, Tver Governorate, Russian Empire
corvette "Orestes"
battleship "Twelve Apostles"
Black Sea Fleet - chief of staff (c - actually commander)
Defense of Sevastopol
Biography
The future famous Russian naval commander was born in 1806 in the family estate of Ivanovskoye, Staritsky district, Tver province, located near the village of Ryasnya, which also belonged to the Kornilov family, in the family of the Irkutsk and Tobolsk governor Alexei Mikhailovich Kornilov and Alexandra Efremovna Fan-der-Flit. The place of birth has not been precisely established. Vladimir’s father was the governor of Irkutsk at that time, and it is not known for certain whether his wife left for the family estate during the birth of the child. However, when Kornilov needed documents about his birth, he turned to Tver, and not to Irkutsk.
In the same year, he was assigned to the Swan tender, which was under construction, and conducted two campaigns in the Baltic. In January 1833 he was transferred to the Black Sea Fleet, served on the battleship “Memory of Eustathius” as an officer for special assignments under the squadron commander, Rear Admiral Lazarev. In the same year, he took part in the Bosphorus Expedition and was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir, 4th degree, and the Turkish gold insignia.
In command positions
In 1851-1852, Kornilov worked on a draft of a new Naval Charter.
Crimean War
Kornilov’s answer went down in history:
“Stop! This is suicide... what you are forcing me to do... but it is impossible for me to leave Sevastopol surrounded by the enemy! I am ready to obey you"
Kornilov organized the defense of Sevastopol, where his talent as a military leader was especially evident. Commanding a garrison of 7 thousand people, he set an example of skillful organization of active defense. Kornilov is rightfully considered the founder of positional methods of warfare (continuous attacks by defenders, night searches, mine warfare, close fire interaction between ships and fortress artillery).
Family
Wife (since 1837) - Elizaveta Vasilievna Novosiltsova(1815-1880), daughter of Senator Vasily Sergeevich Novosiltsov (1784-1853) from his marriage to Daria Ivanovna Naumova (1791-1826). According to a contemporary, Novosiltsov was a spendthrift, he lived through his and his wife’s fortune. Daria Ivanovna and her young children were forced to live with her cousin in extreme poverty. Her daughters were admitted to the institute at public expense, and after graduation they were taken by a rich uncle who lived in St. Petersburg. The youngest, Elizaveta Vasilievna, made a particularly good match, marrying the hero Kornilov. On October 15, 1854, she was granted a Dame of the Order of St. Catherine (Small Cross). She was buried in the Kornilov family tomb in the cemetery of the Church of the Resurrection of Christ in the village of Ryasnya, Staritsky district, Tver province. Their children: Alexey (born in 1838), Alexander (1841-1906), Vladimir (born in 1849), Ekaterina (born in 1846), Natalya.
Memory
Named after V. A. Kornilov:
Literature
Vladimir Alekseevich Kornilov is one of the greatest Russian naval commanders of the 19th century. His life can be called an example of honest and selfless service to Russia. He earned himself the reputation of a fair commander and a talented organizer, and if his life had not been interrupted so suddenly, perhaps the outcome of the Crimean War for Russia could have been completely different.
Childhood and adolescence
The future hero of the Crimean War was born in 1806 on the family estate of Ivanovskoye near Tver.
His father, Alexey Mikhailovich, was a naval officer in his youth. Having risen to the rank of captain-commander, he left the fleet and for a long time held gubernatorial positions in Siberia. Later he returned to the capital, where he became a senator.
Following family tradition, young Vladimir also decided to connect his life with the sea. After graduating from the St. Petersburg Naval Cadet Corps, he was enrolled in the Guards Naval Crew. The service took place mainly on the shore, and the constant drill was very burdensome for the young man. Ultimately, he was expelled with the wording “for lack of vigor for the front.” This is where Kornilov’s biography could have ended if his father had not intervened.
