Poltava battle. Battle of Poltava (1709)

01.10.2019

After the Polish battles, the Swedish army was badly exhausted, and therefore retreated to Ukraine to replenish their strength. Peter I understood that the Swedes were a dangerous enemy. Therefore, everything was done so that the enemy did not get the necessary rest - on the route of the Swedish troops, all stocks of food and weapons were destroyed, ordinary people went into the forest, hiding food and livestock there.

Battle of Poltava briefly. The course of the battle.

Before the start of the battle.

In the autumn of 1708, the Swedes reached the suburbs of Poltava and, having settled down on winter holidays in Budishchi, they decided to take the city by storm. The superiority of forces was significant - the Swedish king Charles XII had thirty thousand soldiers at his disposal against the small Poltava garrison.

But the courage of the inhabitants of the city allowed them to hold out against the whole army for two months. Poltava was never surrendered to the Swedes.

Battle of Poltava. Preparing for battle.

While the Swedes were losing time and energy under the walls of Poltava, Peter I was preparing his troops for the most important battle. In early June, having crossed the Vorskla River, Russian soldiers settled down near Yakovtsy, five kilometers from the besieged city, in the rear of the Swedes.

Having blocked the only path along which the Swedes could advance with several redoubts, Peter placed 17 cavalry regiments of his friend and commander, Alexander Menshikov, behind them.

The Ukrainian hetman Skoropadsky, meanwhile, cut off the Swedes' path to Poland and Ukraine. Peter did not trust the hetman too much, but nevertheless used his strength.

Battle of Poltava with the Swedes. Battle.

The Battle of Poltava began on the morning of June 27, 1709. At first it might seem that the advantage is on the side of the Swedes - although they lost a lot of soldiers, they still managed to pass through two lines of fortifications. However, under artillery fire, they had no choice but to retreat into the forest and take a breather.

Taking advantage of the pause, Peter moved the main forces into position. And in the next "round" of the battle, the Swedes began to openly lose. The Novgorod regiment, brought into battle in time, brought confusion to the Swedish formation, and the Menshikov cavalry struck from the other side.

In this chaos, the Swedes could not stand it and fled. By 11 o'clock in the morning the battle was over. King Charles XII and his ally, the traitorous hetman Mazepa, managed to escape by crossing the Dnieper, but 15,000 Swedish soldiers and commanders were captured.

Significance and results of the Poltava battle.

After the battle given by Peter I to the Swedish king, this country ceased to be the most powerful military force Europe. The Swedes lost a third of their troops killed and lost key commanders who were captured.

All participants Battle of Poltava became heroes from the hand of Peter, and the Northern War ended with the victory of Russia.

During the entire Northern War, there was no more important battle than the Battle of Poltava. In short, it completely changed the course of that campaign. Sweden found itself in a disadvantageous position, and it had to make concessions to a strengthened Russia.

Events the day before

Started a war against Sweden in order to gain a foothold on the Baltic coast. In his dreams, Russia was a great maritime power. It was the Baltic States that became the main theater of military operations. In 1700, the Russian army, which was just beginning to undergo reforms, lost. King Charles XII took advantage of his success to take on his other opponent - the Polish monarch Augustus II, who supported Peter at the beginning of the conflict.

While the main ones were far to the west, the Russian Tsar transferred the economy of his country to a military footing. Him in short term managed to create new army. This modern, European-trained army conducted several successful operations in the Baltic states, including Courland and on the banks of the Neva. At the mouth of this river, Peter founded the port and the future capital of the empire, St. Petersburg.

Meanwhile, Charles XII finally defeated the Polish king and took him out of the war. In his absence, the Russian army occupied a considerable piece of Swedish territory, but so far it has not had to fight with the main army of the enemy. Karl, wishing to inflict a mortal blow on the enemy, decided to go straight to Russia in order to gain a decisive victory in a long conflict there. That is why the Battle of Poltava happened. In short, the site of this battle was far from the previous position of the front. Karl moved south - to the Ukrainian steppes.

Mazepa's betrayal

On the eve of the general battle, Peter became aware that the hetman of the Zaporizhzhya Cossacks, Ivan Mazepa, had gone over to the side of Charles XII. He promised the Swedish king assistance in the amount of several thousand well-trained cavalrymen. The betrayal infuriated the Russian tsar. Detachments of his army began to besiege and capture Cossack towns in Ukraine. Despite the betrayal of Mazepa, part of the Cossacks remained loyal Russia. These Cossacks chose Ivan Skoropadsky as the new hetman.

