Orlov-Denisov, Vasily Vasilievich

"Natural Don Cossack" ^[2] . The son of Vasily Petrovich Orlov , the chieftain of the Don Army and the grandson (by mother) of the first count from the Cossacks general from the cavalry F.P. Denisov . His father owned rich lands on the Don, and after the death of his grandfather, Count Denisov, who did not have sons, Vasily Vasilyevich transferred to Vasily Vasilievich on April 26, 1801, his surname Dedovskaya and the count's title.

From the age of twelve he was already a Cossack on horseback, and for 15 years he carried out guard service on the shores of the Black Sea. He began military service on January 4, 1789 as a Cossack, on October 4 of the same year he received the rank of centurion. July 3, 1799 promoted to colonel. Living in St. Petersburg, the young Count Orlov-Denisov made acquaintance with G.R. Derzhavin , who patronized a noble Cossack and helped him get elementary education ^[2] . He knew a little French and German.

In 1807, for the first time took part in the hostilities against the French at Gutstadt and Heilsberg (awarded the Order of St. George 4th class); On December 12, he was granted the rank of Major General ^[3] . In 1808 he was appointed commander of the Life Guards Cossack Regiment and fought with the Swedes with him in 1808–09 .

January 31, 1811 was awarded the title of Adjutant General . In 1812 he was at the rearguard and was shell-shocked. In the battle of Lubin, he successfully commanded the 1st Cavalry Corps. In the Battle of Borodino , during the cavalry raid of M.I. Platov and F.P. Uvarov , he led the first attack of three horse regiments against the enemy infantry. In the battle of Tarutin, he ruled the first column. The fruits of the sudden attack of his cavalry were all the Russian trophies captured on that day (awarded the Order of St. George 3rd class). He participated in battles near Maloyaroslavets , Gzhatsky , Lyakhov , at the head of a flying partisan detachment consisting of 6 Cossack, Nezhinsky Dragoon regiments and 4 guns of the Don horse artillery ^[4] , Red , Vilna.

In 1813-14, he commanded the convoy of Alexander I and was under him under Lutsen , Bautzen , Dresden , Kulm . September 15, 1813 received the rank of lieutenant general. He distinguished himself in the battle of Leipzig , where he hit with the Cossacks on the flank of the enemy cavalry masses, who sought to break through the center of the Russian army. During the retreat of Napoleon to the Rhine, Orlov-Denisov was entrusted with a detachment with the order to pursue the French and do everything possible to harm them. Participated in the battle of Hanau .

In peacetime, the count lived in St. Petersburg and enjoyed the great location of the monarch. According to a contemporary, Count Orlov-Denisov, heroically built, tall, “a mighty horseman, was a gentle father and spouse; with a fiery soul he combined an ardent disposition. In moments of displeasure his eyes sparkled, his voice rose, but his anger was short-lived. He loved a luxurious, fun life, and often the rising sun forced him behind the cards ” ^[2] .

In 1824 he was appointed commander of the 5th reserve cavalry corps, on August 22, 1826 he was promoted to general from the cavalry. He accompanied the body of the late Alexander I from Taganrog to the Peter and Paul Fortress . In 1827 he left the service, but when the war of Turkey was declared, he again enlisted in the army and was at the sovereign's main apartment.

Hospitable, cheerful and amiable among his comrades, he was silent with the unfamiliar. He did a lot of good, built churches, helped the poor, and in Kharkov founded the first children's shelter. Natural Cossack, he sincerely loved his donors and considered them invincible, while the Cossacks idolized him and were afraid of his stern look.

- Nikolai Mikhailovich ^[2]

March 23, 1828 the first during the reign of Nicholas I was awarded the title of General, consisting of the Person of His Majesty ^[5] .

In recent years, he lived in the Merchik estate near Kharkov . He died in Kharkov and was buried in the cathedral church of the Intercession Convent . Only on September 4, 1911, his ashes were transferred to Novocherkassk to the tomb of the newly-built Ascension Military Cathedral .

