communication with the garrison of Poltava, he assembled a military council, at which it was decided, in order to liberate the city, to cross directly against him through Vorskla and attack the Swedes together with the Cossacks Skoropadsky, going there on the right side of this river. The marshy banks of the Vorskla impeded the work, but, despite the unsuccessful execution of the tasks, Peter was still faithful to the plan he had adopted. To entertain the attention of the enemy, he ordered General Renna, with 3 regiments of infantry and several regiments of dragoons, to move up the river to Semenov Ford and Petrovka and, having crossed the Vorskla, fortify himself on its right bank; General Allard received orders to cross the river slightly below Poltava. On the 15th, Renne, having transported two infantry battalions along the Lykoshinsky Ford, occupied the old fortification on opposite heights; The Cossacks stretched out to guard the crossings along the entire right bank from Tishenkov Ford to Petrovka. On June 16, Renne built on the hills between the last village and Semenov Ford a line of separate fortifications, behind which his detachment was located. On the same date, Peter completed the fortifications on the marshy island of Vorskla against the left flank of the Swedish coastlines.

Karl paid particular attention to the movements of Allard and Renne. He himself went against the first, sending a general Renschilda to Semyonovka. Carrying out a personal reconnaissance, the Swedish king was shot in the leg, which forced him to postpone the attack on Allard. Renschild's actions were no more successful.

But Peter also saw the futility of his enterprises; At the newly assembled military council, he proposed to cross the Vorskla somewhat higher than Poltava and give a general battle, the success of which could already be relied upon with greater certainty. On June 10, 1709, the Russian army moved from the camp at Krutoy Bereg to Chernyakhov and settled down near the last village in the camp, which was partly surrounded by trenches. Then Peter learned from the prisoners about Karl’s illness, and therefore, on the 20th, he hastened to cross the bridge at Petrovka and the three fords mentioned above. The Russian army occupied the fortified camp prepared by General Renne.

Charles XII, wishing to take advantage of the removal of the Russian army, ordered, on the 21st, an assault on Poltava, but it was repulsed, as was another undertaken by the Swedes the next day with desperate courage. On June 25, Peter moved more forward, stopped before reaching Yakovets, three miles below Semenovka, and strengthened his position. The Swedes immediately stepped forward, as if challenging the Russians to battle, but seeing that they were not leaving their trenches, they decided to attack them themselves and give battle, setting the 27th for this.

On the night of June 26, the Russians finally dug in their camp and built 10 more redoubts ahead at the exit from the adjacent valley. These redoubts were located at a distance of a rifle shot from each other. The Russian position was turned with its rear to Vorskla, and with its front to a vast plain extending to the village of Budishchi; it was surrounded by forest and had exits only from the north and southwest. The disposition of the troops was as follows: 56 battalions occupied a fortified camp; 2 battalions of the Belgorod regiment, under the command of Brigadier Aigustov, were assigned to defend redoubts armed with cannons; behind them were 17 cavalry regiments, under the command of Renne and Baur; the remaining 6 cavalry regiments were sent to the right to maintain communication with Skoropadsky. The artillery, including 72 guns, was commanded by Bruce. The number of Russian troops ranged from 50 to 55 thousand.

On the morning of the 26th, Peter, accompanied by some of his generals, under the cover of a small detachment, surveyed the surrounding area. He saw that in order to liberate Poltava he had to take the fight, and therefore he only wanted to wait for the arrival of the expected reinforcements, joining with which he intended to attack the Swedes himself on the 29th. Having experienced his happiness at Lesnaya, the tsar decided to personally take over the main command of the army. In the order given to the troops, with a strong speech he convinced them of the importance of the upcoming battle.

For his part, the Swedish king did not want to allow the Russians to warn him of the attack. For this purpose, he sent back in advance, beyond Poltava, under the cover of 2 cavalry regiments, his convoy and artillery, which, due to a lack of shells, could not take part in the battle. Only 4 guns remained with the troops. Charles XII, in consultation with Field Marshal Renschild, personally drew up a plan for the battle of Poltava, which, however, was not communicated either to the troops or even to the closest persons who made up the main headquarters. In all likelihood, the king believed that the Russians would defend themselves in their fortified camp, and therefore had the intention, dividing his army into columns, to break through between the advanced redoubts, push back the Russian cavalry and then, in accordance with the circumstances, or rush quickly against the trenches, or, if the Russians leave the camp, rush against them. Around noon, on the 26th, Quartermaster General Gillenkrok was ordered to form four columns of infantry, while the cavalry was divided by Renschild into 6 columns. There were 6 battalions in each infantry column, 6 in 4 medium cavalry columns, and 7 squadrons in both flanks. 2 battalions and part of the cavalry were left near Poltava; separate detachments covered the convoy and maintained posts down the Vorskla: in New Senzhary, Beliki and Sokolkovo. The last measure taken to ensure a retreat, in case of failure, was useless, because the Swedes did not build a bridge across the Dnieper in advance; In addition, this measure weakened the already weak army, which could only field 30 battalions and 14 cavalry regiments (in total up to 24 thousand) for battle. Mazepa and the Cossacks were left to guard the siege work.

