Mamontov, Nikolai Petrovich

Hereditary nobleman ^[1] . Born in Warsaw in a military family. Father - commander of the Warsaw Fortress Artillery ^[2] Major General Peter Ivanovich Mamontov .

After graduating from the Alexander Cadet Corps ^[3] in 1901 he entered the Pavlovsk Military School ^[4] . Within the walls of the school, he became, in succession, the junior sword-cadet ^[5] and the senior sword-belt-cadet. He graduated from college in 1903 and was sent to His Majesty's 3rd Rifle Life-Guards Regiment ^[6] .

With the outbreak of the Russo-Japanese War in 1904, he was seconded to the St. Petersburg military commander to train state militia warriors ^[7] . In January 1905 he was seconded to the 119th Kolomna Infantry Regiment ^{[8] of the} 30th Infantry Division ^[9] for the position of commander of a machine-gun platoon. It was then that he first tried himself as a war correspondent. N. P. Mamontov wrote the leaves of the camp calendar under the general title “Death of a strange man”, which reflected some events of camp life, and stories about colleagues ^[10] . At the end of the war he was sent to the machine gun company of the 6th Infantry Siberian Yenisei Regiment, where he stayed until April 1906, when he was sent by the highest order ^[11] to the “place of regular service” ^{[to 1]} in the Life Guards Rifle Regiment on position of commander of the 1st machine-gun platoon. In the indicated period, as a military award “for incurred labor of the camp life” ^[2] he received the Order of St. Stanislav of the 3rd degree.

On the basis of the Regulation on Oriental Language Courses, Second Lieutenant N. P. Mamontov was seconded to the General Staff in September 1907 and was listed on the 14th Olonets Infantry Regiment ^[12] . From May to August 1908 he was sent to Persia to improve his language. During the internship, on the proposal of the head of training of the Persian cavalry of the General Staff of Colonel V.P. Lyakhova took upon himself the preparation of the machine gun team of the brigade, for which he was awarded the Persian Order of Leo and the Sun of the 2nd degree, which was the highest allowed to accept and wear. Impressions of a trip to Persia were set forth by Mamontov in the book Essays on Modern Persia, published in 1909. In it, “Mamontov appears not only as an attentive and conscientious observer who has gathered the most valuable facts about the places he visits and their population, but also as a researcher of history, the conditions of the material and spiritual life of the Persians” ^[13] . A year later, for the same purpose of improving his language, he was seconded to Turkey (May - August 1909). At the courses of oriental languages ​​Mamontov was until June 1910.

At the end of the Eastern languages ​​course, Captain N. P. Mamontov was transferred to the 258th Sukhumi Infantry Regiment ^[14] (the 203rd Sukhumi Infantry Regiment) in June 1910 and was immediately seconded to the district headquarters in the city of Tiflis to familiarize himself with the duties rear service. By order of regiment No. 332 of September 14, 1913, N.P. Mamontov was fired into the reserve ^[15] with the abandonment of the army infantry.

In 1912, Mamontov acted as a war correspondent for the newspaper Morning of Russia at the First Balkan War . He is described as “one of the best and most knowledgeable war correspondents” ^[16] . In 1913, Mamontov also collaborated with the Voice of Moscow ^[17] . During the hostilities, Mamontov even rose with the Bulgarian soldiers on the Sofia balloon, flying over the besieged Adrianople and observing combat positions from a height of 300 meters ^[18] Based on the results of trips to the military theater, Mamontov published the book “With Bulgarian Forces from Balkan to Chataldzhi " ^[19]

During the First World War (as part of the Russian regiments)

In August 1914, the First World War began. On July 20, 1914, N. P. Mamontov was called up from the reserve to the 11th Grenadier Fanagoria Regiment ^[20] , in which he was appointed junior officer in the E.V. company. A month later, in August, he was appointed company commander, and a month later the battalion commander. As part of the aforementioned regiment, he took part in cases against the enemy: in the war with Austria-Hungary and Germany, as indicated in his track record. In one of the fights he showed special courage and insolence. That's how his feat is described in the Highest Order of April 23, 1915, published in the journal "Scout" ^[21] (" Razvdchik ") No. 1285 of June 23, 1915 ^[3]

