ADMIRAL KOLCHAK
“The root of the evil is that Russians cannot establish themselves on the national principle, putting party interests above the interests of their people. In this regard, both wings are to blame: both the left and the right. Any political struggle as long as it does not stand on the national based on the program of unification of Russia - is harmful.
From a speech in Omsk by Admiral Kolchak on November 13, 1918, when he was Minister of War of the Directory.
The Kolchak family comes from the Turkish page Kolchak (Bosnian by origin) about Seraskir (of the Turkish army in Moldova, he was captured by the troops of Minizga in 1739 during the surrender of the Khotyn fortress.
After the end of the war, he settled in Poland, and after the partition of Poland in 1794, his descendants moved to Russia, where they were part of the Bug Cossack army.
During Crimean War 1853-1856, during the capture of Malakhov Kurgan, the remnants of the defenders, who decided to fight until their last breath, took refuge in the stone “gorge” (tower) of the mound.
Surrounded by enemies on all sides, shot at point-blank range by artillery, and refusing the offer to surrender, the defenders of the tower fought back furiously until the last of them fell*. Heaps of dead Frenchmen testified that the Russians had sold their lives dearly.
Among the dead, the allies found seven people alive - seriously wounded. Among them was Vasily Kolchak, conductor Cherno navy. The sailor’s strong body won, and with excellent care from French doctors, Kolchak recovered and spent captivity on the Princes’ Islands near Constantinople.
Returning to RUSSIA after the war, V. Kolchak graduated from the Mining Institute, was promoted to officer (note in the Russian Army, captivity in itself did not entail repressive measures) and took the position of mining metallurgist engineer. He rose to the rank of major general, wrote the book "In Captivity", translated into French. His son Alexander was born in 1874 at the Obukhov steel plant near St. Petersburg, where V. Kolchak served as a metallurgical engineer.
A.V. Kolchak graduated second from the Naval Corps, in 1894 he was promoted to the rank of midshipman and set sail for the Far East on the cruiser "Rurik".
In 1896 he served on the clipper "Cruiser" and after sailing on it in 1899 he returned to the Baltic Sea.
Science attracted him. Having become a scientific hydrologist, he wrote several articles. He was fascinated by the idea of ​​discovery South Pole and exploration of the North.
In the summer of 1899, fascinated by oceanography, he met Admiral Makarov, who appreciated his work and took an active part in his fate.
In December 1899, A. Kolchak was assigned to the battleship Petropavlovsk, which was leaving for the Far East. While in the Mediterranean Sea, A. Kolchak accepts the invitation of Baron Tol, a famous explorer of the North, to take part in his expedition as a hydrologist. The expedition spent two years in the north, taking measurements, studying nature, and conducting hydrological and meteorological observations.
The ship of the Zarya expedition was covered in ice, and in the spring of 1902 Baron Toll decided to continue the journey on foot, taking three people with him. According to information received from local residents, there was an unknown island far to the north of the New Siberian Islands.
"Zarya" was given the task of going to Benet Island to replenish fuel and provisions, and the expedition members were given the task of returning to St. Petersburg and delivering the collected collections to the Academy of Sciences.
At the meeting of academicians, a detailed report was made on the results of the expedition. Everyone was worried about the fate of Baron Tolya.
A. Kolchak raised the issue of equipping an expedition to assist Baron Tol and his companions. Despite the skepticism of the academicians towards the proposed plan, Kolchak convinced them of the practicality of carrying out this expedition, proposing that he undertake its organization; The Academy agreed, and Kolchak rushed to the North.
After a long journey to Ust-Yansk, collecting people, materials and supplies, in the spring of 1903 Kolchak went out into the ocean on a boat with 6 companions and a supply of provisions for three months. It was a difficult, tiring and dangerous journey. The boat reached Benet Island. Traces of the bar were found. Tolya, a sealed bottle was found indicating where other documents were left. It turned out that Baron Toll arrived on Veneta Island in the summer of 1902 and in the fall, when the polar night and 40-degree frosts had already set in, he moved south. Kolchak in the south discovered that the food warehouses left for Bar. Tolya were untouched, i.e. that he died before reaching them.
After 42 days of sailing in the Arctic Ocean on a boat, Kolchak and all his people returned to their starting point, near Cape Medvezhy on Kotelnikov Island. The return journey was a continuous struggle with the elements. The boat was covered in ice, flooded with water, people froze, but steadily moved forward. Kolchak showed himself to be a brave and determined researcher who was not stopped by any obstacles or difficulties.
The notes and observations he collected appeared in print a few years later under the title: “Ice of the Kara and Siberian Seas.”
(The American Geographical Society published this work in English: "Problems of Polar Research", Special Publication # 7, N.Y. 1928)
Upon arrival in Yakutsk, Kolchak learned about the outbreak of war with Japan and, as an honest patriot, he asked the Academy of Sciences by telegraph to return him to the Naval Ministry. The Academy refused. The telegram to Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich had the desired effect, and Kolchak received permission to travel to the Far East. Having handed over all the expedition's files, collections and finds to his companions, Kolchak left for Irkutsk, where his father and bride arrived. Having gotten married in Irkutsk in March 1904, Kolchak the next day went to Port Arthur, and his father and young wife went to St. Petersburg.
Appearing to Admiral Makarov in Port Arthur, Kolchak asked to be appointed to a combat position on a destroyer. Admiral Makarov, seeing an exhausted, exhausted man, decided that he needed to recover and take a break from the hardships he had endured, and assigned him to the cruiser Askold. Then he was on the minelayer "Amur" and the commander of the destroyer "Angry".
The body, undermined by deprivation for several years on polar expeditions, could not stand it, and Kolchak, exhausted by articular rheumatism, fell ill with pneumonia. Not having fully recovered, he returned to the destroyer again and only by force of will forced himself to fulfill his duties. Having made a dangerous night sortie, Kolchak placed mines on which the Japanese cruiser Takasago exploded. For this deed he was awarded the Arms of St. George.
Appointed to command a battery of naval guns, Kolchak was wounded during the surrender of Port Arthur. Kolchak could barely walk and was admitted to a hospital in Nagasaki. The wounded and sick Russian officers, in reward for their heroic defense of the fortress, received from the Japanese government (!) an offer to use medical institutions in Japan or, if they want, to return to Russia WITHOUT ANY OBLIGATIONS (note: Nobility has always been distinctive feature Japanese and Russian Imperial armies). Everyone chose to return, and Kolchak went through Kakadu to St. Petersburg, where he began putting in order his notes and works on two polar expeditions.
After Japanese war ardent patriots - young naval officers - began to organize circles for the revival of the fleet. The naval authorities approved this activity, and circles of naval officers were formed in all ports, in which naval issues and issues of fleet reform were dealt with. The St. Petersburg maritime circle was one of the most active; the assistant to the chairman of this circle was captain 2nd rank Kolchak..
In the spring of 1906, the Naval General Staff was established, and Kolchak was appointed head of the organizational and tactical department. Plunging headlong into the work of rebuilding the fleet, Kolchak became one of the most active officials of the Naval Staff. Members of the newly created State Duma - civilians - were skeptical of all proposals for military and naval appropriations. A group of naval officers received permission from the Minister of the Navy to speak in the press and at public meetings with reports on the need to create a strong navy. The head of this group was A.V. Kolchak. With their sincerity, logic and consistency, the speeches of the naval officer of the military cavalier of St. George and the scientific researcher attracted the attention of members of the State Duma and the public.
The attitude of the Duma and society, influenced mainly by Kolchak's speeches, changed, and all allocations for the revival of the mighty Russian fleet were approved by the State Duma. Continuing to deal with the problems of the North, having developed a project for using the Great Northern Sea Route, Kolchak proposed building two ships - Taimyr and Vaygach - that could withstand the pressure of polar ice. The project was accepted. The ships were built in St. Petersburg, and captains of the 2nd rank Kolchak and Mathisen (Kolchak’s companion on the polar expedition) were appointed as their commanders.
Arriving in Vladivostok in the fall of 1910, the ships spent the rest of 1910 there; At the beginning of 1911, astronomical observations were carried out at Cape Dezhnev. Admiral Grigorovich, appointed Minister of the Navy, ordered Kolchak to leave the expedition and return to St. Petersburg to work at the Main Naval Headquarters. Appointed head of the Baltic Operations Department of the headquarters, Kolchak, full of energy and enthusiasm, begins the complex work of developing military operations and defending the shores of the Baltic Sea.
In 1912, Kolchak received command of the destroyer Ussuriets, then the Border Guard. In 1914, Kolchak was again at naval headquarters.
The 1st has begun World War. All of Kolchak’s plans are being carried out. The mobilization of the fleet took place in amazing order. Everything was ready, provided for, each ship had its own instructions, knew its mission, the gathering place, the plans for minefields. The entrance to the Gulf of Finland was blocked by 8 rows of mines. During the entire war, the German fleet did not even try to enter the Gulf of Finland.
Kolchak, flag captain of the operational unit, himself directed all fleet operations and personally participated in their implementation. Not content with protecting the coast, the Naval Headquarters gives the order to mine the German ports of Danzig and Kiel. Light destroyers and old slow-moving cruisers are engaged in this dangerous work deep behind enemy lines. At the slightest mistake, their death is certain. Captain Kolchak himself personally takes part in these dangerous and extremely important operations. Several German cruisers, destroyers, and transports explode on Russian mines. Appointed commander of the defense of the Gulf of Riga, Kolchak with small forces repels the German fleet from Riga. Naval artillery repels attacks by German infantry, lands troops in the German rear, sinks German transports, etc. For his feat, Kolchak was awarded the Order of St. George, 4th degree. At Easter 1916 he was promoted to the rank of rear admiral. (note: It was because of these concerns that the German General Staff began to look for ways to neutralize the Baltic Fleet, including through propaganda and agitation)
Throwing his mine division to mine the entrance to the Gulf of Riga, using icebreakers, he goes to sea before the German fleet and sinks German transports.
On July 28, 1916, promoted to the rank of vice admiral, Kolchak was appointed commander Black Sea Fleet.
Our Caucasian Army received its supplies and equipment by sea. Fast German cruisers and submarines caused incalculable damage to our ships.
Finding the Black Sea Fleet in disarray, Kolchak energetically set about cleaning it up, and after a few months the Black Sea Fleet began active hostilities, closing access to the Bosphorus to enemy ships.
The revolution of 1917 came. (approx. with money from the German General Staff) The Black Sea Fleet held out the longest, but the Bolshevik agitators did their job. The killings of naval officers and the confiscation of weapons began. When the sailor committee turned to Admiral Kolchak with a demand to hand over his weapons, the angry admiral threw his St. George weapon overboard, saying: “you didn’t give it to me.” Having handed over command of the fleet to Admiral Lukin, Kolchak left for Petrograd to report to the Provisional Government. Having described the criminal actions of the Bolsheviks and the complete disrepair of the fleet, Admiral Kolchak demanded harsh measures, including the introduction of the death penalty for failure to comply with military orders.
Convinced of the complete reluctance of the Provisional Government to save the army and navy, Admiral Kolchak with a group of naval officers leaves for America at the invitation of the American government. At this time, the American Navy Department is developing a landing project in the Dardanelles.
Admiral Kolchak gives advice on the landing operation, and he is offered command of a mine division. But Admiral Kolchak states that he must first familiarize himself with the rules, laws and regulations of the American fleet. Kolchak undertakes several voyages on ships of the American fleet. Apparently, he did not like the state of the American fleet, and the Bolshevik revolution that took place in Russia made him want to be closer to Russia. Kolchak left for Japan.
Considering victory over Germany necessary to overthrow the Bolsheviks, Admiral Kolchak asked the British government to accept him into service in the British army, at least as a private. Soon he received notice of his acceptance into the English army and an order to go to the Mesopotamian front. But on the way to Singapore, he received orders to go to Beijing and place himself at the disposal of the Russian Ambassador, Prince Kudashev. The ambassador advised Kolchak to create a Volunteer Army in Far East, like the Volunteer Army of generals Alekseev and Kornilov, to fight the Bolsheviks.
Arriving in Manchuria, Admiral Kolchak found several armed detachments, but attempts to unite them ended in failure.
At this time, the struggle with the Bolsheviks in the South of Russia flared up, and the South of Russia was liberated from the Bolsheviks. The admiral decides to go to General Alekseev. On the way to Omsk, he receives an offer from the Directory and the Siberian government to head the military and naval ministry. The admiral refuses, citing insufficient familiarity with land warfare. The Directory insists, and after long and persistent demands, the admiral agrees, considering it his duty to give all his strength to the revival of National Russia.
During a trip to the front, the Directory, consisting mainly of Socialist-Revolutionaries, was overthrown, and the Council of Ministers invited Kolchak to accept the title of Supreme Ruler. Not wanting to give up serving the Motherland, the admiral agrees. The Council of Ministers, by order of November 18, 1918, announces:
“In view of the difficult situation of the state and the need to concentrate “all power in one hand, - transfer the temporary exercise of Supreme State power to Admiral Alexander Vasilyevich Kolchak, giving him the title of SUPREME RULER.”
The admiral's first order:
... “Having accepted the cross of this power in the exceptionally difficult conditions of the civil war and the complete breakdown of state life, I declare that I will not follow the path of reaction or the disastrous path of partisanship.”
The small Siberian army could not withstand the offensive of the huge Soviet armies and, having completed the unprecedented Siberian Ice Campaign under the command of the legendary General Kappel, went to the East.
Admiral Kolchak, detained in Irkutsk by the Czechs, was treacherously handed over to the Bolsheviks by the allied command, by order of the French general Jalen. (Note: For this, the Izhevsk-Votkinsk workers sent traitor general Zhanin 30 silver rubles as a reward) By the verdict of the revolutionary court, Admiral Kolchak was shot on February 7, 1920 in Irkutsk, having drank to the bottom the bitter cup of serving Russia.
It is extremely important to know the opinion of Admiral Kolchak by his political opponent (!), historian Melgunov, who writes in his book “The Tragedy of Admiral Kolchak”:
“A knight of heroism, impeccable moral honesty, who squeamishly shunned intrigues, who violently hated arbitrariness*.. An idealist “against the backdrop of the bright and heroic struggle for the restoration of Russia... He was purer and more ideological than others; fiery temperament, directness and spontaneity, enchanting some, created enemies..."
“Kolchak was tried by a “revolutionary court”. The defendant in all respects turned out to be superior to his judges. And with a feeling of some deep resentment and violated personal honor, we turn over the pages of Admiral Kolchak’s interrogation. Why wasn’t he tried only by the Bolsheviks? Why were they listed on this shameful page, in addition to the communists, and the names of representatives of the parties of social revolutionaries and social democrats? Why in this comedy of the court, in this unworthy spectacle, are democrats put forward in the role of extras, however, not passive. No “objective history” will wash away this stain. Such things? , indeed, are not erased from historical memory."

