The scale of the Patriotic War of 1812, according to historians, was "almost unbelievable." The military and civilian casualties were staggering to contemporaries and still shock us today. A significant factor in the victory over Napoleon was the accelerated pace of military production. For instance, the Tula Arms Factory in 1812 produced 75% more rifles than in 1811, while the Kiev Arsenal doubled its output.
The army was supplied with artillery and ammunition in the required quantities by metallurgists, foundry workers, and craftsmen, who, due to the nature of their work, were primarily needed in factories rather than on the front lines. However, some students of the Mining Corps (now the Mining University) became famous as direct participants in the hostilities and fighters against the "Invasion of Twelve Languages."
The most well-known among the students was Nikolai Khmelnytsky, who was appointed by the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian army, Mikhail Kutuzov, as his aide-de-camp.
The young man was to follow the general-field marshal everywhere, handle correspondence, receive and transmit orders and instructions, deliver written and verbal commands, and remain by the commander’s side during both the march and battle, leaving only to carry out his assigned tasks.
«You cannot learn the military duties of a young man anywhere better than in this rank»,
— states the Military Regulations of March 30, 1716.
Usually, "aide-de-camps" were appointed from particularly promising officers of the General Staff, who had graduated from the Imperial Nicholas Military Academy. So why did fortune favor a mining engineer this time?
First of all, it was due to the young man’s own merits. By the age of 23, he had already studied at the Mining Corps (from 1804 to 1806), worked in the Foreign Ministry as a translator from French and German, and in 1811, he transitioned to the Ministry of Justice. It’s important to provide a few clarifications here.
Young men were accepted for study at the Mining Corps at the age of 14. The program was divided into lower and higher classes. Completing the first level corresponded to receiving a solid classical gymnasium education. The second stage included many specialized courses and laboratory-practical sessions. Graduates who completed the full course became qualified mining specialists and were sent to improve their knowledge at state-owned mining enterprises. So, the fact that Khmelnytsky progressed so quickly in his career can be explained by the phrase "he started early."
In the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at that time, Nikolai Ivanovich was not idle either. For instance, in 1808, by the emperor's decree, he was sent "for foreign correspondence" to General of Infantry Count Fyodor Buxhövden. The young cadet was entrusted with significant responsibility, as the count was the commander-in-chief of the Russian forces in the ongoing Russo-Swedish War. In this conflict, France and Denmark (including Norway) supported Russia, so the translator's skill was of paramount importance. For his participation in this work, Khmelnytsky was promoted to collegiate assessor. In other words, serving as the personal assistant to a high-ranking military officer was not new to the mining engineer.
But there was another reason for his appointment as an aide-de-camp to Kutuzov. Nikolai Ivanovich was a direct descendant of Bohdan Khmelnytsky — the Hetman of the Zaporozhian Host, the leader of the national liberation uprising to free the Cossack lands from Polish-Lithuanian rule. As a result of the uprising, Left-bank Ukraine with Kyiv was permanently removed from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and became part of the Russian Empire.
Despite his merits, the Khmelnytsky family did not enter the ranks of the lesser nobility of Ukraine. In the late 18th century, Empress Catherine II, "partly realizing the injustice of this situation," ordered a large one-time monetary grant to be given to the direct descendant of Bohdan Khmelnytsky — Nikolai’s father, Ivan Khmelnytsky. With this money, a house was built in the center of St. Petersburg, on the Fontanka Embankment near the Sennaya Bridge, where the future mining engineer was born.
Even during the life of Mikhail Illarionovich, he was criticized for his servile attitude toward the royal crown and its favorites. Therefore, Kutuzov, at the very least, was flattered by the idea of appointing someone with such a lineage as his personal secretary. However, without the appropriate experience and education, of course, he did not accept him. The task of providing round-the-clock support to the commander-in-chief required much more than just a noble family name.
In July 1812, Nikolai Ivanovich joined the St. Petersburg militia under the command of Kutuzov. He then held the same position under Kutuzov's successor, Baron Meller-Zakomelsky, and finally, in August 1813, he was assigned to the Chief of Staff of the field army, General Karl Oppermann. He participated in battles at Dresden, Pirna, the Battle of Leipzig, the siege of Magdeburg and Hamburg, and the capture of Paris. For his participation in the military actions, Khmelnytsky was awarded the Order of St. Vladimir and the Order of St. Anna.