“... Award is approved by the Commander-in-Chief of the armies - of the front, for differences in cases against the enemy, for honoring the Local Duma from persons who have St. George weapons:
Georgievsk Weapons:
Drafted from the reserve of army infantry into the 11th Grenadier Fanagoria Regiment, staff captain Nikolai Mamontov, because in the battle of October 18, 1914 he attacked a very fortified position near the dd. Nagorzheva and Vitoslavitsa, and being at the head of the company, knocked out the enemy from these villages and a fortified position at the edge of the forest, and on October 19, knocked the enemy out of the nearest forest and sawmill, dotting the whole field with the corpses of the enemy ... ”

- The highest order for the War Department of April 23, 1915.
Military and literary magazine "Scout" No. 1285 of June 23, 1915

This key phrase in the Highest Order is an exhaustive description of the actions of the young staff captain. For this feat, he was introduced by the commander of the armies of the Southwestern Front to be awarded with St. George's gold weapons , the highest approval of which took place in April 1915. Being on the front line, N.P. Mamontov showed courage and courage more than once. To the next military award, the Order of the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George of the 4th degree, he was presented a few days later:

“... Award is approved by the commander - the army, for differences in cases against the enemy, for honoring the local cavalry St. George Duma:
Order of St. Great Martyr and Victorious George 4th degree:
Drafted from the reserve of army infantry to the 11th Grenadier Fanagoria Regiment, staff captain Nikolai Mamontov, because in the battle on November 10, 1914 near the village of Poskvitov, when the enemy, breaking through the line of our trenches with two columns, went to the rear, staff Captain Mamontov, who was in reserve with his company, rushed on his own initiative, first to one of the columns, then to the other and after a stubborn bayonet battle, destroying most of the enemy, threw the remains of him back, thereby helping out parts of the broken combat area from the danger that threatened them ... "

- The highest order for the War Department of June 2, 1915.
Military and literary magazine "Scout" No. 1293 of August 18, 1915

Here Mamontov showed not only courage, but, insolence and decisiveness: "... rushed on his own initiative ...". In a combat situation, he was able to make the right decisions, which ultimately decided the outcome of the battle. In the same battle, he was seriously wounded ^[22] :

“... as part of the Fanagoria regiment, he was wounded and shell-shocked in the battle on November 10, 1914, with bullets and fragments of a heavy artillery shell in the upper third of the right thigh and lower abdomen, remained in line by dressing ...”

- An entry in the track record of Colonel N. P. Mamontov .
Russian State Military Historical Archive (RGVIA) ^[23] . Fund No. 409, inventory No. 2,
Case No. 171916 “With track records of officers”

In December 1914, Staff Captain N.P. Mamontov was appointed adjutant to the commander of the 3rd Army, Infantry General R.D. Radko-Dmitriev . In July 1915, the 3rd Rifle Regiment (formerly the Life Guard Rifle Regiment) was again sent to the Life Guards, in which he temporarily commanded the 1st Battalion, and then the 2nd (from September 1915 to April 1916). As part of the regiment took part in the battles for the city of Vilna ^[24] . During this period, for the difference in cases against the enemy, he was promoted to captain on October 21, 1915. In February 1916 he was promoted to lieutenant colonel. Further N.P. Mamontov served in command and staff posts in various units and formations of the Russian army. In the 481st infantry Meshchovsky regiment, in which he served from May to July 1916 inclusive, he was appointed chairman of the regimental court. He continued to participate in actual military battles. He continued his military correspondence activities and wrote several essays, united under the general title “Tales of a combatant officer. Letters from the War ” ^[25]

On August 27, 1916, Lt. Col. N.P. Mamontov went to the disposal of the commander of the Czechoslovak rifle brigade as commander of the battalion of the 1st Czechoslovak rifle regiment.

