About the book: 2014 / Mikhail Fedorovich Orlov (1788-1842) is one of the most romantic, vibrant and mysterious characters in Russian history of the first half of the 19th century. The nephew of Catherine's favorites, the Orlov brothers - Prince Gregory and Count Alexei Chesmensky, he received baptism of fire at Austerlitz, in the ranks of the Cavalry Guard Regiment. In 1812 he was a lieutenant, but carried out personal tasks for Alexander I and met with Napoleon; scout, partisan, combat commander - on April 19, 1814, he signed the capitulation of Paris and received the rank of major general. In the same year, he had to decide the fate of Norway... A member of the Arzamas literary society, Orlov was friends with A.S. Pushkin, P.A. Vyazemsky, D.V. Davydov, other famous writers; he stood at the origins of the first secret organizations in Russia and was ready to voluntarily move his 16th Infantry Division to help the Greeks who rebelled against Turkish rule, and then come to St. Petersburg... The emperor's aide-de-camp, M.F. Orlov could have made a career no less brilliant than his brother Alexei - Chairman of the State Council and Committee of Ministers, elevated to princely dignity - but it did not come true…