In previous articles ("The Poltava catastrophe of the army of Charles XII" and "The surrender of the Swedish army at Perevolochnaya"), it was told about the events of 1709, the Battle of Poltava and the surrender of the Swedish army at Perevolnaya, which resulted in the capture of about 23 thousand Carolins. They were not the first Swedish prisoners of war in the Northern War. The Swedes themselves believed that by 1706 there were already 3,300 soldiers and officers in Russian captivity. They did not take into account people of other nationalities; meanwhile, only after Sheremetev's victory at Gummelshof (1702) were several thousand Livonian (with non-combatants) taken prisoner.
The situation of prisoners of war in Russia and Sweden
Both Russian and Swedish historians sometimes write about the "unbearable conditions" in which prisoners of war of their countries were kept. Both of them, of course, rely on some documents.
In Stockholm, for example, only in 1707 were two works published denouncing the "cruelty of the Russians." The first of them was "A truthful account of the non-Christian and cruel attitude of the Muscovites towards the captured higher and junior officers, servants and subjects of His Majesty the King of Sweden, as well as their wives and children." The second is "An excerpt from a letter sent from Shtenau on July 20, 1707, about the horrific deeds of the Muscovite Kalmyks and Cossacks."
On the other hand, F. Golitsyn, who was conducting unsuccessful negotiations on the exchange of prisoners, wrote to A. Matveev in November 1703:
"The Swedes keep the aforementioned generals and polonyans of ours in Stekgolm, locked them up like beasts, and starve them as if they were their own, that they could not receive them freely, and indeed many of them died."
Already after the Battle of Poltava, Charles XII, knowing that there were many captured Swedes in Russia, wrote to the Riksdag from Bender:
"Russian prisoners must be kept in Sweden strictly and not enjoy any freedom."
He did not even think about the fact that the Russian authorities could take retaliatory measures.
Indicative is the incident that took place at the famous feast of Peter the Great, which took place on the day of the Battle of Poltava. After drinking to the "teachers", the tsar promised them that the Swedish prisoners in Russia would be treated "with dignity." And here Ludwig von Allart (Hallart) could not resist, who himself was captured by the Swedish after Narva: he suddenly attacked the Swedes with reproaches for the cruel treatment of Russian prisoners of war in Stockholm and himself. This is how the man got "sore": the tsar had to calm him down, and Menshikov had to apologize for him. And Hallart is not some corporal or even a captain, but a lieutenant general, and not a "Muscovite barbarian", but a real "European": a Scottish nobleman who began his service in the Saxon army, as they say, on the board. Even if he drank grief from the Swedes, one can imagine the conditions in which ordinary Russian soldiers and even officers were kept.
In Sweden, despite the agreement concluded in 1709 on the mutual financing of "fodder money", Russian prisoners were often simply starving. This was explained, among other things, by the difficult economic situation of this country, in which at that time the majority of its own citizens did not eat their fill. But this fact still cannot serve as an excuse, because Russia transferred the money for the maintenance of its prisoners completely and without delay, and the allocated amounts increased from year to year. For example, in 17099,796 rubles 16 money were transferred, in 1710 - 11317 rubles, 23 altyns 2 money, in 1713 - 13338 rubles, in 1714 - 13625 rubles 15 altyns 2 money.
Despite the timely receipt of this money by the Swedish treasury, in 1714, 1715, 1717 and 1718, the "salary" to Russian prisoners was not paid in full, and some of them did not receive it at all.
Captenarmus Verigin, after returning from captivity, claimed that he had not received any funds from the Swedes for nine years, Sergeant Malyshev from 1713 to 1721. received payments only three times: in 1713, 1716, 1719.
But the Swedish authorities did not regularly allocate money for the maintenance of their prisoners of war, which could not but affect their well-being. In full, funds were allocated only for three years - in 1712, 1714, 1715. And in 1716 and 1717. this money from the Swedish treasury did not come at all. As a result, during the years spent in captivity (1709-1721), Corporal Brur Rolamb received 374 thalers from his state instead of the 960 allotted. And captain Karl Toll, who was captured at Perevolochnaya, received 179 thalers of the 18th era instead of 1000 thalers. Thus, the dependence of the captured Swedes on the contents allocated by the Russian treasury was extreme, and, in the event of any delay, their situation became critical. But some found a way out of this situation by engaging in entrepreneurial activity or organizing some services (this will be discussed below).
