Alexander Vasilievich Kolchak is one of most interesting personalities in Russian history of the early twentieth century. Oceanographer, admiral, traveler and naval commander. The Russian public knows who Kolchak is. Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Army and Supreme Ruler of Russia during Civil War in Russia.
Only a narrow circle of people know that the future leader of the white movement in Siberia spent most of his active life was engaged in research activities.
Origin of the family
Alexander Vasilievich typical representative kind of serving nobility of Russia. His genus is very extensive. Wikipedia has almost Full description family tree Kolchakov. It is now known for certain that Alexander Vasilyevich’s great-grandfather served as a centurion in Bugsky Cossack army. For excellent service in protecting the border along the Dniester, he received a plot of land in the Kherson region. Lukyan Kolchak had three sons:
In 1843, by decree of the Senate, Lukyan Kolchak was confirmed in the hereditary nobility and included in the genealogical book of the Kherson nobles.
After my father's death the sons divided the estate. Lukyan's eldest son Ivan (the admiral's grandfather) was the father of a large family. All three of his sons chose a military career; all three became naval gunners. Peter, the youngest son, rose to the rank of captain of the first rank. The middle son Alexander, having retired as a major general, settled in the Tambov region. From him came the landowners of the Tambov province, middle line Kolchakov.
And Vasily Kolchak (b. 1837), the eldest of the brothers, in 1854 from the Odessa Lyceum volunteered for the army to defend Crimea from the Anglo-French invaders. Served in the naval artillery. He distinguished himself during the defense of Malakhov Kurgan and was awarded St. George's Cross. Promoted to warrant officer. After graduating from the Mining Institute in St. Petersburg, he became a famous artillery specialist and published several works on steel smelting. In 1889 he completed his military service with the rank of major general.
Mother of Alexander Kolchak Olga Ilyinichna was born in 1855 into the family of an Odessa merchant. Her father was an honorary citizen of Odessa, a member of the Odessa City Duma. Having gotten married in the early eighties of the nineteenth century, the admiral’s parents settled in the village of the city, but next to the Obukhov plant. In 1874, on November 4, son Alexander was born.
Classical gymnasium and Marine Corps
From 1885 to 1888 Alexander studied at classical male gymnasium No. 6 of St. Petersburg. Together with Alexander Kolchak, Vyacheslav Menzhinsky, the future chief security officer of the USSR, studied at this gymnasium.
Studying at the gymnasium was not easy for Alexander. Once they wanted to leave him to study again in the second grade for poor academic performance, but he managed to pass the repeat exam with a positive mark.
Upon completion of third grade in 1888 year, his father transferred him from the gymnasium to the Naval School. And then the teenager’s attitude towards studies radically changed. In 1991, the school was renamed the Naval Cadet Corps. And young Kolchak becomes one of his best students.
After two years of study, the sixteen-year-old cadets went to sea for practice for the first time. The flag of the commander of the training squadron, Admiral F. A. Gerken, was raised on the armored frigate “Prince Pozharsky”. Seamanship and the training voyage lasted three months. During this time they called at many ports of the Baltic Sea.
In 1892 Cadets recruited in 1888 are promoted to midshipmen. Alexander, as the best in his studies, is awarded the rank of junior non-commissioned officer and appointed as a sergeant-major-mentor in a junior company.
In 1994, after a difficult month-long voyage, midshipmen began taking final exams. Kolchak passed all exams with excellent marks. On September 15, 1894, by order of the Minister of the Navy, midshipmen were promoted to midshipmen.
First steps in research activities
A graduate of the Naval Cadet Corps, Kolchak was assigned to Kronstadt, to the naval observatory. But he was soon appointed as a watch officer on the cruiser Rurik, which was departing from the Baltic Sea for the Far East. At this time the young midshipman began study hydrology and oceanography in depth. He was especially interested in the polar regions of the Pacific Ocean. Its northern and southern seas. There was a great desire to continue the research begun by M. P. Lazarev and F. F. Bellingshausen.
In the Far East, the officer began studying sea currents, but service on the flagship of the Pacific squadron did not allow him to fully study scientific research. Alexander asks to be transferred to the gunboat "Korean", heading to the Commander Islands. There he planned to begin exploring the polar seas. But the fleet command considered it necessary to use the officer as a watch teacher for the training of non-commissioned officers and boatswains on the Cruiser clipper.
The cruiser cruiser cruised between the Korean Peninsula and Nagasaki, Japan. Everything is yours free time Kolchak conducted hydrological studies of local seas.
In December 1898 a clipper from Port Arthur is sent to Kronstadt at the disposal of the command of the Baltic Fleet. And at the same time, Kolchak was awarded the rank of lieutenant. In Kronstadt, the officer learns that two scientific expeditions are being prepared to study the Arctic seas. The messenger ship "Baklan" will deliver Russian and Swedish scientists to the island of Spitsbergen, and Admiral S. O. Makarov is preparing to sail to the depths of the Arctic on the icebreaker "Ermak". Alexander strives to get on one of these expeditions, but business circumstances do not allow him to do this.
In 1899, Alexander Vasilievich systematized his research on the currents of Japanese and Yellow seas and publishes his first scientific article. After the publication of the article, the lieutenant on the battleship Petropavlovsk leaves for Vladivostok. Halfway through the journey, when the ship was in one of the Greek ports, a telegram arrived about temporary transfer Kolchak from military service to the Imperial Academy of Sciences.
The Academy of Sciences is preparing a polar expedition, the main goal of which was the route from Kronstadt to Vladivostok along the Northern Sea Route. Along the way, it was necessary to explore the areas north of the New Siberian Islands, and also try to find Sannikov Land. Baron Toll, Eduard Vasilyevich, was appointed head of the expedition.
Polar expedition 1900-1902
In January 1900 Kolchak was appointed head of hydrological work and at the same time assisted in the work of the magnetologist. Winter and spring were spent studying at special courses. For some time he interned with Nansen in Norway. And participated in the recruitment and training of the team.
On June 8, 1900, the schooner Zarya set off on a voyage around the Scandinavian Peninsula. On September 22, we stopped in a bay on the coast of the Taimyr Peninsula for the winter. The lieutenant plunged headlong into exploring the north. He was engaged in hydrological and hydrochemical research. Carried out work on barometric leveling and terrestrial magnetism. Did route surveys and topographical work. On clear nights, he determined the longitude and latitude of objects with geographical significance. Then, throughout the entire expedition, Alexander Vasilyevich described in detail the islands and shores of the Northern Arctic Ocean, was engaged in determining the state and development of ice.
In October 1900 The year of the first sleigh ride through the little-explored parts of the peninsula made significant clarifications of the astronomical nature of some points and made corrections to the maps compiled in 1893 by Nansen's expedition.
In April 1901, Eduard Toll and Alexander Kolchak, doing geological and topographic surveys, traveled 500 miles on a sleigh. Often, while helping the dogs, they had to harness themselves to the sleds. The Baron called Kolchak the best officer of the expedition. And he immortalized his name by naming the cape on Taimyr and the island he discovered in the Taimyr Bay after Kolchak. And Alexander Vasilyevich himself named another island and cape after his bride Sophia. Cape Sophia bears this name to this day.
