Date: 2016-07-07 21:32

The guards of Nicholas II were faithful to the oath to the end. In the footage of an old newsreel dedicated to the family of the last Russian Tsar, you can see immediately following Nicholas II a tall Caucasian Cossack with a black thick beard, wearing a tall, peculiar hat, carefully carrying the sick Tsarevich Alexei in his arms. This is Sergeant Pilipenko, the Tsar’s orderly from His Majesty’s Own Convoy.

The first information about the Convoy in Russian military history is found in 1775, but it was formed as a regular unit in 1828. Initially, His Majesty's Convoy included only the Life Guards Caucasian-Mountain half-squadron, in which Kabardian princes and Uzdeni, representatives of the ancient clans of Ossetians, Chechens, Ingush, Kumyks, Nogais, and a number of other Caucasian peoples served.

In 1828, a new unit appeared as part of the Convoy - the Team of Caucasian Linear Cossacks. Subsequently, structural changes in the unit, depending on emerging tasks, repeatedly occurred. In March 1917, at the time of its disbandment, the Convoy consisted of two Kuban and two Terek hundreds. The 5th Life Guards Consolidated Hundred was formed from representatives of both Cossack troops.

The Cossacks not only regularly performed military service. Their famous choir was legendary. He was known not only in the capital - the choir successfully competed with the best professional groups, the repertoire included ancient Russian and Ukrainian songs, and the dancers performed Ukrainian hopak and fiery Caucasian lezginka with equal skill. Among the officers there were many talented artists and poets.

Duty

With calm and dignity On the afternoon of July 20, 1914, Nicholas II arrived from Peterhof to the capital. To meet the king, a guard from the Convoy was built. The Cossacks already knew about the declaration of war. They were in high spirits. After the announcement of the manifesto on the declaration of hostilities between Russia and Germany and the solemn prayer service, Nicholas II addressed those present: Our great Mother Rus' greeted the news of the declaration of war on us with calm and dignity. I am convinced that with the same sense of calm we will bring the war, whatever it may be, to the end.

From the first days of the war, the load on the Convoy personnel increased. The number of guards increased, and the service of horse posts around the fence of the Alexander Palace was strengthened. Now, every day, two hundred entered the outfit in full force at once: one in Tsarskoe Selo and one in the capital. The other two changed them the next day. In addition to constant service at court, the convoys often had to go with the Tsar on various trips: Nicholas II went to Headquarters, to the active army, and to factories. He was accompanied, in addition to his orderly, by a team of one officer and up to a platoon of Cossacks.

Increased security

A year has passed since the beginning of the war. The failures of the Russian army led to a change in the top military leadership. The Supreme Commander-in-Chief, Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich, the Tsar's uncle, was removed and sent as governor to the Caucasus. Nicholas II himself became the head of the army. On September 4, 1915, he left for Mogilev, where the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief was located. In Mogilev, the Convoy officers were located in the Paris Hotel, and the Cossacks were in the city barracks. The convoys carried out the internal security of the king's residence. On those days when the guard was posted, 8 additional horse posts were sent to the outskirts of the city. They served around the clock.

The external security and security of Headquarters as a whole was carried out by His Majesty's Consolidated Infantry Regiment and the palace police. In general, the city and its immediate surroundings were literally flooded with troops and police. Over 1,500 people took up various positions every day. In addition, another security line ran 20 miles from the city.

In their free time from service, the Cossacks visited the city. Some of them managed to have affairs with local girls. The young ladies parted with the convoys with great regret when the time approached for the hundreds to leave for the capital. Unlike the rest of the army brethren, the Kuban and Terets were very gallant gentlemen. When selecting for the Convoy, not only external data was taken into account, but also qualities such as intelligence, literacy, and the ability to get along with others. For the slightest offense there was inevitable punishment. The worst of them is expulsion from the Convoy. In addition to the shame (a telegram was immediately sent to the army headquarters, and not only his native village, but also the entire district knew about what had happened), the Cossack was deprived of tangible benefits provided after the end of his service.

To the front

From the very beginning of the war, the Cossacks of the Convoy began to receive alarming news from home about injuries or, worst of all, the death of relatives and friends at the front. After each such letter, the commanders of hundreds received regular reports with a request to be sent to the active army.

On the morning of November 5, 1915, the commander of the 1st Life Guards of the Kuban Hundred, Yesaul Zhukov, arrived, as always, to report to the Convoy commander, Major General Count Grabbe-Nikitin. After listening to the traditional report of his best commander of hundreds, Alexey Nikolaevich asked: - I feel, Andrei Semenovich, that you are not telling me something. What's happened? What thoughts are bothering you?

Zhukov, with the passion and ardor characteristic of his nature, literally blurted out without stopping everything that he mentally repeated more than once, preparing to report to the commander: - Your Excellency, I ask you on behalf of myself and all the officers and Cossacks to apply to the sovereign for permission to be sent to the front. We will prove in battle that His Majesty's Convoy is worthy of its master.

Grabbe smiled kindly. - I’ll be honest, I’ve been waiting for this conversation for a long time. Need to think. It will not be possible to send everyone at once. Even if we send one hundred, we will not be able to fulfill the tasks assigned to us. Which hundred, in your opinion, should be the first to leave for the active army? - Alexander Nikolaevich, of course, mine is 1st, - said Zhukov, - M After all, at the request of the officers and Cossacks, we drew lots. The first number went to us, and the second - to the hundred of Tatonov, 4th Tersk....

The day of dispatch, December 12, 1915, fell on a Saturday. The hundred were assigned to the 1st Khopersky Regiment of Her Imperial Majesty Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna of the Kuban Cossack Army. General Grabbe handed over to Andrei Semenovich Zhukov the image of the Holy Great Martyr Erofey, the patron saint of the Convoy. In the evening, the train departed for the Southwestern Front, taking away five officers, one sergeant, 147 officers and Cossacks. "Don't hit an unarmed enemy..."

Three months have passed. The term of stay in the active army was ending. However, due to the calm that established at the front, the convoys never managed to attend any serious business. The Convoy commander, knowing about the upcoming offensive of the Russian troops and meeting Zhukov's insistent requests, allowed the 1st hundred to remain as part of the Terek Cossack division, to which they were assigned, until the end of June.

On April 11, 1916, in accordance with the directive of the Headquarters, preparations for the offensive began. At dawn on May 22, Russian guns began to speak. The enemy never managed to discover the preparations for the offensive by the troops of the Southwestern Front. The hail of shells took the Austrians by surprise. By the end of the next day, the first line of enemy defense was broken through.

General Brusilov's troops began pursuing the retreating enemy. On May 29, the 1st Life Guards Kuban Hundred distinguished itself while covering the crossing of the Prut River near the village of Vam. Thanks to the courage of the convoys, an attempt by the enemy to reach the flank of the main forces of the Terek Cossack division was thwarted.

On June 5, while pursuing the enemy, the Kuban and Kizlyar-Grebensky regiment came across a large convoy. An attack on horseback could lead to heavy losses. The dismounted Terek Cossacks, having started a firefight, pinned down the cover of the convoy. The convoys entered the forest from the other side. Having fired a volley from rifles, they suddenly went on the attack for the Austrians. The Cossacks did not touch those who threw down their weapons and raised their hands. The field service regulations of that time contained special orders: "... Do not hit an unarmed enemy asking for mercy... When the battle is over, take pity on the wounded man and try to help him as much as you can, without discerning whether he is your own or the enemy. The wounded man is no longer your enemy... Treat the prisoner humanely, don’t mock his faith..."

The battle ended in complete victory for the Cossacks. The Kizlyar-combers suffered a heavy loss. During the attack, Colonel Markov, acting regiment commander, was killed. As the senior staff officer, Andrei Semenovich Zhukov, who had been promoted to colonel the day before, took command. He handed over a hundred to captain Grigory Rasp. At dawn on June 7, the convoys, being the vanguard of the regiment, fought and occupied the small town of Suceava. After a short rest, a patrol headed by the captain Skvortsov was sent in the direction of the city of Radautz to reconnaissance the enemy.

Soon, from the direction where the scouts had gone, heavy rifle and machine-gun fire was heard. An observer serving in the bell tower of a local church reported that Skvortsov’s Cossacks rushed to attack the Austrian outpost on the outskirts of the city. As the captain later explained, this was the only opportunity to save people, because retreating back under heavy enemy fire meant inevitable death.

During this desperate attack, a heroic feat was performed by constable Vasily Sukhina, a native of the village of Novodzherelievskaya, Taman department. In the heat of battle, he noticed that an Austrian soldier was aiming at Skvortsov. Everything was decided by the moment; it was too late to warn about the danger. Throwing his horse towards the commander and covering him with his body, the constable took the blow upon himself. For saving the officer at the cost of his life, Vasily Ivanovich Sukhina was posthumously awarded the St. George Cross, 2nd degree... The act of Colonel Zhukov In Radautz, the convoys parted with Andrei Semenovich Zhukov.

Having surrendered the Kizlyar-Grebensky regiment, accompanied only by an orderly, he went to the rear. No one could have imagined that in two days the beloved commander would be gone. He had long suffered from a hernia that could not be treated surgically. While there was a lull, even the officers did not notice any changes in Andrei Semenovich. Always even and calm, he tried by any means to hide his illness. But when the front went on the offensive, Zhukov, like everyone else, had to stay in the saddle for a long time, go on attacks, and make big transitions. The disease worsened and began to cause excruciating suffering. Once, when he was tormented by very severe pain, he could not stand it and told Captain Rasp about it. The latter reported on command. The doctor sent by the corps commander, after examining Zhukov, made an unexpected conclusion: “Mr. Colonel, you urgently need to go to the hospital.” Otherwise, I cannot guarantee the consequences. To which Andrey Semenovich replied: “And I can’t be at the front anymore, and I can’t leave the front either!”

Only after a written order from the corps commander did he leave for the rear. Impeccable courage and extremely proud, a hereditary military man, fearing that leaving the front line in the midst of fighting could be regarded by his subordinates as a manifestation of cowardice and would undermine his reputation as an officer, Zhukov committed suicide. According to the messenger's testimony, his last words were: "Leave me alone, I want to pray." A few minutes later a shot was heard. On the table lay a note, crushed by the deceased’s watch: "I'm sick. I'm afraid that the Cossacks and officers won't understand!".

