The battle of Borodino in 1812 is one of the most glorious pages Russian history. A lot has been written about him, which is quite fair and deserved. The right to be considered invincible for Russian soldiers was recognized by Napoleon, while he himself, according to his comrades-in-arms, considered the battle of Borodino in 1812 all his life (during French version Bataille de la Moskova) the most glorious of all fifty that he spent during his military career.

"Borodino" as a poetic chronicle of events

L. N. Tolstoy and Honore de Balzac, A. S. Pushkin and Prosper Merimee (and not only French and Russian classics) wrote brilliant novels, stories, essays dedicated to this legendary battle. But the poem “Borodino” by M. Yu. Lermontov, familiar from childhood, given all its poetic genius, ease of reading and intelligibility, can rightfully be considered a chronicle of those events and be called “The Battle of Borodino in 1812: a summary”.

Napoleon invaded our country on June 12 (24), 1812 in order to punish Russia for its refusal to participate in the blockade of Great Britain. “We retreated in silence for a long time...” - in each phrase there is a fragment of the history of this huge national victory.

Retreat as a brilliant decision of Russian commanders

Having survived the bloody and longer subsequent wars, we can say that they retreated not so long: the Battle of Borodino in 1812 (the month is indicated depending on the style) began at the end of August. The patriotism of the whole society was so high that the strategically justified withdrawal of troops was perceived by the majority of citizens as treason. Bagration called the then commander-in-chief a traitor right to his face. Retreating from the borders inland, M. B. Barclay de Tolly and M. I. Golenishchev-Kutuzov, who replaced him in this post - both infantry generals - wanted to save the Russian army, wait for reinforcements. In addition, the French were advancing very quickly, and it was not possible to prepare troops for battle. And the goal to exhaust the enemy was also present.

Aggressive discontent in society

The retreat, of course, caused dissatisfaction with both the old warriors and the civilian population of the country ("... the old people grumbled"). In order to dampen the indignation and ardor for a while, the talented commander Barclay de Tolly was dismissed from his post - as a foreigner, in the opinion of many, completely devoid of a sense of patriotism and love for Russia. But no less brilliant Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov continued his retreat, and retreated all the way to Smolensk, where the 1st and 2nd Russian armies were to join. And these pages of the war are full of exploits and Russian military leaders, especially Bagration, and ordinary soldiers, because Napoleon did not want to allow this reunion. And the fact that it did happen can already be regarded as one of the victories in this war.

Merging the two armies

Further, the united Russian army moved to the village of Borodino, which is 125 km from Moscow, where the famous battle of Borodino in 1812 took place. It became impossible to continue further retreat, Emperor Alexander demanded to stop the advance of the French army to Moscow. There was also the 3rd Western Army under the command of A.P. Tormasov, located much south of the first two (its main task was to prevent the capture of Kyiv by Austrian troops). In order to prevent the reunification of the 1st and 2nd Western armies, Napoleon sent the cavalry of the legendary Murat against Barclay de Tolly, and sent Marshal Davout against Bagration, who was subordinate to 3 columns of troops. In the current situation, retreat was the most reasonable decision. By the end of June, the 1st Western Army under the command of Barclay de Tolly received reinforcements and the first rest in the Drissa camp.

Army Darling

Pyotr Ivanovich Bagration, a representative of one of the glorious military dynasties of Russia, aptly described by M. Yu. Lermontov as “the servant of the tsar, the father of the soldiers”, had a harder time - he fought his way through, inflicting significant damage on Davout near the village of Saltanovka. He managed to force the Dnieper and join the 1st Army, leading a tough rearguard battle with French Marshal Joachim Murat, who was never a coward and covered himself with glory in the battle of Borodino. The Patriotic War of 1812 named the heroes of both sides. But Russian soldiers defended their homeland. Their fame will live forever. Even during the containment of Murat's cavalry, General Osterman-Tolstoy ordered his soldiers to "stand and die" for Russia, for Moscow.