Mazepa's help was urgently needed by Charles XII. The monarch with his northern army had gone too far from his own territory. The troops had to continue the campaign in unusual conditions. Local Cossacks helped not only with weapons, but also with navigation, as well as provisions. The shaky mood of the local population forced Peter to refuse to use the remnants of the loyal Cossacks. Meanwhile, the Battle of Poltava was approaching. Briefly assessing his position, Charles XII decided to lay siege to the important Ukrainian city. He counted on the fact that Poltava would quickly capitulate to his significant army, but this did not happen.

Siege of Poltava

Throughout the spring and early summer of 1709, the Swedes stood near Poltava, unsuccessfully trying to take it by storm. Historians have counted 20 such attempts, during which about 7 thousand soldiers died. The small Russian garrison held out, hoping for royal help. The besieged undertook bold sorties, for which the Swedes did not prepare, due to the fact that no one thought about such fierce resistance.

The main Russian army under the command of Peter approached the city on June 4th. At first, the king did not want a "general battle" with the army of Charles. However, it was becoming increasingly difficult to drag out the campaign every month. Only a decisive victory could help Russia secure all its important acquisitions in the Baltics. Finally, after several military councils with his close associates, Peter decided to fight, which was the Battle of Poltava. Briefly and quickly preparing for it was too imprudent. Therefore, the Russian army gathered reinforcements for several more days. The Cossacks of Skoropadsky finally joined. The tsar also hoped for the Kalmyk detachment, but he did not have time to approach Poltava.

Between the Russian and Swedish army was Because of the unstable weather, Peter gave the order to cross over water artery south of Poltava. This maneuver turned out to be a good decision - the Swedes were not ready for such a turn of events, expecting the Russians in a completely different area of operations.

Charles could still turn back and not give a general battle, which was the Battle of Poltava. Short description the Russian army, which he received from the defector, also did not give the Swedish generals optimism. In addition, the king did not wait for help from the Turkish sultan, who promised to bring him an auxiliary detachment. But against the backdrop of all these circumstances, it affected bright character Charles XII. The brave and still young monarch decided to fight.

State of the troops

On June 27, 1709, according to the new style), the Battle of Poltava took place. In short, the most important thing was the strategy of the commanders-in-chief and the size of their troops. Charles had 26,000 soldiers, while Peter had some numerical advantage (37,000). The king achieved this thanks to the exertion of all the forces of the state. In a few years, the Russian economy has come a long way from an agricultural economy to a modern one. industrial production(at the time). Cannons were cast, foreign firearms, the soldiers began to receive a military education on the European model.

Surprising was the fact that both monarchs themselves commanded their armies directly on the battlefield. In the modern era, this function passed to the generals, but Peter and Karl were exceptions.

Battle progress

The battle began with the Swedish vanguard organizing the first attack on the Russian redoubts. This maneuver turned out to be a strategic mistake. The regiments that broke away from their convoy were defeated by the cavalry, commanded by Alexander Menshikov.

After this fiasco, the main armies entered the battle. In the mutual confrontation of the infantry for several hours, the winner could not be determined. The confident attack of the Russian cavalry on the flanks became decisive. She crushed the enemy and helped the infantry put the squeeze on the Swedish regiments in the center.

Results

The great significance of the Battle of Poltava (it is rather difficult to describe it briefly) was that after its defeat, Sweden finally lost the strategic initiative in the Northern War. The entire subsequent campaign (the conflict continued for another 12 years) was marked by the superiority of the Russian army.

The moral results of the Battle of Poltava were also important, which we will now try to briefly describe. The news of the defeat of the hitherto invincible Swedish army shocked not only Sweden, but the whole of Europe, where they finally began to look at Russia as a serious military force.

It was a shame to lose the battle of Poltava: the exhausted, hungry and demoralized Swedes, led by a Scandinavian vagabond, did not pose a big threat.
Klyuchevsky Vasily Osipovich

The Battle of Poltava took place on June 27, 1709 and, in short, it became one of the most important battles of the Northern War, which we will briefly discuss in this article. Separately, we will dwell on the issues of the cause of the battle, as well as its course. To do this, on the basis of historical documents and maps, we will draw up a detailed battle plan and understand how significant the results of the victory were.