Battle of Poltava 1709. Plan

Progress of the Battle of Poltava

By the evening of the 26th, Swedish troops lined up parallel to the position occupied by the Russian cavalry behind 6 redoubts. The infantry stood in the middle, and the cavalry on the flanks. Charles XII, carried on a stretcher along the front of his soldiers, in brief words convinced them to show the same courage at Poltava with which they fought at Narva and Golovchin.

At 2 o'clock in the morning, on the 27th, at dawn, the Swedes, starting the Battle of Poltava, moved against the Russian position, into the gap between the forests that bordered the plain. In front were infantry columns, under the command of Posse, Stackelberg, Ross and Shparre. Behind them, somewhat behind, followed the cavalry, led on the right wing by Kreutz and Schlippenbach, on the left by Cruz and Hamilton. Approaching the line of redoubts, the Swedish infantry stopped and waited for the arrival of its cavalry, which immediately rushed at several Russian cavalry regiments that had ridden out to meet it. Behind her the center and right wing of the infantry moved forward. Having taken 2 unfinished redoubts, she passed through the gaps between them and the rest of the trenches, because the Russians, for fear of damaging their own cavalry, stopped shooting at the enemy. The Swedish cavalry, supported by this rapid onslaught, pushed back the Russians. Noticing this, Peter, at 4 o'clock in the morning, ordered General Baur (Bour), who took command instead of the wounded Renne, to retreat with the Russian cavalry to the camp and join his left flank to it. During this movement, the left wing of the Swedes, without waiting for Ross to join, who was busy attacking the Russian flank redoubts, moved forward. This circumstance had an extraordinary influence on the fate of the entire battle of Poltava.

Battle of Poltava. Painting by P. D. Martin, 1726

Having come under heavy fire from the Russian fortified camp, the left wing of the Swedes, instead of persistently continuing the movement they had started, stopped for a while and moved further to the left. Charles XII, who was with him on a stretcher, wishing to more accurately ensure the accession of Ross, sent part of the cavalry to his aid, after which several other cavalry regiments followed, without any command from their generals. Crowded in disorder and coming under heavy fire from the Russian batteries, this cavalry also stretched to the left, to the place where the Swedish infantry stood, which in turn retreated to the edge of the Budishchensky forest, where, hiding from the shots of the Russian batteries, it began to put its upset rows. Thus, the Swedes were unable to take advantage of their initial success and were now placed in a dangerous position. Between their right and left wings a considerable gap was formed, which divided their army into two separate parts.

This mistake did not escape the attention of Peter, who personally controlled the actions of his troops in the battle of Poltava. In the midst of the strongest fire, even before that, seeing the onslaught of the left wing of the Swedes and believing that they would attack the Russian camp, he withdrew part of his infantry from it and built it in several lines, on both sides of the trenches, in order to hit the Swedes in the flank . When their regiments were badly damaged by our shots and began to settle down near the forest, he ordered, at 6 o’clock in the morning, the rest of the infantry to also leave the camp and line up in two lines in front of him. To take advantage of Ross's distance, the Tsar ordered Prince Menshikov and General Renzel, with 5 battalions and 5 dragoon regiments, to attack the Swedes' right wing. The Swedish cavalry regiments that rode out to meet them were overthrown, and the general himself Schlippenbach, who led the cavalry of the right wing, was captured. Then Renzel’s infantry rushed against Ross’s troops, who had meanwhile occupied the Yalowitsky forest, on the left flank of our position, and the Russian dragoons moved to the right , threatening the Swedish line of retreat. This forced Ross to retreat to Poltava itself, where he occupied the siege trenches and, attacked from all sides by Renzel’s 5 battalions pursuing him, was forced, after a half-hour period given to him to think, to put down his weapon.

Having left Renzel to pursue Ross to Poltava, Prince Menshikov, commanding the left Russian wing, joined the rest of the cavalry to the main forces of the army, located in two lines in front of the camp. In the center of the first line there were 24 infantry battalions, on the left flank - 12, and on the right - 23 cavalry squadrons. The second line consisted of 18 battalions in the center, 12 on the left flank, and 23 squadrons on the right. The right wing was commanded by Baur, the center by Repnin, Golitsyn and Allard, and the left wing by Menshikov and Belling. General Ginter was left in the trenches with 6 infantry battalions and several thousand Cossacks to reinforce the battle lines, if necessary. Moreover, 3 battalions, under the command of Colonel Golovin, were sent to the Vozdvizhensky Monastery to open communications with Poltava. 29 field guns, under the command of Artillery General Bruce, and all the regimental guns were in the 1st line.

The Swedes, after the separation of Ross, were left with only 18 infantry battalions and 14 cavalry regiments, and therefore they were forced to build their infantry in one line, and their cavalry on the flanks in two lines. There was almost no artillery, as we saw.