After the war, the young man returned to the Ministry of Justice and soon became the head of the office of the St. Petersburg Governor-General, Mikhail Miloradovich. In this position, Khmelnytsky prepared and published a "guide essential for every administrator and lawyer" — the "Guide to Russian Laws." This was one of the first attempts to summarize and systematize Russian legislation (the first edition of the Code of Laws of the Russian Empire was only published in 1842).
In addition, he developed and implemented a project to use private sums that had remained unclaimed in various government offices for over ten years. He identified 700 million rubles, which, by decree of the Senate, were transferred to the Committee for the Welfare (Guardianship) of Distinguished Civil Officials.
These initiatives attracted the attention of the Ministry of the Interior, and in 1824, Khmelnytsky was invited as an official for special assignments. Five years later, by imperial decree, he was appointed Governor of Smolensk.
One of the oldest cities in Russia struggled to recover from the devastation caused by the war with France. A competent leader was needed to restore the destroyed province. Khmelnytsky succeeded in securing an interest-free loan of 1 million rubles. With these funds, hundreds of stone and wooden houses were built, including schools, hospitals, a cathedral, and a library. The central streets were paved with stone and brick rubble, and bridges were constructed in the provincial and several district towns.
Khmelnytsky's efforts received full support from the higher authorities. On September 3, 1832, Tsar Nicholas I visited Smolensk and, after his tour, expressed his satisfaction with the governor's efforts to rebuild the city. As a reward, he awarded Khmelnytsky the "Star" — the Order of Saint Stanislaus of the First Class.
Alongside his official duties, Khmelnytsky developed a deep passion for literary creativity. In fact, he achieved such success in this field that today he is better known as a playwright than as a participant in the Napoleonic Wars, a governor, or a mining engineer.
Nikolai Ivanovich was involved in translations and adaptations of French playwrights' works. During his time at the Mining Corps, in 1806, he translated Pierre-Laurent Belloy's tragedy Zelmira. His true success came with the production of Le Parleur by de Boissy in 1817, which Khmelnytsky shortened and, infusing it with "Petersburg" realities, transformed into a graceful "salon" comedy. He staged his comedies and vaudevilles in the Petersburg theaters, gaining increasing popularity with audiences. In 1829, his vaudeville New Paris was performed on the stage of the Imperial Theatre in Moscow.
Through his productions of "society" comedies, Khmelnytsky had a significant influence on Russian dramaturgy and prose of the 1820s and 1830s, earning admiration from his contemporaries, including Alexander Pushkin, who referred to him in letters as "my favorite poet." Critics agree that certain elements of Khmelnytsky's plotlines were borrowed and reworked by Pushkin, Gogol, and Griboedov. Incidentally, it was in the same Petersburg house on the Fontanka River, built with funds granted by Catherine II, where Pushkin first read Woe from Wit to its author.
During his eight years as governor, Nikolai Khmelnytsky significantly narrowed the "time gap" between the capital and the provincial town of Smolensk in economic, political, cultural, and other matters, leaving behind the warmest memories among the city's residents.
However, the former "aide-de-camp" of Kutuzov had not only admirers but also detractors. He faced numerous denunciations—from landowners for "disregard for the noble class," from the Orthodox clergy for his liberal stance toward the "harmful weeds of schism," and from local officials for his "disagreements with them over official duties." In 1838, when significant expenditures and abuses were discovered during the construction of the Smolensk-Moscow highway, Khmelnytsky was blamed for everything. He was arrested and sent to the Peter and Paul Fortress, although, as usual, this was primarily the place for the most important political prisoners of the country. Tsar Nicholas I's remark about the situation became famous: "It would have been cheaper to pave this road with silver rubles than with stone."
Five years later, after his imprisonment, the well-known engineer, playwright, and governor was declared innocent. None of the suspicions against him were confirmed, but, according to contemporaries, he emerged from prison as a "completely unrecognizable person"—sick and nearly blind. A trip abroad did not help, and in 1845, Khmelnytsky passed away.
