The phrase that is attributed to Alexander Suvorov is often placed on posters, quoted in books and in the media. We decided to check whether these words belong to the Russian commander.
The phrase "We are Russians! What a delight! " An indication of the authorship of Suvorov is found in many books devoted to thoughts about the fate of Russia: for example, from writers Alexander Prokhanov And Zakhara Prilepin, with journalists Maxim Shevchenko And Arkady Mamontov. Place it on campaign posters - in September 2023 such a banner Noticed In Khakassia, a portrait of Suvorov was adjacent to him with photographs of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Minister of Defense Sergei Shoigu.
It was not possible to find a quote in the presentation of Alexander Suvorov himself. She is not In the works commander, nor in his correspondence. In his essay "Science to win”, Dedicated to the theory and practice of military affairs, is the phrase“ what delight ”:“ Gentlemen officers - what a delight! ”. But, firstly, there is nothing about the Russians there, and secondly, the phrase is used in a completely different context: in this case, it is rather a motivating exclamation.
By the end of the 19th century, many biographies of Suvorov were published, the most detailed of which is three -volume labor "Generalissimo Prince Suvorov"(1884), written by the military historian Alexander Petrushevsky. But there is nothing similar despite the fact that the author cited archival documents, and the memories of contemporaries, and even historical jokes. This quote is not in later biographies of the Soviet era. In the book "Suvorov"(1949) describes how the commander inspired his soldiers after heavy transition through the Alps in 1799. Including Suvorov, it is claimed, said: "We are Russians, we will all overcome!"
Many modern articles specify that the phrase “We are Russian! What a delight! " Suvorov said precisely then, during the Swiss campaign of 1799. The most detailed source, which gives the direct speech of the Russian Field Marshal, is the memoirs of Yakov Starkov, a direct participant in that military campaign. In 1799, he was a non-commissioned officer, then rose to the colonel and was an adjutant under General Peter Bagration. Starkov’s memoirs came out under the name "Stories of the old warrior about Suvorov»In 1847. It is there that another famous phrase of the Russian commander meets: "We are Russians, God is with us." Starkov Describes The Council before the battle in the Muten Valley, which was attended by Bagration. It was according to Bagration Starkov that Starkov retells what was happening, the non-commissioned officer himself could not in any way an eyewitness: “Alexander Vasilievich fell silent for a minute and then, looking at us, said: but we are Russians! God is with us! “And this quick, majestic look of him, and these words filled the heat, boiling in our souls.”
The first mention of the phrase “We are Russian! What a delight! " can only be found in the sources of the middle of the 20th century. In 1948, an article by Leonid Kutukov was published in the Emigrant edition of our country, published in Argentina,Towards the miracle of the gods". The author - a former officer of the Imperial Army, the figure of Russian emigration in Paris - describes in this essay his journey through the Swiss mountains. He talks about the memorable places of Russian military glory and, in particular, gives a quote: “God have mercy! We are Russians, what a delight! " The origin of this phrase is unknown: we can assume that the author quoted from memory and combined different statements by Suvorov.
The quote then then appears in Alexander Solzhenitsyn in the article "Repentance and self -restraint as a category of national life", Which included in the collection" From under the blocks "(1974). Solzhenitsyn, arguing about national identity and blind patriotism, gives an example this phrase: "We are Russians, what a delight!" - exclaimed Suvorov. " And further he refers to the philosopher Fyodor Stepun, who lived in the exile of the philosopher, who urged him to critically relate to such an expression of patriotism. Stepun has such a phrase, indeed, in the article "Homeland, Alien and Fatherland"(1955). But the philosopher, however, does not mention Suvorov.
Thus, there is no evidence that this quote belongs to Alexander Suvorov. This phrase is neither in the texts of the commander himself, nor in the memoirs of his contemporaries. Most likely, it arose as a result of the addition of several separate phrases of Suvorov (or attributed to him), and was distributed thanks to Alexander Solzhenitsyn.
Photo on the cover: social networks
- Did Suvorov say: “The war is not finished until the last soldier is buried”?
- Did Suvorov say: “The soldier who does not dream of becoming a general is bad”?
- Is it true that the author of the expression “Englishwoman shits” - Alexander Vasilievich Suvorov?
If you find a spelling or grammatical error, please inform us of this, highlighting the text with an error and by pressing Ctrl+Enter.
