1. Peter Tekeli was a Russian general-in-chief of Serb origin.
20 Facts About Peter Tekeli
1. 2.
Peter Tekeli achieved the highest rank among the Serbs who served in the Imperial Russian Army.
3.
Peter Tekeli retired in 1790, and died two years later in his mansion at Novomirgorod.
4.
The Peter Tekeli family emigrated to the Kingdom of Hungary from the village of Tekija in eastern Serbia, long before the Great Serb Migrations.
5.
Peter Tekeli was a grandson of Jovan Tekelija and a son of Ranko Tekeli.
6.
The Peter Tekeli family was ever since regarded with mistrust by the Austrians, and Jovan's son Ranko never rose above the rank of captain.
7.
Peter Tekeli is best known in Russian historiography as Pyotr Abramovich.
8.
Peter Tekeli wanted to remain the commander of the Arad company, but his father was not willing to cede the authority.
9.
The ambitious Peter Tekeli decided to emigrate to the Russian Empire.
10.
Peter Tekeli applied for discharge from the Austrian army, which he was granted, and emigrated to Russia in 1748.
11.
Peter Tekeli was given the assignment to popularize the emigration to Russia among the Serbs of Pomorisje.
12.
In 1751 Peter Tekeli was promoted to the rank of captain.
13.
Peter Tekeli participated in the Battle of Zorndorf, the Battle of Kay and the decisive Battle of Kunersdorf in 1759, which marked Prussia's defeat in the war.
14.
Peter Tekeli contributed to the Russian capture of Berlin in 1760, where he was able to destroy a retreating rearguard of Prussian General Hulsen under Spandau.
15.
Peter Tekeli re-captured a Russian banner there, for which he was promoted to a major general and awarded with the Order of St Anna.
16.
Peter Tekeli allowed joint visits and gave permissions to the former Cossacks to leave the besieged Sich for personal reasons.
17.
When Peter Tekeli realized that some Cossacks ran off to the Danube where they formed the Danubian Sich, he reported that to the Empress, and received order to destroy the Sich.
18.
Peter Tekeli succinctly replied: "Forgive Horvat".
19.
In 1787 Peter Tekeli was made general-in-chief and placed in command of the Nizhny Novgorod Dragoon Regiment.
20.
In 1788 Peter Tekeli had a bad riding accident with a stallion which a Tatar chief gave him as a gift.