"Azov"
After some time, the future admiral of the Russian fleet was again accepted into military service and ended up on the ship "Azov", which had just arrived in the capital from Arkhangelsk.
While serving on the Azov with the rank of midshipman, Kornilov took part in the very difficult passage of his ship from Kronstadt to the Mediterranean Sea.
The ship's commander, M. Lazarev, who noticed the young officer's outstanding abilities, once threw out a whole stack of French novels from his subordinate's cabin, and in return brought Kornilov books on navigation and seamanship. Under the patronage of the captain, the young midshipman began to comprehend the difficult science of sea. As history shows, Kornilov was able to master it perfectly.
Upon arrival in the Mediterranean, the Azov met with a combined Allied squadron rushing to the aid of the rebellious Greece. Thus, Kornilov happened to participate in the famous 1827. "Azov" was the flagship of the Russian squadron, and its crew showed themselves heroically.
During the battle, the young midshipman commanded three Azov guns and was awarded several orders from all allied countries for his skill and courage. He was awarded the Order of the Bath from England, the Order of St. Savior from Greece, the Order of St. Louis from France and the Russian 4th class.
In this terrible battle, the young midshipman Istomin and lieutenant Nakhimov fought shoulder to shoulder with Kornilov. It is unnecessary to remind about the great role of these people in the history of the Russian navy.
At the Black Sea
After the Mediterranean campaign, Kornilov continued to serve in the Baltic. However, his former commander, Admiral Lazarev, who by that time had been transferred to the Black Sea, did not forget about the valiant young man and sent him from St. Petersburg to Sevastopol.
During the Bosphorus expedition of 1833, Kornilov brilliantly completed his mission of exploring the waters in the area of the straits, for which he was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir 4th degree.
After this operation, Kornilov was appointed commander of the brig Themistocles, and he became an excellent leader. During one of the Themistocles' voyages, the great Russian painter Karl Bryullov was a passenger on board. During the voyage, Kornilov often had long conversations with this most interesting man. Bryullov at that time was working on one of his masterpieces, the canvas “The Last Day of Pompeii”. During the voyage, the artist managed to paint a portrait of Kornilov, which is now kept in the Hermitage collection.
After Themistocles, under the command of Kornilov, the corvette Orestes, the frigate Flora, and even the large battleship Twelve Apostles with a crew of more than 1000 people went to sea. It was in those years that the future Admiral Kornilov managed to earn the respect of his subordinates and gain among them the reputation of a strict but fair boss. Vladimir Alekseevich himself continued to tirelessly study and improve his skills as a captain.
Chief of Naval Staff
In 1838, Kornilov was appointed chief of staff of the Black Sea Fleet, and his commander again turned out to be Lazarev, who was very glad to have the opportunity to work again with a capable young man. In close cooperation with Lazarev, Kornilov conducted several naval exercises and participated in small military campaigns in the eastern part of the Black Sea. In this position he rose to
In 1848, Kornilov was sent to England to learn from his foreign colleagues and at the same time monitor the construction of several steamships ordered by the Black Sea Fleet. He returned to Sevastopol on one of them - the frigate steamship Vladimir.
After this business trip, Kornilov’s career began to develop rapidly. He received the rank of rear admiral, and was soon included in the retinue of His Imperial Majesty. Now he received the right to personally report to Nicholas I on the affairs of the Black Sea Fleet.
Defense strengthening activities
Lazarev died in 1851. Officially, Admiral Berkh was appointed to the post of commander of the Black Sea Fleet, but everyone understood that this was just a formality. All real control of the fleet on the Black Sea was concentrated in the hands of Kornilov, and he was never bored.
Everyone understood that a big war would soon break out in the south, and Admiral Kornilov was in a hurry to carry out all the necessary work to strengthen sea borders and build new ships. But he had little time, and events were developing rapidly.