Service in the Czechoslovak Corps (Division)

Service in the Czechoslovak brigade is the most outstanding stage in the military biography of N. P. Mamontov ^[26] . In just one year, he will travel from the battalion commander, then the commander of the 3rd Czech-Slovak Jan Zizka from the Trotsky rifle regiment, then the commander of the 1st Czecho-Slovak rifle brigade and, finally, the commander of the 1st Czecho-Slovak division.

On March 15, 1917, on the basis of the battalion he commanded, the 3rd Czecho-Slovak Jan Zizka from Trotznov infantry regiment was created and he became its commander. In the June 1917 offensive of the Southwestern Front, the Czecho-Slovak Rifle Brigade was to be used for the first time as an independent combat unit. During the offensive of the Russian army, the Czechoslovak brigade, which included the 3rd regiment under the command of N.P. Mamontov, broke through the front in its area in the Zborov area ^[27] and captured more than 3 thousand Austro-Hungarians. After the battle of Zborov and the appointment of Colonel V.P. Troyanov, the commander of the brigade, as the commander of the 1st Finland Rifle Division, N.P. Mamontov became the commander of the Czecho-Slovak Rifle Brigade, and with the formation of the corps, he commanded the entire 1st Czecho-Slovak Hussite for some time ^[28] division. Being a professional military translator, possessing knowledge of several oriental languages, he easily mastered the Czech language and knew it perfectly. N.P. Mamontov perfectly understood that, being the commander of a national division, he was obliged to know the language of his subordinates. He wrote all his letters addressed to the leaders of the Czechoslovak national movement only in Czech. The Russian State Military Archive ^[29] contains a letter in Czech written by Colonel N. P. Mamontov, member of the Czechoslovak National Council, future 2nd President of Czechoslovakia E. Benes with a proposal to invite the chairman of the Czechoslovak National Council, the future first president of independent Czechoslovakia, to Russia Professor T. G. Masaryk . And T. G. Masaryk came to Russia. And he visited the 3rd Czech-Slovak Jan ижižka regiment. They met repeatedly ^{[30] [31]} .

But, between them a little later serious disagreements arose. After the February Revolution of 1917, elected soldiers' committees ^[32] were intensively created in the Russian army, which energetically intervened in the disciplinary and military affairs of units and formations. Similar election committees appeared in the Czechoslovak units. Colonel N.P. Mamontov, born in the family of a general . In the year of Nikolai’s birth, his elder brother Vladimir had already graduated from the cadet corps and entered the military school. That is, N.P. Mamontov himself knew from childhood what military discipline is, because from childhood he was accustomed to it. He could not allow the freemen in the unit entrusted to him. And banned these committees. However, T. G. Masaryk had a different opinion on this subject. The liberal and the democrat, a purely civilian person, he did not see anything wrong with the soldiers' committees. By order of the Czechoslovak brigade on August 9, company and regimental committees were again allowed, although their activities were limited to solving only economic and educational issues ^[33] .

Another serious disagreement arose over the issue of the participation of the corps in the revolutionary events of Russia. Seeing how rapidly they are developing, N. P. Mamontov insisted on the intervention of the Czechoslovak corps in these events. He argued that the corps would still have to participate in them. However, T. G. Masaryk did not want the corps to intervene in domestic affairs. The fund of the Branch of the Czechoslovak National Council in Russia contains a telegram from T. G. Masaryk to the commander of the 1st Czechoslovak Division, Colonel Mamontov, on the prohibition of interference by the Czechoslovak army in the internal affairs of Russia ^[34] . In addition, the order of T. G. Masaryk on the neutrality of Czechoslovak military units during the revolutionary events in Russia is stored in the Russian State Military Archive: ^[35]

“TO ALL MILITARY AUTHORITIES AND CHIEFS RESERVED BY THE CZECH-SLOVAK MILITARY.
Based on the agreement of the Czechoslovak National Council with the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander and the General Directorate of the General Staff that the Czechoslovak troops cannot be used in internal political conflicts in Russia, but only against the external enemies of Russia, I ask you not to use the Czechoslovak military units in any was a form in the present political inter-party strife.
Chairman of the CZECH-SLOVAK NATIONAL COUNCIL: / signature / Masaryk.
Petrograd, October 27, 1917. "

