Where is Kutuzov buried after all? Where is Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov buried? Whose grave is in the Kazan Cathedral

In January 1813, Russian troops crossed the border, reached the Oder in February, and by April they were already on the Elbe. The campaign was inexorably approaching a victorious end, but the stress of the last months was not in vain for Mikhail Kutuzov, who had spent more than six decades of his life in battles and campaigns. In early April, while in the small Prussian town of Bunzlau, he caught a cold and fell ill. “The sunset of his days,” recalled the commander’s adjutant, “was beautiful, like the sunset of a luminary that illuminated a magnificent day during its course; but it was impossible to watch without particular sorrow how our famous leader was fading away.”

The ashes of M. I. Kutuzov, whose name is the first to be remembered among other great names of the “generals of the twelfth year,” are buried in St. Petersburg. Here the great commander prayed in the summer of 1812 before leaving for the troops and here, near the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, he rested forever.

On April 16, 1813, Mikhail Kutuzov departed from earthly life to eternal life. His embalmed body was sent to St. Petersburg. This mournful journey lasted almost two months. Two miles from the capital, as contemporaries report, people asked to carry the funeral bier on themselves, and at the outpost they were greeted with shouts of “Hurray!” The weather was cloudy in St. Petersburg style, but when the coffin was removed from the hearse and carried to the grave prepared in the Kazan Cathedral, the rays of the sun unexpectedly emerged from behind the clouds, illuminating for the last time the body of the great commander, whom the entire French army of many thousands had so recently trembled.

GRAVE OF M.I. KUTUZOV IN THE KAZAN CATHEDRAL

After an 11-day illness, Field Marshal M.I. died on April 16, 1813 in the city of Bunzlau. Kutuzov. The body of the famous commander was embalmed and placed in a zinc coffin; a small vessel containing M.I.’s embalmed heart was placed on the left side of the head. Kutuzova. On April 27, a funeral procession with a coffin mounted on a chariot harnessed to six horses headed to St. Petersburg. This mournful procession lasted a month and a half, and along the entire route of the funeral cortege, ceremonial meetings and farewells were held with speeches and cannon salutes. Residents of cities and surrounding villages unharnessed their horses and pulled the chariot on themselves, strewing the path with fresh flowers.

On May 24, the procession arrived at the Trinity-Sergius Hermitage, located near Strelna - 15 miles from St. Petersburg. Here she was met by the relatives and friends of the deceased and the clergy of the monastery. Ark with the body of M.I. Kutuzov was brought into the church and placed on the pulpit, after which the service began, and then the ark was placed in a prepared coffin and placed in the middle of the church - on the pulpit under a canopy. Around the pulpit, orders and other insignia that M.I. was awarded were placed on stools. Kutuzov. While the field marshal's body was in the monastery, the psalter was read and a daily memorial service was served for the deceased.

When the funeral procession departed from the Trinity-Sergius Hermitage, the coffin with the body of M.I. Kutuzov was moved from the road to a city chariot under a canopy, drawn by six horses under mourning blankets, on the surface of which the coats of arms of His Serene Highness were sewn. On June 11, the cortege moved towards the capital of the Russian Empire, and again ordinary people, despite the protests of the authorities, unharnessed their horses, and two miles from the city “good and pious citizens wished to carry the remains to their sad destination on their shoulders and arms.”

In St. Petersburg, the procession proceeded through Nevsky Prospekt to the almost completed Kazan Cathedral, where it was decided to bury M.I. Kutuzov, although relatives were inclined to have the body of the deceased buried in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra. In the Kazan Cathedral, the coffin was brought in and placed on a magnificent high hearse, built according to the design of the architect A.N. Voronikhin. The hearse was conceived by him as a solemn structure without signs of sadness and tears. Steps led to a high platform with an arch on both sides; from the corners of the hearse, captured French and Turkish banners rose upward and bent over the coffin; huge candelabra in the form of cannons stood around. Many candles cast a glare on the honor guard, which consisted of the field marshal's retinue.

For two days, residents of St. Petersburg went to the Kazan Cathedral to say goodbye to the commander, and on June 13, the day of the burial, the highest clergy in mourning vestments gathered in the cathedral. The Divine Liturgy was performed by the Metropolitan of Novgorod with the appointed clergy, the sermon was delivered by Archimandrite of the Yuriev Monastery Filaret - rector of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy, professor of theological sciences.