Naval battles
In October 1853, Russia entered the war with Turkey. Kornilov was immediately sent on a reconnaissance campaign in order to detect enemy squadrons. Russian ships reached the Bosphorus itself, but did not find any enemy ships. The admiral decided to divide his squadron, sending groups of ships in different directions. He himself moved to Sevastopol on the frigate steamer “Vladimir”.
Suddenly, the Vladimir came across a lone enemy ship. It was the Turkish frigate ship Pervaz-Bahri. A battle ensued, which became the first naval battle in history between ships using steam propulsion. The Russians emerged victorious from the battle. The Turkish ship was captured and towed to Sevastopol. Later it was repaired, and it became part of the Black Sea Fleet under the name "Kornilov". The war was inexorably approaching the Crimean shores, and the fleet was in desperate need of a large number of ships.
A little later, Admiral Kornilov again went to sea as the commander of the squadron, which was rushing to the aid of Nakhimov’s squadron. However, they did not make it to the start of the famous Battle of Sinop. Nakhimov, without outside help, managed to defeat the main forces of the enemy fleet.
But the victorious Battle of Sinop turned into new troubles. England and France entered the war on the side of Turkey. Now Kornilov was faced with a new, practically impossible task of keeping poorly defended Sevastopol from invading enemy naval and ground forces.
Defense of Sevastopol
The land defense organized by Menshikov turned out to be mediocre and ineffective. Soon Sevastopol found itself in a desperate situation.
Admiral Kornilov, who headed the Sevastopol garrison, together with the military engineer Totleben, began hastily building fortifications around the city. At this time, a huge Anglo-French squadron approached the Sevastopol Bay. Russian ships found themselves locked in an internal roadstead by enemy forces three times superior to them. Kornilov still proposed to take the ships to sea, get involved in battle and sell his life dearly. However, other, more cautious members of the military council did not support this plan. They proposed to sink the Russian fleet in the roadstead, thereby reliably protecting the city from invasion from the sea. It was this plan that was decided to be implemented. The fleet was flooded, and the coastal bastions were further strengthened with naval guns.
Death
On September 13, the siege of Sevastopol began and all residents of the city came out to build fortifications. Less than a month later, the first massive bombardment of the city took place, which, unfortunately, turned out to be the last for the famous admiral.
On this day, Vladimir Alekseevich Kornilov, as usual, inspected the fortifications of the city. The bombing found him on Mamayev Kurgan. Ignoring the falling shells, Kornilov completed the inspection and was about to head to other fortifications when he was suddenly struck by an enemy cannonball, receiving a fatal head wound. His last words were the demand to defend Sevastopol to the last drop of blood.
A short biography of Kornilov cannot fully reflect all the events of his life and the versatility of his personality. This amazing man accomplished a lot in his life and will forever remain in the memory of the Russian people. He is remembered as an excellent officer and a skilled naval commander. However, few know that the famous hero of the Crimean War, in rare moments of rest, was a gentle husband and loving father of five children.
B. ZVEREV,
Candidate of Historical Sciences
VICE ADMIRAL
KRYMIZDAT Simferopol 1957
Vice Admiral V. A. Kornilov, whose name is widely known in our country, was one of the prominent naval figures of the 19th century. He made a great contribution to the development of the most important branches of naval affairs, but his activities during the days of the Sevastopol defense became most famous. Having become its organizer and leader, he died heroically at a combat post.
Together with Lazarev, Nakhimov, Istomin, Kornilov took an active part in the construction and development of the Black Sea Fleet. An objective assessment of this activity was first given by the outstanding revolutionary-democrat N.A. Dobrolyubov, who carefully studied the materials of Kornilov’s biography. “Energetic, honest and knowledgeable people,” he wrote, “worked hard to improve our fleet shortly before the start of the war. But their efforts did not fully achieve the goal...” Indeed, at that time, the aspirations of many representatives of society did not achieve the goal in any area of the country’s life, since the autocratic serfdom system stood in the way of progress, which determined the economic, political, military, and cultural backwardness of the state .