From n Letter from Kolchak to his son Rostislav: "My dear darling Slavushok ... I wanted you too, when you grow up, to follow the path of serving the Motherland that I have followed all my life. Read military history and the deeds of great people and learn from them how to act - this is the only way to become a useful servant of the Motherland. There is nothing higher than the Motherland and serving Her."

And ice, and the fleet, and the scaffold. Who was, is and will be Admiral Kolchak for Russia?

The name of Admiral Kolchak today is again in the center of political and cultural attention. Why did they start talking about him almost a century later? again?S On the one hand, his Arctic research is becoming particularly relevant due to the fact that in the international arena there is now an active struggle for the redistribution of the territories of the Arctic Ocean. On the other hand, on October 9, Russian viewers will enjoy a large-scale premiere of the film “ Admiral "(the picture is released in a record number of copies - 1250), dedicated to life, career, love and death Kolchak.O about how big Kolchak’s role was in Russian history, and about how his fate may be of interest to a wide audience today, “ AiF " asked the editor and one of the authors of the book to tell us " Admiral . Doctor's Film Encyclopedia historical sciences Julia KANTOR.

Arctic Kolchak

— In my opinion, in Russian history the beginning XX century, it is difficult to find a more striking and controversial figure than Kolchak. If Kolchak’s historical and political mission can still be interpreted in different ways and needs a comprehensive study free of ideology, then his role as a scientist and Arctic researcher is unlikely to cause conflicting assessments. But, alas, to this day it is still underestimated and little known.

Kolchak's role as an outstanding military leader and naval commander during the First World War also deserves attention. He did a lot, firstly, to create the Russian military fleet as such. Secondly, Kolchak made a great contribution to the protection of the shores of the Baltic Sea. And the famous “mine nets” he invented, placed to ward off the enemy during the First World War, were also useful during the Great Patriotic War.

Path to Golgotha

The figure of Kolchak has caused and continues to cause considerable controversy, primarily in connection with his activities as a politician. Yes, the admiral was absolutely not a politician. However, he assumed the position of Supreme Ruler with dictatorial powers. He did not have a political program as such, Kolchak did not know how to be a diplomat at all, he was a suggestible and trusting person, and this is destructive even in simpler historical periods. In addition, the admiral was a man of duty and honor - “inconvenient” qualities for a politician. But it is naive to assume that he is a democrat - a clear authoritarianism is visible in his aspirations. At the same time, the admiral was very vulnerable, reflective and insecure.

This becomes quite obvious when you read his personal correspondence. And at the same time, you understand what efforts it took him, as he himself said, “to accept the cross of this power.” Kolchak was well aware of the Calvary he was ascending to, and had a presentiment of how everything could end for him.

Today, a sufficient number of films about historical characters are being released, which you can turn to in Soviet time filmmakers were prohibited. But there is a special interest in Kolchak. Both cinema and literature will remember him more than once. He is a complex, multifaceted personality, his life is interesting to understand. And then, which is important for works of art, through Kolchak’s biography there passes a strikingly beautiful, uncomplicated love story - for Anna Timireva . This is a novel of stunning depth and tragedy, unfolding against the backdrop of dramatic historical events and having a documentary basis. And love is a theme for all time.

http://amnesia.pavelbers.com

Alexander Vasilievich Kolchak
Born: November 4 (16), 1874
Died: February 7, 1920

Biography

Alexander Vasilievich Kolchak- Russian military and political figure, polar explorer, one of the leaders of the White movement. Born November 4 (16), 1874 in the village. Aleksandrovskoye, St. Petersburg province, in the family of a major general of naval artillery. In 1894 he graduated from the Naval Cadet Corps and was promoted to midshipman. He served on the cruiser "Rurik" and the battleship "Petropavlovsk". In 1900 he received the rank of lieutenant. He became interested in polar research (oceanography and hydrology). In 1900-1902 he took part in the expedition E. Tolya to the Novosibirsk archipelago. During the Russo-Japanese War he distinguished himself during the defense of Port Arthur (1904), was captured, and upon returning to Russia was awarded orders and a golden saber “For Bravery.” In 1906 he was appointed head of the Marine Department General Staff. Elected full member of the Russian Geographical Society; name Kolchak named one of the islands of the Kara Sea. In 1908 he went to work at the Maritime Academy. In 1909 he published the monograph “Ice of the Kara and Siberian Seas”. In 1909-1910 he commanded a ship as part of an expedition to explore the Northern Sea Route. In 1910 he returned to the Naval General Staff. Since 1912 he served in the Baltic Fleet. In 1913 he was promoted to captain of the 1st rank. During the First World War, as the chief of the operational unit of the headquarters of the commander of the Baltic Fleet, and then the commander of a mine division, he organized a number of successful operations against the German fleet. In April 1916 he was promoted to rear admiral; in June 1916 he was appointed commander of the Black Sea Fleet with the rank of vice admiral.

After February Revolution expressed support for the Provisional Government. On March 12, 1917, the Black Sea Fleet was sworn in new government. He tried to cooperate with the Central Military Executive Committee created by sailors and soldiers in order to prevent the destruction of unity of command and military discipline in the fleet. The intensification of Bolshevik agitation and the deterioration of relations with ship and soldier committees forced him to resign on June 7.

In August 1917, he headed the Russian naval mission to the United States. After October revolution In 1917, he was going to stand as a candidate for elections to the Constituent Assembly, but upon learning of the Bolsheviks’ intention to make peace with Germany, he remained abroad. In December 1917 he was accepted into the British military service.