Reasons for the Battle of Poltava

The Northern War developed in such a way that Sweden, led by the young commander-king Charles 12, won one victory after another. As a result, by the middle of 1708, all the allies of Russia were actually withdrawn from the war: both the Commonwealth and Saxony. As a result, it became obvious that the outcome of the war would be determined in a face-to-face battle between Sweden and Russia. Charles 12, on the wave of success, was in a hurry to end the war and in the summer of 1708 crossed the border with Russia. Initially, the Swedes moved to Smolensk. Peter understood perfectly well that such a campaign was aimed at moving inland and defeating the Russian army. Considering the reasons for the Battle of Poltava, it is necessary to pay attention to two very important facts:

On September 28, 1708, a battle took place near the village of Lesnoy, during which the Swedes were defeated. It would seem that this is an ordinary event for the war. In fact, as a result of this victory, the Swedish army was left virtually without provisions and supplies, because the convoy was destroyed and the roads blocked to send a new one.
In October 1708, Hetman Mazepa addressed the Swedish king. He and the Zaporozhye Cossacks swore allegiance to the Swedish crown. This was beneficial for the Swedes, since the Cossacks could help them resolve issues with the interrupted provision of food and ammunition.

As a result, the main causes of the Battle of Poltava must be sought in the causes of the start of the Northern War, which at that time had already dragged on quite a bit and required decisive action.

The balance of forces and means before the start of the battle

The Swedes approached Poltava and began its siege at the end of March 1709. The garrison successfully held back the attacks of the enemy, realizing that the king with his army would soon arrive at the battlefield. At this time, Peter himself tried to strengthen his army with allied troops. To do this, he turned to the Crimean Khan and the Turkish Sultan. His arguments were not heard, and having gathered a single Russian army, which was joined by part of the Zaporizhzhya Cossacks, led by Skoropadsky, he went to the besieged fortress.

It should be noted that the Poltava garrison was small, only 2200 people. However, for almost 3 months he resisted the constant assaults of the Swedes. Historians note that during this time about 20 attacks were repulsed and 6,000 Swedes were destroyed.

The Battle of Poltava in 1709, by the time it began, after the approach of the main Russian forces, brought together the following forces of the parties.

Swedish army before the battle:

Number - 37,000 people (30,000 Swedes, 6,000 Cossacks, 1,000 Vlachs).
Guns - 4 pieces
Generals - Karl 12, Rehnschild Karl Gustav, Lewenhaupt Adam Ludwig, Roos Karl Gustav,
Mazepa Ivan Stepanovich

Russian army before the battle:

Number - 60,000 people (52,000 Russians, 8,000 Cossacks) - according to some sources - 80,000 people.
Guns - 111 pieces
Generals - Peter 1, Sheremetev Boris Petrovich, Repin Anikita Ivanovich, Allart Ludwig Nikolaevich, Menshikov Alexander Danilovich, Renne Karl Edward, Baur Radion Khristianovich, Skoropadsky Ivan Ilyich.

Progress of the Battle of Poltava (briefly)

At 23:00 on June 26 (on the eve of the battle), Charles 12 gave the order to wake up the army and build it into battle formation for the march. However, the disunity of the Swedes played into the hands of the Russians. They were able to bring the army into battle order only at 2 am on June 27. Karl's plans were thwarted, wasted 3 hours completely deprived his attack of the element of surprise. This is how the Battle of Poltava began for the Swedes, the course of which will be briefly discussed below.

Assault on redoubts - scheme of the Battle of Poltava

The Swedes left their camp and headed towards the battlefield. The first obstacle in their path was the Russian redoubts, which were built both horizontally and vertically relative to the position of the Russian army. The assault on the redoubts began in the early morning of June 27, and with it the Battle of Poltava! The first 2 redoubts were taken immediately. In fairness, it should be noted that they were unfinished. The rest of the redoubts were not given to the Swedes. The attacks were not successful. This is largely due to the fact that after the loss of the first two redoubts, the Russian cavalry under the command of Menshikov advanced to the position. Together with the defenders in the redoubts, they managed to hold back the onslaught of the enemy, not allowing him to take possession of all the fortifications. Below is a diagram of the Battle of Poltava for a more detailed visual representation of the course of the battle.

Despite the short-term successes of the Russian army, Tsar Peter at 4 o'clock in the morning orders the retreat of all regiments to the main positions. The redoubts fulfilled their mission - they exhausted the Swedes even before the start of the battle, while the main forces of the Russian army remained fresh. In addition, the Swedes lost about 3,000 people on the approaches to the main battlefield. Such losses are associated with tactical blunders of the generals. Karl 12 and his generals did not expect to storm the redoubts, expecting to pass them through the "dead" zones. In fact, this turned out to be impossible, and the army had to storm the redoubts without having any equipment for this.