Just like all the commanders and naval commanders of pre-revolutionary Russia - Suvorov, Ushakov, Kutuzov, Nakhimov - Kornilov was a representative of his noble class, and the class limitations of his worldview did not
may not have influenced his practical activities. At the same time, for his time, for the specific historical conditions of the first half of the 19th century, he was an extraordinary naval figure who devoted his life to the Russian fleet to the end. Among the overwhelming majority of officers and admirals of that era, he stood out for his attitude towards the sailor, his intolerance for routine and stagnation, and his tireless desire for the development and improvement of the fleet.
Kornilov was, first of all, a talented and versatile specialist in naval affairs, a major professional sailor. In terms of his professional preparedness, special knowledge, military-organizational art and ability to foresee the prospects for the technical development of the fleet, he is one of the first among the famous Russian and foreign naval commanders of the 17th-19th centuries.
Like those of his contemporaries who earned recognition from their descendants for their outstanding achievements in the field of technology, invention, literature and art, he was an innovator in his specific naval field - in the field of tactics, shipbuilding, naval artillery, hydrography, military organization, combat training methods and especially in the construction and combat use of a new steam fleet for that time. The history of the development of these branches of naval affairs is an integral part of the history of our Black Sea Fleet, which guards the southern sea borders of the Soviet Union.
YEARS OF NAVAL SERVICE
In the spring of 1821, another group of students was accepted into the Naval Cadet Corps in St. Petersburg. Among them was a tall, thin young man, whose documents indicated that he was born in 1806 and arrived in the capital from the Tver province. This was Vladimir Alekseevich Kornilov, who began his naval service in the same way as thousands of other officers of the Russian navy began it.
The naval corps met the new recruits with the usual order for that time that reigned in all military educational institutions of serf Russia. The first and most powerful impression on the young cadets and midshipmen was made by the unlimited dominance of the rod, the complete arbitrariness of the teachers, and the downtroddenness and depression of the students. “Every officer,” one of the corps graduates later recalled, “had an unlimited right to the body of a student; whipped after a loss, after a binge, after a quarrel among themselves, in delight with the actress or in annoyance with the lackey; in short, rod tyranny reigned." The teaching was poorly done, since the leadership of the maritime department
tended, as a rule, to recruit teachers “in more numbers, at a cheaper price.” Some of them, as contemporaries testified, even showed up for classes from time to time.
True, among the teachers and educators of the corps there were people who were significantly different from the environment around them. Among them was, for example, I. F. Krusenstern, a famous Russian navigator who did a lot for the development of domestic science and the training of naval personnel. As an inspector (and later director) of the Naval Corps, he sought to improve the organization of the educational process. Some of the students, including Vladimir Kornilov, managed to acquire the necessary knowledge in their chosen profession of a naval officer. This was the result of both great independent work and the result of the influence of the best teachers and educators of the corps.
Having graduated from the Naval Corps in February 1823, midshipman Kornilov visited his relatives in the Tver province, and then
returned to the Baltic, where his first voyages began. In the summer of 1823, he sailed in the Gulf of Finland on frigate 1 “Maly”, and the following year he was assigned to sloop 2 “Smirny”, which was soon to leave Kronstadt for the shores of Kamchatka. Kornilov was awaiting a long-term voyage around the world - difficult but exciting, which in those days was the best practical school for every sailor.
Having left Kronstadt on September 27, 1824, Smirny passed the Baltic in four days. After a stop in Copenhagen, the ship passed through the Kattegat and Skagerrak straits and entered the North Sea, but here it was met by strong storms. Stormy wind gusts and rough seas became especially threatening on the night of November 3.
