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 has been of interest to historians, writers, and directors. Admiral Kolchak, whose biography is shrouded in interesting facts and events, is of great interest to contemporaries. On the basis of his biographical data, books are created, scripts for theater stages are written. Admiral Kolchak Alexander Vasilievich - the hero of documentary films and feature films. It is impossible to fully appreciate the significance of this person in the history of the Russian people.
The first steps of the 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 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 Vasilievich noted: “I am Orthodox, until the time I entered elementary school I received family education under the guidance of my parents.” After studying for three years (1885-1888) in the St. Petersburg classical male gymnasium, the young Alexander Kolchak enters the Naval School. It was there that A.V. Kolchak, Admiral of the Russian Navy, first learned the naval sciences, which in the future would become the work of his life. Studying at the Maritime College revealed the outstanding abilities and talent of A.V. Kolchak for marine business.
Future Admiral Kolchak, whose brief biography indicates that his main passion was travel and sea adventures. It was in 1890 that a sixteen-year-old teenager first came to the open sea. This happened on board the armored frigate "Prince Pozharsky." Training swimming lasted about three months. During this time, the junior cadet Alexander Kolchak received the first skills and practical knowledge in maritime affairs. Later, during his training in the Naval Cadet Corps, A. V. Kolchak repeatedly went on campaigns. His training ships were the Rurik and the Cruiser. Thanks to study tours, A.V. Kolchak began to substantively study oceanography and hydrology, as well as navigation maps of underwater currents off the coast of Korea.
Polar research
At the end of the Naval School, the young lieutenant Alexander Kolchak submits a report on naval service in the Pacific Ocean. The petition 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, went on the first polar expedition. On October 10, 1900, at the invitation of the famous traveler Baron Edward Toll, the scientific group set off. The purpose of the expedition was to establish the geographical coordinates of the mysterious island of Sannikov Land. In February 1901, Kolchak made a big report about the Great Northern Expedition.
In 1902, on the wooden whaling schooner Zarya, Kolchak and Toll again set sail for the north. In the summer of that year, four polar explorers, led by the expedition chief Eduard Toll, left the schooner and went on dog teams to explore the Arctic coast. No one came back. A long search for the missing expedition did not bring any results. The entire crew of the Zarya schooner was forced to return to the mainland. After some time, A.V. Kolchak filed a petition with the Russian Academy of Sciences for a re-expedition to the Northern Islands. The main goal of the campaign was to find the members of the team of E. Toll. As a result of the search, traces of the missing group were discovered. However, the living members of the team were gone. For participation in the rescue expedition, A. V. Kolchak was awarded the Imperial Order of the "Holy Equal -to-the- Apostles Prince Vladimir" of the 4th degree. According to the results of the research of the polar research group, Alexander Vasilievich Kolchak was elected a full member of the Russian Geographical Society.
Military conflict with Japan (1904-1905)
With the outbreak of the Russo-Japanese War, A. V. Kolchak asked to be transferred from a scientific academy to the Naval War Department. Having received approval, he goes to serve in Port Arthur with Admiral S.O. Makarov, commander of the Pacific Fleet. A. V. Kolchak is appointed commander of the destroyer “Angry”. For six months, the future admiral valiantly fought for Port Arthur. However, despite the heroic confrontation, the fortress fell. The soldiers of the Russian army surrendered. In one of the battles, Kolchak is injured and ends up in a Japanese hospital. Thanks to American military mediators, Alexander Kolchak and other officers of the Russian army were returned to their homeland. For his heroism and courage, Alexander Vasilievich Kolchak was awarded a nominal gold saber and a silver medal “In Memory of the Russian-Japanese War”.
Continuation of scientific activity
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 on the history of polar research helped the young scientist to gain honor and respect in the scientific community. In 1907, his translation of Martin Knudsen's work “Tables of the 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 the works of A.V. Kolchak was that he first laid the doctrine of sea ice. The Russian Geographical Society praised the scientist's scientific work, giving him the highest award "Gold of the Constantine Medal." A.V. Kolchak became the youngest of the polar researchers who were awarded this high award. All predecessors were foreigners, and only he became the first in Russia to receive a high distinction.