Coffin with the body of M.I. Kutuzov was installed in the crypt, in the northern aisle of the cathedral; When the coffin was lowered into the grave, three cannon and rifle salvoes were fired. The grave was walled up with a granite slab and surrounded by an iron grating of the most skillful workmanship. A red marble plaque was built into the wall above the grave, on which was written in gilded letters: “Prince Mikhail Illarionovich Golenishchev-Kutuzov of Smolensk. Born in 1745, died in 1813 in the city of Bunzlau.”

Initially, in the design of the grave of M.I. Kutuzov included three icons; to this day, only the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God, especially revered by the field marshal, which was at the tomb on June 11–13, has survived. The design of the grave also includes a painting by the famous Russian artist F.Ya. Alekseev “Religious procession on Red Square after the liberation of Moscow from Polish invaders in 1612.” Although the painting was installed here back in 1810, it organically fit into the figurative tombstone above the crypt of M.I. Kutuzova. According to the signature of the artist himself, the painting depicts “... a miracle from the icon of the Kazan Mother of God in Moscow... when, a few days after the cleansing of Moscow from adversaries, the Russian army took part in the great celebration of the glorification of the Miraculous Icon of the Kazan Mother of God.”

Elements of heraldry were also introduced into the decorative design of the tombstone, for example, on the front wall of the lattice and on the bottom wall there are images of the coats of arms of M.I. Kutuzov - ancestral, noble and princely. The coat of arms of the Kutuzov family (common to all branches of the family) represents a black single-headed eagle with outstretched wings in a blue shield, a noble crown above its head, and a silver sword in its right hand. The shield is topped with a noble helmet with a crown and three ostrich feathers... A heraldic bas-relief made in casting, in which a voluminous coat of arms is placed on a low relief of unfurled banners, is a symbol of victory in the overall composition.

In 1813, the grave of M.I. Kutuzov with a marble slab was surrounded by a strict bronze fence, also made according to the design of the architect A.N. Voronikhin. To decorate it, he used attributes characteristic of classical decor: on three sides the fence consists of verticals in the form of banner poles topped with peaks. The strict rhythm of these verticals is echoed by the careful repetition of gilded laurel wreaths in double horizontal plans. The front corner posts are made in the form of cannons, topped with a laurel wreath and a helmet.

Tomb of M.I. Kutuzov is flanked by two pilasters, on which are mounted 6 captured French banners and standards and 6 bunches of keys from fortresses and cities taken by the Russian army. The banners are fixed in special brackets; octagonal gilded bronze boards were made for the keys.

By the old Saxon road

19th century

People of the older generation, perhaps, remember the patriotic song “Kutuzov’s Heart,” written in 1967 by composer Mark Grigorievich Fradkin with lyrics by Evgeny Aronovich Dolmatovsky. It was then performed by the Alexandrov Song and Dance Ensemble:

Scouts are suddenly on the hill next door

We saw a strict monument -

Graves of friends and Kutuzov's heart

By the old Saxon road...

The dugouts and trenches have long been overgrown,

The attacks are far away.

For peace placed in the center of Europe

Soviet regiments!

Guardsmen perform their service with dignity

On the very farthest threshold,

And you can hear Kutuzov’s heart beating

By the old Saxon road!

The song is based on a story that is as well-known as it is apocryphal. To this day, on the pages of newspapers, magazines, and almanacs one can find reports that the heart of Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov is buried near Bunzlau (now the Polish Boleslawiec), not far from the place of his death. But here is what was said in the already classic book by Leningrader Lev Nikolaevich Lunin, “Field Marshal Kutuzov,” which was published in 1957: “Kutuzov’s heart, according to his wish, was buried in a cemetery near the city of Bunzlau. “Let my ashes be taken to my homeland, and my heart buried here, along the Saxon road, so that my soldiers, the sons of Russia, know that my heart remains with them,” bequeathed Mikhail Illarionovich.

On the outskirts of the village of Tillendorf, on the road leading from Silesia to Saxony, on a small hill, under the canopy of trees, lies the heart of a Russian field marshal. A simple cemetery fence, a small pedestal and a round granite column. The monument to the great Russian patriot looks so simple and modest.”

Bunzlau, Tillendorf... But what does St. Petersburg have to do with it?

Very much so. Kutuzov’s heart, as proven long ago, lies in the Kazan Cathedral of the northern capital of Russia.