At the end of the winter, the expedition covered 1,350 nautical miles on its yacht, covering the longitude of Cape Chelyuskin along the way. The yacht "Zarya" became the fourth sea vessel to circumnavigate the northernmost continental point of Eurasia. Before her there were:
- Steamship "Vega".
- Steamship "Lena".
- The ship "Frama".
In mid-September 1901 On Kotelny Island the expedition stopped for the second winter. Kolchak, at any opportunity, in a group with comrades or alone, walked and rode dog sleds to explore the island. In the spring, he also explored the neighboring Belkovsky Island. He conducted a fundamental study of the East Siberian and Kara ice. Based on the results, I wrote an interesting report, to which I attached 24 photos of the types and forms of ice formations.
Baron Toll did not find the legendary Sannikov Land north of the New Siberian Islands. And it was decided to explore the islands that were nearby. On April 29, 1902, a group headed by the senior zoologist of the Byalynitsky-Birul expedition, Alexei Andreevich, set off for the island of New Siberia. And on May 23, Toll himself and three comrades went to Bennett Island.
It was agreed that the yacht "Zarya", freed from ice captivity, would pick up both groups. The remaining members of the expedition managed to free the ship from ice captivity only at the beginning of August. On the eighth they headed to the islands in search of the departed groups. For two weeks they tried to break through the ice fields. Unsuccessfully. The ship suffered significant damage to the hull, and the captain of the yacht, Lieutenant F. A. Mathisen, who led the expedition, decided to sail south to Tiksi Bay. On August 25, "Zarya" with great difficulty reached the mouth of the Lena River, where it was permanently laid up. From there, Mathisen sent news about the state of affairs to Yakutsk. Only history will judge why the yacht crew and expedition members did not continue the search for their comrades.
Matisen, Fedor Andreevich, born in 1872. A graduate of the Naval Cadet Corps, where he studied with Kolchak. Member of several expeditions to the Arctic Circle:
He died in December 1921 in Irkutsk from typhus.
All cargo, equipment of the expedition and collections were loaded onto the ship "Lena", which came from Yakutsk. In Yakutsk, F. Mathisen ordered to send several reindeer teams to Tiksi and wait for the remaining members of the polar expedition. If they do not reach the cape by the first of February, then go across the ice to the island of New Siberia to search.
In December 1902, the expedition members reached St. Petersburg. All participants were awarded for this expedition. Lieutenant Kolchak was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir, fourth degree.
Expedition to rescue Toll's group
In St. Petersburg F.A. Mathisen and A.V. Kolchak began to recruit a team to rescue the Toll and Byalynitsky-Biruli groups. But the Academy of Sciences sent only Kolchak and seventeen sailors on the rescue expedition, since Biruli’s group had by this time independently reached the mainland.
At the beginning of April 1903, rescuers began a boat and sleigh trip from the village of Kazachiy on the Yana River. The whaleboats reached the ice fields, and then one group went on foot. And the other sailed on whaleboats through the water slowly opening up from the ice. As the ice became loose, people harnessed themselves to the sleds, helping the dogs. Only on May 23 did we reach Kotelny Island. On August 4, they reached Bennett Island and found a bottle with a note and a plan of the island that Toll had left. Another, last, note from the baron, dated October 26, 1902, was found on the eastern bank. This was a brief report on the work done on the island.
At this time, a whaleboat group of rescuers carried out searches on other islands of the Novosibirsk group. But no traces were found. On the island of New Siberia, food supplies were found untouched. The group went missing.
Rescuers returned to Kazachiy only in early December.
In the history of Arctic exploration, this campaign of the future white admiral was called the “Rescue Expedition of 1903.” Until 1990, someone preferred not to mention this period of the admiral’s life, focusing on the history of the Civil War and Kolchak’s role in the white movement.
Conclusion
In the rich biography of one of the leaders of the white movement many interesting facts. He took part in the Russo-Japanese War, fought in the Baltic Sea with Germany, and fought in the Black Sea with Turkey. In one small article it is impossible to fully describe the life of a person with such rich biography.
Kolchak Alexander Vasilievich
Biography and episodes of life Alexander Kolchak. When born and died Alexander Kolchak, memorable places and dates of important events of his life. Quotes from an admiral and politician, Photo and video.
Years of life of Alexander Kolchak:
born November 4, 1874, died February 7, 1920
Epitaph
"And every year on the seventh of February
One with my stubborn memory
I celebrate your anniversary again.
And those who knew you are long gone,
And those who are alive have long forgotten everything.
And this is the most difficult day for me -
For them, he is the same as everyone else -
A torn piece of the calendar."
From the poem by Anna Timireva, Kolchak’s beloved, “The Seventh of February”
Biography
A person with a complex tragic fate, one of the best admirals in the history of the fleet according to contemporaries, Kolchak was distinguished by his nobility and straightforwardness. He embodied the concept of honor of a Russian officer. A fearless polar explorer, wholeheartedly devoted to the sea and his homeland, Alexander Vasilyevich Kolchak earned during his lifetime enormous authority among his compatriots and the respect of even his enemies. Alas, the fate of this extraordinary man ended tragically, like hundreds of other destinies at that fateful time when he happened to live...
Alexander was born into a noble family of hereditary military personnel. At the gymnasium, the boy studied very poorly, was almost retained for the second year, and after completing three classes, his father decided to transfer him to the Naval School. It was there that the true calling of the future admiral was revealed. He became the best student and mentor for his classmates. And once he saw the sea, Kolchak gave it his heart forever.
The character of the future admiral was always ardent and passionate. Kolchak hated the routine, just as the staff service later irritated him. He was eager to fight, to do business, and in the end he was sent on a polar expedition. In the Far North, Kolchak proved himself to be an enthusiastic and competent scientist and fearless commander, and his scientific works made a significant contribution to the development of domestic science.
Alexander Kolchak - commander of the Black Sea Fleet (1917)
Having received command of the Black Sea Fleet, Kolchak again proved himself: many did not like the commander’s tough temperament, but at the same time he was respected by both sailors and officers. Thanks to Kolchak, during the troubled years of war and revolution, the horrors that happened in the Baltic Fleet did not happen in the Black Sea Fleet. The news of the abdication and death of the king came as a blow to the admiral. But he considered his primary goal to be serving Russia, saving it from the maelstrom of troubled times. Kolchak accepted the title of commander in chief and led the white movement, becoming its symbol and banner.
But this movement was doomed. Internal strife, duplicity of foreign allies, general confusion in the fight against one’s own people - many historical works describe those terrible years. Kolchak was not a politician; he was a soldier, and the need to govern was not easy for him. First, his own people, and then his allies, on whose word Kolchak relied, betrayed him. After a short imprisonment, the admiral was shot without trial. His body was thrown into a river hole, and today only a symbolic cross on the banks of the Angara marks the place of death of the worthy son of Russia.
Life line
November 4, 1874 Date of birth of Alexander Vasilyevich Kolchak.
1885-1888 Studying at the Sixth St. Petersburg Classical Gymnasium.
1888 Admission to the Naval School.
1890 First trip to sea.
1892 Receiving the rank of junior non-commissioned officer.
1895 Navigation training.
1897-1898 Sailing to Korea and Japan.
