PATRICK GORDON A SCOTTISH SOLDIER OF MISFORTUNE
By Stephen Wilson
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| Stephen Wilson next to grave of Patrick Gordon in Moscow. |
We had been searching for the grave of General Patrick Gordon in the German
graveyard in Moscow for years. But no matter how much we looked in this
graveyard, his grave proved elusive. Then, with a stroke of luck, Oksana
Chebotareva embarked on a free excursion of the graveyard where the
historian Alexi Thomasmart led her to this largely secluded boulder. The
inscription on the gravestone was in German. The guide, Thomasmart told
Second City Teacher that: "Many Russians make the error of believing that this
is the grave of Francis Lefort as they notice his name is also on it but the
inscription only points out he was the companion of Lefort." The guide also
pointed out that the name 'German graveyard' is a misnomer as the cemetery
caters for all foreigners. I and Jim Vail recently encountered the gravestone
of an early 19th century teacher,who had been married to a Russian and died
in Moscow. Somethings never change over the centuries.
If we finally found the grave of Peter the Great's boon companion, Patrick
Gordon,we almost certainly won't find the grave of Lefort. That is because
he does not have one. Nobody knows where his grave is. It has vanished
into obscurity. All that remains in the graveyard is his ghost who is reputed
to haunt the cemetery in the early hours of the morning with faint music
coming from his flute.
We would not have found this gravestone without the provision of a free
excursion. All summer, the local authorities have been providing at least
500 free excursions, in Russian, as well as a few in English. What is more,
many of those excursions are led by very enthusiastic and excellent
guides. They consider this work not as 'just another job' but rather a passion.
For instance, one guide, Maxim, gave us an intriguing excursion around most
of the buildings which the writer Mikhail Bulgakov stayed in.
But who exactly was Patrick Gordon? The mention of his name among
most local Russians and Scots draws a blank stare. I never even heard his
name surface when having a lesson on Peter the Great at school. General
Patrick Gordon was, next to Francis Lefort, one of Peter the Great's right
hand men. He was a mercenary born in 1635, near Aberdeen in Auchleuchries.
As a Catholic, due to discrimination, he found he had no future prospects at
home in terms of entering university or taking up a military career. Seeing no
future in Scotland, he went abroad to seek his fortune . After 2 years in a
Jesuit college in Brandenburg, he dropped out to pursue a military career as
a soldier of fortune. Gordon changed sides more than four times. He fought
for the Swedes, then the Poles, then again, the Swedes, and Poles again.
Each time he was captured , he changed sides. In 1660, the restoration
happened so Gordon decided to return home to Scotland. But just before
he left, he bumped into a Russian officer who made him a tantalizing offer.
Gordon was offered the rank of major if he signed a contract for 3 years.
Gordon agreed. He signed! But he had made the biggest mistake in his life.
After entering and serving Russia he discovered the contract was
meaningless. They would not allow him to return home. When he kept asking
permission he was threatened with imprisonment or exile in Siberia as 'a Polish
spy'. His experience lends substance to a common joke in Scotland. 'It is easy
to get into Russia but very difficult to get out'.
Gordon served under at least 4 Tsars who included Tsar Alexis, Fedor , the Regent Sophia and of course Peter the Great . The last Tsar he liked the most because Peter the Great
greatly respected his knowledge and was an enthusiastic pupil of him.
Gordon, who was brave, had traveled much and was endowed with a lot
of practical wisdom, appealed to Peter. Both admired each other. When Gordon
died in 1699, Peter the Great was at his deathbed and closed his eyes. Peter the
Great greatly mourned him. He declared: "The state has lost in him an ardent and courageous servant who has steered us safely through many calamities. "
Without Gordon's timely assistance , Peter the Great might have been overthrown.
According to Kochan and Abraham's work 'The making of Russian History ':
'Gordon's friendship was of critical importance to Peter in 1682, when he rallied
the foreign mercenaries to Peter, thereby sealing the doom of the Regent Sophia.'
How did Gordon managed to live in Russia for so long when he yearned so much
to return to Scotland? Gordon did not feel at home in Russia. In the diaries ,he
presents an unflattering picture of his hosts whom he considered vain, boastful
and deeply prejudiced against foreigners. In one excerpt he writes: 'Strangers,
were looked upon as a company of hirelings and best {'as they say of woman'}
but necessaria mala {a necessary evil} : no honors or degrees of preferment to
be expected here but military, and that with a limited command , no marrying with
natives, strangers being looked upon by the best sort as scarcely Christian, and
by plebeians as mere pagans and the worst of all the pay small.' The Patriach
protested when Peter the Great invited Gordon to a christening of his son. Many
Russians resented the fact the foreign officers received higher pay than them
as well as better terms of service. Some wanted to drive all foreigners out of
Russia. Gordon must have felt this prejudice and taken it hard. A brilliant
Russian historian who has recently translated Gordon's diaries into Russian,
Dmitri Fedosov confessed to us at a lecture: " I just don't know how Gordon
managed to endure staying for such a long time in Russia with such an attitude
towards Russia". It seems that he remained because he was a prisoner. Gordon
was given permission to visit Scotland twice on the condition he return. Should
he have violated this agreement his wife and children would have been punished.
The diaries reveal an almost stereotypical Scot. Gordon meticulously, in painfully
minute detail describes everything he bought and at what price. He was very
frugal, disciplined and drank well. He had a strong sense of honor and fought
duels against anyone who dared to deeply offend him. Unless one has the
diligence of a conscientious historian, you can skip the tedious passages on
how he purchased every item and at what price for more important details
concerning how he fought the Turks and acted during the revolt of the Regent
Sophia.
Although Patrick Gordon was a great soldier, he hardly proved the best sailor .
Being made a Vice Admiral , he once nearly sank the yacht he was sailing in
by confounding the crosses in a cemetery on the coast with the masts of
ships he was supposed to be following. From this perspective , he might forgive
Russians for believing his gravestone belonged to Francis Lefort!
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