page_title: Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Bibikov
section_title: Action in the Napoleonic Wars
hierarchical_section_title: Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Bibikov / Action in the Napoleonic Wars
context_page_description: Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Bibikov was an officer of the Imperial Russian Army, who saw service during the Russo-Swedish War and the Napoleonic Wars. He was ambassador to several countries, and also served as a senator in the Governing Senate.
  Born into a noble family as the son of an eminent general of Empress Elizabeth's service, Aleksandr Bibikov was enrolled into the lists of the Izmaylovsky Regiment at just three years old. After his father's death on campaign in 1774, the younger Bibikov was promoted to officer status at nine years old, and by the time he was old enough to join the ranks of his regiment, he already held the rank of captain. He served in the Empress Catherine's retinue for a time, before taking part in the Russo-Swedish War, and seeing action on a number of occasions. Wounded in battle, and presented several awards, he entered the civil service during the years of peace, and was given various state and diplomatic appointments by the Emperor Paul I.
context_section_description: Bibikov and his militia went into action on 6 October 1812 took part in the Second Battle of Polotsk. The militia took the lead in storming the city, and were the first troops to enter it. For his service at the battle he was later awarded the Order of St. George Third Class on 3 January 1813. With the combining of Wittgenstein's force with Fabian Steinheil's Bibikov was given command over the front line of the army, consisting of the Perm, Sevsk and Kaluga infantry regiments, chasseurs and cavalry squadrons, and 30 cannon. Bibikov and his men fought at Battle of Chashniki on 31 October 1812, and at Battle of Smoliani on 13-14 November.  At Smoliani Bibikov was wounded in the leg by a bullet, but remained on the battlefield until the end. He went on to see action at the Battle of Borisov, and at the Battle of Berezina from 26 to 29 November 1812. Unable to walk or ride because of his wound, he commanded the battle while being moved around on a sleigh; when the team of horses pulling the sleigh were killed, he supported himself by leaning on the shoulder of an adjutant.
  In December Bibikov and his forces, pursuing the retreating French, entered Prussia. His militia had suffered heavily during the campaign, with only 900 surviving from his original force of 12,000. They nevertheless fought at Pitkonen and Labiau, and at the occupation of Königsberg. Bibikov then asked Wittgenstein for permission to stay at Königsberg to reorganise his severely reduced forces. While resting at Königsberg his forces presented him with a golden sword with the inscriptions "For faith and the Tsar", and  "To Senator Bibikov, from the St. Petersburg militia".  After reorganising his forces, Bibikov advanced his men to Pillau, and on 6 February 1813 joined the forces besieging Danzig. Here Bibikov fell ill and was forced to return to Königsberg for a period to recuperate.  He rejoined the siege on 16 June and was assigned to command the Kaluga militia. He carried out a restructuring of the militia, before gaining permission on 10 July to resign on health grounds. As a mark of favour for his service, Emperor Alexander I gave permission for Bibikov to continue to wear his militia general's uniform. Bibikov took a leave of absence from the Senate on 15 October 1813, returning to St. Petersburg for a period, before resuming his post in the first branch of the 3rd Department of the Senate. During this time he wrote a history of his father's service in Pugachev's Rebellion, Notes on the Life and Service of Alexander Ilyich Bibikov, which was published in St. Petersburg in 1817.  Bibikov's portrait was one of those painted by the studio of George Dawe for display in the Military Gallery of the Winter Palace, to commemorate the important generals and military leaders of the war with France.
caption: Napoleon's crossing of the Berezina, a 1866 painting by January Suchodolski. Wounded in an earlier engagement, Bibikov fought the battle from a sleigh.
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