It is nevertheless worth recognizing that the position of the Swedish prisoners of war in Russia, perhaps, was less difficult.
So, a very important benefit for them was the permission of correspondence with relatives.
And already on October 24 (November 4), 1709, Peter I issued a decree according to which seriously wounded prisoners of war were to be sent home at state expense. In addition, the wives and children of Swedish prisoners of war were allowed to return home, but only a few of them took advantage of this opportunity. In 1711, 800 prisoners were sent to Tobolsk, but more than a thousand people arrived in the capital of the Siberian province: the officers' spouses went with them, anticipating the fate of the Decembrists.
We know a letter from Swedish Admiral Ankerstern to his "colleague" - Russian Vice Admiral Cornelius Cruis, in which he thanked him for his good treatment of the prisoners. And even in the English magazine "The Tatler" ("Chatterbox") it was admitted that "His Imperial Majesty treats his prisoners with exquisite courtesy and respect" (23 August 1709).
Much depended on the official status of this or that prisoner of war, among whom, by the way, were not only Swedes, but also Finns, Germans, residents of the Eastsee provinces. And among the captured sailors of the Swedish fleet there were also British, Dutch and Danes.
Categories of Swedish prisoners in Russia
At that time, prisoners of war in Russia were divided into three categories: those living "on different grounds with private individuals", assigned to state institutions and the army, and receiving passports (using limited freedom and living by their own labor).
And the living conditions were different for everyone. It is impossible to compare the situation of the prisoners who participated in the construction of the bastion at the Nagolnaya Tower and the Sretensky Gate of the Moscow Kremlin and the same Marta Skavronskaya, who began her “court career” as a concubine of the Russian field marshal, continued it with the metress of the “semi-reigning” favorite, and ended her life of the Russian empress. The life of the Swedes who worked on the construction of the Nevskaya Pershpektiva (Nevsky Prospekt) and the Peter and Paul Fortress was very different, and a certain Schroeder, who planned and arranged the Mikhailovsky Garden in St. Petersburg.
The position of the captured officers, of course, was much easier. It was in 1709 that the aforementioned agreement was concluded, according to which the “fodder money” allocated to captured officers in Russia and Sweden was equalized (before that money for their maintenance was transferred irregularly). However, even after the signing of this treaty, Charles XII ordered to transfer to Russia only half of the official salary of captured officers: the other half was received by his "understudy" - a person who replaced the prisoner in his position.
As "daily food", captured lieutenant colonels, majors and food masters in Russia were paid 9 money per day, captains and lieutenants - 5, non-commissioned officers - 3; orderlies and other lower ranks - 2 dengi (1 kopeck).
The most striking thing is that family members of Swedish officers were allowed to come to them, in this case they were also taken for maintenance: wives and children over 10 years old received half of the officer's "salary", children under 10 years old - 2 kopecks per day.
Is it a lot or a little? Judge for yourself: for half a penny (dengu) you could buy 20 eggs, a ram cost 7-8 kopecks.
Top officers were on a special account. So, after Poltava and Perevolochnaya, they were initially distributed among the Russian military leaders. Levengaupt, for example, was appointed to the post of the already mentioned General Ludwig von Allart. And B. Sheremetev took Field Marshal Rönschild and Generals Kreutz and Kruse into his care.
In the future, high-ranking prisoners received content in accordance with their titles and did not experience any special needs.
Rear Admiral N. Erenshedd, who was captured after the Battle of Gangut, received from the Russian treasury a salary corresponding to the salary of the Russian vice admiral (2,160 rubles a year), and even food from the tsarist table, but at the same time complained about the lack of funds and even borrowed 100 rubles from Menshikov. At the end of December 1717, he was convicted of espionage and exiled to Moscow. The salary of the Russian vice admiral was kept for him, but the tsar's table was refused, which made Ehrensjold quite indignant. Returning to Sweden in February 1722, he nevertheless thanked Peter I in writing for "the mercy and goodness that your royal majesty showed me when I was in captivity."
But the captured Swedish sailors, who were kept in Dorpat, in 1707 were given 7 pounds of fresh meat per person per week, 3 pounds of cow's butter, 7 herrings, "and bread against the Saldat dachas."