After the start Civil War decided to join the Volunteer Army. Returning to Russia through Siberia in the fall of 1918, he stopped in Omsk, where the Provisional All-Russian Government (Ufa Directory), created by the Social Revolutionaries and Cadets in alliance with the monarchist-minded military, settled. On November 4, he was appointed Minister of War and Navy in the “business office” of the Directory. After the military coup on November 18, which ended with the dissolution of the Directory, he was proclaimed by its organizers as the Supreme Ruler of Russia. Siberia, the Urals and the Far East came under Kolchak’s control. On April 30, 1919, his power was recognized by the Provisional Government of the Northern Region ( N.V. Chaikovsky), June 10 - leader of the "White Cause" in North-West Russia N.N. Yudenich, and on June 12 - Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the South of Russia A.I. Denikin. May 26 with the government Kolchak established diplomatic relations with the Entente countries.

Alexander Vasilievich Kolchak as the Supreme Ruler had unlimited power. Under him functioned the Council of Ministers, which considered draft decrees and laws, the Council of the Supreme Ruler (Star Chamber), which discussed the most important issues of foreign and domestic policy, the State Economic Conference to solve financial and economic problems, the Governing Senate and the Department of Police and State Security. The leadership of ideological work was entrusted to the Central Information Department at the General Staff and the Press Department at the Office of the Council of Ministers.

The main slogan Kolchak was the slogan "united and indivisible Russia". He abolished the autonomy of Bashkiria; considered it untimely to discuss the issue of Finnish independence and the autonomy of the Baltic, Caucasian and Trans-Caspian territories, referring it to the competence of the future Constituent Assembly and the League of Nations. Kolchak focused on an alliance with the Entente and confirmed loyalty to foreign policy, military and financial obligations Tsarist Russia. In the sphere of domestic politics, Kolchak considered it necessary to maintain the military regime until the victory over the Bolsheviks and the convening of the Constituent Assembly, which would determine government system Russia and carry out the necessary reforms.

Troop successes Alexander Kolchak in November-December 1918 (capture of Perm) and March-April 1919 (capture of Ufa, Izhevsk, Bugulma) were replaced, starting from the end of April 1919, by major setbacks: by August 1919, the Red Army captured the Urals and launched military operations in the territory Siberia. Kolchak’s last attempt to achieve a turning point in the war (the September offensive near Petropavlovsk) was thwarted during the counter-offensive of the Eastern Front troops in October-November 1919. Kolchak failed to create in early November defensive line on the Irtysh and protect Omsk. During the Omsk operation, the army Kolchak was completely destroyed. On November 10, Kolchak, along with the government and the remnants of the troops, fled from his capital. By the end of 1919, the Red Army captured all of Western Siberia. The last Kolchak detachments were destroyed near Krasnoyarsk in early January 1920. Having dismissed his guard on January 5, Kolchak transferred to the Entente train, which guaranteed him safe passage to Vladivostok; On January 6, he transferred the title of Supreme Ruler A.I. Denikin. On January 15, in agreement with representatives of the Entente, the command of the Czechoslovak Corps, trying to ensure the unimpeded advance of its trains to Vladivostok, arrested and extradited Kolchak Socialist-Revolutionary-Menshevik Political Center, which established control over Irkutsk at the end of December 1919. After the transfer of power in the city to the Bolsheviks on January 21, 1920 Kolchak was transferred to the Irkutsk Military Revolutionary Committee, which, on tacit instructions Lenin decided to shoot Kolchak. The execution took place on February 7, 1920. The body was thrown into the Angara.

Commanded:

Baltic Fleet (assistant commander);
Black Sea Fleet (commander);
Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Army

Battles:

Russo-Japanese War
World War I
Russian Civil War

Awards:

Silver medal in memory of the reign of the Emperor Alexandra III (1896)
Order of St. Vladimir, 4th class (December 6, 1903)
Order of St. Anne, 4th class with the inscription "For bravery" (October 11, 1904)
Golden weapon “For bravery” - a saber with the inscription “For distinction in affairs against the enemy near Port Arthur” (December 12, 1905)
Order of St. Stanislaus, 2nd class with swords (December 12, 1905)
Large gold Constantine medal for No. 3 (January 30, 1906)
Silver medal on the St. George and Alexander ribbon in memory of the Russian-Japanese War of 1904-1905 (1906)
Swords and bow for the personalized Order of St. Vladimir, 4th degree (March 19, 1907)
Order of St. Anne, 2nd class (December 6, 1910)
Medal “In memory of the 300th anniversary of the reign of the House of Romanov” (1913)
French Legion of Honor Officer's Cross (1914)
Breastplate for the defenders of the Port Arthur fortress (1914)
Medal "In memory of the 200th anniversary of the naval battle of Gangut" (1915)
Order of St. Vladimir, 3rd class with swords (9 February 1915)
Order of St. George, 4th class (November 2, 1915)
English Order of the Bath (1915)
Order of St. Stanislaus, 1st class with swords (4 July 1916)
Order of St. Anne, 1st class with swords (1 January 1917)
Golden weapon - dagger of the Union of Army and Navy Officers (June 1917)
Order of St. George, 3rd class (15 April 1919)

Movies:

“Red Gas”, 1924 (played by Mikhail Lenin)
“Golden Echelon”, 1959 (played by Alexander Shatov)
“The Thunderstorm over Belaya”, 1968 (played by Bruno Freundlich)
“Sevastopol”, 1970 (played by Gennady Zinoviev)
“Nomadic Front”, 1971 (played by Valentin Kulik)
“Moonzund”, 1988 (played by Yuri Belyaev)
“White Horse”, 1993 (played by Anatoly Guzenko)
“Meetings with Admiral Kolchak” (play), 2005 (played by Georgy Taratorkin)
“Admiral”, 2008 (played by Konstantin Khabensky)
“Kill Drozd”, 2013 (played by Oleg Morozov)
Songs: Song "Lube" "My Admiral"
Alexander Rosenbaum's song "Kolchak's Romance"
Zoya Yashchenko - Generals of the Civil War
Song of the rock group "Alice" "On the Way"
A song by the poet and performer Kirill is dedicated to the memory of Admiral A.V. Kolchak
Rivel “Cold of the Eternal Flame...” from the album “I Burnt My Soul...”
Andrey Zemskov's song "Admiral's Romance"

Alexander Vasilyevich Kolchak (November 4 (16), 1874, St. Petersburg province - February 7, 1920, Irkutsk) - Russian politician, vice admiral of the Russian Imperial Navy(1916) and admiral of the Siberian Flotilla (1918).

Polar explorer and oceanographer, participant in expeditions of 1900-1903 (awarded by the Imperial Russian Geographical Society with the Great Constantine Medal, 1906). Participant in the Russian-Japanese, World War I and Civil Wars.

Leader and leader of the White movement in the East of Russia. The Supreme Ruler of Russia (1918-1920), was recognized in this position by the leadership of all white regions, “de jure” by the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, “de facto” by the Entente states.

The first widely known representative of the Kolchak family was the Ottoman military leader Ilias Kolchak Pasha, commander of the Moldavian front of the Turkish army, and later commandant of the Khotyn fortress, captured by Field Marshal H. A. Minikh.

After the end of the war, Kolchak Pasha settled in Poland, and in 1794 his descendants moved to Russia and converted to Orthodoxy.

Alexander Vasilyevich was born into the family of a representative of this family, Vasily Ivanovich Kolchak (1837-1913), a staff captain of the naval artillery, later a major general in the Admiralty.

V.I. Kolchak received his first officer rank after being seriously wounded during the defense of Sevastopol during the Crimean War of 1853-1856: he was one of the seven surviving defenders of the Stone Tower on Malakhov Kurgan, whom the French found among the corpses after the assault.

After the war, he graduated from the Mining Institute in St. Petersburg and, until his retirement, served as a receptionist for the Maritime Ministry at the Obukhov plant, having a reputation as a straightforward and extremely scrupulous person.

Mother Olga Ilyinichna Kolchak, née Posokhova, came from an Odessa merchant family.

Alexander Vasilyevich himself was born on November 4, 1874 in the village of Aleksandrovskoye near St. Petersburg. The birth document of their first-born son testifies:
“...in the 1874 metric book of the Trinity Church. Aleksandrovsky St. Petersburg district at No. 50 is shown: Naval artillery with staff captain Vasily Ivanovich Kolchak and his legal wife Olga Ilyina, both Orthodox and first-married, son Alexander was born on November 4, and baptized on December 15, 1874. His successors were: naval staff captain Alexander Ivanovich Kolchak and the widow of the collegiate secretary Daria Filippovna Ivanova.”

The future admiral received his primary education at home, and then studied at the 6th St. Petersburg Classical Gymnasium.
In 1894, Alexander Vasilyevich Kolchak graduated from the Naval Cadet Corps, and on August 6, 1894 he was assigned to the 1st rank cruiser "Rurik" as an assistant watch commander and on November 15, 1894 he was promoted to the rank of midshipman. On this cruiser he departed for the Far East.

At the end of 1896, Kolchak was assigned to the 2nd rank cruiser "Cruiser" as a watch commander. On this ship he went on campaigns in the Pacific Ocean for several years, and in 1899 he returned to Kronstadt.

On December 6, 1898, he was promoted to lieutenant. During the campaigns, Kolchak not only fulfilled his official duties, but also actively engaged in self-education. He also became interested in oceanography and hydrology.

Upon arrival in Kronstadt, Kolchak went to see Vice Admiral S. O. Makarov, who was preparing to sail on the icebreaker Ermak in the Arctic Ocean. Alexander Vasilyevich asked to be accepted into the expedition, but was refused “due to official circumstances.”

After this, for some time being part of the personnel of the ship "Prince Pozharsky", Kolchak in September 1899 transferred to the squadron battleship "Petropavlovsk" and went to the Far East on it. However, while staying in the Greek port of Piraeus, he received an invitation from the Academy of Sciences from Baron E.V. Toll to take part in the mentioned expedition.

From Greece through Odessa in January 1900, Kolchak arrived in St. Petersburg. The head of the expedition invited Alexander Vasilievich to lead the hydrological work, and in addition to be the second magnetologist. Throughout the winter and spring of 1900, Kolchak prepared for the expedition.

On July 21, 1900, the expedition on the schooner “Zarya” moved across the Baltic, North and Norwegian seas to the shores of the Taimyr Peninsula, where they would spend their first winter. In October 1900, Kolchak took part in Toll’s trip to the Gafner fjord, and in April-May 1901 the two of them traveled around Taimyr.

Throughout the entire expedition, the future admiral was active scientific work. In 1901, E.V. Toll immortalized the name of A.V. Kolchak, naming an island in the Kara Sea and a cape discovered by the expedition after him. Based on the results of the expedition in 1906, he was elected a full member of the Imperial Russian Geographical Society.

