▁born ▁in ▁Saint ▁Petersburg ▁on ▁ 1 6 ▁September ▁ 1 7 4 5 . ▁ ▁His ▁father , ▁Lieutenant - General ▁Ill ar ion ▁Mat ve ev ich ▁K ut uz ov , ▁had ▁served ▁for ▁ 3 0 ▁years ▁with ▁the ▁Corps ▁of ▁Engine ers , ▁had ▁seen ▁action ▁against ▁the ▁Tur ks ▁and ▁served ▁under ▁Peter ▁the ▁Great . ▁ ▁Mik h ail ▁K ut uz ov ' s ▁mother ▁came ▁from ▁the ▁noble ▁family ▁of ▁Bek lem is he v . ▁Given ▁his ▁father ' s ▁distinguished ▁service ▁and ▁his ▁mother ' s ▁high ▁birth , ▁K ut uz ov ▁had ▁contact ▁with ▁the ▁imperial ▁Roman ov ▁family ▁from ▁an ▁early ▁age . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 7 5 7 , ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 1 2 , ▁K ut uz ov ▁entered ▁an ▁el ite ▁military - engine ering ▁school ▁as ▁a ▁cad et ▁private . ▁He ▁quickly ▁became ▁popular ▁with ▁his ▁pe ers ▁and ▁teachers ▁al ike , ▁prov ing ▁himself ▁to ▁be ▁highly ▁intellig ent , ▁and ▁showed ▁bra very ▁in ▁his ▁school ' s ▁numerous ▁horse - ra ces . ▁K ut uz ov ▁studied ▁military ▁and ▁civil ▁subjects ▁there , ▁learned ▁to ▁speak ▁French , ▁German ▁and ▁English ▁flu ently , ▁and ▁later ▁studied ▁Polish , ▁Swedish , ▁and ▁Turkish ; ▁his ▁lingu istic ▁skills ▁served ▁him ▁well ▁throughout ▁his ▁career . ▁In ▁October ▁ 1 7 5 9 , ▁he ▁became ▁a ▁corpor al . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 7 6 2