1898 Receiving the rank of lieutenant.
1899 Publication of the first scientific article.
1900-1901 Participation in the Russian polar expedition under the leadership of Toll.
1903 Kolchak becomes a member of the Imperial Russian Geographical Society.
1903-1904 Command of the rescue expedition and search for Toll on Bennett Island.
1904 Marriage to S. Omirova.
1904-1905 Participation in the Russo-Japanese War. Receiving the Order of St. Anne, 4th degree.
1906 Receiving the Konstantinovsky Medal of the Geographical Society.
1908 Receiving the rank of captain of the second rank.
1909 Publication of Kolchak’s largest scientific work on glaciology.
1909-1910 Participation in the Hydrographic Expedition of the Arctic Ocean.
1913 Receiving the rank of captain of the first rank and appointment to the position of acting department of the headquarters of the Baltic Fleet command.
1915 Appointment as commander of the Mine Division of the Baltic Fleet. Meet Anna Timireva.
1916 Receiving the rank of rear admiral, then vice admiral and commander of the Black Sea Fleet.
1917 Departure as part of the Russian naval mission to England and the USA.
1918 Trip to Singapore, China and Japan. Appointment as Minister of Military and Naval Affairs of the Provisional All-Russian Government.
1918 Awarding Kolchak the title of admiral and Supreme Ruler of Russia.
1919 Great Siberian Ice March.
1920 Betrayal of the Allies and extradition of Kolchak.
February 7, 1920 Date of death of Alexander Kolchak.
Memorable places
1. Trinity Church “Kulich and Easter” (Obukhovskaya Oborona Avenue, 235), where Alexander Kolchak was baptized.
2. Naval Cadet Corps (formerly the Naval School), where Kolchak studied (St. Petersburg, Lieutenant Schmidt embankment, 17).
3. Nagasaki, where Kolchak spent the winter of 1897-1898. on the cruiser "Cruiser".
4. Taimyr, where Kolchak visited during the Russian polar expedition in 1900.
5. Bennett Island, where Kolchak went with a rescue expedition in 1903.
6. Lyushunkou (formerly Port Arthur), in the defense of which Kolchak participated during the Russo-Japanese War in 1904.
7. Liepaja (formerly Libau), where Kolchak lived during his pre-war service in the Baltic Fleet.
8. Helsinki (formerly Helsingfors), where Kolchak met Anna Vasilievna Timireva.
9. Sevastopol, where Kolchak lived in 1916-1917. while commanding the Black Sea Fleet.
10. Washington, where in 1917 Kolchak met with US President Woodrow Wilson.
11. Beijing, where Kolchak arrived in 1918.
12. Omsk, where Kolchak’s headquarters was located since 1918.
13. Irkutsk prison (63 Barrikad St.), where Kolchak was held before execution. Nowadays the prison houses a historical museum with an exhibition in the admiral's cell.
14. Cross at the resting place of Kolchak on the banks of the Angara.
Episodes of life
All-Russian fame came to Kolchak during his command of the Black Sea Fleet. Kolchak was considered a recognized master of mine warfare, and he managed to practically clear the Black Sea of enemy ships from Germany and Turkey.
The love story of A. Kolchak and A. Timireva remains one of the most heart-tugging episodes in the life of the admiral. Anna Vasilievna was the wife of a naval officer, but in the last years before Kolchak’s death they were not separated: Timiryazeva followed her lover and was arrested.
At the end of the Civil War and then in exile for several years, on the day of Kolchak’s execution, memorial services were held in memory of him and all those who died in the Siberian Ice Campaign of 1919-1920.
Testaments
“It’s not for me to evaluate and not for me to talk about what I did and what I didn’t do. But I know one thing, that I dealt Bolshevism and all those who betrayed and sold our Motherland heavy and probably fatal blows. I don’t know whether God will bless me to complete this matter, but the beginning of the end of the Bolsheviks was still laid by me.”
“The fathers of socialism, I think, have long since turned over in their graves at the sight of practical application their teachings in our lives. Out of savagery and semi-literacy, the fruits turned out to be truly amazing.”
“Many people do them unconsciously and then regret what they did, I usually do stupid things quite consciously and almost never regret it.”
Nikita Mikhalkov’s program from the “Russian Choice” series, dedicated to A. Kolchak
Condolences
“The best son of Russia died a terrible, violent death... Will the place where these stern and suffering eyes, with their gaze of a mortally wounded eagle, forever join together, will be sacred to us?<...>Someday, having woken up, Russia will erect a monument to him worthy of his holy love for the Motherland.”
Alexander Kuprin, Russian writer
“Admiral Kolchak was one of the most competent admirals of the Russian fleet and was very popular among both officers and sailors...”
Alexander Kerensky, Minister of War and Navy of the Provisional Government
“He was an unusually capable and talented officer, had a rare memory, spoke three European languages perfectly, knew the sailing directions of all seas well, and knew the history of almost all European fleets and naval battles.”
Heinrich Tsyvinsky, commander of the cruiser "Cruiser", where Kolchak served with the rank of midshipman
Admiral Kolchak is an outstanding Russian statesman, military leader, one of the most famous representatives White movement, participated in the Civil War. During this period he was one of its leaders. Assessing his personality is still one of the most controversial and controversial issues in national history XX century.
Childhood and youth
Admiral Kolchak was born on November 16, 1874. He was born in the suburbs of St. Petersburg, in the village of Aleksandrovskoye. He was a hereditary nobleman. The Kolchak family gained fame over many years in the royal service, especially distinguishing itself in the military field. For example, Alexander Vasilyevich’s father was a hero of the defense of Sevastopol during the Crimean campaign.
Until the age of 11, Alexander received his education exclusively at home. In 1885 he entered the sixth gymnasium of the Russian capital, where he graduated from three classes. After this, the boy was transferred to the Naval Cadet Corps. At the family council, it was decided that he would follow in the footsteps of his ancestors and become a military man, a defender of the homeland. He demonstrated diligence in his studies, excelling in almost all subjects.
As the best student in his class, the future Admiral Kolchak was enrolled in the class of midshipmen, and was eventually appointed sergeant major. He graduated from the Cadet Corps in 1894, receiving the rank of midshipman.
Early career
His first place of service was the Baltic and Pacific Fleet. At that time he was known as an Arctic explorer and completed three voyages around the world. He explored the features of the Pacific Ocean, most of all he was interested in the northern territories.
In 1900, the young lieutenant, who showed great promise, was transferred to the Academy of Sciences. His first scientific works date back to this time, in particular, an article on observations of sea currents. It should be noted that the officer’s ultimate goal was always not theoretical, but practical research. He dreams of organizing a polar expedition.
Arctic explorer Baron Eduard Toll soon became interested in his publications and ideas. He invites the hero of our article to go in search of the legendary Sannikov Land. This is a ghost island, which according to legend is located in the Arctic Ocean. It was allegedly observed by several researchers in the 19th century. Including the Russian merchant from Yakutsk Yakov Sannikov, who studied the New Siberian Islands. According to modern scientists, there is no Sannikov Land. Apparently, like many Arctic islands, it consisted not of rocks, but of permafrost, fossil ice, on top of which a layer of soil was applied. When the ice melted, Sannikov Land disappeared, like some other islands in those places.