Let me remind you: the construction of this temple was completed just before the Patriotic War, in 1811, and two years later it was decided to bury the field marshal in the cathedral crypt. The embalmed remains were taken from Bunzlau to Strelna, and from there the procession headed to the Kazan Cathedral. At the city border, the “grateful sons of Russia” unharnessed the horses from the funeral chariot and carried “on their shoulders the precious ashes of the savior of the Fatherland to the sad destination.”

And more than a century later, in September 1933, on behalf of the head of Leningrad, Sergei Mironovich Kirov, a solid commission consisting of three employees of the Museum of the History of Religion and a representative of the OGPU was sent to the crypt of the cathedral to open Kutuzov’s crypt and find out whether his heart was here. One of the commission members, Boris Nikiforovich Sokratilin, later recalled: “We went down to the basement, punched a hole and went inside the crypt. There was a coffin on a small dais. We moved the lid. Before us lay the body of Kutuzov, dressed in a green uniform with gold epaulettes. I saw a vessel made of silver metal near Kutuzov’s head. It was difficult to unscrew the lid. A heart lay in a vessel filled with a transparent liquid. We screwed the vessel back on and put it in its original place.”

Tomb of M.I. Kutuzov in the Kazan Cathedral

So from that moment on, there was no doubt: Kutuzov’s heart was buried in the Kazan Cathedral, in a special silver vessel.

I can even guess where the legend came from. The fact is that during the embalming of the commander’s body, the removed internal organs - except the heart - were placed in a small tin sarcophagus. He was buried in Bunzlau. This fact undoubtedly formed the basis of the legend. And it turned out to be so stable that in 1913, Moscow activists of the Military Historical Society officially took the initiative to transfer the commander’s heart from Tillendorf to Moscow for “his burial in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior.”

The legend became especially stronger during the Great Patriotic War. It is known that on April 28, 1945, on the 132nd anniversary of the death of the commander, an honor guard of one hundred thirty-six Heroes of the Soviet Union was placed at the grave near Bunzlau. And at the foot of the first monument to the commander, a marble plaque with verses appeared:

Among foreign plains, leading to the feat of the right

The stern formation of their regiments,

You are an immortal monument to Russian glory

Built on my own heart.

But the commander’s heart did not stop,

And in a terrible hour it calls for battle,

It lives and fights bravely

In the sons of the Fatherland, saved by you!

And now, following the battle trail

Your banners flying in the smoke,

Banners of your own victory

We are reaching out to your heart!

Heart, heart, heart... After the war, the tradition continued: in the second edition of the Great Soviet Encyclopedia it was directly stated that Kutuzov’s heart was buried in Bunzlau. Nothing contributed more to strengthening the belief than this short message.

It is still alive in the minds of many St. Petersburg residents. Although it has no basis.

Having expelled the French from Russia in the War of 1812, Kutuzov died in April in the Silesian city of Bunzlau (now Polish Boleslawiec) during the Foreign Campaign. His body was embalmed, placed in a leaded coffin and sent home in a chariot drawn by six horses. The funeral cortege moved to the capital for a month and a half, its path ran through Poznan, Tilsit, Riga, Narva and the Sergius Hermitage, where the last stop was made. Along the entire route, ceremonial farewells were held with speeches and cannon salutes, and the road was covered with flowers. Meanwhile, Emperor Alexander I decided that the commander should be buried in the Kazan Cathedral, although the family petitioned for burial in the Alexander Nevsky Lavra.

The construction of the cathedral began in 1801, when Kutuzov was the capital’s governor-general. It was consecrated in 1811. When Kutuzov was appointed commander-in-chief in 1812, before leaving for the army, he prayed here before the miraculous icon of the Kazan Mother of God. When victories came, on his initiative they began to bring here enemy banners, standards and regimental badges captured as trophies (their total number reached 107), keys to captured fortresses and cities. While the tomb was being prepared, the coffin with the ashes of the commander rested in the Trinity Cathedral of the Desert. After 17 days, the procession moved to St. Petersburg. At the Narva outpost, the horses were unharnessed, since, as an eyewitness testified, “there were many good, pious citizens who wished to carry the remains to their sad destination on their shoulders and arms. The splendor and pomp of a funeral cannot be compared with this touching, moving spectacle.” In the cathedral, the coffin was placed on a high hearse, captured French and Turkish banners bowed over it, and huge candelabra in the shape of cannons stood around it. For two days people of all classes said goodbye to the commander.