Homecoming

During their six months at the front, the convoys became close to the Terek Cossack division. Especially with the officers and Cossacks of the 2nd Kizlyar-Grebensky Regiment, with whom we had to look death in the eye more than once. The lines from the regimental order issued by the commander of the Kizlyar-Grebentsy, Colonels Khetagurov, in the last days of the 1st Life Guards of the Kuban Hundred’s stay at the front are imbued with fraternal warmth: “Convoys! In all honesty, I must bow to your valor, courage and bravery. I observed and was amazed at the calmness, the restraint, dedication and unshakable confidence with which you went on the attack, no matter whether on horseback or on foot...” On June 22, the Kuban residents arrived in Mogilev. On the same day, Nicholas II met with them. The Tsar arrived with his son, Tsarevich Alexei, and a small retinue.

The commander of the hundred gave the command: - Hundred, quietly, listen to the kra-ul! Without reaching, as required by the regulations, two steps, he stopped, dashingly saluting with his saber as only he could do: - Your Imperial Majesty, 1st Life Guards Kuban Hundred of Your Majesty's Convoy arrived from the active army. There are two officers, 106 officers and Cossacks in the ranks. Commander of the hundred Yesaul Rasp!

After the report, he took a step to the side, letting the king pass. Approaching the line, the sovereign stopped. The Cossacks stood motionless. Weathered, mature and so familiar faces. But there is no Zhukov among them, there is no one of the first tenors of the Cossack choir, Kamkov, whom everyone, including the wife and children of Nicholas II, affectionately called “Savushka” for his wonderful voice. Sighing heavily, Nicholas II greeted the Cossacks. Then he walked around the line, asking everyone why they received the awards. - Are all the convoys rewarded for their heroic deeds? - That's right, Your Imperial Majesty. They have not yet been awarded only for the last battles, but submissions have been submitted.

The Tsar turned to Fredericks and the Convoy commander who accompanied him and asked: - What do you think, gentlemen, if we don’t wait for the official completion of the consideration of submissions and present the awards right now?

The adjutant on duty was summoned, who had a suitcase with the corresponding awards during such trips of the tsar. Serbatov and Voloshin were the first to be awarded. In total, 30 people became holders of the St. George Crosses of various degrees, and 23 Cossacks - St. George medals. On June 25, the 1st Life Guards Kuban Hundred arrived in Tsarskoe Selo. On the same day, in the sovereign Feodorovsky Cathedral, the confessor of Their Majesties, Father Vasiliev, served a memorial service for the Cossacks who had not returned from the front.

Gift of the Empress

The Cossacks of the 4th Life Guards of the Terek Hundred also fought bravely. Before leaving for the active army, the empress invited the officers to her place. She warmly said goodbye to them, wishing them all good luck and an unfailing return alive and well. Having blessed the officers, Alexandra Fedorovna presented each with a holy icon on their body and gave the commander of the hundred, Yesaul Tatonov, the same icons for all the Cossacks. The Grand Duchesses gave modest gifts to the officers. Podesaul Fedyushkin managed to keep the gift until his death (he died on August 31, 1958 in New York).

Remembering his distant homeland and his youth in a foreign land, he more than once took out a silk shirt given by the tsar’s second daughter, Tatyana, and a note: “May the Lord bless and keep you, dear Yuzik! Tatyana.”..

The military service of the Terts took place mainly in the Carpathian Mountains. This was one of the periods of particularly intense, exhausting and difficult service for the Cossack units, when they had to operate mostly on foot, like ordinary infantry regiments. 42 police officers and Cossacks returned from the front, awarded the Cross of St. George. Several people became full Knights of St. George.

The other hundreds of the Convoy were not able to visit the front in full force. A troubled and difficult time was coming for Russia...

"Order them to be killed!"

The tsar spent January and almost all of February 1917 in Tsarskoye Selo. On February 22 he left for Headquarters, and on February 23 in Petrograd the workers took to the streets. On February 27, the creation of the Temporary Committee of the State Duma was announced. The Tsar decided to go to Tsarskoe Selo. For his immediate protection, the Convoy commander appointed a centurion Shvedov, one constable and two Cossacks from the 1st Life Guards of the Kuban Hundred to the letter train “A” and a team of 14 Cossacks from the 4th Life Guards of the Terek Hundred to the train “B” team of the cornet Lavrov.

On March 2, Nicholas II wrote in his diary: “In the morning Ruzsky came and read his very long conversation on the staff with Rodzianko. According to him, the situation in Petrograd is such that now the ministry from the Duma seems powerless to do anything, because the socialist-democratic movement is fighting it. the party represented by the workers' committee. They need my renunciation. Ruzsky conveyed this conversation to Headquarters, and Alekseev - to all commanders-in-chief. By 2 o'clock responses came from everyone. The point is that in the name of saving Russia and keeping the army at the front calm, you need to decide to take this step. I agreed... There is treason, cowardice and deception all around! "

The last words did not concern only a few, including the officers and Cossacks of the Convoy. They remained faithful to the oath once given to the end. When the joyful Guchkov and Shulgin were leaving, taking away the Manifesto of the Tsar’s abdication, Nicholas II addressed the Cossacks of the Convoy present at that moment: - Now you must tear off my monograms. To which the Cossacks, standing at attention, replied: - Your Imperial Majesty, order them killed! The king did not expect that anyone in this situation could still remain faithful to him.

None of the officers and Cossacks of the Convoy who were at Headquarters on March 3 knew why the Tsar was not in Tsarskoye Selo, but in Pskov. Around noon the news came like a bolt from the blue: "Nicholas II abdicated the throne!".

Colonel Kireev arrived at the convoys' location. He appealed to his subordinates to firmly remember the oath. At 15 o'clock, having learned about the Tsar's arrival in Mogilev in the evening, assistant commander of the Convoy Fyodor Mikhailovich Kireev called hundreds to the city and ordered a reinforced guard to be placed in the house of Nicholas II. By 19 o'clock, the grand dukes and officers of Headquarters who were at Headquarters began to arrive at the military platform of the station.

A guard lined up from the Convoy for the meeting, led by the cornet Galushkin. At 20.20 the Tsar's letter train slowly approached the platform. The hum of voices suddenly died down, and there was a painful silence. Nobody came out for about five minutes. Finally the door of the carriage opened and General Grabbe appeared. After greeting only the Cossacks, the Convoy commander asked Galushkin: - Is it known about the abdication of the sovereign emperor? - Your Excellency, no one believes this! - Unfortunately, this is so, - Grabbe said quietly and entered the carriage again.

Sergeant Pilipenko, the Tsar’s orderly, appeared and gave a sign for his exit. The Convoy guard, as always, clearly greeted the Tsar. Nicholas II shook hands with Galushkin, then with the Cossacks. They answered in unison: - We wish you good health, Your Imperial Majesty!

Putting his hand on his hat (the king was dressed in the uniform of the Kuban plastuns), he said: - Thank you for your service, Cossacks! After greeting General Alekseev and accepting a report from him, Nicholas II went to the grand dukes. Hugged and kissed everyone. Then he walked around the line of officers. An oppressive silence still reigned on the platform. It was felt that those greeting us were in a depressed state of mind.

Colonel Kireev was waiting for the Tsar at the main entrance to the provincial house. The old servant, always calm and reasonable, was difficult to recognize. He suddenly gave up and looked like an unhappy, very old man. Having reported to Nicholas II about the condition of the Convoy, Fyodor Mikhailovich said in a breaking voice: - Your Imperial Majesty, all officers and Cossacks are ready to fulfill their military duty to the end. We will not break the oath given to Your Majesty!..

On March 4, terrible news for many came to Tsarskoe Selo - the abdication of the Tsar. None of the convoys wanted to believe it. During the day, from somewhere in the Alexander Palace, manifestos about the abdication of Nicholas II and Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich arrived. In the afternoon, the empress invited centurion Zborovsky to her place. She reported that there was a connection with the sovereign. He asked to convey to the convoys his gratitude for their loyalty to his family.

Before the centurion left, Alexandra Fedorovna told him: - Viktor Erastovich, let all officers and Cossacks remove His Majesty’s monogram from their shoulder straps. News has reached me that officers are being killed in Petrograd because of them. Please do this for me and my children. We don't want anyone to get hurt because of us.

When this request of the empress was brought to the attention of the Cossacks, the majority, especially the long-term military officers, refused to do this. By evening, soldiers from reserve battalions began to appear in the area of ​​the Convoy barracks. The convoys tried to avoid talking to them, and those who tried to organize a rally were asked to leave, citing a lack of time to listen to them. However, there were no particularly zealous agitators. Perhaps they were influenced by the atmosphere of strict discipline that reigned in the Convoy.

Soldiers and intelligent-looking civilians in pince-nez and pointed beards tried to talk to the Cossacks serving as guards at the Alexander Palace. Greeted by sullen silence or a short “Leave!”, they stepped aside. Surrender of posts The Chief of Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, Adjutant General Alekseev, issued order No. 344, the first paragraph of which read: “His Majesty’s Own Convoy, under the authority of the Commander of the Imperial Headquarters, will be included in the headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief and renamed the Convoy of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief.”

For the convoys, this news came as a complete surprise. Someone found out that the order was allegedly initiated by the Convoy commander, General Grabbe himself. At the request of the officers, Colonel Kireev turned to him for clarification whether this was true. Arriving personally to the officers, Grabbe tried to convince them that after the abdication of the throne of Nicholas II and his brother Mikhail, the only representative of the Romanov dynasty was Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich, who was expected at Headquarters. Therefore, the Convoy, being with him, will maintain continuity.

With all the deep respect for the commander, the officers unanimously condemned his hasty personal decision. Grabbe, realizing that he had made a mistake and had unwittingly offended his subordinates, asked for their forgiveness.

On March 7, Captain Svidin and the commander of the Combined Infantry Regiment were summoned to the city hall and announced that, by order of the Provisional Government, on March 8 it was necessary to surrender posts in the Alexander Palace to units of the Tsarskoye Selo garrison.

After a sleepless night, all the officers of the 2nd Life Guards of the Kuban and 3rd Life Guards of the Terek Hundreds gathered in the Officers' Assembly. Everyone looked painful and tragic. They still could not fully believe everything that was happening. Until the last day there was hope that the situation would somehow change for the better. But the order to leave the Palace killed this last hope.

In the afternoon, the commander of the Petrograd garrison, General Kornilov, arrived. He announced to the Empress the decree of the Provisional Government to arrest the family of Nicholas II. After Kornilov’s departure, Alexandra Fedorovna, having learned that the Convoy was ready to fight to the last for the life of the royal family, invited the centurion Zborovsky. - Viktor Erastovich, I ask you all to refrain from any independent actions that could delay the arrival of His Majesty and affect the fate of the children. Starting with me, everyone must submit to fate!..