The prisoners engaged in construction work in St. Petersburg received a "bread salary" on a par with the Russian lower ranks: two fours of rye flour, a small four of cereals per person per month, and fodder money at 2 dengas per person per day.
Of course, sometimes there were delays in salaries, bosses and quartermasters who were not clean on hand could also arbitrarily cut the "bread salary" or supply low-quality products, but Russian soldiers and sailors were not insured against this kind of abuse. A. V. Suvorov said that "any quartermaster after 5 years of service can be hanged without any trial." And Catherine II, hinting at the "convenient opportunities" provided by her official position, once answered the President of the military collegium, who was interceding for a poor officer:
"If he is poor, it is his fault, he commanded a regiment for a long time."
As you can see, the "mother-empress" considered stealing from her subordinates to be a common and completely permissible thing.
Swedish prisoners from "private individuals"
The situation of the prisoners who ended up "on different grounds with private individuals" also varied greatly. Some officers were lucky to get a job as teachers and governors in Russian noble families. Some educated Swede was the teacher of the children of the boyar F. Golovin (general-admiral and general-field marshal). And Jacob Bruce later hinted that the stately fair-haired "Vikings", in addition to working with children, sometimes provided some other services to their mothers, who rarely saw their husbands, officers, or widows.
A certain captain Norin, taken as the tutor of the sons of one of the Galich landowners, after the death of the head of the family, became the manager of the estate and the guardian of orphans. He performed his duties exceptionally honestly and with great benefit for those under guardians who loved him like their own father and were very sad when, after the conclusion of peace, this captain left for Sweden.
One of the Swedes got a job as a servant to the secret adviser A. I. Osterman (future vice-chancellor and first cabinet minister). For Senator YF Dolgoruky, the Swedes served as coachmen. In addition, the Swedes were willingly hired as servants by foreign merchants.
Ordinary soldiers who entered families as simple servants, or who were transferred to them as slaves, often fell into dependence on their masters, who soon began to treat them like serfs, and did not even want to let them go home after the conclusion of the Nystadt Peace, which guaranteed the prisoners “liberation without any ransom."
Swedish prisoners in the Russian service
Now let's talk about the "Carolins" who entered the Russian service: there were from 6 to 8 thousand of them.
Those of them who agreed to serve in the Russian army did not experience any discrimination and received salaries on a par with their Russian colleagues.
According to the Danish Ambassador Y. Yuel, after the surrender of Riga, about 800 soldiers and officers signed up for the Russian service. Among them were one major general (Ernst Albedul), one colonel, five lieutenant colonels, 19 majors, one commissar, 37 captains, 14 lieutenants, two warrant officers, ten assessors. Also, 110 Livonian nobles and 77 civilian chiefs entered the Russian civil service.
After the capture of Vyborg, more than 400 soldiers and officers joined the Russian army. Some soldiers of the army of Karl XII ended up in the Yaitsk Cossack army and even took part in the unsuccessful Khiva campaign of Prince Bekovich-Bulatov (1714-1717).
Immediately after the Battle of Poltava (in early July 1709), some Swedish artillerymen agreed to go over to the Russian side: at first 84, a little later - 25 more. They were accepted literally with open arms, and some made a good career. Those of the gunners who did not want to serve in the Russian army were sent to work in the cannon yard. Six especially qualified craftsmen were sent to the Armory, where they were engaged in the repair of captured guns and muskets.
Government works
Among the prisoners "assigned to state institutions and the army", about 3000 were registered for "the army and its needs", another 1000 - for the navy.
Quite a few prisoners of war were employed in construction work in various Russian cities. A large number of them worked at the Ural factories in Alapaevsk, Perm, Nevyansk, Solikamsk, Uzyan, and some other cities. It is known that at the disposal of the Demidovs and Stroganovs were sent three thousand people "in charge of the craft" - 1500 of each "surname". More than 2,500 prisoners were assigned to arms factories. Their position was difficult to call easy, much depended on their immediate superiors, because "God is high, the tsar is far away," and Nikita Demidov's clerk is right there.