Kutuzov was buried in a crypt in the northern aisle of the cathedral. The grave was covered with a granite slab and later surrounded by a bronze fence. In the wall above the grave there is a red marble board with a gilded inscription: “Prince Mikhail Illarionovich Golenishchev-Kutuzov of Smolensk. Born in 1745, died in 1813 in the city of Bunzlau.” Above the plaque is the icon of the Smolensk Mother of God, revered by the field marshal and standing at his coffin on the day of the funeral; on the sides of the grave are several captured banners and a bunch of keys from fortresses taken by the Russian army...
____________________
According to some reports, Kutuzov’s heart was buried near Bunzlau (Boleslawiec, Poland), not far from the place of his death: “Prince Kutuzov-Smolensky passed from this life to a better world on April 16, 1813.”

Lev Nikolaevich Punin in the 1957 book “Field Marshal Kutuzov” wrote: “Kutuzov’s heart, at his request, was buried in a cemetery near the city of Bunzlau. “Let my ashes be taken to my homeland, and my heart be buried here, along the Saxon road, so that my soldiers, the sons of Russia, know that my heart remains with them,” Kutuzov bequeathed. The same fact was indicated in the second edition of the Great Soviet Encyclopedia.

However, in 1933, on behalf of S.M. Kirov, the head of Leningrad, a commission consisting of three employees of the Museum of the History of Religion and a representative of the OGPU was sent to the Kazan Cathedral in order to open the crypt and find out the location of the heart of the great commander. Commission member B.N. Sokratilin recalled: “We went down to the basement, punched a hole and entered the crypt. There was a coffin on a small hill. We moved the lid. Before us lay the body of Kutuzov, dressed in a green uniform with gold epaulettes. I saw a vessel made of silver metal near Kutuzov’s head. It was difficult to unscrew the lid. There was a heart in a vessel filled with a transparent liquid... We screwed the vessel back on and put it in its original place.”
One can make some assumption about the origin of this legend. During the embalming of the body, the removed internal organs, except the heart, were buried in Bunzlau - they are confused with the heart of the commander, and the embalmed remains were taken to Strelna and from there on their own shoulders to the Kazan Cathedral, to the burial place.

There are few people in the world who do not know for what merits Mikhail Illarionovich received laurels of honor. This brave man was sung in praises not only by the poet, but also by other literary geniuses. The field marshal, as if possessing the gift of foresight, won a crushing victory in the Battle of Borodino, freeing the Russian Empire from its plans.

Childhood and youth

September 5 (16), 1747 in the cultural capital of Russia, the city of St. Petersburg, with Lieutenant General Illarion Matveevich Golenishchev-Kutuzov and his wife Anna Illarionovna, who, according to documents, came from the family of the retired captain Bedrinsky (according to other information - the ancestors of the woman were noblemen Beklemishev), a son was born, named Mikhail.

Portrait of Mikhail Kutuzov

However, there is an opinion that the lieutenant had two sons. The second son's name was Semyon; he allegedly managed to receive the rank of major, but due to the fact that he lost his mind, he was under the care of his parents for the rest of his life. Scientists made this assumption because of a letter written by Mikhail to his beloved in 1804. In this manuscript, the field marshal said that upon arriving at his brother, he found him in his previous condition.

“He talked a lot about the pipe and asked me to save him from this misfortune and got angry when he began to tell him that there was no such pipe,” Mikhail Illarionovich shared with his wife.

The father of the great commander, who was a comrade-in-arms, began his career under. After graduating from a military engineering educational institution, he began to serve in the engineering troops. For his exceptional intelligence and erudition, contemporaries called Illarion Matveyevich a walking encyclopedia or a “reasonable book.”

Of course, the field marshal’s parent made a contribution to the development of the Russian Empire. For example, even under Kutuzov Sr. he compiled a model of the Catherine Canal, which is now called the Canal.

Thanks to the project of Illarion Matveevich, the consequences of the flood of the Neva River were prevented. Kutuzov's plan was carried out during the reign. As a reward, Mikhail Illarionovich's father received a golden snuffbox decorated with precious stones as a gift from the ruler.

Illarion Matveevich also took part in the Turkish War, which lasted from 1768 to 1774. From the side of the Russian troops, Alexander Suvorov and commander Count Pyotr Rumyantsev commanded. It is worth saying that Kutuzov Sr. distinguished himself on the battlefield and gained a reputation as a person knowledgeable in both military and civil affairs.

