Title of the article:

RUSSIAN WARFARE HORSE IN THE 18th CENTURY (“GOLDEN AGE” OF CATHERINE II AND ITS BACKGROUND)

Author(s):

Bella L. Shapiro

Information about the author/authors

Bella L. Shapiro — PhD in History, Associate Professor, Russian State Humanitarian University, Miusskaya Sq. 6, 125993 Moscow, Russia. E-mail b.shapiro@mail.ru

Section

Theory and history of culture

Year

2019

Volume

Vol. 51

Pages

pp. 36–48

Received

May 24, 2018

Date of publication

March 28, 2019

Index UDK

008+930.85

Index BBK

71.1+63.3(2)513

Abstract

The article deals with the process of revival of the Russian warfare horse after its virtual vanishing caused by Peter the Great reforms. Under the circumstances, recreation of the battle horse for the Russian army actually came to be one of the most important social calls of the era. The paper displays dynamics of this process through different periods of the 18th century and highlights the key figures who contributed to the process the most, as follows: A. P. Volynsky and E. I. Biron, the Empress Elizabeth of Russia and later A. G. Orlov, A. V. Suvorov, G. A. Potemkin and P. A. Rumyantsev. As regards the main sources of the study the author drew upon the military-administrative documents and works of Russian commanders. The study focused on comparing the requirements to warfare horses in the 18th century with the results of domestic horse breeding during the given period. The research allowed to conclude that without the universal riding horse, successfully developed by A. G. Orlov, there would be no such brilliant victories of the Russian army — as the victories of A. V. Suvorov, G. A. Potemkin and P. A. Rumyantsev.

Keywords

Russia in the 18th century, Russian army, cavalry, the Romanov dynasty, Alexei Orlov, horse breeding, history of the horse.

References

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