Kolchak went in search of Toll's missing expedition. First he sailed on the schooner "Zarya", then on dog sleds he made a risky crossing, discovering the remains of dead researchers. Kolchak himself became seriously ill during this campaign; he caught a cold and barely survived. Toll died.
Participation in the Russo-Japanese War
In the spring of 1904, the Russian-Japanese War broke out in the Far East. Kolchak, despite the fact that he was never able to fully recover from his illness after returning from the polar expedition, achieved an appointment to Port Arthur, which at that time was already besieged Japanese troops. On the destroyer "Angry" he took part in the placement of barrage mines in the immediate vicinity of the route along which Japanese ships were supposed to pass. Thanks to this successfully carried out operation, he managed to blow up several enemy ships.
Throughout the siege of Port Arthur he remained in the vicinity of the city. He commanded coastal artillery units, which inflicted significant damage on the enemy. During one of the battles he was wounded, after the fortress was captured, he was captured. The Japanese command highly appreciated his fighting spirit and courage. Therefore, Kolchak was released from captivity, and his weapons were even returned to him.
For heroism shown on Russian-Japanese war the hero of our article was awarded the Orders of St. Stanislaus and St. Anne, as well as the Arms of St. George.
Having regained his strength in the hospital, Kolchak received a six-month leave. But he was unable to fully rest. He was very worried about the fact that Russia had actually lost its entire fleet in the Far East due to the war with Japan. He began to carry out active work aimed at its revival.
Already in the summer of 1906, he headed a commission at the Naval General Staff, which began to clarify and analyze the reasons for which the defeat at Tsushima took place. This was one of the most sensitive and painful pages in the history of the Russian fleet. Kolchak spoke in the State Duma as a military expert. At the hearings, he convinced deputies of the need to allocate the necessary additional funding for the support and development of domestic warships.
The hero of our article developed a project that was dedicated to the revival of the domestic fleet. In fact, it became the theoretical basis for the entire Russian military shipbuilding of that time. As part of its implementation, from 1906 to 1908, Kolchak personally supervised the construction of two icebreakers and four battleships.
The government and the emperor highly appreciated his contribution to Arctic exploration. As a result, Lieutenant Kolchak was even elected to the permanent membership of the Russian Geographical Society. At that time he even received the nickname Kolchak the Polar.
At the same time, he continues to work on systematizing the materials of his past expeditions. In 1909, he published a scientific work devoted to the ice cover of the Siberian and Kara seas. This work was considered successful; science was able to make a significant step forward in the study of ice covers.
World War I
From the very beginning of the war, the Russian capital was under threat; at that time it was St. Petersburg. The point is that the command German army and the fleet was preparing to carry out a blitzkrieg. To do this, Henry of Prussia was planning, already in the first days after the start of the military campaign, to travel along the Gulf of Finland, reach St. Petersburg and bombard the city with powerful guns, forcing it to surrender.
According to the German plan, key objects in the city were to be destroyed within a few hours of artillery bombardment. Then it was planned to land troops and capture the Russian capital. The implementation of this operation was prevented solely by the experience and brave actions of Russian naval officers.
Realizing that the German fleet significantly outnumbered the Russian fleet, it was initially decided to use mine warfare tactics. Kolchak’s division already in the first days of the war placed about six thousand mines in the waters of the Gulf of Finland. They became a reliable shield for the defense of the capital, thwarting the plans of the German fleet to capture Russia.
Having achieved the first successes, Kolchak insisted on the need to move on to aggressive actions. Soon, an operation was undertaken to mine the Danzig Bay, located directly off the enemy’s coast. This action turned out to be very successful, because as a result it was possible to blow up 35 enemy ships at once.
Kolchak's successes did not go unnoticed. In the fall of 1915, he was appointed commander of the Mine Division. In October, he had already undertaken a bold and risky maneuver when he landed troops on the shore of the Gulf of Riga to help the armies of the Northern Fleet. The operation was so successful that the Germans did not even realize the presence of the Russians and true reasons their failures.
In the summer of 1916, Kolchak was appointed commander-in-chief of the Black Sea Fleet.
Revolution in Russia
When the revolution occurred in February 1917, Kolchak remained faithful to the Russian Emperor until the end. He categorically refused to hand over his weapons to the sailors, throwing his award saber overboard.
He urgently arrives in Petrograd, where he blames the Provisional Government for the collapse of the entire country and its own army. At this moment, he turned out to be disliked by everyone. Even when the abdication of the emperor from the throne was actively discussed at the top, he remained faithful to Nicholas II. As a result, it was decided to remove it. In fact, Kolchak was sent into political exile. At the head of the allied military mission, he went to America.
While the fate of Russia was being decided, he was unable to spend much time away from his homeland. Already in December 1917, Kolchak turned to the Provisional Government with a request to enlist him in military service. This happened after he learned about the Bolsheviks’ plans to make peace with Germany. By this moment, influential politicians have already appeared, for whom the hero of our article becomes an influential leader with authority in order to be able to lead the fight against Bolshevism.
From April to September 1918, he tries to form a unified armed force on the Chinese Eastern Railway to fight the Germans and Bolsheviks, but faces active resistance from the Japanese. As a result, he decides to leave the Far East and join the Volunteer Army, which at that time was being formed in the south of Russia. In addition, several disparate governments that did not recognize each other operated in the East and Siberia.
By September 1918, they managed to unite into the Directory, which at the same time acted extremely inconsistently, which caused distrust in business and military circles. It was Kolchak who was entrusted with the mission of becoming a kind of “strong hand” that would be able to carry out a “white coup.” In November in Omsk, the hero of our article was appointed Minister of Naval and War in the government of the Directory. However, on November 18, the Directory was abolished as a result of a military coup. The left-wing Cadets and right-wing Socialist-Revolutionaries, who were part of its leadership, were removed. Power passed to the Council of Ministers. At the next meeting, Kolchak was promoted to full admiral, and he was also asked to accept the title of Supreme Ruler of Russia.
The key goal of the policy of Admiral Kolchak, whose photo is presented below, was the complete restoration of the foundations that existed in the Russian Empire.
With his first decrees, he banned all extremist parties. The government of Siberia, headed by Admiral Kolchak, stated that it was striving to achieve reconciliation between all groups and segments of the population without the participation of both right-wing and left-wing radicals. To overcome the political crisis, it was developed economic reform. In particular, it envisaged the creation of a powerful and extensive industrial base in Siberia.
The Supreme Ruler of Russia, Admiral Kolchak, declared increasing the combat effectiveness of the army as his most important task, and put victory over the Bolsheviks in second place. The activities of his government were aimed at ensuring that the temporary power of the Supreme Ruler would allow the fate of the state to be transferred to the hands of the people. By at least, so it was declared.
The coming to power of Admiral Kolchak, which took place in Omsk on November 18, 1918, was associated with the arrest of all representatives of the Social Democratic wing of the Directory. One of his first orders, he canceled the decree that Jews were subject to eviction from the front-line zone as potential spies.
Having turned out to be the Supreme Ruler, Admiral Kolchak, whose biography is described in this article, helped ensure that the Whites recovered from the defeats inflicted on them in the Volga region by the Red Army in the fall. At the same time, his political platform narrowed noticeably, finally turning from anti-Bolshevik to the White movement.