Thanks to the dedicated efforts of the entire crew, the damage on the ship was quickly repaired, but the small sloop was still at the mercy of the elements: the wind drove it ashore. On the morning of November 4, the Jutland coast became visible nearby, and in the evening the cliffs of the Norwegian coast appeared. Only the high skill of the commander, watch commanders and sailors made it possible to avoid coastal reefs and shoals. The next day, amid an ongoing storm, the heavily damaged ship managed to enter the small Norwegian port of Arendal.
Russian sailors managed to avoid shipwreck.
birthplace of V. A. Kornilov within the Tver province. According to these materials, at the beginning of the 19th century. V. A. Kornilov’s father owned the small village of Selniki (three courtyards) in Rzhev district. In the neighboring Staritsky district of the same province, Kornilov’s father, together with his brother Pyotr Mikhailovich, owned the village of Ovsyannikovo. In the same district there was the village of Ryasna, where V. A. Kornilov’s father, mother, wife, and brother were buried.
It can be assumed that one of the above-mentioned villages is the birthplace of V. A. Kornilov (TsGADA, Foundation “Economic Notes of the Tver Province”, d. 51, 53, 56, 62 n 65; TsGVIA, F. VUA, d. 19087, parts 10 and 11).
Later, from the 30s of the 19th century, V. A. Kornilov owned the small village of Ivanovskoye, Staritsky district, about which he often wrote and where he visited several times while on vacation.
The question of the month and birthday of V. A. Kornilov remains open due to the loss of his metric certificate.
1 Frigate - a three-masted sailing ship that had strong artillery weapons and high speed.
2 Sloop - a small sailing ship with light artillery weapons.
Vice Admiral of the Russian Fleet (1852), Adjutant General (1852), hero of the Sevastopol Defense of 1854-1855.
In 1821-1823, V. A. Kornilov studied at the Naval Cadet Corps in, was released from the corps with the rank of midshipman and assigned to the 2nd naval crew of the Baltic Fleet. In the spring of 1827, a captain of the 1st rank included him in the command of the battleship Azov, heading to the Mediterranean Sea.
On October 8 (20), 1827, in the Battle of Navarino, midshipman Kornilov distinguished himself by commanding three lower deck guns. He was awarded the Order of St. Anne 4th class, the French Order of St. Louis, the English Order of the Bath and the Greek Order of St. Savior. In 1828, V. A. Kornilov was promoted to lieutenant. Until 1830, he served on the Azov in the Mediterranean Sea, and upon returning home he received the Order of St. Anne, 3rd degree.
In 1830, Lieutenant Kornilov was assigned to the tender "Swan" under construction, on which he conducted two campaigns in the Baltic. In January 1833, at the request of Vice Admiral V.A. Kornilov, he was transferred to the Black Sea Fleet. Already in the spring of this year, on the ship "Memory of Eustathius", being an officer for special assignments under the commander of the squadron, he took part in the actions of the Russian fleet to provide military assistance to Turkey in the war with Egypt, for which he was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir, 3rd degree and the Turkish gold insignia.
In 1834, V. A. Kornilov became the commander of the brig Themistocles, which was sent to Constantinople at the disposal of the Russian mission in Turkey. In the spring of 1835, V. A. Kornilov received the rank of lieutenant commander and soon took command of the corvette Orest, and two years later - the frigate Flora. In January 1838, V. A. Kornilov was appointed commander of the Twelve Apostles battleship under construction.
V. A. Kornilov developed and issued a number of orders, instructions and instructions relating to all aspects of the organization of service on the ship. The service schedule he proposed was recognized as exemplary and introduced on all ships of the Black Sea Fleet.
In 1838, V. A. Kornilov took part in the landing of troops on the Caucasian coast; for his distinction in occupying a place on the Abkhazian coast, he was promoted to captain of the 2nd rank. In 1839, he participated in the landing at the mouth of the Subashi and Shakhe rivers, was awarded the Order of St. Anna, 2nd degree, and in 1840 - in military operations in the area and Psezuapse (now Lazarevskoye). During these voyages and campaigns, interaction between the fleet and ground forces was practiced, which was successfully used during the defense of Sevastopol in 1854-1855.