In this order, at 9 o'clock in the morning, the Swedish regiments with desperate courage rushed towards the Russians, who had already managed to line up in battle formation and were personally led by Peter. Both troops participating in the battle of Poltava, inspired by their leaders, understood their great purpose. Courageous Peter was ahead of everyone and, saving the honor and glory of Russia, did not think about the danger that threatened him. His hat, saddle and dress were shot through. The wounded Charles, on a stretcher, was also among his troops; the cannonball killed two of his servants and they were forced to carry him on spears. The clash between both troops was terrible. The Swedes were repulsed and retreated back in disorder. Then Peter moved forward the regiments of his first line and, taking advantage of the superiority of his forces, surrounded the Swedes on both flanks, who were forced to flee and seek salvation in the forest. The Russians rushed after them, and only a small part of the Swedes, after a two-hour battle in the forest, escaped the sword and captivity.

Peter I. Portrait by P. Delaroche, 1838

Charles XII, under the cover of a small detachment, mounted a horse, barely reached the place beyond Poltava where his convoy and artillery stood, under the cover of part of the Swedish cavalry and Mazepa’s Cossacks. There he waited for the concentration of the scattered remnants of his army. First of all, the convoy and park moved along the right bank of the Vorskla to New Senzhary, Beliki and Sokolkovo, where the cavalry posts left by Karl were located. The king himself followed them and arrived on the 30th in Perevolochna.

Results and results of the Battle of Poltava

The first result of the Battle of Poltava was the liberation of Poltava, which in some way constituted the very goal of the battle. On June 28, 1709, Peter solemnly entered this city.

The losses of the Swedes in the battle of Poltava were significant: 9 thousand of them fell in the battle, 3 thousand were taken prisoner; 4 cannons, 137 banners and standards were the prey of the Russians. Field Marshal Renschild, generals Stackelberg, Hamilton, Schlpppenbach and Ross, colonels Prince Maximilian of Württemberg, Horn, Appelgren and Engstätt were captured. A similar fate befell Minister Pieper and two state secretaries. Among the dead were Colonels Thorstenson, Springen, Sigrot, Ulfenarre, Weidenhain, Rank and Buchwald.

The Russians lost 1,300 killed and 3,200 wounded. Among those killed were: Brigadier Tellenheim, 2 colonels, 4 headquarters and 59 chief officers. Among the wounded were Lieutenant General Renne, Brigadier Polyansky, 5 colonels, 11 headquarters and 94 chief officers.

After the battle of Poltava, Peter dined with his generals and staff officers; the captured generals were also invited to the table and received favorably. Field Marshal Renschild and the Prince of Württemberg were given swords. At the table, Peter praised the loyalty and courage of the Swedish troops and drank to the health of his teachers in military affairs. Some Swedish officers, by their consent, were transferred by the same ranks to the Russian service.

Peter did not limit himself to just winning the battle: on the same day he sent Prince Golitsyn with the guards and Baur with the dragoons to pursue the enemy. The next day, Menshikov was sent for the same purpose.

The further fate of the Swedish army under Perevolochne had a close connection with the result of the battle of Poltava and constituted, so to speak, its end.

No matter how great the material consequences of the Battle of Poltava were, even more immense was its moral influence on the very course of events: Peter’s conquests were secured, and his extensive plans - to improve the well-being of his people by developing trade, navigation and education - could be freely carried out.

Great was the joy of Peter and the entire Russian people. In memory of this victory, the Tsar decreed an annual celebration in all places in Russia. In honor of the Battle of Poltava, medals were struck for all officers and soldiers who participated in it. For this battle, Sheremetev received huge estates; Menshikov was made field marshal; Bruce, Allard and Renzel received the Order of St. Andrew; Renne and other generals were awarded ranks, orders and money. Medals and other awards were distributed to all officers and soldiers.

One of the significant events in Russian history is the Battle of Poltava in 1709. Then, at the very beginning of the 18th century - as well as during the Patriotic War of 1812, and during the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945) - the question was acute: is the Russian state destined to exist or not. The victory of the Russian army under the command of Peter the Great gave a clear positive answer.

Sweden in the 17th and 18th centuries

In the 17th century, Sweden was one of the strongest powers in Europe. Under its control were the Baltic states, Finland, and the coastal lands of Germany, Poland, Denmark and Russia. The Kexholm district (the city of Priozersk) and Ingermarland (the coast of the Gulf of Finland and the Neva) captured from Russia were strategically important territories that provided access to the Baltic Sea.

In 1660-1661, peace agreements were signed between Sweden and Poland, Denmark and Russia. They summed up the bloody battles between the states, but could not mean complete humility in front of what was lost: in 1700, an alliance of Russia, Denmark and Saxony took shape against the treacherous Sweden.

Many historians argue that the allied countries wanted to take advantage of the accession to the throne of Sweden in 1697 of the 14-year-old heir Charles XII. But their hopes were not justified: despite his youth and inexperience in military affairs, the young Swedish king Charles XII proved himself to be a worthy follower of his father’s deeds and a talented commander. He defeated the King of Denmark and Norway, Frederick VI, as a result of which Denmark left the military alliance. The military operation near Narva in 1700 was no less successful, when Russian troops were defeated. But here the Swedish king made a strategic mistake: he abandoned the pursuit of the Russians, getting involved in a war with the Polish-Saxon army of King Augustus II. It was long, but its results were disappointing for Peter the Great: Russia’s main allies fell.