Mikhail Kutuzov's future was predetermined by his parents, because after the young man finished home schooling, in 1759 he was sent to the Artillery and Engineering Noble School, where he showed extraordinary abilities and quickly moved up the career ladder. However, one should not exclude the efforts of his father, who taught artillery sciences at this institution.

Among other things, since 1758 in this noble school, which now bears the name of the Military Space Academy named after. A.F. Mozhaisky, lectured on physics and was an encyclopedist. It is worth noting that the talented Kutuzov graduated from the academy as an external student: the young man, thanks to his extraordinary mind, spent a year and a half on the school bench instead of the required three years.

Military service

In February 1761, the future field marshal was awarded a matriculation certificate, but remained at the school because Mikhail (with the rank of ensign engineer), on the advice of Count Shuvalov, began teaching mathematics to the academy students. Next, the capable young man became the aide-de-camp of Duke Peter August of Holstein-Beck, managed his office and showed himself to be a diligent worker. Then, in 1762, Mikhail Illarionovich rose to the rank of captain.

In the same year, Kutuzov became close to Suvorov because he was appointed company commander of the Astrakhan 12th Grenadier Regiment, which at that time was commanded by Alexander Vasilyevich. By the way, Pyotr Ivanovich Bagration, Prokopiy Vasilyevich Meshchersky, Pavel Artemyevich Levashev and other famous personalities once served in this regiment.

In 1764, Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov was in Poland and commanded small troops against the Bar Confederation, which in turn opposed the comrades of the Polish king Stanislav August Poniatowski, a supporter of the Russian Empire. Thanks to his innate talent, Kutuzov created victorious strategies, made rapid forced marches and defeated the Polish Confederates, despite a small army, inferior in number to the enemy.

Three years later, in 1767, Kutuzov joined the ranks of the Commission for the Drawing up of a New Code - a temporary collegial body in Russia, which was engaged in developing the systematization of the codes of laws that took place after the Tsar adopted the Council Code (1649). Most likely, Mikhail Illarionovich was brought to the board as a secretary-translator, because he was fluent in French and German, and also spoke fluent Latin.

The Russian-Turkish wars of 1768–1774 are a significant milestone in the biography of Mikhail Illarionovich. Thanks to the conflict between the Russian and Ottoman empires, Kutuzov gained combat experience and proved himself to be an outstanding military leader. In July 1774, the son of Illarion Matveyevich, commander of a regiment intended to storm enemy fortifications, was wounded in a battle against the Turkish landing in the Crimea, but miraculously survived. The fact is that the enemy bullet pierced the commander’s left temple and exited near his right eye.

Fortunately, Kutuzov’s vision was preserved, but his “squinting” eye reminded the field marshal all his life of the bloody events of the operation of the Ottoman troops and navy. In the fall of 1784, Mikhail Illarionovich was awarded the primary military rank of major general, and also distinguished himself in the Battle of Kinburn (1787), the capture of Izmail (1790, for which he received the military rank of lieutenant general and was awarded the Order of George, 2nd degree), showed courage in the Russian-Polish War (1792), the War with Napoleon (1805) and other battles.

War of 1812

The genius of Russian literature could not ignore the bloody events of 1812, which left a mark on history and changed the fate of the countries participating in the Patriotic War - France and the Russian Empire. Moreover, in his epic novel “War and Peace,” the author of the book tried to scrupulously describe both the battles and the image of the leader of the people, Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov, who in the work took care of the soldiers as if they were children.

The reason for the confrontation between the two powers was the refusal of the Russian Empire to support the continental blockade of Great Britain, despite the fact that the Peace of Tilsit was concluded between Napoleon Bonaparte and Napoleon Bonaparte (in force since July 7, 1807), according to which his son undertook to join the blockade. This agreement turned out to be unfavorable for Russia, which had to abandon its main business partner.

During the war, Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov was appointed commander-in-chief of the Russian armies and militias, and thanks to his merits, he was awarded the title of His Serene Highness, which raised the morale of the Russian people, because Kutuzov acquired a reputation as an undefeated commander. However, Mikhail Illarionovich himself did not believe in a grandiose victory and used to say that Napoleon’s army could be defeated only through deception.

Initially, Mikhail Illarionovich, like his predecessor Barclay de Tolly, chose a policy of retreat, hoping to exhaust the enemy and gain support. But Alexander I was dissatisfied with Kutuzov’s strategy and insisted that Napoleon’s army not reach the capital. Therefore, Mikhail Illarionovich had to give a general battle. Despite the fact that the French outnumbered and outgunned Kutuzov's army, the field marshal managed to defeat Napoleon in the Battle of Borodino in 1812.