In 1842-1845, V. A. Kornilov was on practical voyages on the battleship “Twelve Apostles”. For excellent service in September 1845, he was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir, 3rd degree.
In 1846, V. A. Kornilov was sent to England to order and supervise the construction of the steamship-frigate "Vladimir", on which he returned to England in 1848. On December 6, 1848, he was promoted to rear admiral and remained in the Black Sea Fleet to carry out special assignments of the Chief Commander of the Black Sea Fleet and ports.
In 1850, V. A. Kornilov was confirmed as chief of staff of the Black Sea Fleet. In this post, he developed a vigorous activity: he conducted practical exercises for detachments of ships, constant inspections of ships and ports, created a school for cabin boys of the Black Sea Fleet, and developed a draft Naval Charter.
After the death of the admiral in 1851, V. A. Kornilov actually became the commander of the Black Sea Fleet. He was included in the imperial retinue, along with taking part in fleet reviews. In October 1852, V. A. Kornilov was promoted to the rank of vice admiral and appointed adjutant general to the emperor.
In February 1853, V. A. Kornilov made the transition from Odessa to Constantinople in the retinue of the Ambassador Extraordinary Prince A. S. Menshikov, and sailed on the steamship Bessarabia to Greek waters to inspect ships docked in foreign ports.
At the beginning of the Crimean War of 1853-1856, commanding a detachment of steam ships, V. A. Kornilov took part in the Battle of Sinop. His contribution to the victory was marked by the Order of St. Vladimir, 2nd degree, and the renaming of the captured Turkish steamer Pervaz-Bahri to Kornilov.
In 1854, with the beginning of the defense of Sevastopol, V. A. Kornilov was entrusted with managing the fortifications of the northern part of the city, and then practical leadership of the entire garrison (he became the chief of staff of the troops located in the city). The honor of creating a defensive line in depth, consisting of seven bastions, armed with 610 guns, with garrison personnel distributed along the distances, belongs to V. A. Kornilov.
V.A. Kornilov was mortally wounded on the Malakhov Kurgan on October 5 (17), 1854, while repelling the 1st bombardment of Sevastopol. Died on the same day. He was buried in the admiral's tomb of the Naval Cathedral of St. Vladimir in Sevastopol.
In the Staritsky district of the Tver province there was a family estate of the old noble family of the Kornilovs - Ivanovskoye. On February 1 (13), 1806, the future admiral of the Russian fleet, hero of the Crimean War, Vladimir Alekseevich Kornilov, was born there. This outstanding person became a symbol of selfless service to the Motherland and high professionalism in the performance of the duties assigned to him.
Young promising midshipman
The father of the future sailor, Alexey Mikhailovich Kornilov, served as governor of Tobolsk and Irkutsk. He and his wife Alexandra Efimovna (née Fan der Fleet) enjoyed the favor of Emperor Alexander I and had influence at court. According to the tradition of that time, their son received his primary education at home, and then went to St. Petersburg, where he continued his studies at the Naval Cadet Corps, whose students in those years were young representatives of many aristocratic families.
This choice of educational institution, made by his father, determined the entire subsequent biography of Vladimir Alekseevich Kornilov. At the age of seventeen, having left the cadet corps with the rank of midshipman, he was sent to the Baltic Fleet, where he served for three years as part of the crew of the frigate "Maly". Due to the extraordinary abilities he demonstrated, as well as his belonging to the highest aristocratic class, in 1825 the young officer was seconded to the Guards crew, which was the naval part of the imperial guard.
First steps of your future career
Vladimir Alekseevich Kornilov received his first baptism of fire two years later, when he found himself on the Mediterranean Sea as part of the crew of the battleship Azov. There, on October 8 (20), 1827, the largest naval battle took place between the combined fleets of Russia, France and England, on the one hand, and the Turkish-Egyptian forces opposing them, on the other. For the courage and heroism shown in battle, midshipman Kornilov, in addition to the Russian Order of St. Anne, 4th degree, received awards from the governments of Greece, France and England. At the same time, he was promoted to lieutenant.