Decisive battle

With great difficulty, the Swedes overcame the redoubt. After that, they took up a waiting position, waiting for the imminent arrival of their cavalry. However, General Roos by that time was already surrounded by Russian units and surrendered. Without waiting for the reinforcements of the cavalry, the Swedish infantry lined up and prepared for battle. Forming in a line was Karl's favorite tactic. It was believed that if the Swedes were allowed to build such a battle formation, then it would be impossible to defeat them. In fact, it turned out differently ...

The offensive of the Swedes began at 9 am. As a result of artillery shelling, as well as volley fire small arms, the Swedes from the first minutes suffered huge losses. The offensive formation was completely destroyed. At the same time, the Swedes still failed to create a line of attack that would be longer than the Russian line. If the limit values of the formation of the Swedish army reached 1.5 kilometers, then the Russian detachments stretched up to 2 kilometers. Having a numerical superiority and smaller gaps between units. The advantage of the Russian army was simply huge. As a result, after the shelling, which created gaps in the Swedes of more than 100 meters, panic and flight began. It happened at 11 o'clock. In 2 hours, Peter's army won a complete victory.

Losses of the parties in the battle

The total losses of the Russian army amounted to 1345 people killed, 3290 people wounded. The losses of the Swedish army turned out to be simply nightmarish:

All generals killed or captured
9,000 killed
3,000 taken prisoner
16,000 people were captured 3 days after the battle, when they managed to overtake the main forces of the retreating Swedes near the village of Perevolochny.

Pursuit of the enemy

The course of the Battle of Poltava after the retreat of the Swedes took on the character of persecution. On the evening of June 27, an order was given to pursue and capture the enemy army. The detachments of Baur, Galitsina and Menshikov took part in this. The advance of the Russian army was not carried out at the fastest pace. The Swedes themselves were to blame for this, who put General Meyerfeld with "authority" to negotiate.

As a result of all these actions, it was possible to reach the Swedes near the village of Perevolochny only after 3 days. Here they surrendered: 16,000 infantry, 3 generals, 51 command officers, 12,575 non-commissioned officers.

The value of the Poltava battle

From the school bench we are told about the great significance of the Battle of Poltava, and also about the fact that it eternal glory for Russian weapons. Undoubtedly, the battle of Poltava transferred the advantage in the war to Russia, but is it possible to speak of historical significance how about ingenious and outstanding value? But with this it is much more difficult ... It is no coincidence that we chose the words of the famous historian Klyuchevsky as an epigraph. You can blame him for anything, but he always describes the era of Peter in an extremely positive way. As a result, even Klyuchevsky admits that even brief study Battle of Poltava indicates that it would be a disgrace to lose in it!

The arguments of historians are significant:

This allows us to say that the victory in the Battle of Poltava was very significant, but its results should not be greatly extolled. It is necessary to make a footnote to the state of the enemy.

The results of the battle and its consequences

We briefly reviewed the Battle of Poltava. Its results are unequivocal - the unconditional victory of the Russian army. Moreover, the Swedish infantry ceased to exist (out of 30,000 army, 28,000 people were captured or killed), artillery also disappeared (Karl had 28 guns 12 initially, 4 reached Poltava, 0 remained after the battle). The victory is unconditional and magnificent, even if you make allowance for the condition of the enemy (in the end it is their problem).

Along with these rosy results, it should be noted that, despite such a glorious victory, the result of the war did not come. There are several reasons for this, most historians agree that this is due to Peter's reaction to the flight of the Swedish army. We said that the Battle of Poltava ended at 11 o’clock in the afternoon, however, the order to pursue followed only at night, after the victory was celebrated ... As a result, the enemy managed to retreat significantly, and Charles 12 himself abandoned his army and went to Turkey to persuade the Sultan to war Russia.

The results of the Poltava victory are ambiguous. Despite the excellent result, Russia did not receive any dividends from this. The delay in ordering the pursuit led to the possibility of the flight of Charles 12 and to the subsequent 12 years of war.