Revival of the Russian fleet
The loss in the Russo-Japanese war was very difficult for the Russian officers to bear. A.V. was no exception. Kolchak, Admiral in Spirit and Researcher by Vocation. Continuing to study the causes of the defeat of the Russian army, Kolchak is developing a plan for the creation of the Naval General Staff. In his scientific report, he expresses his thoughts on the reasons for the military defeat in the war, on what kind of fleet Russia needs, and also points out the shortcomings in the defensive ability of sea vessels. The speaker’s speech in the State Duma does not find proper approval, and A. V. Kolchak (admiral) leaves the service at the Naval General Staff. Biography and photos of 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 give lectures on the joint actions of the army and navy. In April 1908, A.V. Kolchak was awarded the military rank of captain of the 2nd rank. Five years later, in 1913, he was promoted to captain of the 1st rank.
The participation of A. V. Kolchak in the First World War
Since September 1915, Alexander Vasilievich Kolchak heads the Mine Division of the Baltic Fleet. The place of deployment was the port of the city of Revel (now Tallinn). The main objective of the division was the development of minefields and their installation. In addition, the commander personally conducted sea raids to eliminate enemy ships. This aroused admiration among ordinary sailors, as well as among the officers of the division. The bravery and resourcefulness of the commander received wide appreciation in the navy, and this reached the capital. April 10, 1916 A.V. Kolchak was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral of the Russian Navy. And in June 1916, by decree of Emperor Nicholas II, Kolchak was awarded the rank of vice admiral, and he was appointed to the post of commander of the Black Sea Fleet. Thus, Alexander Vasilievich Kolchak, Admiral of the Russian Navy, 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 objective is to clear the sea of enemy warships. To accomplish this task, it was proposed to block the ports of Bulgaria and the Bosphorus Strait. An operation to mine enemy coastlines began. Admiral Kolchak's ship was often seen during combat and tactical missions. The fleet commander personally controlled the situation at sea. A special operation to mine the Bosphorus Strait with a quick strike on Constantinople was approved by Nicholas II. However, a daring military operation did not happen, the February Revolution violated all plans.
1917 revolutionary rebellion
The events of the February 1917 coup caught Kolchak in Batumi. It was in this Georgian city that the admiral met with Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolayevich, commander of the Caucasian Front. The agenda was a discussion of the shipping schedule and the construction of a seaport in Trebizond (Turkey). Having received a secret dispatch from the General Staff about a military coup in Petrograd, the admiral urgently returns to Sevastopol. Upon returning to the headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet, Admiral A.V. Kolchak orders the termination of the telegraph and postal communications of Crimea with other regions of the Russian Empire. This prevents the spread of rumors and panic in the Navy. All telegrams came only to 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 breaks a golden saber in front of his subordinates and says: “The sea has awarded me, and I am returning the award to the sea.”
Family life of the Russian admiral
Sofya Fedorovna Kolchak (Omirova), the wife of the great naval commander, was a hereditary noblewoman. Sofia was born in 1876 in Kamenetz-Podolsk. Father - Fyodor Vasilyevich Omirov, secret adviser to his Imperial Majesty, mother - Daria Fyodorovna Kamenskaya, came from the family of Major General V.F. Kamensky. Sofya Fedorovna was educated at the Smolny Institute of noble maidens. A beautiful, strong-willed woman who knew several foreign languages, she was very independent in character.
The wedding with Alexander Vasilyevich occurred in the Holy Harlampiev Church of Irkutsk on March 5, 1904. After the wedding, the young spouse leaves his wife and goes to the army to defend Port Arthur. S.F.Kolchak with his father-in-law goes to St. Petersburg. All her life Sofya Fedorovna kept faithful and loyal to her legal spouse. She invariably began writing letters to him with the words: “My dear and beloved, Sasha.” And she finished: "Sonya, who loves you." Touching letters from his wife Admiral Kolchak shore until the last days. Constant separation did not allow spouses to see each other often. The military service obligated the debt.
Nevertheless, rare moments of joyful meetings did not pass by loving spouses. Sofya Fedorovna gave birth to three children. The first daughter Tatyana was born in 1908, however, not having lived a month, the child died. Son Rostislav was born on March 9, 1910 (he died in 1965). The third child in the family was Margarita (1912-1914). When escaping from the Germans from Libava (Liepaja, Latvia), the girl caught a cold and soon died. Kolchak's wife lived for some time in Gatchina, then in Libau. When shelling the city, the Kolchak family was forced to leave their haven. Having gathered his things, Sophia moves 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. Throughout the Civil War, she waited for her husband. In 1919, Sofia Kolchak emigrated with her son. British allies help them get to Constanta, then there was Bucharest and Paris. Experiencing a difficult financial situation in exile, Sophia Kolchak was able to give a decent education to her son. Rostislav Aleksandrovich Kolchak graduated from the Higher Diplomatic School and worked for some time in the Algerian banking system. In 1939, Kolchak's son entered the service of the French army and soon fell into German captivity.