The surrender of posts and the withdrawal from the Alexander Palace of the Convoy and the Consolidated Regiment were scheduled for 16:00. The officers again asked Zborovsky to go to the Empress and report that the Convoy was ready to carry out any of her orders. When he conveyed these words, Alexandra Feodorovna began to cry. Suppressing her excitement, she asked to express gratitude to all officers and Cossacks for their loyalty.

Having handed over small icons as souvenirs, she led the centurion into the nursery to say goodbye to Olga and Tatyana, who were recovering from measles. At 16:00 there was a changeover. Farewell On the last day of his stay in Mogilev, the tsar said goodbye to all the ranks of the headquarters in the control room of the general on duty. The Convoy officers lined up on the left flank, and the sergeants and non-commissioned officers, together with representatives of the Consolidated Infantry Regiment, lined up on the stairs leading to the headquarters.

At exactly the appointed time, the sovereign entered. He was dressed in a gray Kuban Circassian coat, with a saber over his shoulder. On the chest hung only one St. George's cross, brightly white against the dark background of the Circassian coat. General Alekseev gave the command: - Gentlemen officers!

Nicholas II looked sadly at those present. In his left hand, with his cap clutched in it, he held checkers on the hilt. The right one was lowered and trembling violently. The face was even more haggard and yellowed. - Gentlemen! Today is the last time I see you,- The king’s voice trembled and he fell silent.

There was an oppressive silence in the room where several hundred people had gathered. No one even coughed, everyone looked at the king. Excited, he began to walk around the line of officers. However, having said goodbye to the first three, the sovereign could not stand it and headed for the exit. At the last moment I saw the convoy standing in scarlet ceremonial Circassian coats. I approached them. I hugged Colonel Kireev and kissed him. At that moment, the cornet Lavrov, a two-meter tall giant, unable to withstand the tension, fell right at the king’s feet...

Before leaving, Nicholas II decided to once again see the officers of the Convoy and the Consolidated Regiment. Entering the hall, the king silently bowed to them. Then he retired to the office and brought a porcelain figurine of a guard. Handing over his farewell gift to Kireev, he said: - I have two of these. I'll keep one as a keepsake. Once again thank you all. Serve your Motherland as faithfully as ever.

Going down the stairs, I saw sergeants, constables and trumpeters. They were on their knees, most of them had stingy male tears shining in their eyes. The king turned very pale. He approached them, hugged each one and, according to Russian custom, kissed each one three times. I asked the sergeant of the 1st Life Guards of the Kuban Hundred, sub-horseman Novoseltsev, to convey his farewell greetings and gratitude to all the Cossacks for their faithful service.

Then, turning to the officers, he said: - I ask you to stay here, do not see me off! Of the personnel of the Convoy with the Tsar, only one of his orderlies, Sergeant Pilipenko, left for the capital. The new authorities did not allow anyone else...

On March 9, at about 11 o’clock, Nicholas II arrived in Tsarskoe Selo. The Cossacks of the 2nd Life Guards of the Kuban and 3rd Terek hundreds, having learned about this, lined up at their barracks without any command. On the way to the Alexander Palace, the Tsar had to pass by them. After about an hour of waiting, the royal car appeared. Seeing the formation of convoys, the driver slowed down without a command. Nicholas II stood up and greeted the Cossacks. The answer was loud: “We wish you good health, Your Imperial Majesty!”

This was the last meeting of the Tsar, already deprived of his freedom by decree of the Provisional Government, with his Convoy.

In Tsarskoe Selo, hundreds of the Convoy no longer performed any garrison service after March 8. Only occasionally did they engage in drill training and every other day they were taken out on horseback for rides. Officers and Cossacks rallied as one in these troubled days.

In Mogilev, with the departure of Nicholas II, Colonel Kireev ordered to return to the country camp. They also no longer served in garrison outfits.

Uncertainty

On March 11, Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich arrived at Headquarters from the Caucasus. However, on the same day, a representative of the Provisional Government announced to him that he was removed from the post of Supreme Commander-in-Chief. The Convoy's position became even more uncertain. In addition to everything, alarming rumors appeared about the alleged decision of the Provisional Government to disband the Convoy and send personnel to different units.

The officers and Cossacks unanimously decided that all measures must be taken to preserve the Convoy, unite all hundreds in one place and send it to the front as a separate military unit. At this time, the Military Council allowed all members of His Majesty's retinue to resign with the right to a pension and the preservation of all benefits. General Grabbe secured this right for all officers of the Convoy. However, they refused in order to preserve the unit and then send it to the front. At the end of March, permission finally came for the Convoy to leave for the North Caucasus.

The Provisional Government did not allow hundreds of people at Headquarters to go to Tsarskoe Selo to collect their families and property. The new rulers of Russia were frightened by such determination, steadfastness and loyalty of the convoys once given the oath. The ministers were afraid that this small part, after the story with the banners, could do big things. Therefore, Guchkov ordered Colonel Kireev to send hundreds of esauls Rasp and Tatonov immediately to Yekaterinodar.

In Tsarskoe Selo it took longer to get ready. It was necessary to pack the documents of the Convoy office, collect the belongings of comrades who were not allowed into Tsarskoye Selo, and help the families of officers and conscripts leaving for home to Kuban and Terek.

On the evening of May 29, officers of the 2nd Life Guards Kuban, 3rd Life Guards Terek and the team of the 5th Life Guards Consolidated Hundreds met for the last time in their Assembly. In front of each stood a small silver cup with the autographs of the Convoy officers engraved on them. These glasses were made by common request especially for this day. No speeches were made. Fyodor Mikhailovich Kireev, who had arrived from Mogilev, stood up and silently raised his glass. This was the first and last toast...

Epilogue

With the exception of a few Cossacks from the non-combatant team, all personnel did not violate the military oath. The convoys did not accept either the February revolution or the October one. During the civil war, they did not join any of the warring parties for a long time. However, driven into a corner by the policy of decossackization, having lost either a father or a brother during mass executions, many were forced to join the Volunteer Army.

In the fire of the fratricidal war, 24 officers, more than 200 officers and Cossacks died. According to archival documents, among those who died or died from wounds and illnesses during the Civil War, it was possible to find the names of Colonel Kireev, all four commanders of hundreds: the 1st Kuban Life Guards - Captain Georgy Raspiel, the 2nd Kuban Life Guards - Captain Mikhail Svidin , 3rd Life Guards Tersk - captain Mikhail Pankratov, 4th Life Guards Tersk - Grigory Tatonov.

Centurion Shvedov and captain Lavrov died in the Cheka prisons. In 1920, the survivors along with their families in the army of General Wrangel left their homeland.

P.S. In conclusion of this topic, I would like to add that in exile His Imperial Majesty’s Own Convoy existed as a combat unit until 1941. In 1941, the remnants of S.E.I.V. The convoy arrived from Bulgaria to form the Russian Security Corps in Belgrade.

Nikolai Dmitrievich Plotnikov - Colonel, Candidate of Military Sciences

Nicholas II in the uniform of "His Imperial Majesty's Own Convoy". (Photo from the personal funds of Emperor Nicholas II - TsGAOR USSR.)

This is what the medal “For Service in the Own Convoy of the Sovereign Emperor Alexander Nikolaevich” looked like.

An image of a rare medal - it was awarded to those who were present at the assassination attempt on Alexander II - “March 1, 1881.”

Medal awarded to members of the convoy of Emperor Alexander III.

Once I was visiting the famous Dagestan village of Kubachi with the world famous master of Kubachi coinage Rasul Alikhanov. He sat at a table placed against the window sill and carved with a graver the “markharay” ornament (“thicket” - an asymmetrical pattern of spirals and stems) on the silver of the future dagger sheath. There was a box with a silver crowbar on the floor nearby. Broken spoons, royal coins, remains of saber and dagger decorations, plaques and belt buckles were dumped into it. I leaned over the box and suddenly saw a large silver medal with the image of Alexander II. Having taken it out, I realized that I was holding in my hands a rare monument of Russian history. On the obverse of the medal, around a very high relief with a bust-length image of the king, there was the inscription: “B.M. (By the Grace of God. - Note ed.) Alexander II Emperor and Autocrat of All Russia.", and on the reverse - "For service in the own convoy of Emperor Alexander Nikolaevich." The medal turned out to be damaged: although there was an eyelet on four sides, small strips with holes were soldered to it. Caucasian women wore monist from silver coins and simply sewed them onto their dress. Apparently, this medal once adorned the chest of a local beauty.

Convoy of the King the Liberator! The rarest reward! And I immediately remembered March 1, 1881. How Sofya Perovskaya waved her handkerchief as the emperor departed from the Mikhailovsky Palace, how Rysakov threw a bomb when the carriage with the tsar had already passed him. The Emperor was accompanied by only six Cossacks of the Life Guards of the Terek squadron, led by Captain Kulebyakin. All of them were wounded, and one of them, Alexander Maleichev, was mortally wounded. A boy who was passing by was also wounded. The Emperor remained unharmed and, instead of leaving quickly, ordered the coachman to stop. The people have already captured Rysakov. Alexander approached the wounded boy, and then the second thrower, Grinevsky, threw his bomb at his feet...

That's what this neck medal that I was holding in my hands said. All the Cossacks of Alexander II's convoy received it, and those present at the assassination attempt received another, very rare medal - “March 1, 1881”.

Despite the fact that by that time several attempts had been made on the life of the Tsar the Liberator (in 1866 - Karakozov, in 1867 - Berezovsky, in 1879 - Solovyov and in 1880 - Khalturin), since the accession of Alexander II his convoy consisted of only of two Caucasian squadrons: the 1st platoon - Georgians, the 2nd platoon - highlanders (Chechens, Kumyks and others), the 3rd platoon - Lezgins, the 4th platoon were Muslims of other nationalities of the Caucasus. The convoy also included a team of Crimean Tatars. Later, Kuban and Terek Cossacks appeared.

So, the convoy consisted of only two squadrons (there were 100-120 people in a squadron). There are six squadrons in the regiment, but here there are only two! There were only a non-commissioned officer and two Cossacks standing outside the sovereign’s office. And only during receptions and balls were seven lower ranks appointed from the convoy “to take off their coats” at the Tsar’s entrance. At one time, the convoy was commanded by the aide-de-camp Colonel Pyotr Romanovich Bagration, and in 1858-1864 by Lieutenant General Dmitry Ivanovich Skobelev, the father of the “White General” Mikhail Dmitrievich Skobelev.