Rice. 1. Portrait of the Swedish King Charles XII

Prerequisites

The Russian army retreated. However, the defeat did not stop Peter I; on the contrary, it contributed to the beginning of serious reforms in the state:

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• In 1704, the port city of Kronstadt was founded on the island of Kotlin and the adjacent small islands of the Gulf of Finland;
• In the summer of 1704, Russian troops recaptured Dorpat and Narva, which allowed Russia to finally gain a foothold on the coast of the Gulf of Finland.

The victories won by the Russian army proved that the Swedes had a worthy opponent. But Charles XII preferred not to notice this. Confident in his abilities, he went to meet new conquests - in Moscow.

Rice. 2. Peter the Great before the construction of St. Petersburg

When did the Battle of Poltava take place?

On July 8 (June 27), 1709, a general battle took place near Poltava. The battle lasted two hours and ended in a crushing defeat for the Swedish army led by Charles XII. Scientists rightly note that it was this battle that turned out to be a turning point and predetermined the victory of the Russians in the Northern War. The victory of the Russian army was not accidental. It was predetermined for a number of reasons:

• Participants of the battle with different spirits : on the one hand, the morally exhausted Swedish army, and on the other, the reformed Russian army. Most of the Swedish army fought for nine years, far from home and relatives. In addition, the grueling winter of 1708-1709 led to food and ammunition shortages for the Swedes;
• Numerical superiority of the Russian army : Charles XII approached Poltava with an army of about 31,000 people and 39 cannons. On the eve of the battle, Peter the Great had 49,000 soldiers and 130 cannons at his disposal;
• Differences in Strategy : for two years - 1707-1709, the Russian army was constantly retreating. The tasks of Peter the Great were to preserve the army and prevent the enemy from setting foot in Moscow. To do this, he chose a strategy for a well-established victory: avoid large battles, and wear out the enemy with small ones;
• Differences in Tactics : the Swedes in an open battle used a merciless attack using edged weapons, and the Russians used superiority in numbers and a system of earthen fortifications - redoubts. At the last stage of the Battle of Poltava, the Russian army used enemy tactics and went on the attack: the battle escalated into a massacre.
• Wound of Charles XII : Swedish soldiers considered their king virtually invulnerable. Before the Battle of Poltava, he was seriously wounded in the leg, which shocked the army: many saw a mystical meaning and a bad omen in this. The patriotic attitude of the Russian army was exactly the opposite: the war was taking place on Russian soil and the fate of the Fatherland depended on its outcome.
• The moment of surprise was missed : according to the plan, the Swedish infantry was supposed to attack the Russian army at night. But this did not happen: the cavalry, led by Swedish generals, got lost in the surrounding area.

Rice. 3. Map of the Battle of Poltava

The dates of the beginning and end of the Northern War include 1700-1721. The Battle of Poltava is called the most important event of this period. Despite the fact that the war continued for another 12 long years, the clash near Poltava practically destroyed the Swedish army, forced Charles XII to flee to Turkey and predetermined the outcome of the Northern War: Russia expanded its territories, gaining a foothold in the Baltic.

In addition to the main participants in the Battle of Poltava - the Swedes and Russians, an important role was played by the Ukrainian hetman Ivan Mazepa - a protege of the Russian Tsar, who was in secret correspondence with Charles XII and promised him food, fodder and military support for the Zaporozhye Cossacks in exchange for the independence of Ukraine. As a result, he was forced to flee to Turkey with the King of Sweden, where he ended his days in 1709.

“Battle of Poltava” (1726) / Drawing: i.ytimg.com

The Battle of Poltava is the largest general battle of the Northern War between Russian troops under the command of Peter I and the Swedish army of Charles XII. The battle took place on the morning of June 27 (July 8), 1709 (June 28 according to the Swedish calendar) 6 miles from the city of Poltava (Hetmanate). The defeat of the Swedish army led to a turning point in the Northern War in favor of Russia and to the end of Sweden's dominance in Europe.

July 10 is the Day of Military Glory of Russia - the Day of the victory of the Russian army under the command of Peter the Great over the Swedes in the Battle of Poltava.

Background

After the defeat of the Russian army at Narva in 1700, Charles XII resumed military operations against the Saxon Elector and the Polish King Augustus II, inflicting one defeat after another.

The return of Russian lands in Ingria, the founding by Russian Tsar Peter I of the new fortified city of St. Petersburg (1703) at the mouth of the Neva, and the successes of the Russians in Courland (1705) prompted Charles XII to decide, after the defeat of Augustus II, to return to action against Russia and capture Moscow. In 1706, Augustus II suffered a heavy defeat and lost the crown of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. In June 1708, Charles XII began a campaign against Russia.

Peter I understood the inevitability of the Swedes' advance deep into Russia. After the Russian army escaped defeat at Grodno in 1706, shortly after the arrival of the Tsar on December 28, 1706, a military council was held in the Polish town of Zholkiev. To the question, “...should we give battles with the enemy in Poland, or at our borders,” it was decided not to give (if such a misfortune happens, it is difficult to carry out a retreat), “and for this purpose it is necessary to give a battle at our borders, when there is a necessary need; and in Poland, at crossings, and in parties, also by stripping provisions and fodder, to torment the enemy, to which many Polish senators agreed.”

