Stoletov Nikolay Grigoryevich (1834-1912)

Stoletov Nikolay Grigoryevich

Russian commander, head of the Bulgarian home guard in the Russian-Turkish war of 1877-1878. General N.G. Stoletov, the hero of Shipka defense in July-December 1877, which was the most important battle of this war, as a result of which Bulgaria was liberated from the five-century Ottoman yoke. N.G. Stoletov was awarded many orders for participation in the liberation of Bulgaria, as well as the title of Honorary Citizen of Gabrovo. General Stoletov's name is given to streets of cities, settlements, to the top of Shipka pass (up to 1977).  N.G. Stoletov was born in Vladimir in a large, not wealthy, but educated merchant family. He graduated from the Vladimir Men's Gymnasium with a gold medal and without exams entered the physics and mathematics faculty of Moscow University, as later his younger brother Alexander did. But after graduating from university N.G. Stoletov decided to devote himself to military activities, participating in the battles of the Crimean War, which was the beginning of his military career. N.G. Stoletov was buried next to his relatives at the Prince-Vladimir cemetery in Vladimir. In 2009 the name of N.G. Stoletov and his brother, the world-famous physicist A.G. Stoletov, was assigned to Vladimir State University. Life and military achievements of  N.G. Stoletov are reflected in the exposition of the Stoletovs Memorial House-Museum in the center of Vladimir on the street named after the Stoletov Brothers (Stoletovs st., 3).