"His Majesty's Own Convoy" was established only in 1828. Catherine the Great was accompanied on her trips by the Don Cossacks of A.I. Ilovaisky; Paul I did not have his own escort, although the Cossacks served as guards for him and his family members; During his campaigns, Alexander I the Blessed was guarded by a Cossack regiment of the Life Guards. However, as a regular unit, the imperial convoy was formed only under Nicholas I. It was called the Caucasian-Mountain half-squadron and consisted of Caucasian bridles and princes, Kabardians, Chechens, Kumyks, Lezgins and other representatives of the peoples of the Caucasus. According to the 1830 staff, the convoy consisted of forty people with five officers. The mountaineers knew almost no Russian and were illiterate. They dressed in their national costumes (Circassians, round hats and hats), and were armed, in addition to a dagger and saber, with a bow and arrows in their quivers. Some of them wore chain mail and a helmet with aventail.

The imperial convoy, including the Cossacks, was at all times distinguished by the high art of horse riding. The highlanders shot accurately at full gallop, could grab a scarf from the ground during a sharp career, gallop while standing on the saddle, and crawl under the belly of a horse while galloping. They were admired and cared for. Alexander Khristoforovich Benkendorf, for example, drew up rules for the treatment of mountain Muslims who served the king:

“Do not give pork and ham... Strictly prohibit the ridicule of the nobles and try to make friends with the highlanders with them... and do not teach marching, trying to make the highlanders willingly do this in their free time... Do not subject them to corporal punishment: in general, only punish through Ensign Tuganov, who knows better how to treat which people... Effendius should be allowed to visit the highlanders whenever he wishes, even in the classrooms... So that during the highlanders' prayers the nobles do not interfere with them... Observe that not only teachers , but the nobles did not say anything bad about the faith of the mountaineers and did not advise changing it..."

The composition of the convoy under Alexander II has already been discussed. It is perhaps worth mentioning that during the Russian-Turkish War of 1877-1878, the Cossacks of the convoy fought for the first time as part of the Terek detachment and were very successful. They distinguished themselves at Lovcha and received insignia on their caps: the Kuban people - with the inscription “For distinction in the Turkish war of 1877-1878”, and the Terets - “for Lovcha on August 22, 1877”. From then until its dissolution in 1917, copper ribbons with these words adorned the caps of the convoy.

Tsar Alexander III the Peacemaker disbanded the convoy of the Caucasian squadron. In 1891, the Crimean Tatar Life Guards team was also abolished. The convoy now contained only Terek and Kuban Cossacks. He remained this way under Nicholas II. The uniforms of the convoys became identical and extremely bright. Their ceremonial uniform consisted of a red Circassian coat and a white beshmet underneath. Gazyrs, a dagger and a saber in silver, and the epaulettes of officers with the emperor’s monogram also became silver. The lower ranks had a red braided cord on their shoulders with an extension at the end, where the emblem of the sovereign was also placed. Hat hats with a red top and metal ribbons, on which were the inscriptions already mentioned. The ordinary Circassian coat was blue with red trim and a beshmet.

Emperor Nikolai Alexandrovich was the chief of many regiments and appeared in their uniform at parades. His wonderful portrait on a black horse and in a red Circassian coat of “His Imperial Majesty’s Own Convoy” is known.

The convoy officers were people with military education, and for the lower ranks they selected tall and handsome people. In 1915, hundreds of the convoy took part in battles with the Germans and fought so successfully that the convoys received 147 St. George's Crosses (some two or three) for their bravery.

After the February Revolution, on March 4, 1917, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief Mikhail Vasilyevich Alekseev, by his order, renamed the imperial convoy into the “Convoy of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief”, and in June of the same year the convoy was disbanded and ceased to exist.

And now I hold this large silver medal in my palm and think about its “biography”. Who and what is behind it? Who did it belong to? What events did she witness? Who did she see, who did she “know”?

We are starting a series of articles about the Cossacks in Russian military history, and the first material will be devoted to perhaps the most important and titled Cossack military unit of the Russian Empire - His Imperial Majesty’s Own Convoy

For more than a hundred years, the Cossack convoy faithfully served the Russian emperors, during which time the convoy developed its own traditions and a special way of military service. Cossacks and representatives of the Caucasian peoples served in the convoy. The best of the best were accepted into its ranks; it was they who were entrusted with the most important task in the state. And today we will try to take a closer look at the rich and interesting history of this elite military unit.

17 October

The Russian army was on its foreign campaign. Napoleonic army was expelled from Russia, but still represented an impressive force. The Russian Emperor Alexander I understood well that if Russia did not interfere in European affairs, then another and more destructive war was coming for us. To this end, the already experienced Russian army, which had veterans and experienced fighters, entered Europe in order to complete the defeat of Napoleonic France. But the whole thing could have ended on October 17, 1813 during one of the largest battles of the Foreign Campaign - at Leipzig, or the so-called Battle of the Nations. On that ill-fated day, our emperor could easily have lost his life, and in the company of the allied monarchs and the commander-in-chief of the allies, Austrian Field Marshal Schwarzenberg. If not for the Cossacks.

Life Guards Cossack Regiment at Leipzig. Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org

And it was like this. At three o'clock in the afternoon, seeing the opportunity to pierce the center of the exhausted allied armies with a ramming attack, Napoleon gives Marshal Murat, a famous cavalryman at the head of as many as 10 thousand horsemen, to deliver a terrible blow that should lead the French troops to victory. A huge mass of French cavalry began to move. At the forefront were heavy cuirassier regiments, crushing everything in their path. They were commanded by an experienced veteran, Divisional General Victor Latour-Maubourg. Having crushed the infantry, the French horsemen crushed the Russian guards light cavalry, which did not have time to line up for battle. In front of the cuirassiers lay a hill on which Alexander I, the allied monarchs and Schwarzenberg monitored the progress of the battle. With few guards and staff members, they were easy prey. The French were already rubbing their hands in anticipation. Reforming on the move, the avalanche of cuirassiers aimed at the hill...

Colonel I.E. Efremov. Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org

And then, out of the smoke of the battle, with unfurled banners, in orderly ranks, the Cossack Life Guards Regiment standing nearby crashed into the flank of the heavy cuirassiers. In a brutal battle, the Cossacks, showing miracles of courage and daring, were able to sweep away the French, who outnumbered them significantly. The heavy cuirassiers retreated before the Cossacks of Colonel Ivan Efremovich Efremov. The regiment was awarded St. George's banners, silver trumpets, and all its ranks were awarded. The Cossacks, at the request of the emperor, no longer left his side, accompanying him everywhere. And from this moment of loyalty and courage the history of the imperial Cossack convoy began.

His Majesty's Convoy

Escorting the monarch as the first person of the state, naturally, was the most important task for any state; Russia was no exception. Long before the Napoleonic wars, under Catherine II, the first outlines of her personal convoy were created. Then it was called the Hussar-Cossack squadron, and it included three Cossack linear squadrons. Paul I did not have a Cossack convoy, but some Cossacks were still with him. Time passed, and by May 1811, the Black Sea Cossack Hundred became the personal guard of Emperor Alexander. But hundreds, judging by the Battle of Leipzig, were clearly not enough for protection in peacetime, much less in wartime.

Life Cossacks.

Therefore, the Battle of the Nations de facto became the starting point from which the years of service of the Cossack convoy can be counted. The Black Sea Hundred, and then the entire Life Guards Cossack Regiment, accompanied Emperor Alexander I during all his movements during the Foreign Campaign of the Russian Army. Nevertheless, after the end of his military campaigns, Alexander I began to pay less attention to personal safety.

And only in 1828, under Nicholas I, a full-fledged “Convoy of His Imperial Majesty” appeared, created specifically to protect members of the imperial family.

Highlanders in convoy

The backbone of the convoy consisted of Terek and Kuban Cossack hundreds. But since 1828, a very specific part has been included in the convoy: the Life Guards Caucasian-Mountain half-squadron, under the command of Colonel Sultan Azamat-Girey, heir to the Crimean khans.

Convoy highlander in traditional clothing.
Source: https://forma-odezhda.ru

The mountaineers were very proud of such an honorable service and treated it with great zeal. Among them were representatives of the richest and most noble families of the North Caucasus and Transcaucasia. Over time, almost all the peoples of the Caucasus were represented among the mountaineers: Lezgins, Georgians, Chechens, Kumyks, Kabardians, Azerbaijanis and others. Of course, this part of the convoy played a special role. During the ongoing war in the Caucasus, the highlanders, the sons of noble families, became a kind of guarantee of loyalty to the Russian Tsar. At the same time, their appearance greatly frightened foreign ambassadors and representatives of delegations; at the same time, it demonstrated the power of the Russian Tsar, who was able to subjugate the proud inhabitants of the Caucasus.

Samples of convoy uniforms. Source: https://forma-odezhda.ru

The mountaineers dressed in their national costumes, traditionally armed themselves with a dagger and saber, took with them a bow and arrows, and some even sported glittering silver chain mail and helmets with aventail.

Highlanders of the convoy. Source: https://www.chitalnya.ru

The chief of the mountain part of the convoy was the powerful chief of gendarmes and head of the famous Third Department of the Emperor's secret chancellery, A. H. Benckendorff. He personally developed the rules of service for the highlanders and did not order any obstacles to be created for them in their faith and service. In particular, he wrote:

“Do not give pork or ham. Strictly prohibit the ridicule of the nobles and try to make friends with the highlanders with them. Do not prohibit washing your face several times a day as usual. Effendiy is allowed to visit the Highlanders whenever he wishes, even in the classrooms. Make sure that the nobles do not disturb them while the highlanders are praying. Make sure that not only teachers, but also nobles do not say anything bad about the faith of the mountaineers and do not advise changing it.”.

And in 1860, the son of Imam Shamil himself was included in the convoy, for which Shamil himself warmly thanked the Emperor.

Tertsy and Kuban

The highlanders decorated the convoy with their exoticism, but, as we have already indicated, the main backbone was the Cossacks of the Kuban and Terek hundreds. It was on their shoulders that the main guard and escort service fell. The so-called “persons” were also made up of them - personal bodyguards of members of the royal family. Probably the most famous of them was the Kuban Cossack Timofey Ksenofontovich Yashchik, the chamber Cossack of the Dowager Empress Maria Fedorovna (however, we will tell his story separately).

Cossacks of the convoy. Source: https://forma-odezhda.ru

Kamer-Cossacks were present at all receptions and were on duty at the emperor’s chambers. They constantly accompanied him on walks, receptions and during meetings. They learned to be inconspicuous, but at the same time bright and impressive guards.