The year 1708 passed in clashes between the Swedish and Russian armies on the territory of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (the battles of Golovchin, Dobro, Raevka and Lesnaya). The Swedes fully felt the “starvation” in provisions and fodder, which was greatly facilitated by the peasantry of White Rus', who hid bread, feed for horses, and killed foragers.

In the fall of 1708, Hetman I. S. Mazepa betrayed Peter and took the side of Charles, assuring him of the allied feelings of the population of Little Russia towards the Swedish crown. Due to illness and poor provision of food and ammunition, the Swedish army needed rest, so the Swedes from near Smolensk turned to the lands of Little Russia in order to rest there and continue the attack on Moscow from the south.

However, the winter turned out to be difficult for the Swedish army, despite the fact that the Russian army in the lands of Little Russia stopped the “scorched earth” tactics. The peasants of Little Russia, like the Belarusians, greeted foreigners with hatred. They ran into the forests, hid bread and feed for horses, and killed foragers. The Swedish army was starving.() By the time Charles’s army approached Poltava, it had lost up to a third of its strength and numbered 35 thousand people. In an effort to create favorable preconditions for the offensive, Karl decides to capture Poltava, which from a fortification point of view seemed “easy prey.”

Russian Military Glory Day - Victory Day of the Russian army under the command of Peter the Great over the Swedes in the Battle of Poltava (1709) celebrated on July 10 in accordance with the Federal Law of the Russian Federation of March 13, 1995 No. 32-FZ “On the days of military glory (victory days) of Russia.”

The Battle of Poltava itself - the decisive episode of the Great Northern War - took place (June 27) on July 8, 1709. The Russian army of Peter I and the Swedish army of Charles XII took part in it.

After Peter I conquered Livonia from Charles XII and founded the new fortified city of St. Petersburg, Charles decided to attack central Russia and capture Moscow. Unfavorable climatic conditions prevented Charles from doing this, who led his army to Moscow from the south, through Ukraine. By the time Karl's army approached Poltava, Karl was wounded, lost a third of his army, and his rear was attacked by Cossacks and Kalmyks.

(April 30) On May 11, 1709, Swedish troops invaded Russian territory and began the siege of Poltava. Its garrison of 4,200 soldiers and 2,600 armed citizens under the leadership of Colonel A.S. Kelina successfully repelled a number of assaults. At the end of May, the main forces of the Russian army, led by Peter, approached Poltava. They were located on the left bank of the Vorskla River opposite from Poltava. After (June 27) on July 8 at the military council Peter I decided on a general battle, on the same day the advanced detachment of the Russians crossed the Vorskla north of Poltava, near the village of Petrovka, ensuring the possibility of crossing the entire army.

Rotunda honoring the memory of the fallen participants of the Battle of Poltava in the Poltava Battle Field reserve / Photo: FotoYakov, Shutterstock

As a result of the Battle of Poltava, the army of King Charles XII ceased to exist. The king himself fled with Mazepa to the territory of the Ottoman Empire. The decisive Russian victory led to a turning point in the Northern War in Russia's favor and ended Sweden's dominance as the main military power in Europe.

In 1710, in St. Petersburg, in honor of the victory in this battle, the Sampsonian Church was built by order of Peter (since the battle took place on the day of St. Sampson the Host - his memory is honored on June 27, old style). On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the battle, the now famous sculptural group “Samson Tearing the Lion’s Jaw” was installed in Peterhof, where the lion symbolized Sweden, whose coat of arms contains this heraldic beast. On the very field of the Battle of Poltava in 1852, the Sampsonievskaya Church was founded.

Fragments of the diorama of the Battle of Poltava / Photo:pro100-mica.livejournal.com

The first major celebration of the victory in the Battle of Poltava was organized for its 200th anniversary in 1909: a medal “In memory of the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Poltava” was established, the museum-reserve “Field of the Poltava Battle” (now the National Museum-Reserve) was founded on the site of the battle. Several monuments have been erected. In Soviet times, the event was practically forgotten; only in 1981, in preparation for the 275th anniversary of the battle, Poltava Field was declared a state historical and cultural reserve. And since 1995, this date has been celebrated as the Day of Military Glory of Russia.

7 interesting facts about the Battle of Poltava

1. God of War

One of the main factors that ensured the victory of the Russian army over the enemy was artillery. Unlike the Swedish king Charles XII, Peter I did not neglect the services of the “god of war.” Against four Swedish guns brought to the field near Poltava, the Russians fielded 310 guns of various calibers. Within a few hours, four powerful artillery strikes were rained down on the advancing enemy. All of them led to serious losses on the part of the Swedes. As a result of one of them, a third of Charles’s army was captured: 6 thousand people at once.

2. Peter the commander

After the Poltava victory, Peter I was promoted to the rank of senior lieutenant general. This promotion is not a mere formality. For Peter, the battle of Poltava was one of the most important events in his life and - with certain reservations - he could sacrifice his life if necessary. At one of the decisive moments of the battle, when the Swedes broke through the Russian ranks, he rode forward and, despite the aimed fire that the Swedish riflemen fired at him, galloped along the infantry line, inspiring the fighters by personal example. According to legend, he miraculously escaped death: three bullets almost reached their target. One pierced the hat, the second hit the saddle, and the third hit the pectoral cross.

