Lieutenant Rzhevsky has long become a symbol of the hussar, a brave cavalryman, a war hero, as well as a well-known alcoholic, party-goer, and womanizer, never missing an opportunity for romantic adventures. However, this image is more of a composite, and the true prototype could be Alexey Petrovich Burtsov. He was born in 1783 in Lipetsk and chose a military career, joining the Belarusian Hussar Regiment, where his amusing stories began.

In his squadron, Burtsov was recognized as the best rider and master of fencing, but his comrades remembered him more for his extravagant lifestyle: he never missed a party, could ride a horse into the house of the local nobility on a bet, and loved card games. The hussars also recall another amusing incident. Once, while drunk, Burtsov heard that a young peasant girl was being forcibly married in a neighboring village. He decided to save her, jumped on his horse, and raced to the wedding. Bursting into the house, he grabbed the bride, shouting that she was now free, and ran to his horse. It later turned out that the feelings between the newlyweds were mutual.

In his relationships with women, Alexey Petrovich was fickle, although he experienced a great love. His passionate and absurd romance with a local Polish girl was remembered by many. He courted her for a long time and read his poems to her, despite the fact that she understood not a word of Russian. In the end, they did not come together, and soon the war of 1812 began, forcing him to leave his post.

In battles, Burtsov proved himself to be a true hero and a formidable warrior. He was wounded several times but always returned to duty. Unfortunately, his death was as absurd as his life. During the Foreign Campaign, while heavily intoxicated, he bet that he could jump over a high fence on his horse. Ultimately, he crashed into the outskirts and fractured his skull. Alexey Burtsov died in a roadside inn on his way to the hospital at the age of 30.