Source: https://forma-odezhda.ru

By the time of the reign of Alexander II, the necessary changes in the regulations for the service of the imperial convoy were ripe. The situation in the country became more complicated; many revolutionary-minded communities and circles harbored ideas about killing the Tsar, even though he abolished serfdom and carried out a number of liberal reforms. Consistently over the years, the emperor's security was strengthened. Nevertheless, death from the bomb still overtook him, and all the Cossacks accompanying the emperor were wounded, and one of them, Alexander Maleichev, was mortally wounded. A boy who was passing by was also wounded. The Emperor remained unharmed, but instead of leaving quickly, he ordered the coachman to stop. The people have already captured the bomber Rysakov. Alexander approached the wounded boy, and then the second thrower (Grinevitsky) threw his bomb at his feet...

Regulations and form of the convoy

Since the 60s of the 19th century and the tragic death of Alexander II, new, more severe and practical regulations for the service of the Cossack imperial convoy began to take shape.

Samples of convoy uniforms and bladed weapons.
Source: https://forma-odezhda.ru

It became very difficult to get into the convoy, the best Cossacks from the villages were selected, the council of old men and atamans approved each candidate, and any offense brought shame immediately to the entire village and recruitment from it stopped. However, there is no information about such cases.

The Cossacks take guard duty. Source: https://forma-odezhda.ru

Cossacks of “guards height” from 180 cm were taken into the convoy, and the Cossack had to be not only strong, but also smart, quick-witted, and easily establish relationships with colleagues, because the convoy had a special military team. They served for 3 years, in shifts: first in the service, then on “benefits”, i.e. in their villages.

Cossacks in field uniform.

The guards of Nicholas II were faithful to the oath to the end. In the footage of an old newsreel dedicated to the family of the last Russian Tsar, you can see immediately following Nicholas II a tall Caucasian Cossack with a black thick beard, wearing a tall, peculiar hat, carefully carrying the sick Tsarevich Alexei in his arms. This is Sergeant Pilipenko, the Tsar’s orderly from His Majesty’s Own Convoy. The first information about the Convoy in Russian military history is found in 1775, but it was formed as a regular unit in 1828. Initially, His Majesty's Convoy included only the Life Guards Caucasian-Mountain half-squadron, in which Kabardian princes and Uzdeni, representatives of the ancient clans of Ossetians, Chechens, Ingush, Kumyks, Nogais, and a number of other Caucasian peoples served. In 1828, a new unit appeared as part of the Convoy - the Team of Caucasian Linear Cossacks. Subsequently, structural changes in the unit, depending on emerging tasks, repeatedly occurred. In March 1917, at the time of its disbandment, the Convoy consisted of two Kuban and two Terek hundreds. The 5th Life Guards Consolidated Hundred was formed from representatives of both Cossack troops.

The Cossacks not only regularly performed military service. Their famous choir was legendary. He was known not only in the capital - the choir successfully competed with the best professional groups, the repertoire included ancient Russian and Ukrainian songs, and the dancers performed Ukrainian hopak and fiery Caucasian lezginka with equal skill. Among the officers there were many talented artists and poets. Duty With calm and dignity On the afternoon of July 20, 1914, Nicholas II arrived from Peterhof to the capital. To meet the king, a guard from the Convoy was built. The Cossacks already knew about the declaration of war. They were in high spirits. After the announcement of the manifesto on the declaration of hostilities between Russia and Germany and the solemn prayer service, Nicholas II addressed those present: “Our great Mother Rus' greeted the news of the declaration of war on us with calm and dignity. I am convinced that with the same sense of calm we will bring the war, whatever it may be, to the end. From the first days of the war, the load on the Convoy personnel increased. The number of guards increased, and the service of horse posts around the fence of the Alexander Palace was strengthened. Now, every day, two hundred entered the outfit in full force at once: one in Tsarskoe Selo and one in the capital. The other two changed them the next day. In addition to constant service at court, the convoys often had to go with the Tsar on various trips: Nicholas II went to Headquarters, to the active army, and to factories. He was accompanied, in addition to his orderly, by a team of one officer and up to a platoon of Cossacks. Strengthened security A year has passed since the start of the war. The failures of the Russian army led to a change in the top military leadership. The Supreme Commander-in-Chief, Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich, the Tsar's uncle, was removed and sent as governor to the Caucasus. Nicholas II himself became the head of the army. On September 4, 1915, he left for Mogilev, where the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief was located. In Mogilev, the Convoy officers were located in the Paris Hotel, and the Cossacks were in the city barracks. The convoys carried out the internal security of the king's residence. On those days when the guard was posted, 8 additional horse posts were sent to the outskirts of the city. They served around the clock. The external security and security of Headquarters as a whole was carried out by His Majesty's Consolidated Infantry Regiment and the palace police. In general, the city and its immediate surroundings were literally flooded with troops and police. Over 1,500 people took up various positions every day. In addition, another security line ran 20 miles from the city. In their free time from service, the Cossacks visited the city. Some of them managed to have affairs with local girls. The young ladies parted with the convoys with great regret when the time approached for the hundreds to leave for the capital. Unlike the rest of the army brethren, the Kuban and Terets were very gallant gentlemen. When selecting for the Convoy, not only external data was taken into account, but also qualities such as intelligence, literacy, and the ability to get along with others. For the slightest offense there was inevitable punishment. The worst of them is expulsion from the Convoy. In addition to the shame (a telegram was immediately sent to the army headquarters, and not only his native village, but also the entire district knew about what had happened), the Cossack was deprived of tangible benefits provided after the end of his service. To the front From the very beginning of the war, the Cossacks of the Convoy began to receive alarming news from home about injuries or, worst of all, the death of relatives and friends at the front. After each such letter, the commanders of hundreds received regular reports with a request to be sent to the active army. On the morning of November 5, 1915, the commander of the 1st Life Guards of the Kuban Hundred, Yesaul Zhukov, arrived, as always, to report to the Convoy commander, Major General Count Grabbe-Nikitin. After listening to the traditional report of his best commander in the army, Alexei Nikolaevich asked: “I feel, Andrei Semenovich, that you are not telling me something.” What's happened? What thoughts are bothering you? Zhukov, with the passion and ardor characteristic of his nature, literally blurted out without stopping everything that he had repeated in his mind more than once, preparing to go to report to the commander: “Your Excellency, I ask you, on behalf of myself and all the officers and Cossacks, to appeal to the sovereign for permission to be sent to the front.” . We will prove in battle that His Majesty's Convoy is worthy of its master. Grabbe smiled kindly. - I’ll be honest, I’ve been waiting for this conversation for a long time. Need to think. It will not be possible to send everyone at once. Even if we send one hundred, we will not be able to fulfill the tasks assigned to us. Which hundred, in your opinion, should be the first to leave for the active army? “Alexander Nikolaevich, of course, mine is the 1st,” said Zhukov, “We have already drawn lots at the request of the officers and Cossacks.” The first number went to us, and the second to Tatonov’s hundred, 4th Tersk... The day of dispatch, December 12, 1915, fell on Saturday. The hundred were assigned to the 1st Khopersky Regiment of Her Imperial Majesty Grand Duchess Anastasia Mikhailovna of the Kuban Cossack Army. General Grabbe handed over to Andrei Semenovich Zhukov the image of the Holy Great Martyr Erofey, the patron saint of the Convoy. In the evening, the train departed for the Southwestern Front, taking away five officers, one sergeant, 147 officers and Cossacks. “Don’t hit an unarmed enemy...” Three months passed. The term of stay in the active army was ending. However, due to the calm that established at the front, the convoys never managed to attend any serious business. The Convoy commander, knowing about the upcoming offensive of the Russian troops and meeting Zhukov's insistent requests, allowed the 1st hundred to remain as part of the Terek Cossack division, to which they were assigned, until the end of June. On April 11, 1916, in accordance with the directive of the Headquarters, preparations for the offensive began. At dawn on May 22, Russian guns began to speak. The enemy never managed to discover the preparations for the offensive by the troops of the Southwestern Front. The hail of shells took the Austrians by surprise. By the end of the next day, the first line of enemy defense was broken through. General Brusilov's troops began pursuing the retreating enemy. On May 29, the 1st Life Guards Kuban Hundred distinguished itself while covering the crossing of the Prut River near the village of Vam. Thanks to the courage of the convoys, an attempt by the enemy to reach the flank of the main forces of the Terek Cossack division was thwarted. On June 5, while pursuing the enemy, the Kuban and Kizlyar-Grebensky regiment came across a large convoy. An attack on horseback could lead to heavy losses. The dismounted Terek Cossacks, having started a firefight, pinned down the cover of the convoy. The convoys entered the forest from the other side. Having fired a volley from rifles, they suddenly went on the attack for the Austrians. The Cossacks did not touch those who threw down their weapons and raised their hands. In the field service regulations of that time, special orders were placed: “... Do not hit an unarmed enemy asking for mercy... When the battle is over, feel sorry for the wounded man and try to help him as much as you can, without deciding whether he is one of your own or the enemy. not your enemy... Treat the prisoner humanely, do not mock his faith..." The battle ended in complete victory for the Cossacks. The Kizlyar-combers suffered a heavy loss. During the attack, Colonel Markov, acting regiment commander, was killed. As the senior staff officer, Andrei Semenovich Zhukov, who had been promoted to colonel the day before, took command. He handed over a hundred to captain Grigory Rasp. At dawn on June 7, the convoys, being the vanguard of the regiment, fought and occupied the small town of Suceava. After a short rest, a patrol headed by the captain Skvortsov was sent in the direction of the city of Radautz to reconnaissance the enemy. Soon, from the direction where the scouts had gone, heavy rifle and machine-gun fire was heard. An observer serving in the bell tower of a local church reported that Skvortsov’s Cossacks rushed to attack the Austrian outpost on the outskirts of the city. As the captain later explained, this was the only opportunity to save people, because retreating back under heavy enemy fire meant inevitable death. During this desperate attack, a heroic feat was performed by constable Vasily Sukhina, a native of the village of Novodzherelievskaya, Taman department. In the heat of battle, he noticed that an Austrian soldier was aiming at Skvortsov. Everything was decided by the moment; it was too late to warn about the danger. Throwing his horse towards the commander and covering him with his body, the constable took the blow upon himself. For saving the officer at the cost of his life, Vasily Ivanovich Sukhina was posthumously awarded the St. George Cross, 2nd degree... The act of Colonel Zhukov In Radautz, the convoys parted with Andrei Semenovich Zhukov. Having surrendered the Kizlyar-Grebensky regiment, accompanied only by an orderly, he went to the rear. No one could have imagined that in two days the beloved commander would be gone. He had long suffered from a hernia that could not be treated surgically. While there was a lull, even the officers did not notice any changes in Andrei Semenovich. Always even and calm, he tried by any means to hide his illness. But when the front went on the offensive, Zhukov, like everyone else, had to stay in the saddle for a long time, go on attacks, and make big transitions. The disease worsened and began to cause excruciating suffering. Once, when he was tormented by very severe pain, he could not stand it and told Captain Rasp about it. The latter reported on command. The doctor sent by the corps commander, after examining Zhukov, made an unexpected conclusion: “Mr. Colonel, you urgently need to go to the hospital.” Otherwise, I cannot guarantee the consequences. To which Andrei Semenovich replied: “I can’t be at the front anymore, and I can’t leave the front either!” Only after a written order from the corps commander did he leave for the rear. Impeccable courage and extremely proud, a hereditary military man, fearing that leaving the front line in the midst of fighting could be regarded by his subordinates as a manifestation of cowardice and would undermine his reputation as an officer, Zhukov committed suicide. According to the messenger’s testimony, his last words were: “Leave me alone, I want to pray.” A few minutes later a shot was heard. On the table lay a note, crushed by the deceased’s watch: “I’m sick. I’m afraid that the Cossacks and officers won’t understand!” Returning home During their six months at the front, the convoys became close to the Terek Cossack division. Especially with the officers and Cossacks of the 2nd Kizlyar-Grebensky Regiment, with whom we had to look death in the eye more than once. The lines from the regimental order issued by the commander of the Kizlyar-Grebentsy, Colonel Khetagurov, in the last days of the 1st Life Guards of the Kuban Hundred at the front are imbued with fraternal warmth: “Convoys! In all honesty I must bow to your valor, courage and bravery. I watched and was surprised. that calmness, that endurance, dedication and unshakable confidence with which you went on the attack, it makes no difference whether on horseback or on foot..." On June 22, the Kuban soldiers arrived in Mogilev. On the same day, Nicholas II met with them. The Tsar arrived with his son, Tsarevich Alexei, and a small retinue.