“O Peter, know that life is not precious to him, if only Russia lives in bliss and glory for your well-being,” these are the famous words he said before the start of the battle.

3. So that the enemy does not get scared...

The fighting spirit of the soldiers matched the mood of the commander. The regiments left in reserve seemed to be asking to go to the front line, wanting to take as active part as possible in such an important battle for the country. Peter was even forced to justify himself to them: “The enemy is standing near the forest and is already in great fear; If you withdraw all the regiments, then you will not give up the fight and will leave: for this purpose, you must also make a reduction from the other regiments, so that through your derogation you will attract the enemy to the battle.” The advantage of our troops over the enemy was indeed great not only in artillery: 22 thousand against 8 thousand infantry and 15 thousand against 8 thousand cavalry. () In order not to frighten the enemy, Russian strategists resorted to other tricks. For example, Peter ordered experienced soldiers to be dressed as recruits so that the deceived enemy would direct his forces at them.

4. Surrounding the enemy and surrendering

The decisive moment in the battle: the spread of rumors about the death of Charles. It quickly became clear that the rumor was exaggerated. The wounded king ordered himself to be raised like a banner, like an idol, on crossed spears. He shouted: “Swedes! Swedes! But it was too late: the exemplary army succumbed to panic and fled. Three days later, demoralized, she was overtaken by cavalry under the command of Menshikov. And although the Swedes now had a numerical superiority - 16 thousand against nine - they surrendered. One of the best armies in Europe capitulated.

5. Sue the horse

However, some Swedes were able to find benefit in the crushing defeat. During the battle, the orderly of the Life Dragoon Karl Strokirch gave the horse to General Lagerkrun. After 22 years, the cavalryman decided that it was time to return the favor and went to court. The case was examined, the general was accused of horse theft and ordered to pay compensation of 710 dalers, which equals approximately 18 kilograms of silver.

6. Report about Victoria

Paradoxically, despite the fact that in the battle itself the Russian troops were doomed to victory in all respects, the report about it compiled by Peter caused a lot of noise in Europe. It was a sensation.

The Vedomosti newspaper published a letter from Peter to Tsarevich Alexei: “I announce to you a very great victory, which God deigned to bestow upon us through the indescribable courage of our soldiers, with the small blood of our troops.”

7. Memory of victory

In memory of the victory and the soldiers who died for it, a temporary oak cross was erected at the battle site. Peter also planned to found a monastery here. The wooden cross was replaced with a granite one only a hundred years later. Even later - towards the end of the 19th century - the monument and chapel that today’s tourists see were built on the site of the mass grave. Instead of a monastery, in 1856 a temple was erected in the name of St. Sampson the Old Receiver, which was assigned to the Holy Cross convent.

For the 300th anniversary of the battle, the chapel of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, standing on the mass grave, was restored, but it, like many historical monuments in Ukraine, is still in disrepair and is almost always closed to the public.

When writing the material, data from open Internet sources was used:

In October 1708, Peter I became aware of the betrayal and defection of Hetman Mazepa to the side of Charles XII, who negotiated with the king for quite a long time, promising him, if he arrived in Ukraine, up to 50 thousand Cossack troops, food and a comfortable wintering. On October 28, 1708, Mazepa, at the head of a detachment of Cossacks, arrived at Charles’s headquarters. It was in this year that Peter I amnestied and recalled from exile (accused of treason based on Mazepa’s slander) the Ukrainian colonel Paliy Semyon (real name Gurko); Thus, the sovereign of Russia secured the support of the Cossacks.

From the many thousands of Ukrainian Cossacks (registered Cossacks numbered 30 thousand, Zaporozhye Cossacks - 10-12 thousand), Mazepa managed to bring only up to 10 thousand people, about 3,000 registered Cossacks and about 7,000 Cossacks. But they soon began to flee from the camp of the Swedish army. King Charles XII was afraid to use such unreliable allies, of which there were about 2 thousand, in battle, and therefore left them in the baggage train.

Swedish attack on the redoubts

On the eve of the battle, Peter I toured all the regiments. His short patriotic appeals to soldiers and officers formed the basis of the famous order, which demanded that soldiers fight not for Peter, but for “Russia and Russian piety...”

Charles XII also tried to raise the spirit of his army. Inspiring the soldiers, Karl announced that tomorrow they would dine in the Russian convoy, where great booty awaited them.

At the first stage of the battle, the battles took place for the forward position. At two o'clock in the morning on June 27, Swedish infantry moved out of Poltava in four columns, followed by six cavalry columns. By dawn, the Swedes entered the field in front of the Russian redoubts. Prince Menshikov, having lined up his dragoons in battle formation, moved towards the Swedes, wanting to meet them as early as possible and thereby gain time to prepare for the battle of the main forces.