In the spring of 1708 Charles XII invaded Russia. With him were 24 thousand infantry and 20 thousand cavalry. They were selected warriors who knew their job perfectly. In Europe, there were legends about them as about invincible soldiers. The Swedish king initially intended to go to Moscow through Smolensk, but this direction was covered strong army headed by Boris Sheremetev. Charles XII turned south, went to Ukraine. He was in secret correspondence with the Ukrainian Hetman Ivan Mazepa. Many in the Cossack officers were dissatisfied with the position of Ukraine within Russia. They believed that the liberties of the foreman and the Little Russian gentry were curtailed. The hardships of the Northern War also affected. 20 thousand Cossacks fought in the "Livonian region". Ukrainian hetman Ivan Mazepa dreamed of Ukraine, a vassal of Sweden. Mazepa promised Charles XII apartments for the army, food, fodder (fodder for horses), military support for the 30,000th Zaporizhian army.

FROM THE RELATION ON THE BATTLE OF POLTAVA

“And so, by the grace of the Almighty, a perfect victory, which the like is little heard and seen, with easy work against a proud enemy, through his royal majesty, a glorious weapon and a personal brave and wise drive was won. For His Majesty truly showed his courage, wise generosity and martial arts, without fear of any fear to his royal person, in the highest degree, and, moreover, his hat was pierced by a bullet. Under his lordship, Prince Menshikov, who also showed his courage quite well, three horses were wounded. At the same time, this must be known that from our infantry only one line, in which ten thousand were found, was with the enemy in battle, and the other did not reach that point; for the enemies, having been refuted from our first line, ran and were tacos beaten<…>News has been received from those sent to bury the dead in battle that they are on battlefield and the circle thereof was considered and buried by the Swedish dead bodies 8519 people, except for those who were beaten in various places in pursuit through the forests.

"I PLEASE YOU WELCOME TO MY TENT"

On the eve of the Battle of Poltava, King Charles XII, promising his officers and soldiers a quick victory, invited the Russian Tsar to a sumptuous dinner in the tent. “He prepared many dishes; go where your glory leads you." Peter I really arranged a feast for the winners, where he invited captured Swedish generals. Russian monarch at the same time, not without irony, he said: “Yesterday my brother King Charles called you to dine in my tent, but today he didn’t come and didn’t keep his word, although I really expected him. But when His Majesty did not deign to appear, then I ask you to come to my tent.

ORDER FOR A TRAITOR

After Poltava, Peter I sent the following command to Moscow: “Upon receipt of this, immediately make a silver coin weighing ten pounds, and order Judas to be cut on it, hanging on an aspen, and thirty pieces of silver lying below and a bag with them, and behind this inscription:“ The pernicious son Judas is cursed, hedgehog for the love of money chokes. And for that coin, to make a chain of two pounds, send it to us by express mail immediately. It was the Order of Judas, made especially for the traitor Hetman Mazepa.

Tests on the history of the Fatherland

VICTORY PARADE

The event turned out great. The order of the parade can be judged from the engravings by P. Picard and A. Zubov.

The victorious sounds of twenty-four trumpeters and six timpani players who led the column flew from the Serpukhov Gates. The procession of the Life Guards Semyonov Regiment in equestrian formation was opened, led by Prince M.M. Golitsyn. The Semyonovites rode with unfolded banners and drawn broadswords.

Trophies taken near Lesnaya were carried next, followed by Russian soldiers again now dragging 295 banners and standards, captured at Lesnaya, near Poltava and Perevolnaya, through the snow. (by the way, at the Victory Parade on June 24, 1945, 200 fascist banners and standards were thrown to the foot of the mausoleum of V.I. Lenin). Such dragging of enemy trophy banners on land and water (if it was in the port) became a kind of traditional part of the victorious events in the Petrine era. Next came the Swedish prisoners. On December 21, a huge number of prisoners of war were held in the Russian capital - 22,085 Swedes, Finns, Germans and others taken over 9 years of the war.

First, the captured non-commissioned officers of the "Courland Corps" were led on foot. After the victories at Lesnaya and Poltava, the Swedes were not considered a formidable opponent and, in mockery, 19 harnessed reindeer and the horses of the sleigh of the "Samoyed king" of the half-crazy Frenchman Udder with the Nenets dressed in reindeer skins. Behind them on horseback they carried the stretcher of the Swedish king captured near Poltava. They were kept in the Armory for some time, until the fire of 1737 destroyed them...

After the Swedes followed the grenadier company of the Preobrazhensky Regiment, again Swedish officers and trophies taken already near Poltava. Then Levengaupt was led on foot along with Rehnskiöld and Chancellor K. Pieper.