Rewards

• Order of St. George 3rd degree (12/23/1812);
• Order of St. George, 4th degree (05.20.1808);
• Order of St. Vladimir , 2nd degree (1813);
• Order of St. Vladimir 3rd degree (1808);
• Order of St. Alexander Nevsky (03/05/1826);
• Order of St. Anne 1st degree (1812);
• Order of St. Anne of the 2nd degree with diamonds (1808);
• Silver medal "In memory of the Patriotic War of 1812" ;
• Bronze medal "In memory of the Patriotic War of 1812" ;
• Medal "For the Capture of Paris" ;
• Medal "For the Turkish War" ;
• Golden saber “For courage” (1812);
• Golden saber “For courage” with diamonds (01/28/1813);
• Prussian Order of the Red Eagle , 1st degree (1813);
• Prussian Order " Pour le Mérite ";
• Austrian Military Order of Maria Theresa , Knight's Cross (1813);
• Bavarian Military Order of Maximilian Joseph , Commander's Cross (1813);
• French Order of St. Louis , the Great Cross (1815).

Wife (from September 24, 1805) ^[6] - Countess Maria Alekseevna Vasilieva (May 23, 1784– May 21, 1829), maid of honor of the court (1801), daughter of the first Minister of Finance Alexei Vasiliev (1742–1807) and Princess Varvara Urusova (1751–1831 ) The wedding was in St. Petersburg in the church of the Tauride Palace. G.R.Derzhavin dedicated a poem to the wedding of his goddaughter. The marriage was successful, Maria Alekseevna shared with her husband all the difficulties of his camp life. February 9, 1816 was granted the cavalry ladies of the Order of St. Catherine (the Small Cross) . According to A. Ya. Bulgakov , “she died as a result of childbirth, everyone felt sorry for her, many children remained, and her husband was in great chagrin” ^[7] . She was buried in the Donskoy Monastery in Moscow. 7 sons and 4 daughters were born in the marriage:

• Fedor (1807-1865), married to Elizabeth Alekseevna Nikitina; they have children of Alexander (1837-92), Maria (1838-1913), Nikolai (1839-97), Alexei Orlov-Denisov-Nikitin (1841-1907), Elena (1843-98).
• Alexey (1808-1834)
• Basil (1810-1827)
• Nikolai (1815–1855), married to Natalya Alekseevna Shidlovskaya (1821–1883) ^[8] , the heiress of the Merchik estate.
• Sophia (1817–1875), maid of honor of the court, wife of Count V.P. Tolstoy (1805–1885).
• Vera (11.16.1819—?), The goddaughter of I.V. Vasilchikov and her aunts, Princess E. A. Dolgorukova ^[9] .
• Hope (1821-1863), from 1844 the wife of M.A. Katenin .
• Peter (1822-04.05.1860), Colonel, died of consumption in Paris.
• Mikhail (1823–1863), married to Elena Ivanovna Chertkova (1830–1891); they have children Peter (1852–81), Mary (1856–1909).
• Ivan (09/01/1825 - 09/19/18825), the godson of his sister Sophia and I. A. Orlov ^[10] .
• Love (1828-1860), wife of Prince N.P. Trubetskoy (1828-1900).

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  Vasily Vasilievich Orlov-Denisov

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  Wife - Maria Alekseevna Orlova-Denisova (1784-1829), portrait of a brush by Borovikovsky

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  Daughter - Sofia Vasilievna Tolstaya (1817-1875)

• Orlov-Denisov, Vasily Vasilievich // Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary : in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - SPb. , 1890-1907.
• Orlov-Denisov, Vasily Vasilievich . On the Chronos website .
• Orlov-Denisov Vasily Vasilievich (Russian) . Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. Date of treatment June 6, 2012. Archived June 26, 2012.
• Popov A.I. Case at Lyakhovo. - M .: Reitar, 2000 .-- 62 p. - ISBN 8067-0022-4.
• Dictionary of Russian generals, participants in the hostilities against the army of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1812-1815. // Russian archive. The history of the Fatherland in the evidence and documents of the XVIII — XX centuries. : Collection. - M .: TRITE studio N. Mikhalkova , 1996. - T. VII . - S. 500-501 . - ISSN 0869-20011 . (Comm. A. A. Podmazo )

• Yastrebtsev E. Orlov-Denisov, Vasily Vasilievich // Russian Biographical Dictionary : in 25 volumes. - SPb. - M. , 1896-1918.