Civil War
A photo of Admiral Kolchak at that time appeared in many domestic and foreign publications. He hoped to unite disparate political forces to create a fundamentally new state power. At first, military successes contributed to this.
In December 1918, Admiral Kolchak, whose biography you can learn from this article, managed to occupy Perm, which was of great strategic importance throughout the Civil War, since large reserves of military equipment were concentrated in the city.
At the same time, in Omsk itself, where Kolchak’s headquarters was located, on the night of December 23, a Bolshevik uprising occurred. The admiral himself was seriously ill at that moment, but the uprising was brutally suppressed.
Having suppressed the coups, Kolchak built a strong vertical of power. Even the Bolsheviks themselves reported to Lenin that in Siberia the counter-revolution had formed into an organized state with a powerful army and an extensive state apparatus.
Most of Russia's gold reserves ended up in Kolchak's hands. It was captured from the Bolsheviks in Kazan by the people's army of Komuch, commanded by General Kappel. From there she was sent to Samara, and then to Ufa and Omsk. At the same time, the admiral prohibited the use of gold to stabilize the financial system and fight inflation. Part of the money was spent on the purchase of uniforms and weapons, loans were obtained secured by foreign banks.
Perm operation
The fate of Admiral Kolchak today is of great interest to historians and anyone interested in the Civil War in Russia. The Supreme Ruler's plan was to abandon the attack on Moscow, sending troops to Vologda to link up with the white units based in the north and receive help from the allies through the ports of Arkhangelsk and Murmansk.
At first, the army of the white admiral Kolchak advanced successfully. Soviet troops constantly had to retreat. Near Perm, about 30,000 Red Army soldiers were captured. In certain directions, entire regiments of the Red Army gave up resistance. The capture of Perm was highly appreciated by foreign allies. Personal congratulations to Admiral Kolchak, whose life is described in this article, were sent by the French Prime Minister Clemenceau.
General offensive
According to Kolchak’s plan, it was supposed to launch an offensive in the Samara-Saratov and Perm-Vyatka directions. Then continue moving, and as a result, approach Moscow from three sides at once - from the south, north and east. According to history, Admiral Kolchak planned a general offensive for April 1919.
At first everything went well. The Siberian army united with the troops of the Arkhangelsk government. Ufa, Sterlitamak, Naberezhnye Chelny, and Bugulma were taken. By the end of April, the troops of the White movement approached Samara, Kazan and Simbirsk. Having occupied these territories, Kolchak would have received carte blanche to attack Moscow.
The advance of the White Army was even called the “Flight to the Volga,” which caused enthusiasm in public and bourgeois circles.
In mid-1919, the Bolsheviks sent their main forces to the Eastern Front, realizing that the biggest threat was coming from there. The white armies initially resisted desperately, but were then forced to retreat. On June 9, Ufa passed into the hands of the Bolsheviks, and the strategic initiative was lost by Kolchak’s army. The emerging personnel shortage led to the final defeat of the White Army.
After the Bolsheviks occupied Omsk, Kolchak was forced to begin the Great Siberian Ice Campaign. This was the name given to the retreat to the east in the winter of 1920. Kolchak tried to get to Irkutsk, but was blocked in Nizhneudinsk. The admiral's echelons were stopped by the Czechoslovaks. In fact, the Supreme Ruler was under arrest, although this was not officially announced. A plan emerged to leave for Mongolia, and a personal convoy of more than 500 fighters remained with him. The admiral informed his supporters that he refused to go to Irkutsk, inviting everyone who believed in him to stay with him. The next morning, out of 500 people, 10 remained. Realizing that he was betrayed, he turned gray overnight.
As a result, the admiral's echelon was sent to Irkutsk with the support of allies whom he did not trust. Immediately following the admiral's carriage was the "golden echelon", which was guarded by the Czechoslovak corps. Arriving in Irkutsk, the Czechoslovaks announced to Kolchak that he had been arrested and would be handed over to local authorities.
On January 21, 1920, interrogations of Kolchak began by a specially created Extraordinary Commission of Investigation. The admiral turned out to be very frank, realizing that in fact they were becoming a kind of memoirs, his the last word, which he can refer to his descendants. Now you can familiarize yourself with them. Historian Nikolai Starikov published the book "Admiral Kolchak. Interrogation Protocols."
On the night of February 7, Kolchak, together with the Chairman of the Council, Minister of the Russian Government Viktor Pepelyaev, were shot without trial by order of the Military Revolutionary Committee. According to the widespread version, the bodies of the dead were thrown into an ice hole. The fate of the hero of our article is described in detail in the book by Vladimir Maximov “The Star of Admiral Kolchak”.
Historians believe that the order for the secret murder of Kolchak without trial was personally given by Lenin in a telegram to Efraim Sklyansky.
Personal life
The biography and personal life of Admiral Kolchak is of interest not only to his contemporaries, but also to current historians. His wife was the hereditary noblewoman Sofya Omirova. It is known that Admiral Kolchak’s wife waited for him for several years from his protracted polar expedition. Therefore, their official wedding took place only in the spring of 1904 in a church in Irkutsk.
In the biography of Admiral Kolchak, personal life played a big role. He had three children. True, the first daughter, born in 1905, died in infancy. In 1910, a son, Rostislav, was born. In 1912, another daughter, Margarita, died, but she also died when she was two years old. So the admiral raised only one child.
In 1919, Sophia emigrated with her son to Constanta and then to Paris. British allies helped her in this. She died in 1956 and was buried in a Paris cemetery.
Rostislav Kolchak was an employee at the Algerian Bank and participated in World War II on the side of the French army. Died in 1965. He left behind a son, Alexander, born in 1933. Now he lives in Paris.
In the last years of his life, significant changes took place in the personal life of Admiral Kolchak. His last love became Anna Timireva, whom he met in 1915 in Helsingfors, where she was vacationing with her husband, a naval officer. In 1918, she divorced her husband and followed the admiral to the east of the country. After his execution, she was arrested and spent about 30 years in prison and exile. It was finally rehabilitated only in 1960. After that, she settled in Moscow, worked as a consultant at Mosfilm, and starred in a cameo role in Sergei Bondarchuk’s film War and Peace.
She died in 1975 at the age of 81 and was buried at the Vagankovskoye cemetery.
Memory of the Admiral
Biography of Admiral Kolchak, personal life often became the reason for creating works of art. In 2008, Andrei Kravchuk’s military-historical film “Admiral” was released. It tells in detail the biography of a white officer and his love story.
The monument to Admiral Kolchak was erected in Irkutsk in 2004. Also at the site of his supposed death there is a cross on the Angara River. The admiral's name is carved in the Sainte-Genevieve-des-Bois cemetery on the monument to the heroes of the White movement.
Alexander Vasilyevich Kolchak - the famous leader of the White Movement in Siberia, Supreme Commander-in-Chief, admiral, polar explorer and hydrograph scientist was born in the village of Aleksandrovskoye near St. Petersburg on November 16, 1874 in a family of a hereditary military man. Father - Vasily Ivanovich Kolchak, nobleman and major general of naval artillery, mother - Olga Ilyinichna Posokhova, Don Cossack. In 1888, after graduating from the St. Petersburg Classical Men's Gymnasium, Kolchak entered the Naval Cadet Corps, from which he graduated in 1894 with the rank of midshipman. After graduation, Kolchak in 1895, as a watch officer on the cruiser Rurik, went to Vladivostok through the southern seas. During the transition, he became interested in hydrology and hydrography, and then he developed a desire to independently engage in scientific research.
