Nikolai Pavlovich Bobyr (; ; 14 January 1854 – December 1920) was an

Imperial Russian Army The Imperial Russian Army () was the army of the Russian Empire, active from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was organized into a standing army and a state militia. The standing army consisted of Regular army, regular troops and ...

general of the cavalry General of the Cavalry () was a General officer rank in the cavalry in various states of which the modern states of German and Austria are successors or in other armies which used the German model. Artillery officers of equivalent rank were called ...

. He was

commandant Commandant ( or ; ) is a title often given to the officer in charge of a military (or other uniformed service) training establishment or academy. This usage is common in English-speaking nations. In some countries it may be a military or police ...

of the Novogeorgievsk Fortress from 1907 to 1915, and saw action there during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

Biography

Bobyr was the son of

Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

Pavel Matveyevich Bobyr. He graduated from the Petrovsky Poltava military gymnasium. In 1873 he graduated from the

Mikhailovsky Artillery Academy Russia has a number of military academies of different specialties. This article primarily lists institutions of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation rather than those of the Soviet Armed Forces. Russian institutions designated as an "aca ...

. He served in the Imperial Russian Army

horse artillery Horse artillery was a type of light, fast-moving, and fast-firing field artillery that consisted of light cannons or howitzers attached to light but sturdy two-wheeled carriages called caissons or limbers, with the individual crewmen riding on h ...

. During the Russian-Turkish War of 1877–1878, Bobyr was part of the force guarding the

Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal sea, marginal Mediterranean sea (oceanography), mediterranean sea lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bound ...

coast in the

Odessa ODESSA is an American codename (from the German language, German: ''Organisation der ehemaligen SS-Angehörigen'', meaning: Organization of Former SS Members) coined in 1946 to cover Ratlines (World War II aftermath), Nazi underground escape-pl ...

region. He was promoted to

staff captain Staff captain is the English translation of a number of military ranks: Historical use of the rank Czechoslovakia In the Czechoslovak Army, until 1953, staff captain (, ) was a senior captain rank, ranking between captain and major. Estonia T ...

in 1879. In April 1882 he graduated in the first category from the Nikolaev Academy of the General Staff. He then was assigned to the

headquarters Headquarters (often referred to as HQ) notes the location where most or all of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. The term is used in a wide variety of situations, including private sector corporations, non-profits, mil ...

of the

Kharkov Military District The Kharkov Military District () was a military district of the Russian Empire, the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, and the Soviet Union. Throughout its history, the district headquarters was located in the city of Kharkov in northeast ...

. On 24 November 1882 he became senior

adjutant Adjutant is a military appointment given to an Officer (armed forces), officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of “human resources” in an army unit. The term is used in French-speaking armed ...

to the headquarters of the 5th Infantry Division.

In Siberia

On 28 October 1884, Bobyr was assigned duty as the ''ispravleniye dolzhnosti'' ("post correction")In the Russian Empire, ''ispravleniye dolzhnosti'' ("post correction") indicated the performance by an official of the military duties of a post, using all the rights established for this post, prior to receiving formal approval perform those duties. "Correction" of a post applied to those cases when 1) due to the absence of the person holding the position, duties were temporarily assigned to another person (in relation to more important posts, such as those held by ministers, governors, police officers, leaders of the nobility, judges, and prosecutors, the law indicated who was called and in what order they were called to re-establish — or "correct" — the position in the absence of the person holding it); 2) in order to test a person’s abilities before assigning that person permanently to the position, the person filled the post for a trial period of no more than four months, which counted in the person's active service in the post if the person later received a permanent assignment to the post; or 3) authorities appointed a person to a position that required imperial approval of the appointment prior to receiving an imperial order granting such approval, with the appointed person receiving a full salary until the issuance of the necessary imperial order for the person's appointment. When "correcting" a position, an official or a military officer filling the position received the salary assigned to him only if the position was vacant and if the official appointed to ("correcting") the position no longer received any other salary. staff officer for assignments at the headquarters of the

East Siberian Military District The East Siberian Military District was a Military district of the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union, which existed between 1865—1884, 1920—1923 and 1945—1953. Between 1884-1919, it was known as the Irkutsk Military District. History The ...