The commander of the hundred gave the command: - Hundred, humble, listen to the kra-ul! Without reaching, as required by the regulations, two steps, he stopped, famously saluting with his saber as only he could do: “Your Imperial Majesty, the 1st Life Guards Kuban Hundred of Your Majesty’s Convoy arrived from the active army.” There are two officers, 106 officers and Cossacks in the ranks. Commander of the hundred Yesaul Rasp! After the report, he took a step to the side, letting the king pass. Approaching the line, the sovereign stopped. The Cossacks stood motionless. Weathered, mature and so familiar faces. But there is no Zhukov among them, there is no one of the first tenors of the Cossack choir, Kamkov, whom everyone, including the wife and children of Nicholas II, affectionately called “Savushka” for his wonderful voice. Sighing heavily, Nicholas II greeted the Cossacks. Then he walked around the line, asking everyone why they received the awards. - Are all the convoys rewarded for their heroic deeds? - That's right, Your Imperial Majesty. They have not yet been awarded only for the last battles, but submissions have been submitted. The Tsar turned to Fredericks and the Convoy commander who accompanied him and asked: “What do you think, gentlemen, if we do not wait for the official completion of the consideration of submissions and present the awards right now?” The adjutant on duty was summoned, who had a suitcase with the corresponding awards during such trips of the tsar. Serbatov and Voloshin were the first to be awarded. In total, 30 people became holders of the St. George Crosses of various degrees, and 23 Cossacks - St. George medals. On June 25, the 1st Life Guards Kuban Hundred arrived in Tsarskoe Selo. On the same day, in the sovereign Feodorovsky Cathedral, the confessor of Their Majesties, Father Vasiliev, served a memorial service for the Cossacks who had not returned from the front. Gift from the Empress The Cossacks of the 4th Life Guards of the Terek Hundred also fought bravely. Before leaving for the active army, the empress invited the officers to her place. She warmly said goodbye to them, wishing them all good luck and an unfailing return alive and well. Having blessed the officers, Alexandra Fedorovna presented each with a holy icon on their body and gave the commander of the hundred, Yesaul Tatonov, the same icons for all the Cossacks. The Grand Duchesses gave modest gifts to the officers. Podesaul Fedyushkin managed to keep the gift until his death (he died on August 31, 1958 in New York). Remembering his distant homeland and his youth in a foreign land, he more than once took out a silk shirt donated by the tsar’s second daughter, Tatyana, and a note: “May God bless and keep you, dear Yuzik! Tatyana”... The military service of the Tertsians took place mainly in the Carpathian Mountains . This was one of the periods of particularly intense, exhausting and difficult service for the Cossack units, when they had to operate mostly on foot, like ordinary infantry regiments. 42 police officers and Cossacks returned from the front, awarded the Cross of St. George. Several people became full Knights of St. George. The other hundreds of the Convoy were not able to visit the front in full force. A troubled and difficult time was coming for Russia... “Order them to be killed!” The tsar spent January and almost all of February 1917 in Tsarskoye Selo. On February 22 he left for Headquarters, and on February 23 in Petrograd the workers took to the streets. On February 27, the creation of the Temporary Committee of the State Duma was announced. The Tsar decided to go to Tsarskoe Selo. For his immediate protection, the Convoy commander appointed a centurion Shvedov, one constable and two Cossacks from the 1st Life Guards of the Kuban Hundred to the letter train “A” and a team of 14 Cossacks from the 4th Life Guards of the Terek Hundred to the train “B” team of the cornet Lavrov. On March 2, Nicholas II wrote in his diary: “In the morning Ruzsky came and read his long conversation on the apparatus with Rodzianko. According to him, in Petrograd it is such that now the ministry from the Duma seems powerless to do anything, because it is fighting against it the social-democratic party represented by the workers' committee. Ruzsky conveyed this conversation to Headquarters, and Alekseev - to all the commanders-in-chief. By 2 o'clock the answers came from everyone: in the name of saving Russia and holding on. The army at the front needs to calmly decide on this step. I agreed... There is treason, cowardice and deceit all around!” The last words did not concern only a few, including the officers and Cossacks of the Convoy. They remained faithful to the oath once given to the end. When the joyful Guchkov and Shulgin were leaving, taking away the Manifesto of the Tsar’s abdication, Nicholas II turned to the Cossacks of the Convoy present at that moment: “Now you must tear off my monograms.” To which the Cossacks, standing at attention, replied: “Your Imperial Majesty, order them to be killed!” The king did not expect that anyone in this situation could still remain faithful to him. Shock None of the officers and Cossacks of the Convoy who were at Headquarters on March 3 knew why the Tsar was not in Tsarskoye Selo, but in Pskov. Around noon, the news came like a bolt from the blue: “Nicholas II has abdicated the throne!” Colonel Kireev arrived at the convoys' location. He appealed to his subordinates to firmly remember the oath. At 15 o'clock, having learned about the Tsar's arrival in Mogilev in the evening, assistant commander of the Convoy Fyodor Mikhailovich Kireev called hundreds to the city and ordered a reinforced guard to be placed in the house of Nicholas II. By 19 o'clock, the grand dukes and officers of Headquarters who were at Headquarters began to arrive at the military platform of the station. A guard lined up from the Convoy for the meeting, led by the cornet Galushkin. At 20.20 the Tsar's letter train slowly approached the platform. The hum of voices suddenly died down, and there was a painful silence. Nobody came out for about five minutes. Finally the door of the carriage opened and General Grabbe appeared. Having greeted only the Cossacks, the Convoy commander asked Galushkin: “Is it known about the abdication of the Emperor?” - Your Excellency, no one believes this! “Unfortunately, this is so,” Grabbe said quietly and entered the carriage again. Sergeant Pilipenko, the Tsar’s orderly, appeared and gave a sign for his exit. The Convoy guard, as always, clearly greeted the Tsar. Nicholas II shook hands with Galushkin, then with the Cossacks. They answered unanimously: “We wish you good health, Your Imperial Majesty!” Putting his hand on his hat (the tsar was dressed in the uniform of the Kuban plastuns), he said: “Thank you for your service, Cossacks!” After greeting General Alekseev and accepting a report from him, Nicholas II went to the grand dukes. Hugged and kissed everyone. Then he walked around the line of officers. An oppressive silence still reigned on the platform. It was felt that those greeting us were in a depressed state of mind. Colonel Kireev was waiting for the Tsar at the main entrance to the provincial house. The old servant, always calm and reasonable, was difficult to recognize. He suddenly gave up and looked like an unhappy, very old man. Having reported to Nicholas II about the condition of the Convoy, Fyodor Mikhailovich said in a breaking voice: “Your Imperial Majesty, all officers and Cossacks are ready to fulfill their military duty to the end.” We will not break the oath given to Your Majesty!.. On March 4, terrible news for many came to Tsarskoe Selo - about the abdication of the Tsar. None of the convoys wanted to believe it. During the day, from somewhere in the Alexander Palace, manifestos about the abdication of Nicholas II and Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich arrived. In the afternoon, the empress invited centurion Zborovsky to her place. She reported that there was a connection with the sovereign. He asked to convey to the convoys his gratitude for their loyalty to his family. Before the centurion left, Alexandra Fedorovna told him: “Viktor Erastovich, let all the officers and Cossacks remove His Majesty’s monogram from their shoulder straps.” News has reached me that officers are being killed in Petrograd because of them. Please do this for me and my children. We don't want anyone to get hurt because of us. When this request of the empress was brought to the attention of the Cossacks, the majority, especially the long-term military officers, refused to do this. By evening, soldiers from reserve battalions began to appear in the area of ​​the Convoy barracks. The convoys tried to avoid talking to them, and those who tried to organize a rally were asked to leave, citing a lack of time to listen to them. However, there were no particularly zealous agitators. Perhaps they were influenced by the atmosphere of strict discipline that reigned in the Convoy. Soldiers and intelligent-looking civilians in pince-nez and pointed beards tried to talk to the Cossacks serving as guards at the Alexander Palace. Greeted by sullen silence or a short “Leave!”, they stepped aside. Surrender of posts The Chief of Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, Adjutant General Alekseev, issued order No. 344, the first paragraph of which read: “His Majesty’s Own Convoy, under the authority of the Commander of the Imperial Main Apartment, is to be included in the headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief and renamed the Convoy of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief.” For the convoys, this news came as a complete surprise. Someone found out that the order was allegedly initiated by the Convoy commander, General Grabbe himself. At the request of the officers, Colonel Kireev turned to him for clarification whether this was true. Arriving personally to the officers, Grabbe tried to convince them that after the abdication of the throne of Nicholas II and his brother Mikhail, the only representative of the Romanov dynasty was Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich, who was expected at Headquarters. Therefore, the Convoy, being with him, will maintain continuity.

