Pyotr Gavrilovich Likhachev (1758, village of Tyagushi, Pskov Governorate — April 24, 1813, Porkhov, Pskov Governorate) was a Pskov nobleman. In 1783, he participated in the annexation of Crimea. A year later, he was promoted to second lieutenant.
In the Russo-Swedish War, Likhachev was awarded the rank of captain for his efforts in the Battle of Svensksund. In 1797, he became a lieutenant colonel and commander of the 16th Jaeger Regiment. After that, he became a colonel, and in 1798 — a major general.
In the period from 1793 to 1808, Pyotr Likhachev was on the Caucasian line and participated in skirmishes with the mountaineers. In 1807, he distinguished himself during the storming of the village of Khan-Kale, for which he received the Order of St. George, 3rd class.
In 1809, he led the Tomsk Musketeer Regiment, and in 1811 commanded the 24th Infantry Division. In the campaign of 1812, Likhachev participated in the defense of Smolensk, for which he was awarded diamond badges of the Order of St. Anna, 1st class.
In the Battle of Borodino, he came out of the reserve to defend the Raevsky redoubt. When the enemy was about to capture this area, not wanting to give up, Likhachev ran towards the bayonets. He was stunned, captured, and presented to Napoleon Bonaparte. In December, Pyotr Likhachev was released in Konigsberg. The commander managed to return to his homeland, but died soon from his wounds. He was buried in the family estate of Tyagushi.
In the 1820s, the portrait of Pyotr Gavrilovich Likhachev was painted by the English artist George Dawe. Like many others, this painting was displayed in the Military Gallery of the Winter Palace. The artist depicted Likhachev in a general’s military uniform of the 1817 model.
The general wears the star of the Order of Saint Anna, 1st class, along with the badges of the Orders of St. George, 3rd class, and St. Vladimir, 3rd class, as well as the commander’s cross of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, and silver and bronze medals “In memory of the Patriotic War.
The uniform was somewhat different from the one adopted in 1812. The artist also added medals that Pyotr Likhachev could not have received before his death. The original image that the artist used when painting the portrait could not be established. This reproduction from the collection of the Borodino Museum-Reserve was made in 1987 by Nina Petrovna Neratova.