- Order of T. G. Masaryk.
Russian State Military Archive (RGVA) ^[29] . Fund No. 1198k, inventory No. 1,
Case No. 34/578 “Czechoslovak National Council”

Having not resolved all disagreements with the Czechs and the command of the corps, N.P. Mamontov left him. The further course of history showed the correctness of N.P. Mamontov. The Czechoslovak corps will be “stuck” in Russia for a long time and will take part in the hostilities against the Bolsheviks during the Civil War in Russia. Throughout the subsequent history of the Soviet state by Soviet historians, the actions of the Czechoslovak corps during the Civil War were characterized only on the negative side and were called the rebellion of the white whites .

The further fate of Colonel N.P. Mamontov after 1917 is unknown. However, it is precisely documented that, during the evacuation of Odessa in January 1920, by order of the commander-in-chief of the Novorossiysk troops, General N. N. Schilling , the city’s Defense Headquarters was created, with a certain colonel N. P. Mamontov appointed as its head ^[36] . It is possible to say with a high degree of probability that this is Nikolai Petrovich Mamontov. By 1917 there were no other colonels with that name in the Russian imperial army. Mamontov led one of the troops and refugees who were evacuated in early February 1920 from Odessa towards the Romanian border under the command of Major General Vasiliev , and was captured by Kotovsky’s troops after the battle of Kandel ^{[37] [38]} . There is no further information about his fate.

• Order of St. Stanislav 3rd degree September 22, 1905
• Dark bronze medal "In memory of the war of 1904-1905." April 17, 1907
• Persian Order of “Leo and the Sun” 2nd degree January 6, 1909
• Light bronze medal “In memory of the 300th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty” for wearing on chest April 27, 1913
• St. George's weapons April 23, 1915
• Order of the Holy Equal -to-the- Apostles Prince Vladimir of the 4th degree with swords and bow April 26, 1915
• Order of St. Anne of the 3rd degree with swords and bow April 26, 1915
• Order of the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George 4th degree June 2, 1915

• He joined the cadet of the Alexander Cadet Corps from the cadet of rank in the Pavlovsk Military School on August 31, 1901.
• Junker of the non-commissioned officer rank from September 29, 1902
• Junior sword-junker since November 29, 1902
• Senior Junker belt from February 10, 1903
• Second Lieutenant since August 10, 1903
• Lieutenant since December 6, 1907
• Headquarters Captain March 11, 1908
• Captain since October 21, 1915
• Lieutenant Colonel since February 18, 1916
• Colonel since November 24, 1916

HIS IMPERIAL MAJESTY, in his presence in Tsarskoye Selo, on the 24th day of November 1916, deigned to issue the following order: it is executed on the basis of the George Statute ^[39] (Articles 49 and 54), from the Lieutenant Colonels to Colonels, he is registered in the army infantry, headquarters - Officer for errands under the commander of the 12th Army, seconded to the 1st Czech-Slovak Rifle Regiment, Mamontov (Nikolai), with seniority from the 1st of August 1916.

- The highest order of military ranks of November 24, 1916.
Library Tsarskoye Selo. The highest orders of military ranks in 1916