With all the deep respect for the commander, the officers unanimously condemned his hasty personal decision. Grabbe, realizing that he had made a mistake and had unwittingly offended his subordinates, asked for their forgiveness. On March 7, Captain Svidin and the commander of the Combined Infantry Regiment were summoned to the city hall and announced that, by order of the Provisional Government, on March 8 it was necessary to surrender posts in the Alexander Palace to units of the Tsarskoye Selo garrison. After a sleepless night, all the officers of the 2nd Life Guards of the Kuban and 3rd Life Guards of the Terek Hundreds gathered in the Officers' Assembly. Everyone looked painful and tragic. They still could not fully believe everything that was happening. Until the last day there was hope that the situation would somehow change for the better. But the order to leave the Palace killed this last hope. In the afternoon, the commander of the Petrograd garrison, General Kornilov, arrived. He announced to the Empress the decree of the Provisional Government to arrest the family of Nicholas II. After Kornilov’s departure, Alexandra Fedorovna, having learned that the Convoy was ready to fight to the last for the life of the royal family, invited the centurion Zborovsky. - Viktor Erastovich, I ask you all to refrain from any independent actions that could delay the arrival of His Majesty and affect the fate of the children. Starting with me, everyone must submit to fate!.. The surrender of posts and the withdrawal from the Alexander Palace of the Convoy and the Consolidated Regiment were scheduled for 16 hours. The officers again asked Zborovsky to go to the Empress and report that the Convoy was ready to carry out any of her orders. When he conveyed these words, Alexandra Feodorovna began to cry. Suppressing her excitement, she asked to express gratitude to all officers and Cossacks for their loyalty. Having handed over small icons as souvenirs, she led the centurion into the nursery to say goodbye to Olga and Tatyana, who were recovering from measles. At 16:00 there was a changeover. Farewell On the last day of his stay in Mogilev, the tsar said goodbye to all the ranks of the headquarters in the control room of the general on duty. The Convoy officers lined up on the left flank, and the sergeants and non-commissioned officers, together with representatives of the Consolidated Infantry Regiment, lined up on the stairs leading to the headquarters. At exactly the appointed time, the sovereign entered. He was dressed in a gray Kuban Circassian coat, with a saber over his shoulder. On the chest hung only one St. George's cross, brightly white against the dark background of the Circassian coat. General Alekseev gave the command: - Gentlemen officers! Nicholas II looked sadly at those present. In his left hand, with his cap clutched in it, he held checkers on the hilt. The right one was lowered and trembling violently. The face was even more haggard and yellowed. - Gentlemen! Today I see you for the last time,” the king’s voice trembled and he fell silent. There was an oppressive silence in the room where several hundred people had gathered. No one even coughed, everyone looked at the king. Excited, he began to walk around the line of officers. However, having said goodbye to the first three, the sovereign could not stand it and headed for the exit. At the last moment I saw the convoy standing in scarlet ceremonial Circassian coats. I approached them. I hugged Colonel Kireev and kissed him. At that moment, the cornet Lavrov, a two-meter tall giant, unable to withstand the tension, fell right at the Tsar’s feet... Before leaving, Nicholas II decided to once again see the officers of the Convoy and the Consolidated Regiment. Entering the hall, the king silently bowed to them. Then he retired to the office and brought a porcelain figurine of a guard. Handing over his parting gift to Kireev, he said: “I have two of these.” I'll keep one as a keepsake. Once again thank you all. Serve your Motherland as faithfully as before. Going down the stairs, I saw sergeants, constables and trumpeters. They were on their knees, most of them had stingy male tears shining in their eyes. The king turned very pale. He approached them, hugged each one and, according to Russian custom, kissed each one three times. I asked the sergeant of the 1st Life Guards of the Kuban Hundred, sub-horseman Novoseltsev, to convey his farewell greetings and gratitude to all the Cossacks for their faithful service. Then, turning to the officers, he said: “I ask you to stay here, do not see me off!” Of the personnel of the Convoy with the Tsar, only one of his orderlies, Sergeant Pilipenko, left for the capital. The new authorities did not allow anyone else... On March 9, at about 11 o’clock, Nicholas II arrived in Tsarskoe Selo. The Cossacks of the 2nd Life Guards of the Kuban and 3rd Terek hundreds, having learned about this, lined up at their barracks without any command. On the way to the Alexander Palace, the Tsar had to pass by them. After about an hour of waiting, the royal car appeared. Seeing the formation of convoys, the driver slowed down without a command. Nicholas II stood up and greeted the Cossacks. The response was loud: “We wish you good health, Your Imperial Majesty!” This was the last meeting of the Tsar, already deprived of his freedom by decree of the Provisional Government, with his Convoy. In Tsarskoe Selo, hundreds of the Convoy no longer performed any garrison service after March 8. Only occasionally did they engage in drill training and every other day they were taken out on horseback for rides. Officers and Cossacks rallied as one in these troubled days. In Mogilev, with the departure of Nicholas II, Colonel Kireev ordered to return to the country camp. They also no longer served in garrison outfits. Uncertainty On March 11, Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich arrived at Headquarters from the Caucasus. However, on the same day, a representative of the Provisional Government announced to him that he was removed from the post of Supreme Commander-in-Chief. The Convoy's position became even more uncertain. In addition to everything, alarming rumors appeared about the alleged decision of the Provisional Government to disband the Convoy and send personnel to different units. The officers and Cossacks unanimously decided that all measures must be taken to preserve the Convoy, unite all hundreds in one place and send it to the front as a separate military unit. At this time, the Military Council allowed all members of His Majesty's retinue to resign with the right to a pension and the preservation of all benefits. General Grabbe secured this right for all officers of the Convoy. However, they refused in order to preserve the unit and then send it to the front. At the end of March, permission finally came for the Convoy to leave for the North Caucasus. The Provisional Government did not allow hundreds of people at Headquarters to go to Tsarskoe Selo to collect their families and property. The new rulers of Russia were frightened by such determination, steadfastness and loyalty of the convoys once given the oath. The ministers were afraid that this small part, after the story with the banners, could do big things. Therefore, Guchkov ordered Colonel Kireev to send hundreds of esauls Rasp and Tatonov immediately to Yekaterinodar. In Tsarskoe Selo it took longer to get ready. It was necessary to pack the documents of the Convoy office, collect the belongings of comrades who were not allowed into Tsarskoye Selo, and help the families of officers and conscripts leaving for home to Kuban and Terek. On the evening of May 29, officers of the 2nd Life Guards Kuban, 3rd Life Guards Terek and the team of the 5th Life Guards Consolidated Hundreds met for the last time in their Assembly. In front of each stood a small silver cup with the autographs of the Convoy officers engraved on them. These glasses were made by common request especially for this day. No speeches were made. Fyodor Mikhailovich Kireev, who had arrived from Mogilev, stood up and silently raised his glass. This was the first and last toast... Epilogue With the exception of a few Cossacks from the non-combatant team, all personnel did not violate the military oath. The convoys did not accept either the February revolution or the October one. During the civil war, they did not join any of the warring parties for a long time. However, driven into a corner by the policy of decossackization, having lost either a father or a brother during mass executions, many were forced to join the Volunteer Army. In the fire of the fratricidal war, 24 officers, more than 200 officers and Cossacks died. According to archival documents, among those who died or died from wounds and illnesses during the Civil War, it was possible to find the names of Colonel Kireev, all four commanders of hundreds: the 1st Kuban Life Guards - Captain Georgy Raspiel, the 2nd Kuban Life Guards - Captain Mikhail Svidin , 3rd Life Guards Tersk - captain Mikhail Pankratov, 4th Life Guards Tersk - Grigory Tatonov. Centurion Shvedov and captain Lavrov died in the Cheka prisons. In 1920, the survivors along with their families in the army of General Wrangel left their homeland. P.S. In conclusion of this topic, I would like to add that in exile His Imperial Majesty’s Own Convoy existed as a combat unit until 1941. In 1941, the remnants of S.E.I.V. The convoy arrived from Bulgaria to form the Russian Security Corps in Belgrade. Nikolai Dmitrievich Plotnikov - Colonel, Candidate of Military Sciences