Two years later, already as a lieutenant, Kolchak returned to the location of the Baltic Fleet on the cruiser clipper. Upon returning to Kronstadt, he tries to join the polar expedition on the icebreaker Ermak under the leadership of Vice Admiral Stepan Makarov, but the icebreaker’s crew was already complete. Kolchak decided not to give up and, having learned that the Imperial Academy of Sciences was preparing a project to study the Arctic Ocean in the area of the New Siberian Islands, he made efforts to become one of the participants in the expedition. Fortunately for Kolchak, the leader of the expedition, Baron Toll, was familiar with his scientific publications on hydrology and needed naval officers, so he agreed.
Polar explorer - Lieutenant Kolchak
Under the patronage of the President of the Academy of Sciences, Prince Konstantin Konstantinovich, Kolchak was temporarily dismissed from military service, placed at the disposal of the Academy and received the position of head of the hydrological work of the expedition. The researchers' plans were to go around Eurasia from the north, around Cape Dezhnev and return to Vladivostok. This was Russia's first academic voyage in the Arctic Ocean, completed on its own ship. On June 8, 1900, the expeditionary schooner “Zarya” left St. Petersburg and headed for Arctic waters, but already in September, having encountered impassable ice, it began to spend the winter in the Taimyr Strait. On August 10, 1901, ice began to move and the Zarya’s voyage continued, but less than a month later it had to go to its second winter quarters near Kotelny Island. During the second wintering, Kolchak takes part in the study of the New Siberian Islands, conducting magnetic and astronomical observations. At the end of August, the expedition ended in Tiksi at the mouth of the Lena, and through Yakutsk and Irkutsk by December 1902, Kolchak returned to St. Petersburg.
In 1904, having learned about the outbreak of war with Japan, Kolchak was transferred back to the Naval Department and headed to Port Arthur. There he commanded the destroyer "Angry" for some time; later, due to health reasons, he was transferred to land and appointed commander of an artillery battery. After the surrender of the garrison of Port Arthur, having been in Japanese captivity, in the summer of 1905 he returned to St. Petersburg. For participation in hostilities he was awarded the Order of St. Anne, 4th degree, and St. Stanislav, 2nd degree. After the war, Kolchak was engaged in scientific activities, several of his studies on hydrology were published northern seas. In 1908 he was awarded the rank of captain 2nd rank. In 1909-10 participates in the study of the marine area near Cape Dezhnev on the icebreakers “Vaigach” and “Taimyr”. Since the beginning of the First World War, he has been developing defensive operations at the headquarters of the Baltic Fleet and is engaged in the installation of minefields, taking into account the experience of Port Arthur. In June 1916, Kolchak was appointed commander of the Black Sea Fleet, thus becoming the youngest admiral among all the warring powers. At the same time he was awarded the Order of St. Stanislaus, 1st degree. Being a convinced monarchist, Kolchak received the news of Nicholas 2’s abdication of the throne with great grief. Thanks to his leadership and skillful neutralization of Bolshevik agitators, the Black Sea Fleet managed to avoid anarchy and maintain combat effectiveness for a long time. In June 1917, Kolchak was removed from office and recalled to Petrograd. As a result of intrigues in the Provisional Government, he was forced to leave Russia, traveling to the United States as part of the Russian naval mission.
Admiral Kolchak during the Civil War
In November 1917, Kolchak arrived in Japan, where he received news of the Bolsheviks coming to power. In May 1918, with the support of England and Japan, he began to form anti-Bolshevik forces around himself in Harbin, China. In September, Kolchak arrived in Vladivostok, where he negotiated joint actions against the Bolsheviks with the leaders of the Czechoslovak corps. In October he arrives in Omsk, where he was appointed Minister of War in the Government of the Directory. On November 18, 1918, as a result of a military coup, Kolchak was proclaimed the Supreme Ruler of Russia. His power was recognized by the entire white movement in Russia, including Denikin. Having received military-technical assistance from the United States and the Entente countries and taking advantage of the country's gold reserves, Kolchak formed an army of more than 400 thousand people and began an offensive in the West. In December, as a result of the Perm operation, Perm was captured, and by the spring of 1919, Ufa, Sterlitamak, Naberezhnye Chelny, Izhevsk. Kolchak’s troops reached the approaches to Kazan, Samara and Simbirsk, this was the peak of success. But already in June, the front, under the pressure of the Red Army, inevitably rolled to the east, and in November Omsk was abandoned. The surrender of the capital set in motion all the forces hostile to Kolchak in the rear, chaos and disorganization began. At the Nizhneudinsk station he was arrested by his Czechoslovak allies, and in January 1920 he was handed over to the Bolsheviks in exchange for a free return home. After his arrest, interrogations began, during which he outlined his biography in detail. The interrogation protocols of Kolchak in the 20s were published as a separate book. On February 7, 1920, Alexander Kolchak, together with his comrade-in-arms, Minister Viktor Pepelyaev, was shot on the banks of the Angara by decision of the Military Revolutionary Committee.
Repeated attempts at legal rehabilitation of Kolchak in post-Soviet times were rejected by the court. In the waiting room of the Irkutsk railway station there is a memorial plaque in memory of the fact that at this place in January 1920 Kolchak was betrayed by his Czechoslovak allies and handed over to the Bolsheviks. And at the site of Kolchak’s alleged execution on the banks of the Angara near the Irkutsk Znamensky Monastery in 2004, a monument was erected to him by the people’s sculptor of Russia Vyacheslav Klykov. The figure of the admiral, 4.5 meters high, made of forged copper, stands on a pedestal made of concrete blocks, on which there are reliefs of a Red Army soldier and a White Guard, standing opposite each other with their weapons crossed. The Irkutsk Regional Museum of Local Lore conducts excursions “Kolchak in Irkutsk”, including to the “Museum of the History of the Irkutsk Prison Castle named after A.V. Kolchak”, which houses an exhibition of his former cell.
One of the most interesting and controversial figures in the history of Russia of the twentieth century is A.V. Kolchak. Admiral, naval commander, traveler, oceanographer and writer. Until now, this historical figure is of interest to historians, writers and directors. Admiral Kolchak, whose biography is shrouded in interesting facts and events, is of great interest to his contemporaries. Based on his biographical data, books are created and scripts are written for the theater stage. Admiral Kolchak Alexander Vasilyevich is the hero of documentaries and feature films. It is impossible to fully assess the significance of this personality in the history of the Russian people.
The first steps of a young cadet
A.V. Kolchak, admiral of the Russian Empire, was born on November 4, 1874 in St. Petersburg. The Kolchak family comes from an ancient noble family. Father - Vasily Ivanovich Kolchak, major general of naval artillery, mother - Olga Ilyinichna Posokhova, Don Cossack. The family of the future admiral of the Russian Empire was deeply religious. In his childhood memoirs, Admiral Kolchak Alexander Vasilyevich noted: “I am Orthodox, until the time of my admission to primary school I received under the guidance of my parents." After studying for three years (1885-1888) at the St. Petersburg Classical Men's Gymnasium, young Alexander Kolchak entered the Naval School. It was there that A.V. Kolchak, admiral of the Russian Fleet, first learned about naval sciences, which would later become his life’s work. Studying at the Naval School revealed A.V. Kolchak’s extraordinary abilities and talent for maritime affairs.