Legends and real feats

Legends shrouded the names of famous generals. One of them, passed from mouth to mouth, says that Lieutenant General Raevsky raised his young children in his arms, dragging the soldiers into the attack by personal example. But the real fact of extraordinary courage is captured on the chromolithography of A. Safonov. Bleeding, wounded General Likhachev, brought under the arms to Napoleon, who was able to appreciate his courage and wanted to personally hand him a sword, rejected the gift of the conqueror of Europe. That is why the Battle of Borodino in 1812 is glorious, because absolutely everyone - from the commander to the simple soldier - performed incredible feats that day. So, the sergeant major of the Jaeger regiment Zolotov, who was on the Raevsky battery, jumped from the height of the mound onto the back of the French General Bonami and dragged him down, and the soldiers, left without a commander and confused, fled. As a result, the attack was thwarted. Moreover, the sergeant major delivered the captive Bonami to the command post, where M.I. Kutuzov immediately promoted Zolotov to an officer.

unjustly persecuted

The Battle of Borodino (1812) can undoubtedly be called a unique battle. But there is one in this uniqueness negative trait- it is recognized as the bloodiest among the one-day battles of all times and peoples: "... and the mountain of bloody bodies prevented the cannonballs from flying." However, most importantly, none of the commanders hid behind the backs of the soldiers. Thus, according to some evidence, full cavalier order of St. George, the war hero Barclay de Tolly, five horses were killed, but he never left the battlefield. But it was still necessary to endure the dislike of society. The battle of Borodino in 1812, where he showed personal courage, contempt for death and amazing heroism, changed the attitude of soldiers towards him, who had previously refused to greet him. And, despite all this, the clever general, even at the council in Fili, defended the idea of ​​​​surrendering the current capital to Napoleon, which Kutuzov expressed with the words "burn Moscow - save Russia."

Bagration flushes

Flesh is a field fortification, similar to a redan, smaller in size, but with a large angle facing the top towards the enemy. The most famous flashes in the history of wars are the Bagrationovs (originally "Semenovskie", after the name of a nearby village). The battle of Borodino in 1812, whose date according to the old style falls on August 26, has become famous for centuries heroic defense these fortifications. It was then that the legendary Bagration was mortally wounded. Refusing amputation, he died of gangrene, 17 days after the Battle of Borodino. It is said about him: "... smitten with damask steel, he sleeps in the damp earth." A warrior from God, a favorite of the entire army, he was able to raise troops to the attack with a single word. Even the name of the hero was deciphered as God-rati-on. Forces" great army"outnumbered the defenders of Russia in numbers, training, and technical equipment. An army of 25 thousand people, supported by 102 guns, was thrown into the flushes. She was opposed by 8 thousand Russian soldiers and 50 guns. However, the fierce attacks of the French were repulsed three times.

The power of the Russian spirit

The battle of Borodino in 1812 lasted 12 hours, the date of which rightfully became the Day of Russian military glory. From that moment on, the courage of the French army was lost forever, and its glory began to fade steadily. Russian soldiers, including 21,000 unfired militias, remained for centuries undefeated by the united army of all of Europe, therefore, the center and left flank occupied by the French immediately after the battle were withdrawn by Napoleon to their original positions. The whole war of 1812 (the Battle of Borodino in particular) incredibly rallied Russian society. In the epic of Leo Tolstoy, it is described how high society ladies, who, in principle, did not care about everything primordially Russian, appeared in the “society” with baskets for making dressings for the wounded. The spirit of patriotism was fashionable. This battle showed how high the military art of Russia is. The battlefield was brilliantly chosen. The field fortifications were built in such a way that they could not serve the French in case of capture.

sacramental phrase

Separate words deserve the Shevardinsky redoubt, the battle for which began two days earlier, not on August 26, 1812 (Battle of Borodino), but on August 24 (according to the old style). The defenders of this advanced position surprised and puzzled the French with their stamina and courage, because 10,000 cavalry, 30,000 infantry and 186 guns were thrown to take the redoubt. Attacked from three sides, the Russians held their positions until the start of the battle. One of the attacks on the French was personally led by Bagration, who forced the superior forces of the "invincible" to roll back from the fortification. From here came the phrase said in response to the question of Emperor Napoleon: “Why has the Shevardinsky redoubt not been taken yet?” - "Russians die, but do not give up!"

