An impression of how the
Russian army looked like in the battle of Poltava is given on this page. The
uncertainties are however many because the pieces of information about
Russian uniforms (all collected from Lars-Eric Höglund's book) are few and
fragmentary. I have on this page chosen to show the known uniform details
for each regiment that are closest in time with the battle of Lesnaya. Uniforms
colours could however often change dramatically when regiments received new
uniforms, which happened within regular intervals. I have in those cases
where the uniform information is incomplete solved the problem by adding a
question mark if the stocking colour or headgear is unknown. I have as a
rule assumed that lining, facings, breeches and waistcoats had the same
colour if any of these cloths items are not mentioned. If only the colour of
the coat is known have I made qualified guesses and illustrated the facings
as red or green. These highly speculative
uniforms are depicted with a
grey background.
Finally I have made the colour of the hat trims white and buttons of brass
in those cases were this is unknown.
The order of battle on this
page is mostly based on information from Bertil Wennerholm's book "Emporterade
troféer" (specifically the so called Peter the Great's plan).
None of the horse grenadier regiments are however mentioned by their
individual names in that order of battle. These have been identified by
using Angus Konstam's book "Poltava
1709 - Russia comes of age". The presentation of the dragoon
regiments in Heinske's and Volkonsky's commands are based on information
from the Russian historian Pavel Krutov.
Right
(North) Wing
Menshikov's
Life Squadron
A. Kropotov's Horse Grenadiers
von der Roops hästgrenadjärer
Moscowski
Vladimirski
Sibirski
Nizhegorodski
Vyatski
Belozerski
Nevski
Archangelgorodski
G. Kropotov's Horse Grenadiers
Centre (Was deployed in two lines.
Each regiment had half of its battalions in each line.
If the number of battalions in a regiment was not even then the odd
battalion stood in the first line)
Golitsyn's Division
Bieltz' Grenadier Regiment
(1 battalion)
Preobrazhenski
(4 battalions)
Semenovski
(3 battalions)
Ingermanlandski
(3 battalions)
Astrachanski
(2 battalions)
Repnin's Division
Repnins Grenadier Regiment
(2 battalions)
Kievski
(3 battalions)
Schlüsselburgski
(2 battalions)
Narvski
(3 battalions)
Novgorodski
(2 battalions)
Butyrski
(2 battalions)
Hallart's Division
Moscowski
(3 battalions)
Sibirski
(2 battalions)
Pskovski
(2 battalions)
Kazanski
(2 battalions)
Vologodski (2 battalions)
Nizhegorodski
(2 battalions)
Busch's Grenadier Regiment
(2 battalions)
Left (South) Wing
Yaroslavski
Novgorodski
Vologodski
Ingermanlandski
Kievski
Life Regiment
Redoubt Garrison (Including the ten redoubts
passed by the Swedish army and possibly two redoubts at Yakovtsy)
Belgorodski
(3 battalions)
Verden's Regiment
(2 battalions)
Yamburgski (2 battalions)
Nelidov's Regiment (2 battalions)
K. Nekludov's Regiment (2 battalions)
Nechaev's Streltsy Regiment (2 battalions)
Post at Yakovtsy
(Fought the Vallack Regiment)
Artillery
(Kargopolski Regiment added manpower to the
gun crews)
Rostovski
Dragoon Regiment
Ustyuzhski Dragoon Regiment
Artillery Regiment
Kargopolski Infantry Regiment
According to Peter Englund there were eight
squadrons (i.e. two dragoon regiments) at Yakovtsy together with two infantry battalions.
I have got the names of the dragoon regiments from Nicholas Dorrell's
book "The Dawn of the Tsarist Empire".
The infantry is however unknown but they may have been part of the force
mentioned as garrison in the redoubts.
Heinske's and Rentzel's Commands (Did not participate in the main
battle but fought the lost Swedish battalions commanded by Roos)
Smolenski
Dragoon Regimett
Troitski
Dragoon Regiment
Yamburgski
Dragoon Regiment
Kargopolski Dragoon Regiment
Ranenburgski
Dragoon Squadron
Koporski
(2 battalions)
Tobolski
(2 battalions)
von Fichtenheim's Regiment
(1 battalion)
Reinforcements to Rentzel
Left in the Fortified Camp
Rostovski
(2 battalions)
du Bois' Grenadier Regiment
(1 battalion)
Bieltz' Grenadier Regiment
(1 battalion)
Apraxin's Regiment
(1 battalion)
Troitski
(2 battalions)
Rentzel's Regiment
(2 battalions)
Lefort's Regiment
(2 battalions)
du Bois' Grenadier Regimentt
(1 battalion)
Volkonskij's Command (Six dragoon regiments which were
detached to support Skoropadsky's Cossacks)
Azovski
Kazanski
Novotroitski
Ryazanski
St. Petersburgski
Tverski
Poltava Garrison
Artillery Regiment
(c. 100 men)
Tverski
(2 battalions)
Ustyuzhski
(2 battalions)
Permski
(1 battalion)
Apraxin's Regiment
(1 battalion)
von Fichtenheim's Regiment
(1 battalion)
Poltava Cossack Regiment
(a few companies)
Armed townspeople
Finally I have to mention that Höglund's book states that many more
regiments participated in the battle of Poltava than those that are
presented here. Specifically an additional 16 regiments and then have Höglund
still left out three of the regiments on this page. Uniform information for
these 16 regiments can be
found here.