In the spring of 1902, Toll decided to head on foot north of the New Siberian Islands together with magnetologist F. G. Seberg and two mushers. The remaining members of the expedition, due to a lack of food supplies, had to go from Bennett Island to the south, to the mainland, and then return to St. Petersburg. Kolchak and his companions went to the mouth of the Lena and arrived in the capital through Yakutsk and Irkutsk.

Upon arrival in St. Petersburg, Alexander Vasilyevich reported to the Academy about the work done, and also reported on the enterprise of Baron Toll, from whom no news had been received either by that time or later. In January 1903, it was decided to organize an expedition, the purpose of which was to clarify the fate of Toll’s expedition.

The expedition took place from May 5 to December 7, 1903. It consisted of 17 people on 12 sledges pulled by 160 dogs. The journey to Bennett Island took three months and was extremely difficult. On August 4, 1903, having reached Bennett Island, the expedition discovered traces of Toll and his companions: expedition documents, collections, geodetic instruments and a diary were found.

It turned out that Toll arrived on the island in the summer of 1902, and headed south, having a supply of provisions for only 2-3 weeks. It became clear that Toll's expedition was lost.

In December 1903, 29-year-old Lieutenant Kolchak, exhausted from the polar expedition, set off on his way back to St. Petersburg, where he was going to marry his bride Sofia Omirova. Not far from Irkutsk, he was caught by the news of the beginning of the Russo-Japanese War. He summoned his father and bride by telegram to Siberia and immediately after the wedding he left for Port Arthur.

The commander of the Pacific Squadron, Admiral S. O. Makarov, invited him to serve on the battleship Petropavlovsk, which was the flagship of the squadron from January to April 1904. Kolchak refused and asked to be assigned to the fast cruiser Askold, which soon saved his life.

A few days later, the Petropavlovsk hit a mine and quickly sank, taking to the bottom more than 600 sailors and officers, including Makarov himself and the famous battle painter V.V. Vereshchagin. Soon after this, Kolchak achieved a transfer to the destroyer "Angry".

Commanded a destroyer. Towards the end of the siege of Port Arthur, he had to command a coastal artillery battery, as severe rheumatism - a consequence of two polar expeditions - forced him to abandon the warship. This was followed by injury, the surrender of Port Arthur and Japanese captivity, in which Kolchak spent 4 months. Upon his return, he was awarded the Arms of St. George - the Golden Saber with the inscription “For Bravery.”

Freed from captivity, Kolchak received the rank of captain of the second rank. The main task of the group of naval officers and admirals, which included Kolchak, was to develop plans further development Russian Navy.

In 1906, the Naval General Staff was created (including on Kolchak’s initiative), which took over the direct combat training of the fleet. Alexander Vasilyevich was the head of its department of Russian statistics, was involved in developments for the reorganization of the navy, and spoke in the State Duma as an expert on naval issues.

Then a shipbuilding program was drawn up. To obtain additional funding, officers and admirals actively lobbied their program in the Duma. The construction of new ships progressed slowly - 6 (out of 8) battleships, about 10 cruisers and several dozen destroyers and submarines entered service only in 1915-1916, at the height of the First World War, and some of the ships laid down at that time were already being completed in the 1930s.

Considering the significant numerical superiority of the potential enemy, the Naval General Staff developed new plan protection of St. Petersburg and the Gulf of Finland - in the event of a threat of attack, all ships of the Baltic Fleet, at an agreed signal, had to go to sea and place 8 lines of minefields at the mouth of the Gulf of Finland, covered by coastal batteries.

Captain of the second rank Kolchak took part in the design of special icebreaking ships “Taimyr” and “Vaigach”, launched in 1909. In the spring of 1910, these ships arrived in Vladivostok, then went on a cartographic expedition to the Bering Strait and Cape Dezhnev, returning in the fall back to Vladivostok.

Kolchak commanded the icebreaker Vaygach on this expedition. In 1908 he went to work at the Maritime Academy. In 1909, Kolchak published his largest study - a monograph summarizing his glaciological research in the Arctic - “Ice of the Kara and Siberian Seas” (Notes of the Imperial Academy of Sciences. Ser. 8. Physics and Mathematics Department. St. Petersburg, 1909. T.26, No. 1.).

Participated in the development of an expedition project to study the Northern Sea Route. In 1909-1910 The expedition, in which Kolchak commanded the ship, made the transition from the Baltic Sea to Vladivostok, and then sailed towards Cape Dezhnev.

Since 1910, he was involved in the development of the Russian shipbuilding program at the Naval General Staff.

In 1912, Kolchak transferred to serve in the Baltic Fleet as a flag captain in the operational department of the fleet commander's headquarters. In December 1913 he was promoted to captain of the 1st rank.

To protect the capital from possible attack On the night of July 18, 1914, the German Navy Mine Division, on the personal order of Admiral Essen, set up minefields in the waters of the Gulf of Finland, without waiting for permission from the Minister of the Navy and Nicholas II.

In the fall of 1914, with the personal participation of Kolchak, an operation to blockade German naval bases with mines was developed. In 1914-1915 destroyers and cruisers, including those under the command of Kolchak, laid mines at Kiel, Danzig (Gdansk), Pillau (modern Baltiysk), Vindava and even at the island of Bornholm.

As a result, these minefields 4 German cruisers were blown up (2 of them sank - Friedrich Karl and Bremen (according to other sources, the submarine E-9 was sunk), 8 destroyers and 11 transports.

At the same time, an attempt to intercept a German convoy transporting ore from Sweden, in which Kolchak was directly involved, ended in failure.

In addition to successfully laying mines, he organized attacks on caravans of German merchant ships. From September 1915 he commanded a mine division, then naval forces in the Gulf of Riga.

In April 1916 he was promoted to rear admiral.

In July 1916, by order Russian Emperor Nicholas II Alexander Vasilyevich was promoted to vice admiral and appointed commander of the Black Sea Fleet.

This is how Kolchak himself explained the reason for this transfer from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea: “...my appointment to the Black Sea was determined by the fact that in the spring of 1917 it was planned to carry out the so-called Bosphorus operation, that is, to carry out an attack on Constantinople... When I asked why exactly I was called when I was working all the time in the Baltic Fleet... - Gen. Alekseev said that the general opinion at headquarters was that I personally, due to my properties, can perform this operation more successfully than anyone else.”

It was in 1915-1916. romantic, deep, long-term relationships begin love relationship A.V. Kolchak with Anna Vasilyevna Timireva.

After the February Revolution of 1917, Kolchak was the first in the Black Sea Fleet to swear allegiance to the Provisional Government. In the spring of 1917, Headquarters began preparing an amphibious operation to capture Constantinople, but due to the disintegration of the army and navy, this idea had to be abandoned. He received gratitude from the Minister of War Guchkov for his quick and reasonable actions, with which he contributed to maintaining order in the Black Sea Fleet.

However, due to the defeatist propaganda and agitation that penetrated the army and navy after February 1917, both the army and the navy began to move towards their collapse. On April 25, 1917, Alexander Vasilyevich spoke at a meeting of officers with a report “The situation of our armed forces and relationships with allies."

Among other things, Kolchak noted: “We are facing the collapse and destruction of our armed force, [for] the old forms of discipline have collapsed, and new ones have not been created.”

Kolchak demanded an end to homegrown reforms based on “conceit of ignorance” and the adoption of forms of discipline and organization inner life, already accepted from the allies.

On April 29, 1917, with the sanction of Kolchak, a delegation of about 300 sailors and Sevastopol workers left Sevastopol with the goal of influencing the Baltic Fleet and the armies of the front, “to wage the war actively with full effort.”

In June 1917, the Sevastopol Council decided to disarm officers suspected of counter-revolution, including taking away Kolchak’s St. George’s weapon - the golden saber awarded to him for Port Arthur. The admiral chose to throw the blade overboard with the words: “The newspapers don’t want us to have weapons, so let him go to sea.”

On the same day, Alexander Vasilyevich handed over the affairs to Rear Admiral V.K. Lukin. Three weeks later, the divers lifted the saber from the bottom and handed it to Kolchak, engraving on the blade the inscription: “To the Knight of Honor Admiral Kolchak from the Union of Army and Navy Officers.” At this time, Kolchak, along with the General Staff infantry general L. G. Kornilov, was considered as a potential candidate for military dictator.

It was for this reason that in August A.F. Kerensky summoned the admiral to Petrograd, where he forced him to resign, after which, at the invitation of the command of the American fleet, he went to the United States to advise American specialists on the experience of Russian sailors using mine weapons in the Baltic and Black Seas in the First World War.

According to Kolchak, there was another, secret, reason for his trip to the USA: “... Admiral Glenon told me top secret that in America there is an assumption to undertake active actions American fleet in the Mediterranean against the Turks and the Dardanelles.

Knowing that I was engaged in similar operations, adm. Glenon told me that it would be desirable for me to give all the information on the question of landing operations in the Bosporus. Regarding this landing operation, he asked me not to say anything to anyone and not even to inform the government about it, since he would ask the government to send me to America, officially to report information on mine affairs and the fight against submarines.”

In San Francisco, Kolchak was offered to stay in the United States, promising him a chair in mine engineering at the best naval college and a rich life in a cottage on the ocean. Kolchak refused and went back to Russia.

Arriving in Japan, Kolchak learned about the October Revolution, the liquidation of the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief and the negotiations begun by the Bolsheviks with the Germans. He agreed to a telegram proposing his candidacy for the Constituent Assembly from the cadets and a group of non-party members in the Black Sea Fleet District, but his response was received late. The admiral left for Tokyo.

There he handed the British ambassador a request for admission into the English army “at least as privates.” The ambassador, after consultations with London, handed Kolchak a direction to the Mesopotamian front.

On the way there, in Singapore, he was overtaken by a telegram from the Russian envoy to China, Kudashev, inviting him to Manchuria to form Russian military units. Kolchak went to Beijing, after which he began organizing Russian armed forces to protect the Chinese Eastern Railway.

However, due to disagreements with Ataman Semyonov and the manager of the CER, General Horvat, Admiral Kolchak left Manchuria and went to Russia, intending to join the Volunteer Army of Generals Alekseev and Denikin. He left behind a wife and son in Sevastopol.