When the Swedes saw the advancing Russian dragoons, their cavalry quickly galloped through the gaps between the columns of their infantry and quickly rushed at the Russian cavalry. By three o'clock in the morning a hot battle was already in full swing in front of the redoubts. At first, the Swedish cuirassiers pushed back the Russian cavalry, but, quickly recovering, the Russian cavalry pushed the Swedes back with repeated blows.

The Swedish cavalry retreated and the infantry went on the attack. The tasks of the infantry were as follows: one part of the infantry had to pass the redoubts without a fight towards the main camp of the Russian troops, while the other part, under the command of Ross, had to take the longitudinal redoubts in order to prevent the enemy from firing destructive fire on the Swedish infantry, which was advancing towards the fortified camp Russians. The Swedes took the first and second forward redoubts. Attacks on the third and other redoubts were repulsed.

The brutal stubborn battle lasted more than an hour; During this time, the main forces of the Russians managed to prepare for battle, and therefore Tsar Peter ordered the cavalry and defenders of the redoubts to retreat to the main position near the fortified camp. However, Menshikov did not obey the tsar’s order and, dreaming of finishing off the Swedes at the redoubts, continued the battle. Soon he was forced to retreat.

Field Marshal Renschild regrouped his troops, trying to bypass the Russian redoubts on the left. After capturing two redoubts, the Swedes were attacked by Menshikov's cavalry, but the Swedish cavalry forced them to retreat. According to Swedish historiography, Menshikov fled. However, the Swedish cavalry, obeying the general battle plan, did not develop their success.

During the mounted battle, six right-flank battalions of General Ross stormed the 8th redoubt, but were unable to take it, having lost up to half of their personnel during the attack. During the left flank maneuver of the Swedish troops, a gap formed between them and Ross's battalions and the latter were lost from sight. In an effort to find them, Renschild sent 2 more infantry battalions to search for them. However, Ross's troops were defeated by Russian cavalry.

Meanwhile, Field Marshal Renschild, seeing the retreat of the Russian cavalry and infantry, orders his infantry to break through the line of Russian fortifications. This order is immediately carried out.

Having broken through the redoubts, the main part of the Swedes came under heavy artillery and rifle fire from the Russian camp and retreated in disarray to the Budishchensky forest. At about six o'clock in the morning, Peter led the army out of the camp and built it in two lines, with infantry in the center, Menshikov's cavalry on the left flank, and General R. H. Bour's cavalry on the right flank. A reserve of nine infantry battalions was left in the camp. Renschild lined up the Swedes opposite the Russian army.

Decisive battle

At the second stage of the battle, the struggle of Ch. strength

OK. At 6 a.m., Peter I built an army in front of the camp in 2 lines, placing the infantry in the center under the command of the field general. , on the flanks the cavalry of Gen. R. X. Bour and A. D. Menshikov, an artillery unit was deployed in the first line of infantry under the command of the general I'M IN. Bruce. A reserve (9 battalions) was left in the camp. Peter I sent part of the infantry and cavalry to strengthen the Ukrainian army. Cossacks in Mal. Budishchi and the garrison of Poltava in order to cut off the Swedes’ retreat routes and prevent them from capturing the fortress during the battle. The Swedish army lined up against the Russians. also in linear battle order.

At 9 o'clock the Swedes went on the offensive. Met by heavy Russian artillery fire, they rushed into a bayonet attack. In fierce hand-to-hand combat, the Swedes pushed back the center of the Russian first line. But Peter I, who observed the progress of the battle, personally led a counterattack of a battalion of Novgorodians and threw the Swedes back to their original positions. Soon Russian the infantry began to press back the enemy, and the cavalry began to cover his flanks.

Encouraged by the presence of the king, the right wing of the Swedish infantry fiercely attacked the left flank of the Russian army. Under the onslaught of the Swedes, the first line of Russian troops began to retreat. According to Englund, the Kazan, Pskov, Siberian, Moscow, Butyrsky and Novgorod regiments (the leading battalions of these regiments) succumbed to enemy pressure, according to Englund. A dangerous gap in the battle formation formed in the front line of the Russian infantry: the Swedes “overthrew” the 1st battalion of the Novgorod regiment with a bayonet attack. Tsar Peter I noticed this in time, took the 2nd battalion of the Novogorod regiment and, at its head, rushed into a dangerous place.

The arrival of the king put an end to the successes of the Swedes and order on the left flank was restored. At first, the Swedes wavered in two or three places under the onslaught of the Russians.

The second line of Russian infantry joined the first, increasing pressure on the enemy, and the melting thin line of the Swedes no longer received any reinforcements. The flanks of the Russian army engulfed the Swedish battle formation. The Swedes were already tired of the intense battle.

At 9 a.m. Peter moved his army forward; The Swedes met the Russians, and a stubborn but short battle broke out along the entire line. Hit by artillery fire and flanked by Russian cavalry, the Swedes were overthrown everywhere.

By 11 o'clock the Swedes began to retreat, which turned into a stampede. Charles XII fled to the Ottoman Empire with the traitor Hetman Mazepa. The remnants of the Swedish army retreated to Perevolochna, where they were overtaken and laid down their arms. The Swedes lost a total of more than 9 thousand people. killed, St. 18 thousand prisoners, 32 guns and the entire convoy. The losses of Russian troops amounted to 1345 people. killed and 3290 wounded.