Among the prisoners, those who had at least some idea of ore mining and metallurgy were especially appreciated. "Commander of the Ural and Siberian factories" V. N. Tatishchev was very lucky with a certain Shenstrem, the owner of his own ironworks in Sweden: he became an adviser and closest employee of a Russian official, and rendered him great assistance in organizing the metallurgical industry.
Swedes who entered government or military service, but remained Lutherans, were still considered foreigners. They could greatly facilitate further career advancement by adopting Orthodoxy and becoming Russian subjects, but in this case they lost the opportunity to return to their homeland.
"Swedish prisoners who have the skill in ore business and trading, and will wish to go to the service of the sovereign" eventually were allowed to marry Russian girls without converting to Orthodoxy ("Message of the Holy Synod to the Orthodox on unhindered marriage with non-believers"). But their wives were forbidden to convert to Lutheranism, and children from such marriages were obliged to become Orthodox. It was also forbidden to export wives and children to Sweden (Germany, Finland).
Swedes in Siberia and Tobolsk
Siberian Governor-General M. P. Gagarin treated the captured Swedes with sympathy.
The Tobolsk colony of Swedes (in which there were one drabant Charles XII and thirteen captains, many officers of junior rank) was the most organized and prosperous in Russia. This city was the only one where the Swedes built their own Lutheran church (in other cities they rented premises for worship). A certain pastor Laurs made a city clock in Tobolsk. In his notes about Russia, the Hanoverian envoy Friedrich Christian Weber reports on a lieutenant from Bremen who, "having lost his health in a frosty winter near Poltava and not knowing any craft, started a puppet comedy in Tobolsk, which attracts many townspeople who have never seen anything like it." … Even from Tyumen and other Siberian cities came to the regimental doctor Yakov Shultz for a reception in Tobolsk. Kurt Friedrich von Vrech opened a school in Tobolsk, in which both Russians and foreigners (adults and children) studied.
In Tobolsk, Swedish prisoners of war, led by Jagan, built the famous Rentereya (treasury, project author - S. Remezov), also known as the "Swedish chamber".
In 1714, Gagarin sent a group of prisoners of war to Okhotsk, where they, having built ships, were able to organize communication with Kamchatka along the waterway.
Cornet Lorenz Lang, who entered the Russian service (in the engineering corps) with the rank of lieutenant, traveled 6 times on government business to China and rose to the rank of vice-governor of Irkutsk. In this city, he founded a "navigation school".
Captain Stralenberg, who was in Tobolsk in 1719-1724. took part in the Siberian expedition of Daniel Gottlieb Messerschmidt.
He was the first to suggest the Ugric origin of the Bashkirs, wrote the book "Historical and geographical description of the northern and eastern parts of Europe and Asia" and made a map of Russia and Great Tartary.
M. P. Gagarin is the only one in Russia who dared to arm part of the captured Swedes, whom he enlisted in a special detachment, subordinate only to him. He also ignored the order issued in 1714 to ban stone construction.
As a result, Gagarin was accused not only of bribery and embezzlement, but also of an attempt to separate Siberia from Russia. Two Swedish prisoners turned out to be so close to him that after the arrest of the all-powerful Siberian governor, they ended up in prison - as his accomplices and accomplices (Gagarin himself was hanged in March 1721 under the windows of the Justice College, and it was not forbidden to take his corpse out of the noose for 7 months).
Swedish specialists "on a password"
Now let's talk a little about those prisoners who enjoyed limited freedom and lived by their own labor.
Some soldiers who had a "scarce" specialty, were "on the password" (that is, they were released on parole) and lived freely in cities, doing crafts, with the only restriction not to leave them for more than two or three miles without permission from their superiors. They made glasses, wigs and powder, carved snuff boxes and chess pieces from wood and bone, jewelry, clothes and shoes.
I must say that many of the Swedish officers who were in Russian captivity also did not sit idle and succeeded in business.
For example, Captain Georg Mullien was engaged in jewelry and painting, Captain Friedrich Lyxton - in the production of leather wallets, the cornet Barthold Ennes organized a wallpaper production artel, Captain Mull - a tobacco company, Lieutenant Report was engaged in the production of bricks, Captain Svenson - in the manufacture of wicks that she bought from him Russian treasury.
Peter Vilkin, who began as the treasurer of Count Apraksin and the clerk of the English merchant Samuil Gartsin, over time, having taken a “farm” from the treasury, became the owner of a whole network of “free houses” (establishments where one could “culturally relax” with a pipe and a glass of wine) in Moscow and Petersburg.