On October 13, 1918, he arrived in Omsk, from where the next day he sent a letter to General Alekseev (received on the Don in November - after Alekseev’s death), in which he expressed his intention to go to the South of Russia in order to come at his disposal as a subordinate.

Meanwhile, a political crisis broke out in Omsk. On November 4, 1918, Kolchak, as a popular figure among officers, was invited to the post of Minister of War and Navy in the Council of Ministers of the so-called “Directory” - the united anti-Bolshevik government located in Omsk, where the majority were Socialist Revolutionaries.

On the night of November 18, 1918, a coup took place in Omsk - Cossack officers arrested four Socialist Revolutionary leaders of the Directory, led by its chairman N. D. Avksentiev. In the current situation, the Council of Ministers - executive agency Directory - announced the assumption of full supreme power and then decided to hand it over to one person, giving him the title of Supreme Ruler of the Russian state.

Kolchak was elected to this post by secret ballot of members of the Council of Ministers. The admiral announced his consent to the election and with his first order to the army announced that he would assume the title of Supreme Commander-in-Chief.

After coming to power, A.V. Kolchak canceled the order that Jews, as potential spies, were subject to eviction from the 100-verst front-line zone.

Addressing the population, Kolchak declared: “Having accepted the cross of this government in the extremely difficult conditions of the civil war and the complete breakdown of state life, I declare that I will not follow either the path of reaction or the disastrous path of party membership.”

The second, inextricably linked with the first, is “victory over Bolshevism.” The third task, the solution of which was recognized as possible only under the condition of victory, was proclaimed “the revival and resurrection of a dying state.”

All the activities of the new government were declared aimed at ensuring that “the temporary supreme power of the Supreme Ruler and Supreme Commander-in-Chief could transfer the fate of the state into the hands of the people, allowing them to organize public administration according to their will.”

Kolchak hoped that under the banner of the fight against the Reds he would be able to unite the most diverse political forces and create a new state power. At first, the situation at the fronts was favorable to these plans. In December 1918, the Siberian Army occupied Perm, which had important strategic importance and significant reserves of military equipment.

In March 1919, Kolchak’s troops launched an attack on Samara and Kazan, in April they occupied the entire Urals and approached the Volga.

However, due to Kolchak’s incompetence in organizing and managing the ground army (as well as his assistants), the militarily favorable situation soon gave way to a catastrophic one. The dispersion and stretching of forces, the lack of logistics support and the general lack of coordination of actions led to the fact that the Red Army was able to first stop Kolchak’s troops and then launch a counteroffensive.

In May, the retreat of Kolchak’s troops began, and by August they were forced to leave Ufa, Yekaterinburg and Chelyabinsk.

In June 1919, the Supreme Ruler, Admiral A.V. Kolchak, rejected K.G. Mannerheim’s proposal to move the 100,000-strong Finnish army to Petrograd in exchange for recognizing the independence of Finland, declaring that he would “never give up for any momentary gain” the “idea great indivisible Russia."

The result of everything was a more than six-month retreat of Kolchak’s armies to the east, which ended with the fall of the Omsk regime.

It must be said that Kolchak himself was well aware of the fact of a desperate personnel shortage, which ultimately led to the tragedy of his army in 1919. In particular, in a conversation with General Inostrantsev, Kolchak openly stated this sad circumstance: “You will soon see for yourself how poor we are in people, why we have to endure even in high positions, not excluding the posts of ministers, people who are far from corresponding to the places they occupy , but this is because there is no one to replace them..."

The same opinions prevailed in the active army. For example, General Shchepikhin said:
“It is incomprehensible to the mind, it is like a surprise how long-suffering our passion-bearer, an ordinary officer and soldier, is. No matter what experiments were carried out with him, what kind of tricks our “strategic boys” - Kostya (Sakharov) and Mitka (Lebedev) - did not throw out with his passive participation - and the cup of patience still did not overflow ... "

Units of the armies controlled by Kolchak in Siberia carried out punitive operations in the areas where the partisans operated; detachments of the Czechoslovak Corps were also used in these operations. Admiral Kolchak’s attitude towards the Bolsheviks, whom he called “a gang of robbers”, “enemies of the people”, was extremely negative.

On November 30, 1918, Kolchak's government passed a decree, signed by the Supreme Ruler of Russia, which provided for the death penalty for those guilty of "obstructing" the exercise of power by Kolchak or the Council of Ministers.
Autograph of the Supreme Ruler of Russia Admiral A.V. Kolchak.

Member of the Central Committee of the Socialist Revolutionaries D.F. Rakov was arrested on the night of the coup in Omsk on November 18, 1918, which put Kolchak in power. Until March 21, 1919, he was imprisoned in several prisons in Omsk under the threat of execution. A description of his time in prison, sent to one of Rakov’s comrades, was published in 1920 in the form of a brochure entitled “In the dungeons of Kolchak. Voice from Siberia."

The political leaders of the Czechoslovak corps B. Pavlo and V. Girsa in an official memorandum to the allies in November 1919 stated: The unbearable state in which our army finds itself forces you to turn to the allied powers with a request for advice on how the Czechoslovak army could ensure its own security and free return to their homeland, the issue of which was resolved with the consent of all the Allied powers. Our army agreed to guard the highway and communication routes in the area designated for it and performed this task quite conscientiously. At the moment, the presence of our troops on the highway and its protection is becoming impossible simply because of aimlessness, as well as due to the most elementary requirements of justice and humanity. While guarding the railway and maintaining order in the country, our army is forced to maintain the state of complete arbitrariness and lawlessness that has reigned here. Under the protection of Czechoslovakian bayonets, local Russian military authorities allow themselves to take actions that would horrify the entire civilized world. The burning of villages, the beating of hundreds of peaceful Russian citizens, the execution without trial of representatives of democracy on simple suspicion of political unreliability are common occurrences, and responsibility for everything before the court of the peoples of the whole world falls on you: why do we, having military force, did not oppose this lawlessness.

According to G. K. Gins, with the publication of this memorandum, Czech representatives were looking for justification for their flight from Siberia and evasion of support for the retreating Kolchak troops, and also were looking for rapprochement with the left. Simultaneously with the release of the Czech memorandum in Irkutsk, the demoted Czech general Gaida attempted an anti-Kolchak coup in Vladivostok on November 17, 1919.

According to the official conclusion sent by Lenin to Siberia, the head. dept. Justice Sibrevkom A.G. Goykhbarg, in the Yekaterinburg province, one of the 12 provinces under Kolchak’s control, about 10% of the two million population, including women and children, were subjected to corporal punishment; in the same province, at least 25 thousand people were shot.

During the suppression of the Bolshevik armed uprising on December 22, 1918, according to official data in Omsk, 49 people were shot by the verdict of a military court, 13 people were sentenced to hard labor and prison, 3 were acquitted and 133 people were killed during the suppression of the uprising. In the village of Kulomzino (a suburb of Omsk) there were more victims, namely: 117 people were shot by court verdict, 24 were acquitted, 144 were killed during the suppression of the rebellion.

More than 625 people were shot during the suppression of the uprising in Kustanai in April 1919, several villages were burned out. Kolchak addressed the following order to the suppressors of the uprising: “On behalf of the service, I thank Major General Volkov and all the gentlemen officers, soldiers and Cossacks who took part in the suppression of the uprising. The most distinguished ones will be nominated for awards.”

On the night of July 30, 1919, an uprising broke out in the Krasnoyarsk military town, in which the 3rd regiment of the 2nd separate brigade and the majority of the soldiers of the 31st regiment of the 8th division took part, up to 3 thousand people in total.

Having captured the military town, the rebels launched an attack on Krasnoyarsk, but were defeated, losing up to 700 people killed. The admiral sent a telegram to General Rozanov, who led the suppression of the uprising: “I thank you, all the commanders, officers, riflemen and Cossacks for the job well done.”

After the defeat in the fall of 1918, Bolshevik detachments settled in the taiga, mainly north of Krasnoyarsk and in the Minusinsk region, and, replenished with deserters, began to attack the communications of the White Army. In the spring of 1919, they were surrounded and partly destroyed, partly driven even deeper into the taiga, and partly fled to China.

The peasantry of Siberia, as well as throughout Russia, who did not want to fight in either the Red or White armies, avoiding mobilization, fled to the forests, organizing “green” gangs. This picture was also observed in the rear of Kolchak’s army. But until September - October 1919, these detachments were small in number and did not pose a particular problem for the authorities.

But when the front collapsed in the fall of 1919, the collapse of the army and mass desertion began. Deserters began en masse to join the newly activated Bolshevik detachments, as a result of which their numbers grew to tens of thousands of people.

As A.L. Litvin notes about the period of Kolchak’s rule, “it is difficult to talk about support for his policies in Siberia and the Urals, if out of approximately 400 thousand Red partisans of that time, 150 thousand acted against him, and among them 4-5% were wealthy peasants, or, as they were called then, kulaks"

In 1914-1917, about a third of Russia's gold reserves were sent for temporary storage to England and Canada, and about half were exported to Kazan. Part of the gold reserve Russian Empire, stored in Kazan (more than 500 tons), was captured on August 7, 1918 by troops of the People's Army under the command of the General Staff of Colonel V.O. Kappel and sent to Samara, where the KOMUCH government was established.

From Samara, gold was transported to Ufa for some time, and at the end of November 1918, the gold reserves of the Russian Empire were moved to Omsk and came into the possession of the Kolchak government. The gold was deposited in a local branch of the State Bank. In May 1919, it was established that in total there was gold worth 650 million rubles (505 tons) in Omsk.

Having at his disposal most of Russia's gold reserves, Kolchak did not allow his government to spend gold, even to stabilize the financial system and fight inflation (which was facilitated by the rampant issue of “kerenoks” and tsarist rubles by the Bolsheviks).

Kolchak spent 68 million rubles on the purchase of weapons and uniforms for his army. Loans were obtained from foreign banks secured by 128 million rubles: proceeds from the placement were returned to Russia.

On October 31, 1919, the gold reserves, under heavy security, were loaded into 40 wagons, with accompanying personnel in another 12 wagons. The Trans-Siberian Railway, from Novo-Nikolaevsk (now Novosibirsk) to Irkutsk, was controlled by the Czechs, whose main task was their own evacuation from Russia.

Only on December 27, 1919, the headquarters train and the train with gold arrived at the Nizhneudinsk station, where representatives of the Entente forced Admiral Kolchak to sign an order to renounce the rights of the Supreme Ruler of Russia and transfer the train with the gold reserve to the control of the Czechoslovak Corps.