Personal life

According to rumors, the commander’s first lover was a certain Ulyana Alexandrovich, who came from the family of the Little Russian nobleman Ivan Alexandrovich. Kutuzov met this family as a little-known young man with a low rank.

Mikhail began to often visit Ivan Ilyich in Velikaya Krucha and one day he took a fancy to a friend’s daughter, who responded with mutual sympathy. Mikhail and Ulyana began dating, but the lovers did not tell their parents about their affection. It is known that at the time of their relationship the girl fell ill with a dangerous disease for which no medicine could help.

Ulyana's desperate mother swore that if her daughter recovered, she would definitely pay for her salvation - she would never get married. Thus, the parent, who delivered an ultimatum to the girl’s fate, doomed the beauty to the crown of celibacy. Ulyana recovered, but her love for Kutuzov only increased; they say that the young people even set a wedding day.

However, a few days before the celebration, the girl fell ill with a fever and, fearing God’s will, rejected her lover. Kutuzov no longer insisted on marriage: the lovers parted ways. But the legend says that Alexandrovich did not forget Mikhail Illarionovich and prayed for him until the end of her years.

It is reliably known that in 1778 Mikhail Kutuzov proposed marriage to Ekaterina Ilyinichna Bibikova and the girl agreed. The marriage produced six children, but the first-born Nikolai died in infancy from smallpox.

Catherine loved literature, theaters and social events. Kutuzov’s beloved spent more money than she could afford, so she repeatedly received reprimands from her husband. Also, this lady was very original; contemporaries said that already in old age, Ekaterina Ilyinichna dressed like a young lady.

It is noteworthy that the little future great writer who invented the nihilist hero Bazarov managed to meet Kutuzov’s wife. But because of her eccentric outfit, the elderly lady, whom Turgenev’s parents revered, made an ambiguous impression on the boy. Vanya, unable to withstand his emotions, said:

“You look just like a monkey.”

Death

In April 1813, Mikhail Illarionovich caught a cold and went to the hospital in the town of Bunzlau. According to legend, Alexander I arrived at the hospital to say goodbye to the field marshal, but scientists have refuted this information. Mikhail Illarionovich died on April 16 (28), 1813. After the tragic event, the field marshal's body was embalmed and sent to the city on the Neva. The funeral took place only on June 13 (25). The tomb of the great commander is located in the Kazan Cathedral in the city of St. Petersburg.

In memory of the talented military leader, feature films and documentaries were made, monuments were erected in many Russian cities, and a cruiser and a motor ship were named after Kutuzov. Among other things, in Moscow there is a museum “Kutuzovskaya Izba”, dedicated to the military council in Fili on September 1 (13), 1812.

In 1788, Kutuzov took part in the assault on Ochakov, where he was again wounded in the head. However, Mikhail Illarionovich managed to cheat death, because the bullet passed along the old path. Therefore, a year later, the strengthened commander fought near the Moldavian city of Causeni, and in 1790 he showed bravery and courage in the assault on Izmail.
Kutuzov was a confidant of the favorite Platon Zubov, but to become an ally of the most influential person in the Russian Empire (after Catherine II), the field marshal had to work hard. Mikhail Illarionovich woke up an hour before Platon Alexandrovich woke up, made coffee and took this aromatic drink to Zubov’s bedchamber.

Cruiser-museum "Mikhail Kutuzov"

Some are accustomed to imagining the appearance of a commander with a bandage over his right eye. But there is no official confirmation that Mikhail Illarionovich wore this accessory, especially since this bandage was hardly necessary. Associations with the pirate arose among history buffs after the release of Vladimir Petrov’s Soviet film “Kutuzov” (1943), where the commander appeared in the guise in which we are accustomed to seeing him.
In 1772, a significant event occurred in the biography of the commander. While among his friends, 25-year-old Mikhail Kutuzov allowed himself a daring joke: he acted out an impromptu skit in which he mimicked the commander Pyotr Aleksandrovich Rumyantsev. Amid general laughter, Kutuzov showed his colleagues the count's gait and even tried to copy his voice, but Rumyantsev himself did not appreciate such humor and sent the young soldier to another regiment under the command of Prince Vasily Dolgorukov.