At the end of the naval campaign in 1830, the battleship Azov made the transition to the Baltic, and Lieutenant Kornilov left the Mediterranean with it. Upon his return to the capital, Vladimir Alekseevich was awarded another Order of St. Anne, this time 3rd degree and the medal “For the Turkish War”. In the same year, he was sent to the Black Sea Fleet, where he took up the post of officer for special assignments under Rear Admiral Lazarev, who commanded the squadron.
Works for the benefit of Russia
By this time, the political situation in the world had changed, and Turkey, having turned from a former enemy into an ally of Russia, turned to Nicholas I with a request for help in a military conflict with Egypt. A Russian squadron was sent to the Bosphorus, and Vladimir Alekseevich Kornilov, being on board the ship “Memory of Eustathius,” again found himself in the thick of battles. For his participation in the Bosphorus expedition, he was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir, 4th degree, and the Turkish gold insignia.
For the first time, Kornilov was entrusted with independent command of a warship in 1834. It was the brig Themistocles, sent on a diplomatic mission to Constantinople. By chance, on the way back, one of the passengers turned out to be the famous Russian artist K. P. Bryullov, who painted a portrait of Vladimir Alekseevich Kornilov during the voyage (a photo of this work is given in the article).
In 1835, having received another promotion, the commander of Themistocles became a lieutenant-commander and at the same time began his activities to widely promote the best practices of foreign naval commanders among the officers. In this regard, he translates into Russian and publishes the work of the English admiral Glascock, which is a valuable tool for studying the theory of naval combat.
On the captain's bridge of a new ship
The next stage in the career of Vladimir Alekseevich Kornilov was his appointment to the position of captain of the battleship “Twelve Apostles”, which was still being created at the Nikolaev shipyards at that time. According to the tradition established by Rear Admiral Lazarev, the future commander of the ship under construction was supposed to exercise personal control over the work being carried out.
Vladimir Alekseevich coped with this responsibility, as always, brilliantly, despite the additional difficulty of equipping the ship with a new type of artillery weapons at that time - the so-called bomb guns, capable of firing explosive ammunition at the enemy. At the same time, he developed a whole series of regulations relating to various aspects of ship service, which were then introduced on all ships of the Black Sea Fleet.
Chief of Naval Staff
Along with this, Kornilov did not stop his personal participation in military campaigns of the ships of the Black Sea Fleet, heading the headquarters of Rear Admiral Lazarev’s squadron. He not only developed plans for upcoming operations, but also monitored the correctness of their execution. In 1838, under his direct leadership, a successful landing was carried out in the Tuapse region, for which Vladimir Alekseevich was prematurely promoted to captain of the 2nd rank.
An important event in Kornilov’s life was the trip to England he made in 1846 to oversee the construction of the steam frigate Vladimir, ordered by Russia. In addition, it was necessary to carry out a number of purely diplomatic assignments. Having successfully completed his mission and returned to his homeland, Vladimir Alekseevich was promoted to rear admiral and confirmed as chief of staff of the entire Black Sea Fleet. After a short time, he became a vice admiral with the honorary title of adjutant general.
Start of hostilities
The Crimean War did not come as a surprise to Admiral Kornilov. Vladimir Alekseevich, a few months before it began, being in the retinue of the extraordinary Russian ambassador, Prince Menshikov, visited Constantinople and, participating in negotiations with the Turkish government, was aware of the intensity of the situation and the inevitability of military confrontation.