On January 15, 1920, the Czech command handed Kolchak over to the Socialist Revolutionary Political Center, which within a few days handed the admiral over to the Bolsheviks. On February 7, the Czechoslovaks handed over 409 million rubles in gold to the Bolsheviks in exchange for guarantees of the unhindered evacuation of the corps from Russia.

In June 1921, the People's Commissariat of Finance of the RSFSR drew up a certificate from which it follows that during the reign of Admiral Kolchak, Russia's gold reserves decreased by 235.6 million rubles, or 182 tons. Another 35 million rubles from the gold reserves disappeared after it was transferred to the Bolsheviks, during transportation from Irkutsk to Kazan.

On January 4, 1920, in Nizhneudinsk, Admiral A.V. Kolchak signed his last Decree, in which he announced his intention to transfer the powers of the “Supreme All-Russian Power” to A.I. Denikin. Until the receipt of instructions from A.I. Denikin, “the entirety of military and civil power throughout the entire territory of the Russian Eastern Outskirts” was granted to Lieutenant General G.M. Semyonov.

On January 5, 1920, a coup took place in Irkutsk, the city was captured by the Socialist-Revolutionary-Menshevik Political Center. On January 15, A.V. Kolchak, who left Nizhneudinsk on a Czechoslovak train, in a carriage flying the flags of Great Britain, France, the USA, Japan and Czechoslovakia, arrived on the outskirts of Irkutsk.

The Czechoslovak command, at the request of the Socialist Revolutionary Political Center, with the sanction of the French General Janin, handed over Kolchak to his representatives. On January 21, the Political Center transferred power in Irkutsk to the Bolshevik Revolutionary Committee. From January 21 to February 6, 1920, Kolchak was interrogated by the Extraordinary Commission of Inquiry.

On the night of February 6-7, 1920, Admiral A.V. Kolchak and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Russia V.N. Pepelyaev were shot on the banks of the Ushakovka River without trial, by order of the Irkutsk Military Revolutionary Committee.

The resolution of the Irkutsk Military Revolutionary Committee on the execution of the Supreme Ruler Admiral Kolchak and Chairman of the Council of Ministers Pepelyaev was signed by A. Shiryamov, the chairman of the committee and its members A. Snoskarev, M. Levenson and the committee manager Oborin.

The text of the resolution on the execution of A.V. Kolchak and V.N. Pepelyaev was first published in an article by the former chairman of the Irkutsk Military Revolutionary Committee A. Shiryamov. In 1991, L. G. Kolotilo made the assumption that the execution order was drawn up after the execution, as an exculpatory document, because it was dated February 7, and S. Chudnovsky and the pre-Gubchek prison were sent to the prison. N. Bursak arrived at two o’clock in the morning on February 7th, allegedly already with the text of the resolution, and before that they made up a firing squad of communists.

In the work of V.I. Shishkin in 1998, it is shown that the original of the resolution available in the GARF is dated the sixth of February, and not the seventh, as indicated in the article of A. Shiryamov, who compiled this resolution. However, the same source provides the text of a telegram from the Chairman of the Sibrevkom and member of the Revolutionary Military Council of the 5th Army, I. N. Smirnov, which states that the decision to shoot Kolchak was made at a meeting on February 7th. In addition, Kolchak’s interrogation continued all day on February 6th. The confusion in dates in the documents casts doubt on the drawing up of the execution order before it was carried out.

By official version, the execution was carried out out of fear that General Kappel’s units breaking through to Irkutsk had the goal of freeing Kolchak. However, as can be seen from the research of V.I. Shishkin, there was no danger of Kolchak’s release, and his execution was just an act of political retribution and intimidation.

According to the most common version, the execution took place on the banks of the Ushakovka River near the Znamensky Convent. The execution was led by Samuil Gdalyevich Chudnovsky. According to legend, while sitting on the ice awaiting execution, the admiral sang the romance “Burn, burn, my star...”. There is a version that Kolchak himself commanded his execution, since he was the senior in rank among those present. After the execution, the bodies of the dead were thrown into the hole.

Recently, previously unknown documents relating to the execution and subsequent burial of Admiral Kolchak were discovered in the Irkutsk region. Documents marked “secret” were found during work on the Irkutsk City Theater’s play “The Admiral’s Star,” based on the play by former state security officer Sergei Ostroumov.

According to the documents found, in the spring of 1920, not far from the Innokentyevskaya station (on the bank of the Angara, 20 km below Irkutsk), local residents discovered a corpse in an admiral's uniform, carried by the current to the shore of the Angara. Representatives of the investigative authorities arrived and conducted an inquiry and identified the body of the executed Admiral Kolchak.

Subsequently, investigators and local residents secretly buried the admiral according to Christian custom. Investigators compiled a map on which Kolchak’s grave was marked with a cross. Currently, all found documents are being examined.

Based on these documents, Irkutsk historian I.I. Kozlov established the expected location of Kolchak’s grave.

Kolchak’s symbolic grave (cenotaph) is located in the Irkutsk Znamensky Monastery.

Kolchak's wife, Sofya Fedorovna Kolchak (1876-1956) was born in 1876 in Kamenets-Podolsk, Podolsk province of the Russian Empire (now Khmelnitsky region of Ukraine).

Her father was the actual secret councilor Fyodor Vasilyevich Omirov. Mother Daria Fedorovna, née Kamenskaya, was the daughter of Major General, Director of the Forestry Institute F.A. Kamensky, the sister of the sculptor F.F. Kamensky.

A hereditary noblewoman of the Podolsk province, Sofya Fedorovna was brought up at the Smolny Institute and was a very educated girl (she knew seven languages, she knew French and German perfectly). She was beautiful, strong-willed and independent in character.

By agreement with Alexander Vasilyevich Kolchak, they were supposed to get married after his first expedition. In honor of Sophia (then bride) a small island in the Litke archipelago and a cape on Bennett Island were named. The wait lasted for several years. They got married on March 5, 1904 in the St. Harlampies Church in Irkutsk.

Sofya Fedorovna gave birth to three children from Kolchak: the first girl was born ca. 1905 and did not live even a month; son Rostislav Kolchak was born on March 9, 1910, daughter Margarita (1912-1914) caught a cold while fleeing from the Germans from Libau and died.

She lived in Gatchina, then in Libau. After the shelling of Libau by the Germans at the beginning of the war (August 2, 1914), she fled, abandoning everything except a few suitcases (Kolchak’s government apartment was then looted and his property was lost). From Helsingfors she moved to her husband in Sevastopol, where during the Civil War she waited for her husband to the last.

In 1919, she managed to emigrate from there: the British allies provided her with money and provided her with the opportunity to travel by ship from Sevastopol to Constanta. Then she moved to Bucharest and then went to Paris. Rostislav was brought there too. Sofya Fedorovna survived the German occupation of Paris and the captivity of her son, an officer in the French army.

She died at Lungjumeau Hospital in Paris in 1956 and was buried in the main cemetery of the Russian diaspora - Sainte-Genevieve des Bois. Admiral Kolchak’s last request before the execution was: “I ask you to inform my wife, who lives in Paris, that I am blessing my son.” “I’ll let you know,” replied the security officer who led the execution, S.G. Chudnovsky.

Kolchak's son Rostislav was born on March 9, 1910. At the age of seven, in the summer of 1917, after his father left for Petrograd, he was sent by his mother to his relatives in Kamenets-Podolsky. In 1919, Rostislav left Russia with his mother and went first to Romania, and then to France, where he graduated High school diplomatic and commercial sciences and in 1931 joined the Algiers Bank.

Rostislav Kolchak's wife was Ekaterina Razvozova, daughter of Admiral Alexander Razvozov. In 1939, Rostislav Alexandrovich was mobilized into the French army, fought on the Belgian border and was captured by the Germans in 1940; after the war he returned to Paris. After the death of his mother, Rostislav Alexandrovich became the owner of a small family archive.

In poor health, he died on June 28, 1965 and was buried next to his mother in the Russian cemetery in Sainte-Genevieve-des-Bois, where his wife was later buried. Their son Alexander Rostislavovich (b. 1933) now lives in Paris. Members social movement“The Legacy of Admiral Kolchak” is believed:
If the historical and political significance of the figure of Kolchak can be interpreted differently by contemporaries, then his role as a scientist who enriched science with works of paramount scientific importance is absolutely unambiguous and today is clearly underestimated. The slab hung for just over a day: on the night of November 6, it was broken by unknown persons. A representative of the “Legacy of Admiral Kolchak” movement, Valentina Kiseleva, expressed the opinion that the attackers broke the plaque in memory of Kolchak specifically on the eve of the anniversary of the October Revolution, suggesting the participation of descendants of revolutionaries in this.

After restoration, the board is planned to be installed not in public, but in the courtyard of the chapel of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker of Myra, in order to hide it from citizens and thus prevent similar situations.
* In 2008, it was decided to erect a monument to the Supreme Ruler of Russia in Omsk on the Irtysh embankment.
* In Siberia, several places associated with Kolchak and monuments to the victims of the Kolchak revolt have been preserved.
* In October 2008, a film about Kolchak “Admiral” was released. In the fall of 2009, the series “Admiral” was released.
* A number of songs are dedicated to the memory of Kolchak (Alexander Rosenbaum “Kolchak’s Romance”, Zoya Yashchenko and “White Guard” - “In Memory of Kolchak”. The soundtrack to the film “Admiral” was a song with lyrics by Anna Timireva and music by Igor Matvienko “Anna”, group “Lube” "dedicated the song "My Admiral" to Kolchak; poems and poems are dedicated to him.
* The song “In Memory of A.V. Kolchak” (1996) from the album “White Wind” by the poet and performer Kirill Rivel is dedicated to Admiral A.V. Kolchak. After Kolchak’s defeat, a popular post-war years song "English Uniform".

At the end of the Civil War in the Far East and in subsequent years in exile, February 7, the day of the admiral’s execution, was celebrated with memorial services in memory of the “killed warrior Alexander” and served as a day of remembrance for all fallen participants in the White movement in the east of the country, primarily those who died during the retreat of Kolchak’s army winter 1919-1920 (the so-called “Siberian Ice March”).
Kolchak’s name is carved on the monument to the heroes of the White movement (“Gallipoli Obelisk”) at the Parisian cemetery of Saint-Genevieve-des-Bois.

