Nadezhda Andreevna Durova (1783–1866) - the first female officer in Russia, a Russian Amazon, a talented writer, a mysterious person who lived under a man's name. Nadezhda Durova, with the rank of lieutenant, took part in the fighting of the Patriotic War, received in the Battle of Borodino concussion. She was an adjutant to Field Marshal M.I. Kutuzov, and went with him to Tarutino. She took part in the campaigns of 1813–1814, distinguished herself during the siege of the Modlin fortress, and in the battles of Hamburg. She received several awards for her bravery, including the soldier's St. George's Cross. Many of our contemporaries are more or less aware of the military exploits of Nadezhda Andreevna Durova. But few know that she also accomplished a heroic feat in the field of Russian literature - her literary activity was blessed by A. S. Pushkin, and her works were read in enlightened Russia in the thirties and forties of the 19th century. The real biography of Nadezhda Durova is, perhaps, much more adventurous and controversial than the romantic story depicted in Eldar Ryazanov’s film “The Hussar Ballad,” so beloved by us.