After the opening of hostilities, Kornilov took command of a detachment of steam ships, among which was the steam frigate Vladimir, built in England under his personal supervision. It was this warship that on November 5, 1853, successfully attacked the Turkish battleship Pervaz-Bahri, which after a three-hour battle was forced to capitulate. Captured by Russian sailors and taken to Sevastopol, it was renamed “Kornilov”, which was universal recognition of the merits of Vladimir Alekseevich.
The fatal order of Prince Menshikov
A critical situation during military operations arose in early September 1854, after Anglo-French troops landed in the Evpatoria region and defeated Russian units on the Alma River. In this regard, Prince Menshikov, who was at that time the commander-in-chief of the Crimean troops, decided to sink all the ships located there in the outer roadstead, and use their crews on the shore for the defense of Sevastopol. Vladimir Alekseevich Kornilov, having received the order to destroy the fleet, the organization of which he had devoted all his strength to, could not come to terms with the prince’s decision.
Alternative solution to the problem
Having gathered the entire senior command of the fleet for a military council, Kornilov voiced a different plan of action, drawn up taking into account the hopelessness of the situation in which the city found itself. Despite the enemy's technical superiority, he proposed attacking him with all the forces at the disposal of the Russian fleet. The main blow, in the admiral's opinion, should have been delivered in the area of Cape Ulyukola, taking advantage of the observed inconsistency in the actions of the French and English commands.
Having made the attack first and coming into direct contact with the enemy, the Russian sailors were supposed to impose a boarding battle on him and, if necessary, simultaneously blow up their own and enemy ships. Such tactics, in his opinion, could contribute to inflicting such serious damage on the coalition forces that it would force them to stop the ongoing actions and lift the siege of Sevastopol.
At the head of the city's defenders
Immediately after the meeting, Kornilov went to Menshikov and outlined to him his plan for upcoming actions, but was met with a decisive protest from the commander-in-chief. The prince repeated the order given earlier in the harshest form and, under the threat of Kornilov’s removal from his post, demanded its immediate execution.
Despite the fact that the admiral considered the destruction of the squadron for the city an action equal to his suicide, which he was not afraid to openly declare to the prince, he was forced to submit and lead the ground forces, partially formed from former sailors. Having taken under his command a garrison whose number barely reached 7 thousand people, which was clearly not enough on the scale of the Crimean War, Vladimir Alekseevich Kornilov was able to show a vivid example of the active defense of the city. It included continuous forays into the enemy’s camp, night raids, the installation of mines, as well as close interaction between fortress and field artillery.
Death of Kornilov
Being present at the combat positions and setting an example to other defenders with his fearlessness, the admiral risked his life every minute and on October 5, 1854, he died under the fire of the Anglo-French artillery, which carried out another massive bombardment of the city. The place of his eternal rest was the Sevastopol Cathedral of St. Vladimir, where he was buried in the same crypt with his former commander, Rear Admiral M.P. Lazarev, to whose name the inscription was added to the gravestone: “Kornilov Vladimir Alekseevich 1806-1854.” Subsequently, two more prominent Russian naval commanders, V.I. Istomin and P.S. Nakhimov, found eternal rest there.
The wife and children of the Sevastopol hero
In conclusion, a few words should be said about the family life of Vladimir Alekseevich Kornilov, whose brief biography formed the basis of this article. It is known that in 1837 he married Elizaveta Vasilievna Novosiltsova, who came from a noble noble family, but had lived in extreme poverty since childhood. The fact is that her father Vasily Sergeevich, although he was a senator, was distinguished by his extreme extravagance and very quickly “threw away” the family fortune. As a result, his wife and children were forced to live with wealthy relatives.
Nevertheless, thanks to her noble origin, the daughter of a dissolute senator was accepted at government expense, after which she met V. A. Kornilov and, despite the lack of a dowry, married him. From this marriage a daughter, Natalya, and three sons were born: Alexey, Alexander and Vladimir. Having lived to an old age in honor and prosperity, she died in 1880 and was buried in the Kornilov family tomb, located in the village of Ryasnya, Tula province.