The future Admiral Kolchak, whose brief biography shows that his main passion was travel and sea adventures. It was in 1890, as a sixteen-year-old teenager, that a young cadet first entered the sea. This happened on board the armored frigate “Prince Pozharsky”. The training voyage lasted about three months. During this time, junior cadet Alexander Kolchak received his first skills and practical knowledge in maritime affairs. Later, during his studies in the Naval Cadet Corps, A.V. Kolchak repeatedly went on campaigns. His training ships were the Rurik and the Cruiser. Thanks to training trips, A.V. Kolchak began to substantively study oceanography and hydrology, as well as navigation maps of underwater currents off the coast of Korea.
Polar exploration
At the end Naval School young lieutenant Alexander Kolchak submits a report to naval service in Pacific Ocean. The request was approved, and he was sent to one of the naval garrisons of the Pacific Fleet. In 1900, Admiral Kolchak, whose biography is closely connected with scientific research of the Arctic Ocean, set off on the first polar expedition. On October 10, 1900, at the invitation of the famous traveler Baron Eduard Toll, the scientific group set off. The purpose of the expedition was to establish geographical coordinates the mysterious island of Sannikov Land. In February 1901, Kolchak made big report about the Great Northern Expedition.
In 1902, on the wooden whaling schooner Zarya, Kolchak and Toll again set off on a northern voyage. In the summer of the same year, four polar explorers, led by the head of the expedition, Eduard Toll, left the schooner and set off on dog sleds to explore the Arctic coast. No one came back. A long search for the missing expedition brought no results. The entire crew of the schooner "Zarya" was forced to return to the mainland. After some time, A.V. Kolchak submits a petition to the Russian Academy of Sciences for a repeat expedition to the Northern Islands. The main goal The campaign was to find members of E. Toll’s team. As a result of the search, traces of the missing group were discovered. However, there were no longer any living team members. For his participation in the rescue expedition, A.V. Kolchak was awarded the Imperial Order of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir, 4th degree. Based on the results of the work of the polar research group, Alexander Vasilyevich Kolchak was elected a full member of the Russian Geographical Society.
Military conflict with Japan (1904-1905)
With the beginning of the Russian-Japanese War, A.V. Kolchak asked to be transferred from the scientific academy to the Naval Military Department. Having received approval, he goes to serve in Port Arthur with Admiral S. O. Makarov, A. V. Kolchak is appointed commander of the destroyer "Angry". For six months the future admiral fought valiantly for Port Arthur. However, despite the heroic resistance, the fortress fell. The soldiers of the Russian army capitulated. In one of the battles, Kolchak is wounded and ends up in a Japanese hospital. Thanks to American military intermediaries, Alexander Kolchak and other officers Russian army were returned to their homeland. For his heroism and courage, Alexander Vasilyevich Kolchak was awarded a personalized gold saber and a silver medal “In memory of the Russian-Japanese War.”
Continuation of scientific activities
After a six-month vacation, Kolchak again begins research work. The main theme of his scientific works was the processing of materials from polar expeditions. Scientific works on oceanology and the history of polar research helped the young scientist win honor and respect in the scientific community. In 1907, his translation of Martin Knudsen’s work “Tables of Freezing Points of Sea Water” was published. In 1909, the author’s monograph “Ice of the Kara and Siberian Seas” was published. The significance of A.V. Kolchak’s works lay in the fact that he first laid down the doctrine of sea ice. The Russian Geographical Society highly appreciated the scientific work of the scientist, presenting him with the highest award, the Golden Constantine Medal. A.V. Kolchak became the youngest polar explorer to receive this high award. All his predecessors were foreigners, and only he became the first owner in Russia high sign differences.
Revival of the Russian Navy
The loss in the Russo-Japanese War was very hard to bear by the Russian officers. A.V. was no exception. Kolchak, admiral by spirit and researcher by vocation. Continuing to study the reasons for the defeat of the Russian army, Kolchak is developing a plan to create a Naval General Staff. In his scientific report, he expresses his thoughts on the reasons for military defeat in the war, what kind of fleet Russia needs, and also points out shortcomings in defensive capabilities sea vessels. The speaker's speech in the State Duma does not find proper approval, and A. V. Kolchak (admiral) leaves service in the Naval General Staff. A biography and photographs from that time confirm his transition to teaching at the Maritime Academy. Despite the lack of academic education, the leadership of the academy invited him to lecture on the topic of joint actions of the army and navy. In April 1908, A.V. Kolchak was awarded military rank captain of the 2nd rank. Five years later, in 1913, he was promoted to the rank of captain 1st rank.
Participation of A.V. Kolchak in the First World War
Since September 1915, Alexander Vasilyevich Kolchak has led the Mine Division of the Baltic Fleet. The location was the port of the city of Revel (now Tallinn). The main task of the division was the development of minefields and their installation. In addition, the commander personally conducted naval raids to eliminate enemy ships. This aroused admiration among ordinary sailors, as well as among the officers of the division. The commander's bravery and resourcefulness were widely appreciated in the fleet, and this reached the capital. On April 10, 1916, A.V. Kolchak was promoted to the rank of rear admiral of the Russian Fleet. And in June 1916, by decree of Emperor Nicholas II, Kolchak was awarded the rank of vice admiral, and he was appointed commander of the Black Sea Fleet. Thus, Alexander Vasilyevich Kolchak, admiral of the Russian Fleet, becomes the youngest of the naval commanders.
The arrival of an energetic and competent commander was received with great respect. From the first days of work, Kolchak established strict discipline and changed the command leadership of the fleet. The main strategic task is to clear the sea of enemy warships. To accomplish this task, it was proposed to block the ports of Bulgaria and the waters of the Bosphorus Strait. An operation to mine enemy coastlines has begun. Admiral Kolchak's ship could often be seen performing combat and tactical missions. The fleet commander personally controlled the situation at sea. A special operation to mine the Bosphorus Strait with a swift attack on Constantinople received approval from Nicholas II. However, daring military operation did not happen, all plans were disrupted by the February Revolution.
Revolutionary rebellion of 1917
The events of the February coup of 1917 found Kolchak in Batumi. It was in this Georgian city that the admiral held a meeting with Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich, commander of the Caucasian Front. The agenda was to discuss the maritime transport schedule and the construction of a seaport in Trebizond (Turkey). Having received a secret dispatch from the General Staff about the military coup in Petrograd, the admiral urgently returned to Sevastopol. Upon returning to the headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet, Admiral A.V. Kolchak gives an order to terminate telegraph and postal communications between Crimea and other regions of the Russian Empire. This prevents the spread of rumors and panic in the fleet. All telegrams were received only by the headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet.
Unlike the situation in the Baltic Fleet, the situation in the Black Sea was under the control of the admiral. A.V. Kolchak for a long time kept the Black Sea flotilla from revolutionary collapse. However, political events did not pass by. In June 1917, by decision of the Sevastopol Council, Admiral Kolchak was removed from the leadership of the Black Sea Fleet. During disarmament, Kolchak, in front of the formation of his subordinates, breaks the award's golden saber and says: “The sea rewarded me, I go to the sea and return the award.”
