The Presidential Library discovers unknown facts from the lives of famous people

The Presidential Library electronic collections, including more than 600 thousand units today, are not accidentally called the national treasury of the history of Russia, but documents and books digitized by library specialists - "registered in eternity". Here you can find royal decrees, the first editions of Ivan Fyodorov's printing house, official biographies of prominent statesmen, and little-known facts from their life.

Here, in particular, one can learn about the Ataman of the Don Army, Count Matvey Platov from the sources of the Presidential Library.

Once, when the Russian army left Moscow in 1812 under the fires, the Ataman of the Don Platov Arms, embracing his beloved horse, sobbed and in his heart croaked: "If someone at least a simple Cossack brings me Bonaparte, alive or dead, I will give my daughter him in marriage!”.

"Is that true? - a wave swept through the Don army. – oh…oh… - nothing, Timokha Grekov already sharpens his saber on the one who thinks this in his head will take, wants his bride. He himself will defeat Bonaparte in battle, from Russia will not release! .."

To learn more about the dashing ataman of the Don Army, one can find from rare books, "Dontsy and Platov in 1812" (1912) and "The Count of Platov, or the search for the Don soldiers" (1813), electronic copies of which are posted on the portal of the Presidential Library. These publications reveal the complete tragedy, heroism and inexhaustible humor of the epic of participation of the Don Army in the battles with Napoleon.

For example, this is how the French and Russians looked at each other. "The first time the Cossacks met the French in 1799, when, according to the decree of Emperor Paul I, eight regiments were sent from the Don to the corps of Suvorov, who fought in Italy with the French", - says “Dontsy and Platov in 1812”. - The Cossacks brought from this trek many stories about the new enemy - the Frenchman. He is dull, - said the Don people, - from a dark, thin, but quick and agile. And the war is being waged in a new way: not by riots, they advance, but are opened, they go with chains, with shooting".

The French, in their turn, were very interested in the Don Cossacks, who were considered the most mobile and intrepid link in the Russian army. Through the veil of their flexible horse chains, called "lavas", could not penetrate the enemy scouts. "They often saw Platov on a gray horse ahead of the Cossack lavas", - continues the narrator, the author of “Dontsov and Platov” P. Krasnov. "Napoleon wanted to get acquainted with the dashing ataman". Platov flatly refused. But Sovereign Alexander I expressed a desire that Platov introduced himself to the French emperor and showed him his art in archery. The proud Don blood began to talk in the old ataman, he decided to show off the military art. ... Platov sowed the arrows on the set target and after the shooting he gave his bow to Napoleon".

The services of the Don in the victory in the Borodino field and the expulsion of the French outside Russia were great. They exterminated more than 18,000 enemies, captured 10 generals. For the battle on the Vop River, Platov was granted the title of Count of the Russian Empire.

Glorified and inspired by their victories, the Cossacks returned home, in their smoking on the shore of the Pacific Don. There was the groom of the beautiful Mary Platova Timothy Grekov among them, who was awarded the Order of St. George of the 4th degree and gold weapon, as well as the rank of Major-General. Marriage on the beautiful Maria Platova, known in Europe due to her father's oath, became a real prospect. The young people were married and a son bogatyr was born.

Little-known and so popular that they are attributed to folk art, but invariably real facts from national history can be found in electronic copies of unique publications stored on the portal and in the Presidential Library's collections.