Sophia Kolchak will survive the German occupation of Paris. The death of the admiral's wife will occur in the hospital Lunjumo (France) in 1956. S.F.Kolchak was buried in the cemetery of Russian emigrants in Paris. In 1965, Rostislav Aleksandrovich Kolchak dies. The last refuge of the wife and son of the admiral will be the French tomb in Saint-Genevieve-des-Bois.
The last love of the Russian admiral
Anna Vasilyevna 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
Captain 1st Rank Sergey Nikolaevich Timirev. The love story with Admiral Kolchak still raises admiration and respect for this Russian woman. Love and devotion forced her to voluntarily arrest her lover. Endless arrests and exile could not destroy the tender feelings, she loved her admiral until the end of her life. Having survived the shooting of Admiral Kolchak in 1920, Anna Timireva was still in exile for many years. Only in 1960 she was rehabilitated, lived in the capital. Anna Vasilyevna 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 the mine business, are asking the Provisional Government to send A.V. Kolchak as a military expert in the fight against submarines. A.F. Kerensky gives his consent to his departure. Soon, Admiral Kolchak sent to England, and then to America. There he held military consultations, and also took an active part in the training exercises of the US Navy.
Nevertheless, Kolchak believed that his foreign trip did not succeed, and a decision was made to return to Russia. While in San Francisco, the admiral receives a government telegram asking him to run for the Constituent Assembly. The October Revolution broke out and violated all Kolchak's plans. The news of the revolutionary uprising catches 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 overseas wanderings, A.V. Kolchak returned to Vladivostok on Russian soil on September 20, 1918. In this city, Kolchak studied the state of military affairs and the revolutionary mood of the inhabitants of the eastern outskirts of the country. At this time, the Russian public repeatedly appealed to him with a proposal to lead the struggle against the Bolsheviks. October 13, 1918 Kolchak arrives in Omsk to establish a common command of the volunteer armies in the east of the country. After some time, a military seizure 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 Vasilievich.
Kolchak's army totaled more than 150 thousand people. The rise to power of Admiral Kolchak inspired the entire eastern region of the country, hoping to establish a rigid dictatorship and order. A strong managerial vertical and the correct organization of the state were established. The main goal of the new military formation was to join the army of A.I. Denikin and march on Moscow. During the reign of Kolchak, 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 of the royal family. The reward system of tsarist Russia was restored. Kolchak’s army had at its disposal a huge gold reserve of the country, which was exported from Moscow to Kazan with a view to further moving to England and Canada. With this money, Admiral Kolchak (whose photo can be seen above) provided his army with weapons and uniforms.
Fighting Path and Admiral's Arrest
Over the entire existence of the eastern front, Kolchak and his comrades carried out several successful combat attacks (Perm, Kazan and Simbirsk operations). However, the numerical superiority of the Red Army did not allow a grandiose seizure of the western borders of Russia. An important factor was the betrayal of the allies.
January 15, 1920 Kolchak is arrested and sent to Irkutsk prison. A few days later, the Extraordinary Commission began the process of investigative measures to interrogate the admiral. A.V. Kolchak, admiral (the interrogation protocols testify to this), during the investigative measures he was very worthy. Cheka investigators noted that the admiral answered all questions willingly and clearly, without giving a single name of his colleagues. Kolchak’s arrest lasted until February 6, when the remnants of his army came close to Irkutsk. On February 7, 1920, on the bank of the Ushakovka River, the admiral was shot and thrown into an ice hole. Thus ended the great son of his Fatherland.
On the events of hostilities in eastern Russia from autumn 1918 to the end of 1919, the book “The Eastern Front of Admiral Kolchak” was written by S.V. Volkov.
Truth and fiction
To date, the fate of this man has not been fully studied. A.V. Kolchak is an admiral, whose unknown facts from the life and death of which are still of interest to historians and people who are not indifferent to this person. One thing is certain: the life of the admiral is a vivid example of courage, heroism and high responsibility towards his homeland.