Russian admiral
Sofya Fedorovna Kolchak (Omirova), the wife of the great naval commander, was a hereditary noblewoman. Sophia was born in 1876 in Kamenets-Podolsk. Father - Fyodor Vasilyevich Omirov, Privy Councilor to His Imperial Majesty, mother - Daria Fedorovna Kamenskaya, came from the family of Major General V.F. Kamensky. Sofya Fedorovna was educated at the Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens. A beautiful, strong-willed woman who knew several foreign languages, she was very independent in character.
The wedding with Alexander Vasilyevich took place in the St. Harlampies Church in Irkutsk on March 5, 1904. After the wedding, the young husband leaves his wife and goes to the active army to defend Port Arthur. S.F. Kolchak goes to St. Petersburg with his father-in-law. All her life, Sofya Fedorovna remained faithful and devoted to her legal husband. She invariably began her letters to him with the words: “My dear and beloved, Sashenka.” And she ended: “Sonya, who loves you.” Touching letters from the wife of Admiral Kolchak on the shore before last days. Constant separations prevented the spouses from seeing each other often. Military service obligated to fulfill the duty.
And yet, rare moments of joyful meetings did not bypass the loving spouses. Sofya Fedorovna gave birth to three children. The first daughter, Tatyana, was born in 1908, but the child died before she even lived a month. Son Rostislav was born on March 9, 1910 (died in 1965). The third child in the family was Margarita (1912-1914). While escaping from the Germans from Libau (Liepaja, Latvia), the girl caught a cold and soon died. Kolchak’s wife lived for some time in Gatchina, then in Libau. When the city was shelled, the Kolchak family was forced to leave their refuge. Having collected her things, Sophia moved to her husband in Helsingfors, where at that time the headquarters of the Baltic Fleet was located.
It was in this city that Sophia met Anna Timireva, the admiral’s last love. Then there was a move to Sevastopol. She waited for her husband throughout the entire period of the Civil War. In 1919, Sophia Kolchak emigrated with her son. British allies help them get to Constanta, then Bucharest and Paris. Experiencing a difficult financial situation in exile, Sofya Kolchak was able to give her son a decent education. Rostislav Aleksandrovich Kolchak graduated from the Higher Diplomatic School and worked for some time in the Algerian banking system. In 1939, Kolchak’s son enlisted in the French army and was soon captured by the Germans.
Sofya Kolchak will survive German occupation Paris. The admiral's wife died in Lungumeau Hospital (France) in 1956. S.F. Kolchak was buried in the cemetery of Russian emigrants in Paris. In 1965, Rostislav Aleksandrovich Kolchak died. The final resting place of the admiral's wife and son will be the French tomb in Sainte-Genevieve-des-Bois.
The last love of a Russian admiral
Anna Vasilievna Timireva is the daughter of the outstanding Russian conductor and musician V.I. Safonov. Anna was born in Kislovodsk in 1893. Admiral Kolchak and Anna Timireva met in 1915 in Helsingfors. Her first husband is Sergei Nikolaevich Timirev. The love story with Admiral Kolchak still evokes admiration and respect for this Russian woman. Love and devotion forced her to go into voluntary arrest after her lover. Endless arrests and exiles could not destroy tender feelings; she loved her admiral until the end of her life. Having survived the execution of Admiral Kolchak in 1920, Anna Timireva still long years was in exile. Only in 1960 was she rehabilitated and lived in the capital. Anna Vasilievna died on January 31, 1975.
Foreign trips
Upon returning to Petrograd in 1917, Admiral Kolchak (his photo is presented in our article) receives an official invitation from the American diplomatic mission. Foreign partners, knowing his extensive experience in mine affairs, ask the Provisional Government to send A.V. Kolchak as a military expert in anti-submarine warfare. A.F. Kerensky gives his consent to his departure. Soon Admiral Kolchak goes to England and then to America. There he conducted military consultations and also took an active part in training maneuvers navy USA.
Nevertheless, Kolchak believed that his foreign voyage was not a success, and a decision was made to return to Russia. While in San Francisco, the admiral receives a government telegram inviting him to run for Constituent Assembly. It thundered and disrupted all of Kolchak’s plans. The news of the revolutionary uprising finds him in the Japanese port of Yokohama. The temporary stop lasted until the fall of 1918.
Events of the Civil War in the fate of A.V. Kolchak
After long wanderings abroad, A.V. Kolchak returned to Russian soil in Vladivostok on September 20, 1918. In this city, Kolchak studied the state of military affairs and the revolutionary sentiments of the inhabitants eastern outskirts countries. At this time, the Russian public repeatedly approached him with a proposal to lead the fight against the Bolsheviks. October 13, 1918 Kolchak arrives in Omsk to establish overall command volunteer armies in the east of the country. After some time, a military takeover of power takes place in the city. A.V. Kolchak - admiral, Supreme Ruler of Russia. It was this position that the Russian officers entrusted to Alexander Vasilyevich.
Kolchak's army numbered more than 150 thousand people. The coming to power of Admiral Kolchak inspired the entire eastern region of the country, which hoped for the establishment of a strict dictatorship and order. A strong management vertical and proper organization of the state were established. The main goal of the new military formation was to unite with the army of A.I. Denikin and march on Moscow. During Kolchak's reign, a number of orders, decrees and appointments were issued. A.V. Kolchak was one of the first in Russia to begin an investigation into the death royal family. The award system of Tsarist Russia was restored. Kolchak’s army had at its disposal the country’s huge gold reserves, which were taken from Moscow to Kazan with the aim of further moving to England and Canada. With this money, Admiral Kolchak (whose photo can be seen above) provided his army with weapons and uniforms.
Battle path and arrest of the admiral
Over the entire existence of the eastern front, Kolchak and his comrades carried out several successful military attacks (Perm, Kazan and Simbirsk operations). However, the numerical superiority of the Red Army did not allow the grandiose seizure of the western borders of Russia to be carried out. An important factor was the betrayal of the allies.
On January 15, 1920, Kolchak was arrested and sent to Irkutsk prison. A few days later, the Extraordinary Commission began an investigative procedure to interrogate the admiral. A.V. Kolchak, admiral (interrogation protocols indicate this), behaved very dignified during the investigative measures. Cheka investigators noted that the admiral answered all questions willingly and clearly, without giving away any of the names of his colleagues. Kolchak's arrest lasted until February 6, until the remnants of his army came close to Irkutsk. In 1920, on the banks of the Ushakovka River, the admiral was shot and thrown into an ice hole. This is how the great son of his Fatherland ended his journey.
Based on the events of military operations in the east of Russia from the autumn of 1918 to the end of 1919, the book “Admiral Kolchak’s Eastern Front” was written, author - S.V. Volkov.
Truth and fiction
To this day, the fate of this man has not been fully studied. A.V. Kolchak is an admiral, unknown facts from whose life and death still arouse interest among historians and people who are not indifferent to this personality. One thing can be said quite definitely: the admiral’s life is a vivid example of courage, heroism and high responsibility to his homeland.
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