The history of the Patriotic War of 1812 is known to most Russians only in general terms. Moreover, the names of many of her heroes, especially people from the people, are undeservedly forgotten or are familiar only to specialists. Although Gerasim Kurin is not one of the unknown patriots who fought for the freedom of the Motherland, and his name is included in school books, a detailed biography of the famous partisan will certainly be interesting to everyone who is partial to the history of his country.
Origin
Kurin Gerasim Matveevich was born in the village of Pavlovo, Vohonsky volost, near Moscow, in 1777. His father and mother, and therefore, he himself were not serfs. The fact is that even under Ivan the Terrible, Pavlovo became the property of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery, and after the secularization of church lands conducted by Catherine the Second, it became state property. Thus, Gerasim Kurin was the so-called economic peasant. People with this status rarely engaged in agriculture, since the land was mainly owned by landowners. Their occupations were crafts, trade and crafts.
Biography of Kurin Gerasim Matveevich (briefly) until 1812
There is almost no information about what the guerrilla hero did before Napoleon’s campaign in Russia. Researchers suggest that he worked in the shop of his father, who most likely had a good income, and his family was respected by the villagers.
Gerasim Matveevich was married to Anna Savina, who came from a merchant family. In marriage, they had 2 children: Terenty and Anton. The boys at the time the war began were 13 and 8 years old, respectively.
The situation in the occupied territories
The entry of Napoleon’s troops into Moscow in the autumn of 1812 did not lead to the surrender of Russia, as the French emperor had hoped. On the contrary, partisan detachments began to organize spontaneously in all occupied lands, thanks to which his army began to feel a great shortage of food. This forced the French command to equip groups of foragers in all directions from the capital. Since they were often attacked, Napoleon allocated to Marshal Ney 4 thousand infantry soldiers and cavalry, as well as several artillery batteries. The famous French military leader placed his headquarters in Borovsk, from where he commanded the actions of the foragers and units protecting them. One of such groups of “food hunters” reached the village of Pavlovo, where Gerasim Kurin lived with his family.
Squad Organization
Upon learning that the French foragers were approaching the village, he organized a group of 200 peasants and began military operations. Soon, residents of neighboring villages began to join them, and the number of partisans reached 5,800, including 500 horsemen. The main reason forcing people to take up arms was the brutal behavior of the French, who, embittered by the protracted military campaign and malnutrition, often engaged in ordinary robbery and looting. In addition, Gerasim Kurin possessed the gift of persuasion and was an authority for fellow villagers.
Operations
From September 23 to October 2, 1812, Kurin Gerasim and his detachment participated 7 times in clashes with French troops. In one of the battles, his people managed to repel a convoy with weapons, capturing about 200 rifles and pistols, as well as 400 cartridge bags. This allowed the partisans to provide themselves with ammunition for a long time and make more impudent attacks on the enemy camp.
Marshal Ney was furious with the "uncivilized" behavior of the Russian peasants and sent 2 squadrons of dragoons to fight the Kurin detachment. Apparently, the French had no idea about the number of partisans, since otherwise they would not be limited to such a small detachment.
The squad leader decided to try to solve the matter peacefully and “condescended” to the point that he sent a parliamentarian - a former tutor, to the “savages”. He began to convince the partisans not to interfere with the foragers to take up their duties, apparently implying the robbery of peasants by this.
While negotiations were ongoing, Kurin was preparing for an attack. First of all, he sent a detachment of peasant cavalry towards Bogorodsk, commanded by the volost head Egor Stulov. Then Kurin used a military trick, leaving most of his “troops” in an ambush and engaging in battle with the French with several dozen partisans. When the battle was in full swing, he gave the order to retreat, dragging along dragoons, intoxicated by an easy victory over the Russian peasant. Unexpectedly, the dashing French warriors found themselves surrounded, as the riders of Stulov arrived. As a result of the battle, 2 French squadrons were defeated, and some of the dragoons were captured.
Recent operations
Enraged, Ney sent regular troops against the partisans. Upon learning of the advance of the French columns, Kurin decided to give them a fight in his native village. He located the main part of his forces in the peasant yards, which he personally headed. At the same time, Gerasim Matveevich sent Stulov's horsemen in an ambush near the village of Melenki, located next to the Pavlovo-Borovsk road, and located a reserve across the river in the Yudinsky Gully, entrusting command to Ivan Pushkin.
When the French entered Pavlovo, no one was visible there. However, after some time, a deputation consisting of sedate men came to them. They entered into negotiations with the military, who this time politely asked the peasants to sell them food, after allowing them to inspect the warehouse. The peasants agreed to hold foragers, who did not even realize that the most dodgy and representative negotiator was Kurin himself.
Worthy of special mention
Several successful raids made the partisans more self-confident, and they decided to attack the occupied Bogorodsk. However, by that time, Ney had already received orders to return to Moscow. Kurin Gerasim and his squad missed his corps for just a few hours and continued to defend his native village and its environs from the French looters.
Rewarding
The exploits of the partisan commander and his partisans did not go unnoticed by the Russian command. Many military leaders were surprised that the peasant, without any idea of the tactics and rules of warfare, was so successful that he took to flight and destroyed the units of the regular French army, and his squad suffered minimal losses.
In 1813, Kurin Gerasim Matveevich (1777-1850) was awarded the George Cross of the 1st class. This order was established specifically for the lower ranks and civilians, and it was supposed to be worn on a black and orange ribbon. Although the literature often mentions that Gerasim Kurin also received the title of honorary citizen, this information cannot be considered reliable, since honorary citizenship was not assigned to representatives of the peasant estate. Moreover, it was established only in 1832. Thus, due to its origin, Gerasim Matveevich could not have such a title, despite the fact that he really deserved it.
In peacetime
When the Patriotic War of 1812 ended, Gerasim Kurin returned to his usual life. However, the villagers and residents of the surrounding villages did not forget about his exploits, and he was an unquestioned authority on many issues for them.
It is also known that in 1844 he participated as an honored guest in the opening of Pavlovsky Posad, a city formed as a result of the merger of Pavlov and 4 neighboring villages.
The hero died in 1850 at the age of 73 years. He was buried in the Pavlovsk cemetery.
Now you know that Gerasim Matveevich Kurin is a partisan who organized his own detachment in 1812 and successfully defended his native village and its environs from the French invaders. His name is on a par with the names of such national heroes as Vasilisa Kozhina, Semyon Shubin, Yermolay Chetvertakov, who proved that in the year of trials for their native country, the Russian people can rally and organize themselves, contributing to the victory over the enemy.