. From April 1884 to January 1885 served in

Kamchatka The Kamchatka Peninsula (, ) is a peninsula in the Russian Far East, with an area of about . The Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Okhotsk make up the peninsula's eastern and western coastlines, respectively. Immediately offshore along the Pacific ...

to collect statistical information about the Kamchatka

Cossacks The Cossacks are a predominantly East Slavic languages, East Slavic Eastern Christian people originating in the Pontic–Caspian steppe of eastern Ukraine and southern Russia. Cossacks played an important role in defending the southern borde ...

. On 20 July 1884, during the reorganization of the East Siberian Military District into the Irkutsk Military District, he became headquarters officer for special assignments under the commander of the district. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1885. From May to October 1887, he headed an expedition to the

Sayan Mountains The Sayan Mountains (, ; ) are a mountain range in southern Siberia spanning southeastern Russia (Buryatia, Irkutsk Oblast, Krasnoyarsk Krai, Tuva and Khakassia) and northern Mongolia. Before the rapid expansion of the Tsardom of Russia, the mou ...

to study the border region of

Irkutsk Province Irkutsk Oblast (; ) is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast), located in southeastern Siberia in the basins of the Angara River, Angara, Lena River, Lena, and Nizhnyaya Tunguska Rivers. The administrative center is ...

. He was promoted to

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

in 1890.

Cavalry service

On 27 February 1891 Bobyr assumed duty as the ''ispravleniye dolzhnosti'' ("post correction")

chief of staff The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supportin ...

of the 2nd Cavalry Division. On 23 December 1892 he was seconded to the 8th

Dragoon Dragoons were originally a class of mounted infantry, who used horses for mobility, but dismounted to fight on foot. From the early 17th century onward, dragoons were increasingly also employed as conventional cavalry and trained for combat wi ...

Smolensk Smolensk is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River, west-southwest of Moscow. First mentioned in 863, it is one of the oldest cities in Russia. It has been a regional capital for most of ...

Regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, military service, service, or administrative corps, specialisation. In Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of l ...

for a practical study of the conditions of

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from ''cheval'' meaning "horse") are groups of soldiers or warriors who Horses in warfare, fight mounted on horseback. Until the 20th century, cavalry were the most mob ...

service. On 5 November 1894, he was seconded to the headquarters of the

Vilna Military District Vilna Military District () was a military district of the Imperial Russian Army. The district was formed in 1862 as part of Russian military reforms and was responsible for parts of modern Belarus, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland. The district was di ...

. On 9 January 1895 he was appointed chief of staff of the 3rd Cavalry Division. On 15 September 1895, he was appointed commander of the 49th Dragoon Arkhangelogorod Regiment. From March to July 1908, he temporarily commanded the 1st Separate Cavalry

Brigade A brigade is a major tactical military unit, military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute ...

. In 1911 he was promoted to

Fortress service

On 24 November 1899 Bobyr was appointed chief of staff of the

Kovno Kaunas (; ) is the second-largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius, the fourth largest List of cities in the Baltic states by population, city in the Baltic States and an important centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaun ...

Fortress. He was promoted to major general in 1899. On 24 July 1900, he became chief of staff of the

Osovets Fortress Osowiec Fortress (; ) is a 19th-century fortress built by the Russian Empire, located in what is now north-eastern Poland. It saw heavy fighting during World War I when it was defended for several months by its Russian garrison against Germa ...

. On 14 February 1907 he was appointed commandant of the Novogeorgievsk Fortress. During

, Bobyr led the Russian defense of the fortress in July–August 1915, which culminated in the

Imperial German Army The Imperial German Army (1871–1919), officially referred to as the German Army (), was the unified ground and air force of the German Empire. It was established in 1871 with the political unification of Germany under the leadership of Kingdom o ...

Siege of Novogeorgievsk The siege of Novogeorgievsk was a battle of World War I fought after the Germans broke the Russian defenses in Paul von Hindenburg's Bug-Narew Offensive. In terms of the ratio of casualties and trophies, the German victory at Novogeorgievsk su ...

of 10–25 August 1915. When German troops captured the fortress, he was captured. He became a

prisoner of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of war for a ...

in an officer's camp in Blankenburg,

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

Later life

After World War I, he returned to

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

, where the

Russian Civil War The Russian Civil War () was a multi-party civil war in the former Russian Empire sparked by the 1917 overthrowing of the Russian Provisional Government in the October Revolution, as many factions vied to determine Russia's political future. I ...

was underway. He lived in

Yalta Yalta (: ) is a resort town, resort city on the south coast of the Crimean Peninsula surrounded by the Black Sea. It serves as the administrative center of Yalta Municipality, one of the regions within Crimea. Yalta, along with the rest of Crime ...

to rest and convalesce, and did not serve in the

White Army The White Army, also known as the White Guard, the White Guardsmen, or simply the Whites, was a common collective name for the armed formations of the White movement and Anti-Sovietism, anti-Bolshevik governments during the Russian Civil War. T ...