Charles XII tried to inspire his soldiers and appears in the place of the hottest battle. But the cannonball breaks the king's stretcher, and he falls. The news of the death of the king swept through the ranks of the Swedish army with lightning speed. Panic began among the Swedes. Having woken up from the fall, Charles XII orders himself to be placed on crossed peaks and raised high so that everyone can see him, but this measure did not help. Under the onslaught of Russian forces, the Swedes, who had lost formation, began a disorderly retreat, which by 11 o'clock turned into a real flight. The fainting king barely had time to be taken from the battlefield, put into a carriage and sent to Perevolochna.

According to Englund, the most tragic fate awaited two battalions of the Uppland Regiment, which were surrounded and completely destroyed (out of 700 people, only a few dozen remained alive).

Both royal commanders did not spare themselves in this battle: Peter’s hat was shot through, another bullet hit the cross on his chest, the third was found in the arch of the saddle; Karl's stretcher was smashed by a cannonball, and the frames surrounding him were all broken. The Russians lost more than 4,600 people; the Swedes lost up to 12 tons (counting prisoners). The pursuit of the remnants of the enemy army continued to the village of Perevolochny. The consequence of the victory was the reduction of Sweden to the level of a second-class power and the rise of Russia to an unprecedented height.

Losses of the parties

Menshikov, having received reinforcements of 3,000 Kalmyk cavalry in the evening, pursued the enemy to Perevolochna on the banks of the Dnieper, where about 16,000 Swedes were captured.

In the battle, the Swedes lost over 11 thousand soldiers. Russian losses amounted to 1,345 killed and 3,290 wounded.

During the Northern War, the battle of Poltava is considered the largest. The Swedish army was strong and powerful, but after the fighting in Poland, rest was required. made every effort to ensure that the Swedes did not get this rest.

On the way of the Swedish king Charles XII to Ukraine, all food and military supplies were destroyed. The peasants hid their livestock and food in the forest. In November 1708, the exhausted Swedish army reached Poltava, where it settled into winter quarters.

Hetman Mazepa promised help and supplies to Charles XII, but did not fulfill his promise. And the Swedish king began to think about how to lure the Russians into battle in the open field. This victory is so important for him, the prestige of the army and himself will rise.

During the long winter evenings, Charles XII decided on his further actions and decided to capture Poltava. They have 4 thousand soldiers, and 2.5 thousand inhabitants who can fight, and the Swedish army of 30 thousand people will quickly defeat the city. And then on April 25, 1709, the Swedes approached the walls of Poltava. The siege of the city began.

The enemy attacked powerfully, but the city did not surrender. For two months, the Poltava people resisted the best army in Europe, thanks to a well-built defense. And the garrison was commanded by Colonel Kelin. The Swedish king was very annoyed, but he had no idea that all this time the Russians were preparing for a general battle. To the very battle he dreamed of.

Opposite Poltava, on the banks of the Vorskla, the Russian army was stationed. Peter I arrived there in June and led his army up the river. Near the village of Chernyakhovo they crossed to the other side of the river, going to the rear of the Swedes. So by the end of June the Russians were five kilometers from Poltava. The Russian army stopped at the village of Yakovtsy. This is where Peter I decided to give battle to the Swedes.

A plain stretched between the Yakovetsky and Budishchinsky forests. The opponents could only advance to the left of the camp through the copse. The emperor ordered this place to be blocked off with eight redoubts. The cavalry was located behind the redoubts - 17 dragoon regiments. They were commanded by Alexander Menshikov. Artillery was deployed in front of the infantry. And the Ukrainians also helped: Cossack regiments, under the command of Hetman Ivan Skoropadsky, blocked the Swedes’ path to Poland and Right-Bank Ukraine. The Swedish army did not expect the Russians in its rear, and was forced to line up in front of a copse three kilometers from the Russian redoubts.

On June 27, at dawn, the Swedish army launched an offensive. This is how the Battle of Poltava began. Making their way through a barrage of bullets and cannonballs, the Swedes somehow overcame two rows of redoubts in hand-to-hand combat. At the same time, they suffered heavy losses. The correct tactics of Peter I did not allow the enemy to penetrate the Russian rear. The Swedes, under a heavy hail of Russian artillery, were forced to retreat into the Budishchi forest. The field was empty for a while, Peter moved his main forces forward. And here it is, the final battle.

The Swedes go on the offensive again, the Russians open fire. Again hand-to-hand combat, again losses... Peter led a battalion of the Novgorod regiment into battle, crushed the Swedes with a strong blow, and Menshikov’s cavalry began the battle on the left. The enemy could not withstand the onslaught, wavered and began to retreat. The Battle of Poltava was over by eleven o'clock. 15,000 people were captured, but the king, Mazepa and a thousand soldiers managed to escape across the Dnieper to Bendery.

It was a complete defeat of the once powerful Swedish army, 9234 people were killed, almost all the generals were captured. The Russian army lost much less - 1345 people were killed, 3290 were wounded. Peter I awarded all participants in the battle with orders and medals. The victory in the Battle of Poltava decided the outcome towards Russia.