• Life Guards Rifle Regiment from August 11, 1903
• Sent to the Office of the St. Petersburg Military Chief since September 7, 1904.
• The 119th Kolomna Infantry Regiment of the 30th Infantry Division from January 8, 1905
• 6th Siberian Yenisei Infantry Regiment of the 40th Infantry Division from September 2, 1905
• Life Guards Rifle Regiment from April 28, 1906
• Based on the Regulation on Oriental Language Courses, he was seconded to the General Staff from September 5, 1907 to June 5, 1910.
• Enlisted in the 14th Olonets Infantry Regiment from March 11, 1908
• Sent to Persia from May 13, 1908 to August 1, 1908.
• Sent to Turkey from May 26, 1909 to August 17, 1909.
• 258th Sukhumi Infantry Regiment (June 4, 1910 the regiment was renamed the 203rd Sukhumi Infantry Regiment) from June 5, 1910
• He was sent to Tiflis from February 5, 1911 to June 5, 1911.
• Dismissed to the reserve of army infantry in the Moscow district on September 14, 1913.
• Drafted from the reserve and enlisted in active service in the 11th Grenadier Fanagoria Regiment July 20, 1914
• Adjutant to the commander of the 3rd Army of the Infantry General R. D. Radko-Dmitriev since December 21, 1914
• He was sent to the 3rd Rifle of His Majesty the Life Guards Regiment from July 14, 1915.
• Sent to the command of the 12th Army since April 27, 1916
• Sent to the 481st infantry Meshchovsky regiment of the 121st infantry division from May 17, 1916
• He went to the disposal of the commander of the Czech-Slovak Rifle Brigade from August 27, 1916.

Orthodox religion .
Married to the daughter of a college assessor, damsel Alexandra Goebel.
Has a son Daniel, born September 20, 1909.
The wife and son of the Orthodox faith.
He did not serve the nobility in the civil service and elections .
I did not receive the highest rescripts .
By the nature of the weapon without performing service, he was not held captive by the enemy and retired.
He was in the army reserve from September 14, 1913 to July 20, 1914.
He was in business against the enemy in the war with Japan in 1904-1905, in the war with Austria-Hungary and Germany.
He was wounded and shell-shocked in the battle on November 10, 1914, with bullets and fragments of a heavy artillery shell in the upper third of his right thigh and lower abdomen; he remained in service by dressing.
On the fortified position of Cape Pulpe-Plax under the actual artillery, gun and machine-gun fire of the enemy as part of the 14th Siberian Rifle Division from May 28 to June 30, 1916
Participated in the 121st Infantry Division, in battles in the Sukhoi Dvina region from July 3 to 9, 1916
He was the headquarters officer for errands under the commander of the XII Army.
Disciplined, penalties connected with a restriction on the service, not subjected.
He was not tried and investigated.
For him, for his parents and for his wife, real estate, family or acquired does not appear.

• The track record of Colonel N.P. Mamontov. Russian State Military Historical Archive (RGVIA). Fund No. 409, inventory No. 2, case No. 171916 “With track records of officers”
• The highest orders of military ranks, 1914-1916
• The Scout Magazine, 1914-1916
• Newspaper Russian disabled person, 1914-1916
• Fighting annals of the Life Guards of the 3rd Rifle Regiment of His Majesty. July 19, 1914 - March 2, 1917

• Mamontov N.P. Death of a strange person: (Leaves a campaign. Diary). - ViM, 1907, No. 5, p. 72-100; No. 7, p. 90-103.
• Mamontov N.P. Essays on Modern Persia. - SPb .: type. V.F. Kirshbaum (department), 1909. - 205 p.
• Mamontov N.P. Knyazhevina Tsrna Gora. // Brotherly Help. - 1909. - No. 10. - S. 96.
• Mamontov N.P. Knyazhevina Tsrna Gora. On brotherly land. M., 1910.202 p.
• Mamontov N.P. With Bulgarian troops from the Balkans to Chataldzhi: Notes of a war correspondent. - M .: Type. t-va Mamontova, 1913. - 175 p., 4 p. rice., cards.
• Mamontov N.P. Tales of a combatant officer: Letters from the war. - PG.: Publishing. Berezovsky, 1916 .-- 184 p.

Sources

• Russian imperial army
• International Military Historical Association
• Photochronograph. History in photographs - cities and countries, events and people
• Czechs in Russia
• A group of officers of the Czechoslovak squad (hereinafter referred to as the corps)
• Head of the fortified area of ​​Odessa, Colonel N. P. Mamontov
• Martynov, Zakhary Alexandrovich. Cavaliers of the Order of the Holy Great Martyr and Victorious George and St. George's Arms. . - Belgrade .: Publication of the Society of Knights of the Order of St. George and St. George's Arms, 1935.