In Soviet historiography, Kolchak’s personality was identified with many negative manifestations of the chaos and lawlessness of the civil war in the Urals and Siberia. The term "Kolchakism" was used as a synonym for the brutal regime. The “classical” general assessment of the activities of his government was the following characteristic: “bourgeois-monarchist reaction.”

In the post-Soviet period, the Duma of Taimyr Autonomous Okrug decided to return the name of Kolchak to the island in the Kara Sea, a memorial plaque was unveiled on the building of the Naval Corps in St. Petersburg, and in Irkutsk, at the site of the execution, a cross-monument to the admiral.
Modern memory: Russian kitsch Irkutsk beer Admiral Kolchak.

The issue of legal rehabilitation of A.V. Kolchak was first raised in the mid-1990s, when a number of public organizations and private individuals (including Academician D.S. Likhachev, Admiral V.N. Shcherbakov and others) stated the need to assess the legality of the death sentence to the admiral passed by the Bolshevik Irkutsk Military Revolutionary Committee.

In 1998, S. Zuev, the head of the Public Fund for the creation of a temple-museum in memory of the victims of political repression, sent an application to the Main Military Prosecutor's Office for the rehabilitation of Kolchak, which reached the court.

On January 26, 1999, the military court of the Trans-Baikal Military District recognized A.V. Kolchak as not subject to rehabilitation, since, from the point of view of military lawyers, despite his broad powers, the admiral did not stop the terror carried out by his counterintelligence against the civilian population.

The admiral's supporters did not agree with these arguments. Hieromonk Nikon (Belavenets), head of the organization “For Faith and Fatherland,” appealed to the Supreme Court with a request to file a protest against the refusal to rehabilitate A.V. Kolchak. The protest was transferred to the Military Collegium of the Supreme Court, which, having considered the case in September 2001, decided not to appeal the decision of the Military Court of the ZabVO.

Members of the Military Collegium decided that the admiral’s merits in the pre-revolutionary period could not serve as a basis for his rehabilitation: the Irkutsk Military Revolutionary Committee sentenced the admiral to death for organizing military actions against Soviet Russia and mass repressions against civilians and Red Army soldiers, and, therefore, was right

The admiral’s defenders decided to appeal to the Constitutional Court, which in 2000 ruled that the court of the Trans-Baikal Military District did not have the right to consider the case “without notifying the convicted person or his defenders of the time and place of the court hearing.” Since the court of the Western Military District in 1999 considered the case of Kolchak’s rehabilitation in the absence of defense lawyers, then, according to the decision of the Constitutional Court, the case should be considered again, this time with the direct participation of the defense.

In 2004, the Constitutional Court noted that the case regarding the rehabilitation of the white commander-in-chief and Supreme Ruler of Russia during the Civil War was not closed, as the Supreme Court had previously ruled. Members of the Constitutional Court found that the court of first instance, where the question of the admiral's rehabilitation was first raised, violated the legal procedure.

The process of legal rehabilitation of A.V. Kolchak causes an ambiguous attitude even from that part of society that, in principle, positively evaluates this historical figure. In 2006, the governor of the Omsk region L.K. Polezhaev said that A.V. Kolchak does not need rehabilitation, since “time rehabilitated him, not the military prosecutor’s office.”

In 2009, the Tsentrpolygraph publishing house published treatise k.i. n. S. V. Drokova “Admiral Kolchak and the court of history.” Based on authentic documents from the Investigative Case of the Supreme Ruler, the author of the book questions the competence of the investigative teams of the prosecutor's offices of 1999-2004. Drokov argues for the need to officially withdraw specific charges formulated and published by the Soviet government against Admiral A.V. Kolchak.

Kolchak in art
* “The Thunderstorm over Belaya”, 1968 (played by Bruno Freundlich)
* “Moonzund”, 1988 (played by Yuri Belyaev)
* “White Horse”, 1993 (played by Anatoly Guzenko)
* “Admiral”, 2008 (played by Konstantin Khabensky)
* “And the Eternal Battle” (played by Boris Plotnikov)
* Song “Lube” “My Admiral”
* Alexander Rosenbaum’s song “Kolchak’s Romance”
* Sets of postcards “A. V. Kolchak in Irkutsk,” parts 1 and 2 (2005). Authors: Andreev S.V., Korobov S.A., Korobova G.V., Kozlov I.I.

Works by A. V. Kolchak
* Kolchak A.V. Ice of the Kara and Siberian Seas / Notes of the Imperial Academy of Sciences. Ser. 8. Phys.-math. department - St. Petersburg: 1909 T. 26, No. 1.
* Kolchak A.V. The last expedition to the island. Bennett, equipped by the Academy of Sciences to search for Baron Toll / News of the Imperial Russian Geographical Society. - St. Petersburg: 1906 T. 42, Issue. 2-3.
* Kolchak V.I., Kolchak A.V. Selected works/ Comp. V. D. Dotsenko. - St. Petersburg: Shipbuilding, 2001. - 384 p. — ISBN 5-7355-0592-0

Kolchak Alexander Vasilyevich - (born November 4 (16), 1874 - death February 7, 1920) military and political figure, leader of the White movement in Russia - Supreme Ruler of Russia, admiral (1918), Russian scientist-oceanographer, one one of the largest polar explorers late XIX- beginning of the 20th century, full member Imperial Russian Geographical Society (1906).

Hero of the Russian-Japanese and First World Wars, one of the most striking, controversial and tragic figures in Russian history of the early 20th century.

Education

Alexander Kolchak was born on November 4, 1874 in the village of Aleksandrovskoye, St. Petersburg district, St. Petersburg province. Until the third grade, he studied at a classical gymnasium, and in 1888 he transferred to the Naval Cadet Corps and 6 years later he graduated second in seniority and academic performance with a cash prize named after Admiral P.I. Ricord. In 1895–1896 the midshipman moved to Vladivostok and served on the ships of the squadron Pacific Ocean watch commander and junior navigator.

During his voyages, Kolchak visited China, Korea, Japan and other countries, became interested in Eastern philosophy, studied the Chinese language, and independently began an in-depth study of oceanography and hydrology. Upon his return, in Notes on Hydrography, he published his first scientific work, Observations on Surface Temperatures and Specific Gravities. sea ​​water, produced on the cruisers “Rurik” and “Cruiser” from May 1897 to March 1898.”

1898 - Kolchak was promoted to lieutenant. However, after the first campaign, the young officer became disillusioned with military service and began to think about switching to commercial ships. He did not have time to go on an Arctic voyage on the icebreaker Ermak with S.O. Makarov. 1899, summer - Alexander Vasilyevich was assigned to inland navigation on the cruiser "Prince Pozharsky". Kolchak submitted a report on transfer to the Siberian crew and went to the Far East as the watch commander of the battleship Poltava.

Polar expedition (1900-1902)

Admiral Kolchak and wife Sofya Fedorovna

Upon the ship’s arrival in Piraeus, the lieutenant was offered to take part in the expedition of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences in search of the “Sannikov Land”. 1900, January - by order of the Naval Headquarters, he returned to the capital. For several months he trained at the Main Physical Observatory of St. Petersburg, the Pavlovsk Magnetic Observatory and in Norway to be a hydrologist and a second magnetologist. In 1900–1902, on the schooner Zarya, Kolchak took part in a polar expedition led by Baron E.V. Toll.

He observed the temperatures and specific gravities of the surface layer of sea water, carried out deep-sea work, examined the state of ice, and collected the remains of mammals. 1901 - together with Toll, Alexander Vasilyevich made a sleigh expedition to the Chelyuskin Peninsula, carried out geographical research and compiled maps of the shores of Taimyr, Kotelny Island, Belkovsky Island, and discovered Strizhev Island. Toll named one of the islands of the Kara Sea after Kolchak (now Rastorguev Island), and an island in the Litke archipelago and a cape on Bennett Island were named after Kochak’s wife Sofia Fedorovna. The young researcher published the results of his work in publications of the Academy of Sciences.

Rescue expedition (1903)

1903 - Toll went with the expedition astronomer and Yakut industrialists on a sleigh expedition to Cape Vysokoy on the island of New Siberia, with the intention of reaching Bennett Island, and disappeared. Upon the return of Zarya, the Academy of Sciences developed two rescue plans. Alexander Vasilyevich undertook to carry out one of them. In 1903–1904 On behalf of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences, first on dogs, then on a whaleboat, he crossed from Tiksi Bay to Bennett Island, almost drowning in an ice crack.

The expedition delivered notes, Toll's geological collections and news of the scientist's death. 1903 - for the polar journey Kolchak was awarded the order St. Vladimir 4th degree. 1905 - for “an outstanding geographical feat involving difficulty and danger” Russian geographical society nominated the future admiral to be awarded a large gold Constantine medal, and in 1906 elected him as a full member.

Russo-Japanese War

1904, March - having learned about the Japanese attack on Port Arthur, Alexander Kolchak handed over the affairs of the expedition, went to the Far East and came to Vice Admiral S.O. Makarov. Initially, Kolchak was appointed watch commander on the cruiser "Askold", from April 1904 he began to act as an artillery officer on the mine transport "Amur", from April 21, 1904 he commanded the destroyer "Angry" and made several bold attacks.

Under Kolchak’s leadership, they laid a minefield on the approaches to Port Arthur Bay, as well as a mine bank at the mouth of the Amur River, on which the Japanese cruiser Takasago was blown up. Kolchak was one of the developers of the expedition plan to break the blockade of the fortress from the sea and intensify the fleet's actions against Japanese transports in the Yellow Sea and the Pacific Ocean.

After the death of Makarov, Vitgeft abandoned the plan. From November 2, 1904 until the surrender of the fortress, Kolchak commanded 120 mm and 47 mm batteries on the northeastern wing of the defense of Port Arthur. Wounded, with worsening rheumatism, he was captured. Alexander Vasilyevich was awarded more than once for his distinctions near Port Arthur: the Order of St. Anne, 4th degree, a golden saber with the inscription “For bravery,” and the Order of St. Stanislaus, 2nd degree with swords. 1906 - he received silver medal"In memory of the Russian-Japanese War."