. In December 1920, he was shot in Yalta by decision of the three

Crimea Crimea ( ) is a peninsula in Eastern Europe, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, almost entirely surrounded by the Black Sea and the smaller Sea of Azov. The Isthmus of Perekop connects the peninsula to Kherson Oblast in mainland Ukrain ...

n strike groups of the special divisions of the

Cheka The All-Russian Extraordinary Commission ( rus, Всероссийская чрезвычайная комиссия, r=Vserossiyskaya chrezvychaynaya komissiya, p=fsʲɪrɐˈsʲijskəjə tɕrʲɪzvɨˈtɕæjnəjə kɐˈmʲisʲɪjə, links=yes), ...

under the

Revolutionary Military Council The Revolutionary Military Council (), sometimes called the Revolutionary War Council Brian PearceIntroductionto Fyodor Raskolnikov s "Tales of Sub-lieutenant Ilyin." or ''Revvoyensoviet'' (), was the supreme military authority of Soviet Rus ...

of the

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...

's Southern and

Southwestern The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A ''compass rose'' is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each ...

Front Front may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''The Front'' (1943 film), a 1943 Soviet drama film * '' The Front'', 1976 film Music * The Front (band), an American rock band signed to Columbia Records and active in the 1980s and ...

s.'' Л. М. Абраменко.'' Багреевка
Гл. «Судный день 7 декабря 1920 года»
/ '' Анна Галиченко, Леонид Абраменко.'' Под сенью Ай-Петри. Ялта в омуте истории, 1920—1921 годы. — Феодосия: Коктебель, 2006

Personal life

Bobyr was married to Sofiya Leonidovna Karpinskaya. They had one daughter, Nadezhda (1891–1907).

Awards and honors

Order of Saint Stanislaus The Order of Saint Stanislaus (, ), also spelled Stanislas, was a Polish order of knighthood founded in 1765 by King Stanisław August Poniatowski of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. It remained under the Congress Poland, Kingdom of Pola ...

, Third Class (30 August 1884) *

Order of Saint Vladimir The Imperial Order of Saint Prince Vladimir () was an Imperial Russian order established on by Empress Catherine the Great, Catherine II in memory of the deeds of Vladimir I, Prince of Kiev, Saint Vladimir, the Grand Prince and the Baptizer of ...

, Fourth Class (3 February 1886) *

, Second Class (6 May 1889) * Order of Saint Anna ribbon bar

Order of Saint Anna The Imperial Order of Saint Anna (; also "Order of Saint Anne" or "Order of Saint Ann") was a Holstein ducal and then Russian imperial order of chivalry. It was established by Karl Friedrich, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp, on 14 February 1735, in hono ...

, Second Class (21 May 1893) *

, Third Class (14 May 1886) *

, First Class (6 December 1903) * Order of Saint Anna ribbon bar

, First Class (1 January 1906) *

, Second Class (14 May 1886) (6 December 1909) * RUS Order White Eagle BAR

Order of the White Eagle (6 December 1913) * Russian Imperial Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky ribbon bar

Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky The Imperial Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky was an order of chivalry of the Russian Empire first awarded on by Empress Catherine I of Russia. History The introduction of the Imperial Order of Saint Alexander Nevsky was envisioned by Emperor ...

(25 October 1914)

Notes

References

Footnotes

Bibliography

*'' Гущин Ф. А., Жебровский С. С.'' Пленные генералы Российской императорской армии 1914–1917. — Русский путь, 2010. — *
Фотография
* ''Афонасенко И. М., Бахурин Ю. А.'
на Висле
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bobyr, Nikolai Pavlovich 1854 births 1920 deaths Russian military personnel of the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878) Russian military personnel of World War I Imperial Russian Army generals Victims of the Red Terror in Soviet Russia Recipients of the Order of St. Anna, 2nd class Recipients of the Order of St. Anna, 1st class Recipients of the Order of St. Vladimir, 2nd class