Anikita Ivanovich Repnin (1668-1726), Russian field Marshal-General, associate of Peter I, participant of the Azov campaigns of 1695-1696. In 1696, he was the commander of a frigate. At the beginning of the Northern War of 1700-1721, he commanded a division, participated in the storming of Noteburg, Narva, in the battles of Golovchin, Lesnoy, and the Battle of Poltava. After the unsuccessful battle of Golovchin, he was demoted by Peter I to the rank of soldier, but after successful actions at Lesnoy, at the request of Prince Golitsyn, he again led the division with the rank of general. In 1712-1713 and 1715-1716 he commanded troops in Pomerania. From 1719 - Governor-General of Livonia and simultaneously in 1724 - 1725 - President of the Military College.

On September 28, 1708, near the village of Lesnoy Korvolant, a flying corps of Russian troops overtook the 16 - thousandth corps of General Loewenhaupt. There were more Swedes, which, quite understandably, worried Peter I. Out of the ranks dared to give voice, an unheard-of thing, an ordinary soldier:

"Sire, please give orders that the Cossacks and Kalmyks behind the regular infantry should stab anyone who backs away.

"Comrade," replied the king (as the legend shows). "You're the first person I've heard this advice from, and I feel like we're not going to lose the battle.

And in fact: the victory on this day was for the Russians. No more than 6-7 thousand demoralized soldiers remained from the Leeuwenhaupt corps. "Sia... victory, "Peter wrote joyfully," may be the first to be called, but such a victory over a regular army has never happened... " He did not forget the soldier who gave him good advice at the beginning of the battle. This was not an ordinary soldier, but General Anikita Repnin, who had recently been demoted for his defeat at Golovchin.

Then, under the threat of the enemy moving in the direction of Smolensk, Repnin's division retreated, leaving the Swedes with ten guns. A.D. Menshikov reported this to Peter I. By order of the tsar, the general was put on trial. About these events, the historian D. N. Bantysh-Kamensky writes that Repnin "suffered ... innocently, on Menshikov's reservation, because under Golovchin his division, which was suddenly attacked by Charles XII, was weakened by various detachments on secondment; Repnin did not receive any reinforcements from his own, and at the same time, having stopped the fleeing ones, defended himself desperately, inflicted sensitive harm on the Swedes...". Nevertheless, the verdict passed under Menshikov's presidency, read: the guilty person " deserves to be deprived of life."

The personal bravery shown by Anikita Ivanovich on the battlefield contributed to the fact that the tsar replaced Repnin's execution by demoting him to soldiers. Fortunately, not for long. Having distinguished himself during the war (and not only by timely advice), Repnin was restored to his rank and position.

The historian N. I. Pavlenko, not without reason, calls A. I. Repnin a military commander of the second echelon. What does it mean? He did not have the bright, self-won victories that Menshikov or Sheremetev could boast of. Himself, being a brave man, he did not have a pronounced generalship talent. He just honestly performed his duty, becoming active in 1685 when the funny company was established. He was a steward and an inseparable associate of the young tsar. Then he went with Peter to Azov, fought in Livonia, participated in the capture of Noteburg and Nienschanz.

Near Narva on June 8, 1704, where Repnin actively participated in military operations, the Russians demonstrated a military trick. When they learned of the approach of Schlippenbach's detachment to the fortress, they disguised two regiments in Swedish uniforms and staged an imaginary battle. A detachment led by Menshikov and Repnin attacked the "enemy" detachment, which was commanded by Peter himself. The commandant of Narva, Gorn, sent a considerable force to help " his " people, so that they would hit the Russians from the rear. Lured out of the fortress, the Swedes fell victim to a Russian military ruse.

Anikita Ivanovich Repnin in battles showed courage, perseverance and intelligence, was "brave without enthusiasm, but ready, if necessary for a great cause, and die without backing away."

From near Narva, Repnin's 10,000-strong corps was sent by the tsar to the Polish border. To help his ally, King Augustus II, Anikita Ivanovich had to follow the following instructions of Peter: "First, so as not to go too far, and second, that if the king wants to give a general battle with the entire Swedish army, then do not act and say that you are not ordered to do exactly that."

During the ensuing fighting, a dangerous situation arose for the Russians: the troops were blocked in Grodno by the superior forces of Charles XII. It was then that Ani-Kita Ivanovich's sober mind and steadfastness were revealed. For 75 days, he waited to find the right moment for a rescue maneuver. Repnin organized a secret crossing of troops across the Neman and moved beyond the marshes to Brest. At the same time, the Russians evacuated not only all the wounded and sick, but also left the enemy neither artillery nor wagons.

And then there was that ill-fated battle of Golovchin, when Repnin's division was overturned by the Swedes, which prompted the entire army to retreat. When analyzing the reasons for the defeat, the general, who suddenly became an ordinary soldier, knowing how great Peter's anger was, nevertheless did not compromise his honor and took all the blame on himself. He hated looking for culprits among his subordinates.

It seemed that Repnin's enemy, Prince M. M. Golitsin, was capable of the same display of nobility. Peter I promised him any reward, especially distinguished himself in the battle of Lesnoy. "Forgive Repnin," was Golitsyn's reply.

After Golovchin and Lesnoy, Anikita Ivanovich participated in the Battle of Poltava. There he commanded the center of the army, consisting of 12 infantry regiments, distinguished himself by courage and perseverance. Historians do not know the details of how exactly Repnin acted, but the fact that following the battle of Poltava, he was awarded the highest Order of St. Andrew the First-Called in Russia speaks for itself. Then he was sent at the head of a division to Livonia, participated in the blockade of Riga. On July 4, 1711, he was the first to enter the city recaptured from the Swedes. For this, Peter I appointed him Governor-General of Riga.

Repnin participated in the famous Prut campaign, commanding the vanguard. He did not hesitate to subscribe to the opinion of the military council, which decided that it was better to die fighting his way through the ring of Turks with bayonets than to lay down his arms.

Peter the Great knew how to appreciate Repnin's loyal and selfless service. At the beginning of 1724, Anikita Ivanovich was appointed president of the Military College instead of Menshikov, and in the same year, on May 7, the day of Catherine's coronation, he was elevated to the rank of Field Marshal General. He was a stranger to all sorts of court intrigues, and he honestly performed his duties as provincial governor in Riga. There he died in 1726 at the age of 58.

Repnin's name continued to be heard in victory reports from the battlefields. Anikita Ivanovich's grandson, Nikolai Vasilyevich, like his grandfather, was already awarded the field marshal rank under Catherine II. His name is associated with the most striking victories, including the capture of Izmail in 1770. His role as a diplomat in the conclusion of the Kuchuk-Kaynardzhi (1774) and Iasi (1791) peace treaties with the Turks is also great.

Since N. V. Repnin had no male descendants left, Alexander I made a very commendable decision. "As a testimony that true merits never die, but, living in universal gratitude, pass from generation to generation," the emperor ordered all the offspring of the family to continue to be called Repnins. Thus, " the family of Princes Repnin, who served the Fatherland so gloriously, will not be extinguished with the death of the latter, but, having been renewed, will remain forever... in the unforgettable memory of the Russian nobility".

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