Playing cards and children's toys made by captured Swedes were in great demand in Russia.
It is curious that after the return of prisoners from Russia to Sweden, on the basis of their stories, certain conclusions were drawn and in military schools, future officers were also taught some "peaceful" specialties - so that, in the event of being captured, they would not depend on the mercy of the enemy and could feed themselves.
Feldt Commissariat Rönschild and Pieper
In Russian captivity, the old enemies Rönschild and Pieper reconciled and united their efforts to help the Swedish prisoners, compiling a list of places of their resettlement. It turned out, for example, that soldiers and officers of different armies of Charles XII ended up in 75 settlements in various provinces of Russia.
Gradually, Rönschild and Pieper began to play the role of intermediaries between the State Council and the Swedish State Office and the Russian authorities. Trying to achieve justice, they, at times, reached Peter I, and the tsar often took their side, but, of course, he could not consider all cases of abuses of local officials.
Pieper, being a very rich man, opened an account in the Hamburg office to help prisoners of war, where he contributed 24 thousand thalers from his own funds, and his wife in Sweden received a state loan and was able to bring this amount to 62 302 thalers.
Rönschild in Moscow kept an open table for needy Swedish officers and lectured them on strategy and tactics.
Rönschild and Pieper's concern for their captive compatriots once led to their arrest: they vouched for four colonels who were released to Sweden, giving their word of honor to return after completing the necessary business, but chose to stay at home.
After Pieper's death and Rönschild's departure, the Feldt Commissariat was headed in turn by Generals Levengaupt and Kreutz.
The fate of the Swedish prisoners in Russia
The fates of the high-ranking prisoners of Peter I developed in different ways.
Major General of the Cavalry Volmar Anton Schlipenbach in 1712 accepted an offer to enter the Russian service: he began as a major general, rose to the rank of lieutenant general, a member of the military collegium and the Supreme Court.
Field Marshal Carl Gustav Rönschild was exchanged for General A. M. Golovin, who was captured at Narva, in 1718; in the Northern War, he still managed to fight in Norway.
Infantry general Count Adam Ludwig Levengaupt died in Russia in 1719, was buried with military honors at the German cemetery in Lefortovo, in 1722 his remains were reburied in Sweden.
He died in Russia (in Shlisselburg) and the head of the field office of Karl XII Pieper - in 1716. Two years later, his body was reburied in Sweden.
Maximilian Emanuel, Duke of Württemberg-Winnental, Colonel and Commander of the Skonsky Dragoon Regiment, a close friend and ally of Charles XII, from the age of 14, who was always with him (it was not for nothing that he was called "The Little Prince"), was released to his homeland, but fell ill in path and died at the age of 20 - September 25, 1709.
Six more Swedish generals were released after the conclusion of the Peace of Nystad in 1721.
Major General Karl Gustav Roos died in 1722 on his way home to the city of Obo (Abo).
The fate of the rest turned out to be much more prosperous. Two of them rose to the rank of field marshal: Major General Berndt Otto Stackelberg, who later commanded Swedish troops in Finland and received the title of baron, and Major General Hugo Johan Hamilton.
Two more resigned as generals from the cavalry: Major Generals Karl Gustav Kruse (whose only son died in the Battle of Poltava) and Karl Gustaf Kreutz.
Quartermaster General Axel Gillenkrok, after returning to his homeland, received the rank of lieutenant general and was appointed commandant of Gothenburg and the land of Bochus, and later the title of baron.
After the start of peace negotiations with Sweden (even before the official signing of the Nystadt Treaty), all Swedish prisoners were released, those who expressed a desire to stay in Russia were given a loan for settling, the rest were later assisted in returning to their homeland.
Of the 23 thousand people captured at Poltava and Perevolochnaya, about 4 thousand soldiers and officers returned to Sweden (various authors call the figure from 3500 to 5000). You shouldn't think that everyone else died in Russian captivity. Some of them were simply not Swedes and left for other countries. Many have stayed in Russia forever, having entered the civil service. Others started families and did not dare to part with their wives and children. Out of a thousand Swedes stationed in Tobolsk, 400 people wished to stay in this city.