Scientific work

As an expert on naval issues, Kolchak sought in the defense commission of the 3rd State Duma government allocations for the construction of military ships for the Baltic Fleet, in particular 4 dreadnoughts, but was unable to overcome the resistance of the Duma members, who initially demanded reforms of the naval department. Disappointed in the possibility of implementing his plan, in 1908 Alexander Vasilyevich continued lecturing in Nikolaevskaya maritime academy. 1907 - he was promoted to captain-lieutenant, in 1908 - to captain of the 2nd rank.

At the suggestion of the head of the Main Hydrographic Directorate A.V. Vilkitsky, Kolchak took part in the development of the project scientific expedition for the purpose of exploring the Northern Sea Route. 1909, April - Kolchak made a report “The North-Eastern Passage from the Mouth of the River. Yenisei to the Bering Strait" in the Society for the Study of Siberia and Improvement of Its Life. At the same time, the scientist wrote his main work, “Ice of the Kara and Siberian Seas,” which was published in 1909. Based on observations made during Toll’s expedition, it did not lose its significance for a long time.

1909, autumn - the icebreaking transports “Taimyr” and “Vaigach” set off from Kronstadt to Vladivostok. These ships formed an expedition to the Arctic Ocean, which was to explore the route from the Pacific Ocean to the Arctic Ocean along the coast of Siberia. Kolchak, as the commander of the icebreaker transport "Vaigach", came on it in the summer of 1910 across the Indian Ocean to Vladivostok, then sailed to the Bering Strait and the Chukchi Sea, where he carried out hydrological and astronomical research.

Return to the Naval General Staff

The scientist was unable to continue his activities in the North. In the fall he was recalled from the expedition, and from the end of 1910 Kolchak was appointed head of the Baltic Operations Directorate of the Naval General Staff. Alexander Vasilyevich was involved in the development of the Russian shipbuilding program (in particular, ships of the Izmail type), taught at the Nikolaev Maritime Academy, and as an expert in the State Duma sought to increase allocations for shipbuilding. 1912, January - he presented a note on the reorganization of the Naval General Staff. Kolchak prepared the book “Service of the General Staff: Messages on additional course naval department of the Nikolaev Naval Academy, 1911–1912,” in which he insisted on the introduction of complete autocracy of the commander in the fleet. He subsequently firmly pursued this idea in all the posts he held.

Service in the Baltic Fleet

1912, spring - at the suggestion of Admiral N.O. Essen, Kolchak took command of the destroyer Ussuriets. 1913, December - for excellent service he was promoted to captain of the 1st rank, appointed flag captain of the operational unit of the headquarters of the commander of the naval forces of the Baltic Sea and at the same time commander of the destroyer "Border Guard" - the admiral's messenger ship.

World War I

At the beginning of the First World War, a captain of the 1st rank drew up a disposition of wartime operations in the Baltic, organized the successful laying of mines and attacks on convoys of German merchant ships. 1915, February - 4 destroyers under his command laid about 200 mines in the Danzig Bay, which blew up 12 warships and 11 enemy transports, which forced the German command to temporarily not put the ships out to sea.

1915, summer - on the initiative of Alexander Vasilyevich Kolchak, they introduced battleship“Slava” to cover mine laying off the coast. These productions deprived the advancing German troops of fleet support. Temporarily commanding the Mine Division since September 1915, he was also the head of the defense of the Gulf of Riga from December. Using the ships' artillery, he helped the army of General D.R. Radko-Dmitriev repel the enemy's onslaught at Kemmern. The landing force played its role in the rear of enemy troops, which was landed in accordance with Kolchak’s tactical plan.

For successful attacks on caravans of German ships that delivered ore from Sweden, Kolchak was nominated for the Order of St. George, 4th degree. 1916, April 10 - he was promoted to rear admiral, and on June 28 appointed commander of the Black Sea Fleet with promotion to vice admiral “for distinguished service.” Kolchak did not want to go to the naval theater that was unfamiliar to him. But he was able to quickly get used to it, and already in July 1916, on the battleship Empress Maria, he took part in a raid of Russian ships in the Black Sea, and began a battle with the Turkish cruiser Breslau. A month later, under the leadership of Kolchak, the blockade of the Bosphorus and the Eregli-Zonguldak coal region was strengthened, and massive mining of enemy ports was carried out, as a result of which the entry of enemy ships into the Black Sea almost ceased.

After the February Revolution

1917, March 12 - Admiral Kolchak swore the oath of office to the Provisional Government. Alexander Vasilyevich actively fought against the revolutionary “ferment” and the gradual decline of discipline in the navy. A supporter of continuing the war to a victorious end, he opposed the end of hostilities. When, under the influence of agitators arriving from the Baltic, the sailors began to disarm the officers, Kolchak in mid-June 1917 transferred command to Rear Admiral V.K. Lukin and, at the request of Kerensky, went with the chief of staff to Petrograd to explain the unauthorized resignation. Speaking at a government meeting, Alexander Vasilyevich Kolchak accused him of the collapse of the army and navy.

In America

1917, early August - the vice admiral was appointed head of the naval mission in America. Upon arrival in Washington, he made his proposals for the planned landing in the Dardanelles and collected technical information about American military preparations. 1917, early October - the admiral took part in naval maneuvers on the American battleship Pennsylvania. Realizing that the Americans did not intend to help Russia in the war, by mid-October he decided to return to his homeland.

In Japan

But, having arrived in Japan in November 1917, Kolchak learned about the establishment of Soviet power and the Bolsheviks’ intention to make peace with Germany, after which he decided not to return. He considered the Bolsheviks to be German agents. Since the war had taken possession of his entire being, the admiral in early December 1917 turned to the British ambassador in Japan with a request to accept him into English military service. 1917, end of December - agreement followed. 1918, January - Kolchak left Japan for the Mesopotamian front, where Russian and British troops fought the Turks. But in Singapore, he received an order from the London government to arrive in Beijing to the Russian envoy, Prince N.A. Kudashev, to work in Manchuria and Siberia.

In China

In Beijing, Alexander Vasilyevich Kolchak was elected a member of the board of the Chinese Eastern railway(CER). From April to September 21, 1918, he was involved in creating armed forces for the defense of the Chinese Eastern Railway. Obviously, those who elected the vice admiral were impressed by his decisiveness. But soon Kolchak’s political unpreparedness had its full effect. The admiral promised to restore order and intended to create a stronghold in the Far East to fight the Bolsheviks. But at the commander-in-chief’s headquarters they were dissatisfied with the fact that he did not understand anything about military affairs and demanded an immediate campaign against Vladivostok, without having sufficient forces.

Civil War

Kolchak entered into the fight with Ataman Semenov, relying on the detachment he created under Colonel Orlov, which was not much different from the Ataman’s. In an attempt to remove Kolchak, he threatened to call in the troops. An uncertain situation remained until the end of June. The commander tried to launch an offensive. But the Chinese refused to let Russian troops through, and the admiral left for Japan. Kolchak did not know what to do. He even had the idea of ​​going back to the British on the Mesopotamian front. Finally, he decided to make his way into the Volunteer Army of General M.V. Alekseev. Along the way, in October 1918, he and the English General A. Knox arrived in Omsk.

On October 14, the commander-in-chief of the forces of the Ufa Directory, V.G. Boldyrev, invited the admiral to join the government. On November 4, by decree of the local Provisional Government, Kolchak was appointed Minister of War and Navy and immediately went to the front.

"Supreme ruler"

The activities of the directory, which was a coalition of different parties, including the Mensheviks and Socialist Revolutionaries, did not suit Kolchak. On November 17, having entered into a conflict over the attitude of the directory to the Navy Ministry, the admiral resigned. Relying on reliable troops, on November 18, he arrested the members of the directory and convened an emergency meeting of the Council of Ministers, at which he was promoted to admiral and transferred power with the title “Supreme Ruler.”

Kolchak Alexander Vasilyevich granted the commanders of military districts the right to declare areas under a state of siege, close the press and impose death sentences. The admiral fought with brutal measures against opponents of his dictatorship, while at the same time, with the support of his allies, increasing and arming his regiments.

1918, December - as a result of the Perm operation, Kolchak’s troops took Perm and continued to advance inland Soviet Russia. The first successes drew the attention of the allies to Kolchak. On January 16, the Supreme Ruler signed an agreement on coordinating the actions of the White Guards and interventionists.

French General M. Janin became commander-in-chief of the forces of the allied states in Eastern Russia and Western Siberia, and the English General A. Knox was the head of the rear and supply of Kolchak’s troops. Significant supplies of military equipment and weapons from America, England, France, and Japan made it possible to increase the size of Kolchak’s armies to 400,000 people by spring. The admiral organized the attack. It was broken in March Eastern front Red Army. Part of Kolchak’s troops moved to Kotlas to organize the supply of supplies through the northern seas, while the main forces made their way to the southwest to connect with A.I. Denikin.

The successful offensive of the Kolchakites, who took Buguruslan on April 15, prompted French Prime Minister J. Clemenceau to recommend that Janin attack Moscow with the main forces, and connect with Denikin with the left flank and form a united front. It seemed that this plan was quite feasible. Kolchak’s troops approached Samara and Kazan at the end of April. In May, Kolchak’s supreme power was recognized by A.I. Denikin, N.N. Yudenich and E.K. Miller.

But Kolchak’s unsuccessful choice of his closest assistants, the extreme optimism of the commander of the Siberian Army, Lieutenant General Gaida, and his young generals, who incorrectly assessed the situation and promised to enter Moscow in a month and a half, soon took their toll. As a result of the counter-offensive of the Red Army in May-June 1919, Kolchak’s best Siberian and Western armies were defeated and rolled far to the east.

Arrest and execution of Admiral Kolchak

Siberians did not like the restoration of autocratic governance; The partisan movement was growing in the rear. The allies had a huge influence, on whose supplies the army’s actions depended. Defeats at the front caused panic in the rear. In October, the evacuation of Czech troops caused the flight of White Guard families from Omsk. Hundreds of trains blocked the railway.

Alexander Vasilyevich Kolchak tried to democratize power, but it was too late. The front fell apart. The Czechs arrested Kolchak, who was traveling under the protection of union flags, and on January 15, 1920, at the Innokentyevskaya station, they handed him over to the Socialist-Revolutionary-Menshevik “Political Center.”

The center transferred Admiral Kolchak to the Bolshevik Irkutsk Military Revolutionary Committee (MRC). On January 21, interrogations began. At first it was supposed to send the admiral to the capital, but, having received instructions from Moscow, the Military Revolutionary Committee shot Kolchak and Pepelyaev on February 7, 1920.