205 years ago, Russia fought against foreign invaders. The Patriotic War was going on. Alexander Figner became an energetic organizer of the partisan movement, who started the war with the rank of captain. Remember Dolokhov Tolstoy? Figner is one of his prototypes. A desperate brave man, he burned with hatred of the enemy, dreamed (like all partisans) to capture Napoleon Bonaparte. When the enemy occupied Moscow, he headed for the occupied city. A born scout, adventurer, actor, he changed outfits, pretended to be either French or German (Ostsee origin allowed!). As you know, he did not succeed in captivating Napoleon. But Figner managed to get important information from the French camp, and after leaving Moscow, he put together a small detachment of volunteers.
The young officers admired Figner's reckless audacity. He played with death like a breaker. But not only for the sake of fame and certainly not for personal gain. He defended the Fatherland. Once a 7,000-strong Napoleonic detachment drove the partisans into a forest adjacent to an impenetrable swamp. The French were convinced that the Russians had fallen into a trap from which they could not get out alive. They guarded the partisans all night. At dawn, a chain from all sides moved to the swamp. However, the partisans were not there. They wanted to follow the trail, but the horses immediately began to drown in the swamp. The French could not understand anything.
Legends of Figner's resourcefulness inspired the army. Once the French managed to push a partisan detachment to impenetrable swamps.
Enemies - seven thousand, fiends - a handful. The situation is hopeless! At night, the French did not close their eyes, guarded the partisans in a trap, in order to deal with them in the morning. But, when dawn broke, it turned out that the swampy forest was empty. The Russians are gone. What a wonderful salvation? There was no miracle, just once again a military trick worked. In the dark, Figner, risking his life, crossed the swamp over bumps. There was a quiet village two miles from the swamp. Figner gathered the peasants, told them what was what, and together they found a way out. In no time (every minute is expensive!), Boards and straw were brought to the shore, the road was spread in the swamp. The commander was the first to check the strength of the flooring and returned to the detachment. He ordered the horses to be carefully transferred to a safe place - the French sentries did not hear suspicious sounds. Then people followed the chain. The latter removed the boards behind them and passed them forward.
Even the wounded managed to get out of the trap; not a trace remained from the road. Is there some exaggeration in this story? In the combat biography of Alexander Figner, Denis Davydov, Alexander Seslavin there were many incredible episodes - no dreamer can think of this. Figner himself (like Dolokhov) loved a spectacular pose, he knew how, as they say, to make an impression. In one of the reports, he confessed: “Yesterday I learned that you are worried about the forces and movements of the enemy, for which reason yesterday I had one with the French, and today I visited them with an armed hand. After which he again had negotiations with them. Captain Alekseev, whom I have sent to you, will tell you better about everything that happened, for I am afraid to brag."
He understood that boisterous popularity helps in battle, instills courage in the hearts of volunteers. It is worth paying attention to the elegant style of Figner's reports. A bright person, bright in everything! Master of hoaxes, dramatizations.
On another occasion, the partisans were surrounded. The French cavalry was preparing for battle, Figner divided his squad into two groups. The first, which included the cavalrymen of the Polish Uhlan regiment, who wore uniforms very similar to the French ones, jumped out of the forest and rushed at their comrades, the Russian partisans. Arranged a firefight and even hand-to-hand combat. French observers decided that Figner was defeated. While they were gathering their thoughts, the partisans disappeared. But Napoleon was ready to pay dearly for Figner's head. The elusive partisan terrified the enemy.
Legends circulated about Figner's fierce cruelty: his detachment sometimes did not spare the prisoners. The war embittered him. Contemporaries explained the merciless disposition of the partisan: “Figner once saw how the French and Poles, having climbed into a rural church, raped women and girls there, having crucified some of these unfortunates in order to better satisfy their vile passion. Figner entered the church, freed the women who were still alive, and, prostrating themselves before the altar, vowed not to spare any more French or Pole."
He did not stop fighting sorties, even when the seasoned partisans needed a respite. “Figner, unique in everything, often disguised himself as a simple worker or peasant, and armed himself with a blowgun instead of a stick and took the St. George cross in his pocket, in order to show it to the Cossacks whom he could meet, and thereby prove his identity, he went to intelligence while everyone was resting."
Legends about his exploits roamed Europe. Even in Germany, he did not stop secretly penetrating the cities occupied by the French.
In his overseas campaign, Figner formed the "Legion of Vengeance" from Germans, Russians, Italians - those who were ready to fight Napoleon. He still fought in the partisan style, honorably bore the rank of Russian colonel. The troops of Marshal Michel Ney pressed the daredevils to the Elba … Only the saber of the brave colonel remained on the shore. The waters of the German river closed over the wounded hero. End! But, besides the saber, glory has survived.
The poet-hussar, the hero of 1812 Fyodor Glinka dedicated wonderful poems to him:
Oh Figner was a great warrior
And not simple … he was a sorcerer!..
Under him, the Frenchman was always restless …
Like an invisible person, like a flyer, Unrecognized scout everywhere
Then suddenly he is a fellow traveler to the French, That is a guest with them: as a German, as a Pole;
He goes to the French bivouac in the evening
And cards trump with them, Sings and drinks … and he said goodbye, As if with family brothers …
But the tired at the feast will still be held back by sleep, And he, quietly, with his vigilant team, Having crept from the forest under the hill, How here!.. "Sorry!" They have no pardon:
And without spending a single cartridge, Takes two-thirds of the squadron …
("Death of Figner")
