Peter Tekeli

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Peter Tekeli
1787 engraving, exhibited in the Pushkin All-Russian Museum (Всероссийский музей А.С. Пушкина), Saint Petersburg.
Viceroy of Caucasus
In office
1787–1789
Preceded byPavel Potemkin
Succeeded byIvan Saltykov
Personal details
Born1720
General-in-Chief
CommandsArad Company of Pomorišje Militia
Serbian Hussar Regiment
Armed forces in Novorossiya
Battles/warsWar of the Austrian Succession
Seven Years' War
Russo-Turkish War (1768–1774)
Sheikh Mansur Movement
Russo-Turkish War (1787–1792)

Peter Tekeli (Russian: Пётр Авраамович Текели, romanized: Pyotr Avraamovich Tekeli;[1] Serbian: Петар Поповић Текелија, romanized: Petar Popović Tekelija;[2] Hungarian: Tököly-Popovics Péter; 1720–1792) was a Russian general-in-chief of Serb origin. He achieved the highest rank among the Serbs who served in the Imperial Russian Army.

Tekeli was born in a

Novomirgorod
.

Family background and early career

The Tekeli family emigrated to the

captain.[5] Ranko married Alka, a daughter of Mojsej Rašković, commander-in-chief of the Danube section of Military Frontier. They had four sons, the third of whom was Peter.[3]

Peter Tekeli was born in

porutchik, and sent to the Serbian Hussar Regiment. He was given the assignment to popularize the emigration to Russia among the Serbs of Pomorišje. His presence and activities in this region, however, were not welcome with the Austrians, who finally banished him. In 1751 Peter Tekeli was promoted to the rank of captain.[4][5]

Seven Years’ War

Tekeli advanced further in his military career in Russia during the Seven Years' War, at the beginning of which he had the rank of second major. On 30th (old style - 19th) of August 1757, he was wounded during the Battle of Gross-Jägersdorf. After his participation in the storming of the Küstrin Fortress, he was raised to the rank of lieutenant colonel in 1758. Tekeli participated in the Battle of Zorndorf, the Battle of Kay and the decisive Battle of Kunersdorf in 1759, which marked Prussia's defeat in the war.

Tekeli contributed to the Russian capture of Berlin in 1760, where he was able to destroy a retreating rearguard of Prussian General Hülsen (de) under Spandau. During the war, Tekeli was a distinguished participant in skirmishes. As the war drew to a close, Tekeli took part in the capture of Kolberg under the command of General Pyotr Rumyantsev, and was promoted for his service to the rank of colonel in 1763.

After

Empress Catherine the Great took to the throne, Colonel Tekeli was soon back in combat against the Bar Confederation (1764–1768); for his distinctions he was awarded the rank of brigadier
.

Russo-Turkish Wars of 1768–1774 and 1787–1792

During the first

Order of St. Anna. Later he was the head of the right flank during the invasion of Wallachia. After numerous other distinctions, he was promoted to a lieutenant general and awarded with the Order of St. George
(3rd degree) upon the war's victorious conclusion.

Disbanding of the Zaporozhian Cossacks

After the Russo-Turkish War (1768-1774), Lieutenant General Tekeli was the commander of all armed forces stationed in Novorossiya. One of the prominent acts of his career was the disbanding of the Zaporozhian Cossacks and destroying their base, the Zaporozhian Sich, in summer 1775.

The Cossacks who lived in

Grigori Potemkin to reorganize the Zaporozhian Host by the same style as the Don Cossack Host. Yet after the Zaporozhians offered support to the Pugachev's Rebellion in 1774, Potemkin’s mind was set. Tired of dealing with constant feuds, he ordered Tekeli, an ethnic Serb, to disband the Host altogether.[6]

Tekeli divided his forces into five detachments, and send them along roads which would lead them to fully surround the

Kosh otaman
, found out that the Sich is surrounded and besieged only after the Russian envoy arrived to call him to meet with Tekeli. By evening Russian guards were placed in all internal and external positions, and next morning the Zaporozhians officially surrendered all their arms and lowered their battle banners.

Tekeli allowed joint visits and gave permissions to the former Cossacks to leave the besieged Sich for personal reasons. As the Host’s

Order of St. Alexander Nevsky.[7][8]

According to tradition, because of the successful pacification of Sich, Catherine II offered Tekeli to choose any prize for himself. He succinctly replied: "Forgive Horvat" (until then, Jovan Horvat, countryman and friend of Tekeli, the founder of New Serbia, was convicted of numerous abuses, stripped of all ranks and exiled to Vologda). Peter Abramovich's representation helped - Ivan Horvat was amnestied by Catherine II on December 3, 1775, his military rank, his estates were restored and he was allowed to live in them. From 1776, Horvath lived peacefully in his possessions, where he died.

Later life

In 1787 Tekeli was made

Cross of Saint Vladimir.[3]

In 1788 Tekeli had a bad riding accident with a stallion which a Tatar chief gave him as a gift. He resigned from active duty in 1790. Two years later he died in his mansion at

Novomirgorod's Church of Saint Nicholas. The church was razed in the 1930s by the Stalin regime, but his grave's tombstone with the epitaph has been preserved in the museum in Kropyvnytskyi.[3][8]

See also

References

  1. Russian patronymic
    Авраамович (Avraamovich), spelled also Абрамович (Abramovich), results from the fact that his father’s name Ranko does not exist among Russians, and they replaced it with Avraam or Abram.
  2. ^ Popović is often omitted.
  3. ^ a b c d e Tekelija
  4. ^ a b Kostić (chapter “Миграције аустријских Срба у Русију за време цара Петра и царице Ане”)
  5. ^ a b Cerović (chapter “Нова Сербија”)
  6. ^ Solov'yov V. "Конец Запорожской Сечи". Кубань, XXI век. Archived from the original on 2004-07-12. Retrieved 2008-10-01.
  7. ^ Shambarov (chapter "Судьба малороссийских казаков")
  8. ^ a b Petrakov, Viktor. "Петр Текели и наш край". Украина-Центр. Archived from the original on 2011-07-28. Retrieved 2008-10-01.

Bibliography

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