From the history of His Imperial Majesty's Own Convoy

In Russia, the guard was created by Peter I in 1687. The Russian Life Guards grew out of his amusing Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky regiments, which proved their loyalty to the Tsar during the suppression of the Streltsy revolt in August 1689; who showed Russia miracles of fortitude near Narva in 1700, when the Swedish king Charles XII inflicted a brutal defeat on the Russians; demonstrating the height of the Russian spirit during the defeat of the Swedish troops near Poltava on June 28, 1709.
The Life Guards of His Imperial Majesty are especially close to him, the best, selected army. The Life Guards regiments became the forge of command personnel for the Russian army and navy. They were a kind of practical school, where guardsmen, mainly from the nobility, went through all levels of service, starting from ordinary soldiers, and only then were sent to field regiments as officers. The same Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky regiments sent officers to the grenadier, musketeer, chasseur regiments and peripheral battalions. The Horse Guards Regiment (1721) trained officers for cuirassiers, dragoons, hussars, carabiniers, horse huntsmen and grenadier regiments.
The Life Guards regiments were distinguished by high military valor: infantry - exceptional activity, endurance, maneuverability, and ability to conduct fire combat; cavalry - mobility, excellent training in maneuver and hand-to-hand combat; artillery - the perfect art of firing at long- and short-range targets, maneuvering on the battlefield and preparing military equipment.
For the greatest patriotism, exceptional moral qualities and military training, the guards were rewarded with special advantages against the army. Traditionally, the Life Guards were divided into old and young (1813). According to the table of ranks (1722), the chief officer ranks of the old guard were two steps higher and the young guard one step higher and older than the army ranks.
In the first half of the 18th century, guards officers had great political influence and were the driving force behind palace coups. From the second half of the 18th century, the number of soldiers from the nobility in the guards regiments was deliberately reduced. In the 19th century, the guard was recruited from the lower classes (trustworthy people, tall and strong). At the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th centuries, the number of guards regiments increased. Guards troops are formed in all branches of the military and in the navy. In the 18th-19th centuries, the Russian guard and Cossack regiments took part in all the wars waged by Russia.
The first Cossack guards regiments were the Cossack Life Guards Regiment and the Don Troops Ataman Regiment. In 1775, by the will of Empress Catherine II, a special team was created from the Don and Chuguev Cossack teams and the hussar life squadron, which made up Her Majesty’s convoy. In 1796, this team became part of the newly established Life Hussar Cossack Regiment (1796-1798). The following year, the regiment was separated into an independent unit.
The “Ataman Regiment” was formed on April 20, 1775 as part of the Don Cossack Army. In 1859 he was assigned to the Young Guard.
In 1811, Black Sea Cossacks appeared as part of the Russian Life Guards. The order of the Minister of War to the Kherson military governor de Richelieu dated May 18, 1811 stated: “His Imperial Majesty ... wishes to have with him, among the guards, one hundred Cossacks from the Black Sea army from the best people, under the command of one staff officer from their own army and the required number of officers and excellent people...".
The first commander of the hundred was military colonel Afanasy Fedorovich Bursak, adjutant to the Minister of War, son of the ataman of the Black Sea Cossack army Fedor Yakovlevich Bursak.
On June 15, Ataman Bursak ordered the commanders of 10 cavalry regiments to select 10 people from the regiment into the guards hundred - “good condition, good behavior, health, prominent in stature and face.” A few days later, a new order was sent to the regiments: “... and so that people are not alone in the household.” The presence of a farm and a family was, on the one hand, a guarantee of trustworthy behavior; on the other, the ataman took care of the welfare of Cossack farms, which would inevitably go bankrupt in the absence of a breadwinner for a long time. Equipping a hundred became a matter of honor for the entire army.
On March 16, 1912, Alexander I carried out a review, and on the same day, the Life Guards Cossack regiment, consisting of three squadrons of the Donets and hundreds of Black Sea troops, set out for Vilna, where they were supposed to be in the vanguard of the 3rd Corps of General Tuchkov, and hold pickets along the banks of the Neman .
The Cossacks' shots at the crossing Frenchmen heralded the beginning of the Patriotic War of 1812.
The Guards Cossacks had a difficult fate - to cover the retreat of Russian troops. They were in the thick of things and took part in all the rearguard battles from the Neman to Tarutino. After the retreat from Moscow, the regiment fought a partisan war. With the transition of the Russian army to the counteroffensive, the Cossack guards form the vanguard. With the arrival of the Life Guards in the army of Emperor Alexander I, the Cossack regiment was assigned to serve as his guard.
On October 4, 1813, the Life Guards Black Sea Cossack Hundred of the Imperial Convoy took part in the Battle of the Nations, the Battle of Leipzig, decisive in that year's campaign. in this battle, hundreds of Cossacks saved the Russian, Austrian and Prussian emperors from mortal danger. All hundred were awarded St. George's crosses.
The Cossack Life Guards Regiment itself fought its way to Paris, where it became a bivouac on the Champs Elysees, performing the functions of the Imperial convoy and its closest guard.
Guards Cossacks, consisting of Russian and Prussian guards regiments under the joint command of the commander of the Russian artillery of the Life Guards, General and Cavalier Alexei Petrovich Ermolov, took part in the victory parade in Paris.
After the foreign campaign of 1813-1814, elections to the guard and efforts to equip the Cossacks began again in the Cossack troops.
Upon returning from a foreign campaign, the Life Guards were infected with revolutionary, Jacobin sentiments, which ultimately resulted in the Decembrist uprising on December 14, 1825. Unlike the titled nobility, the Cossack regiments in general and the Guards Cossacks in particular did not support the so-called Decembrists.
By the end of the 20s of the 19th century, the Caucasian War, which flared up in the south of the Russian Empire, was gaining momentum. Emperor Nicholas I makes a decision with the aim of, as it is now fashionable to say, “image policy” to attract mountain peoples to serve in his Convoy. On the one hand, the Emperor wanted to show the highlanders that he was not afraid of them and even trusted them with his life and the life of his family, on the other hand, the stay of the highlanders in St. Petersburg was intended to show them the life of the empire, to convince them that Russia was not trying to destroy them, but wants friendship and peaceful coexistence. Thus, attracting mountaineers to serve in the Convoy was a very far-sighted and positive step of Nicholas I, which subsequently played a positive role for Caucasian-Russian relations.

On May 1, 1828, the first full-time unit was formed, intended for convoy service at the highest court, the Life Guards Caucasus-Mountain Platoon.
Representatives of the most influential and noble families of the mountain peoples were recruited into the Caucasian Mountain Platoon of the Convoy. On April 30, 1830, the Life Guards Caucasian-Gorsky platoon was deployed in the Life Guards Caucasian Mountain half-squadron. By this period, the half-squadron already had teams of Circassians, Kabardians, Dagestanis, Georgians, Armenians, and Crimean Tatars. In 1838, a Lezgin team was added to the half-squadron, and in 1839, a team of the Transcaucasian Muslim Cavalry Regiment. With the end of the Caucasian War, the original idea of ​​the Caucasian mountain half-squadron disappeared and it was disbanded. From that time on, only Ossetian Cossacks among the highlanders served in the Convoy as part of the Terek Cossack Hundred.
In 1832, the composition of His Imperial Majesty's Convoy was replenished with a team of Caucasian linear Cossacks, formed from eight regiments of the Caucasian linear Cossack army. On April 9, the Supreme Review took place at the Mikhailovsky Manege. A team of linear Cossacks of 50 people, led by Yesaul Levashov, was armed with rifles, pistols, daggers and Circassian-type sabers. On October 12, 1832, the team of the Caucasian Cossack Line Army was officially formed and began serving.
On July 1, 1842, the Life Guards Black Sea Squadron was seconded from the Life Guards Cossack Regiment and deployed into an independent Life Guards Black Sea Cossack Division.
On November 18, 1856, the team of the Life Guards of the Caucasian Cossack Line Army was transformed into the Life Guards Caucasian Squadron of His Imperial Majesty's Own Convoy.
On February 2, 1861, the Life Guards Caucasian squadron of the convoy was merged with the Black Sea division into the Life Guards 1st, 2nd and 3rd Caucasian Cossack squadrons of His Imperial Majesty's Own convoy. The squadrons included ¾ Cossacks of the Kuban Cossack Army and ¼ Cossacks of the Terek Cossack Army. Mixed recruitment turned out to be very inconvenient, and on October 7, 1867, the Cossack squadrons of the convoy began to form separately from their troops, and were called the 1st and 2nd Caucasian Kuban Life Guards and the Caucasian Terek Life Guards squadrons.
During the Russian-Turkish War of 1877-1878, the Guards Cossacks successfully acted in the battle of Gorny Dubnyak, and especially distinguished themselves in the battle of Lovchey. For this, the 1st and 2nd Kuban Cossack squadrons were awarded insignia for headdresses. It is curious that the regimental march of the convoys during this war was Meldelson’s wedding march, since, according to Alexander II, they went into battle as if they were going to a wedding.
On December 2, 1881, another Terek squadron was created as part of His Imperial Majesty's Own convoy. The regulations on the convoy of 1881 determined its staff to be four hundred: the 1st and 2nd Kuban Life Guards and the 3rd and 4th Terek Life Guards.
In 1889, a new regulation was established regarding His Imperial Majesty's Own convoy. The convoy belonged to the Imperial Headquarters and enjoyed the rights of the old guard. Under Alexander III, the young guard lost its advantage against the army, and the seniority of the old guard was reduced by one rank. The seniority of the Kuban squadrons of the convoy was determined on May 18, 1811. The convoy commander was appointed at the personal discretion of the sovereign. The squadrons had to be staffed with officers from “natural Cossacks”, and certainly from combat units. Cossacks were elected from preparatory and combat ranks.
On March 14, 1891, the squadrons were renamed into hundreds, which became known as the Life Guards of the 1st and 2nd Kuban and 3rd and 4th Terek Cossack hundreds of His Imperial Majesty's Own convoy. The Emperor bore the title of “Chief of the Hundreds of the Convoy” and was on the lists of the Life Guards of the 1st Kuban Hundred. The size of the convoy in peacetime was determined: 520 lower ranks and 25 officers; in the military: 611 lower ranks and 25 officers.
On December 23, 1894, an order for the Caucasian Cossack troops prescribed: “That the Cossacks selected for service in His Imperial Majesty’s Own convoy should be in height no lower than 2 arshins 7 vershkov and no higher than 2 arshins 10 vershkov, and horses not lower than 2 arshins 1 vershok and Kabardian breed." The procedure for selecting a Cossack for the convoy ended with a special subscription, according to which the parents agreed to equip their son. The escort hundreds were usually selected two Cossacks from the regiments and one from the batteries. Village fees (circles) drew up special sentences for each selected Cossack in which the applicants were given a description and petition for his enrollment in the convoy. The teams in the convoy were formed by a special officer who was sent to the Cossack troops to select the lower ranks.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, the Russian Guard consisted of 12 infantry, 4 rifle, 13 cavalry regiments, artillery and engineer units, a naval crew and several ships. During the First World War, the Russian Guard suffered irreparable losses, primarily in personnel. The Life Guards shared the tragic fate of the Russian people.
At the height of the First World War in February 1915, the 5th Consolidated Hundred of His Imperial Majesty's Own convoy was formed from the Kuban and Terek Cossacks.
Having existed until 1917, His Imperial Majesty's Own Convoy ceased to exist with the abdication of Nicholas II. So, on March 4, 1917, the Imperial convoy was renamed the Convoy of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, and on March 13, according to order No. 12835 of the Commander-in-Chief of the Petrograd Military District at the theater of military operations, Lieutenant General L. G. Kornilov: “to rename the former His Majesty’s Own convoy to the Life Guards Caucasian Cossack Regiment and send it to the active army with inclusion in the 3rd Guards Cavalry Division." On March 30, 1917, according to this order, the convoy was disbanded.
During the Civil War, guards divisions were created from former convoys in the Kuban Cossack Army and Terek Cossack Army. After the evacuation from Crimea in November 1920, the Kuban and Terek Guards divisions were reorganized into a Life Guards division from the Kuban and Terek hundreds.

While in exile, the Life Guards Convoy Division continued to exist as a union of ranks of His Imperial Majesty's Own Convoy until the early 90s and ceased to exist with the death of the last convoy.

Candidate of Historical Sciences Eduard Burda

Illustrations:
1. Officers of His Imperial Majesty’s Own convoy in historical uniform of 1911 during the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the convoy
2. Cossacks of His Imperial Majesty's Own Convoy.
3. Cornetal of His Imperial Majesty’s Own Convoy Daniil Ivanovich Gazheev. Bulgaria 1877 Russian-Turkish War
4. Emperor Nicholas II and convoys at the headquarters carriage. World War I
5. Cossacks of the Kuban Guards Division during the funeral of the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Army, General P. N. Wrangel, 1927/