Following the generals, the Colonel of the Preobrazhensky Regiment Peter the Great himself rode on a horse in a uniform torn by fragments of Swedish nuclei, in a saddle shot through by a Swedish bullet, in a cocked hat pierced by it. He rode the same horse that difficult moments The Poltava battle was led by the second battalion of Novgorodians. The tsar was now being followed by Field Marshal Alexander Menshikov. The Preobrazhenians followed them and a huge convoy began.

Swedish regimental music was carried on 54 open wagons, accompanied by 120 Swedish musicians. Among the trophies were silver timpani of the Swedish Life Regime. By the “oral” order of Tsar Peter Alekseevich, as a mark of distinction in the Battle of Poltava and with the obvious traditional meaning of the leader’s commander’s kleinod, they were granted by Field Marshal General, His Serene Highness Prince A.D. Menshikov to the General or Life Squadron - the ancestor of the Horse Guards, becoming a precedent when a trophy turned into a military award. The prisoners were led along the city streets through all 8 triumphal gates, erected "to the shame and disgrace of the Swedes."

Bells rang in all the churches, people yelled, shouted curses, and in general, there was “such a roar and noise that people hardly heard each other on the streets,” wrote Corporal Erik Larsson Smepust. However, all participants in the procession were treated to beer and vodka. The Swedish generals, as after the Battle of Poltava, were invited to a feast at Menshikov's house. The Moscow Victory Parade, organized by Peter the Great, was one of the most magnificent during his reign. And it was held not only for the edification of one's own and other people's contemporaries, but also for descendants. A tradition was born that must be preserved.

At the end of the autumn of 1708, after a grueling transition that lasted more than three months, the Swedish troops needed a serious rest. Charles XII decides to move to Poltava. The Poltava garrison was small. It consisted of about 4,000 regular soldiers and about 2,500 adult residents capable of defending the city. Therefore, it seemed to the Swedes that it would be an easy victory.

At the end of April, the Swedish army approached the city and began the siege. However, the calculations were not justified. For more than two months, the defenders of the city, under the command of Colonel Kelin, bravely repulsed the attacks. They made it possible to buy time. By the end of June, the Russian army approached the left bank of the Vorskla.

The Swedish king was seriously preparing for the battle with the Russians. They built powerful field fortifications. Peter I made a roundabout maneuver. He sent his troops up the river. A crossing was built outside the village of Chernyakhovo. This made it possible to be in the rear of the Swedish army. By decision of Peter I, a place near the village of Yakovtsy was chosen as the field of the future general battle. The most convenient way for the attack passed between two dense forests Budishchi and Yakovetskoe. To organize a decent meeting, the Russians built eight redoubts with an interval of 300 meters between them. They became a serious obstacle in the way of the Swedish troops. The Belgorod Infantry Regiment was stationed under cover of the redoubt. His task was to steadfastly defend the redoubt, destroy and wear down the Swedes.

Peter placed 17 of the best cavalry regiments behind the redoubts. These regiments consisted of dragoons under the command of Menshikov. The main forces, which included 56 battalions, were located in the camp, heavily fortified on all sides. In front of him was the main artillery.

The Swedes did not expect the Russian army to appear so unexpectedly in the rear. They had to urgently rebuild. Intelligence was sent by the Russians to clarify the enemy positions. She ran into a Swedish detachment. It was the vanguard that always accompanied the king. As a result of the skirmish, the king was wounded in the leg.

June 27 (July 8), 1709 early in the morning the Swedish army went on the offensive. At the cost of huge losses, the Swedes captured all the redoubts. 6 battalions of Swedish infantry and 10 squadrons were cut off. The fire of the Russian artillery was so strong that the Swedes began to hastily retreat to their positions. Five infantry regiments, supported by five dragoons, completely destroyed this army group. They managed to capture the commander of this group, General Schlippenbach.

The main body of the enemy troops sent their attack through the redoubts. They were counterattacked by Russian artillery. Peter built his main forces sequentially in two lines. The camp was covered by 9 reserve battalions. The decisive attack began at 9 am. Both advancing armies drew closer. The fight turned into deadly hand-to-hand combat. Separate battalion The Novgorod regiment was led by Tsar Peter himself. He personally led them on the attack. The offensive was so successful that the Swedes could not resist. The Russian cavalry outflanked the Swedes. She stabbed them in the rear. It was the decisive moment of the whole battle. Soon the whole army fled from the battlefield.

King Charles suffered the most serious defeat. The Russians managed to capture 15,000 people. 9234 people were killed.

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