war heroes

The battle of Borodino in 1812 (September 8, according to a new style) demonstrated to the whole world the high professionalism of Russian officers. The Winter Palace has a Military Gallery, which contains 333 portraits of the heroes of the Battle of Borodino. The amazing work of the artist George Dow and his assistants V. A. Golike and A. V. Polyakov captured the color of the Russian army: the legendary Denis Davydov and A. P. Yermolov, Cossack chieftains M. I. Platov and F. P. Uvarov, A. A. Tuchkov and N. N. Raevsky - all these handsome men in magnificent uniforms, with insignia, arouse admiration among museum visitors. The military gallery makes a very strong impression.

Worthy memory

The battle of Borodino in 1812 (the month will forever remain double: the Day of Military Glory is celebrated in September, although the battle took place in August according to the old style) will forever remain in the memory of the descendants of those who gave their lives defending the Fatherland. Both literary works and masterpieces of architecture remind of him: the Arc de Triomphe in Moscow, the Narva Gates and the Alexandria Column in St. Petersburg, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior and the Borodino Battle Panorama Museum, a monument to the defenders of Smolensk and a stele on the site of the Raevsky battery, the manor -Durova's girls and Leo Tolstoy's immortal "War and Peace"... Do not count the monuments all over the country. And rightly so, because the day and month of the Battle of Borodino in 1812 changed self-awareness Russian society and left a mark in all its layers.

background

Since the beginning of the invasion of the French army into the territory Russian Empire in June of the year, Russian troops constantly retreated. The rapid advance and overwhelming numerical superiority of the French made it impossible for the commander-in-chief of the Russian army, General Barclay de Tolly, to prepare the troops for battle. The protracted retreat caused public discontent, so Alexander I removed Barclay de Tolly and appointed General of Infantry Kutuzov as commander-in-chief. However, he also had to retreat in order to gain time to gather all his forces.

On August 22 (according to the old style), the Russian army, retreating from Smolensk, settled down near the village of Borodino, 124 km from Moscow, where Kutuzov decided to give a general battle; it was impossible to postpone it further, since Emperor Alexander demanded that Kutuzov stop Napoleon's advance towards Moscow. On August 24 (September 5), the battle took place at the Shevardinsky redoubt, which delayed the French troops and made it possible for the Russians to build fortifications on the main positions.

The alignment of forces at the beginning of the battle

population

The total size of the Russian army is determined by memoirists and historians in a wide range of 110-150 thousand people:

Discrepancies are mainly related to the militia, the number of those participating in the battle is not exactly known. The militias were untrained, most armed only with pikes. They mainly performed auxiliary functions, such as building fortifications and removing the wounded from the battlefield. The discrepancy in the number of regular troops is due to the fact that the problem has not been resolved whether all the recruits brought by Miloradovich and Pavlishchev (about 10 thousand) were included in the regiments before the battle.

The size of the French army is estimated more definitely: 130-150 thousand people and 587 guns:

However, the registration of the militias in the Russian army implies the addition to the regular French army of numerous "non-combatants" who were present in the French camp and corresponded to the Russian militias in combat readiness. In this case, the size of the French army will also increase by 15-20 thousand (up to 150 thousand) people. Like the Russian militias, the French non-combatants performed auxiliary functions - carried out the wounded, carried water, etc.

It is important for military history to distinguish between the total strength of the army on the battlefield and the troops that were committed to battle. However, in terms of the balance of forces that took a direct part in the battle on August 26, the French army also had a numerical superiority. According to the encyclopedia "Patriotic War of 1812", at the end of the battle, Napoleon had 18 thousand in reserve, and Kutuzov had 8-9 thousand regular troops (in particular, the Guards Preobrazhensky and Semyonovsky regiments), that is, the difference in reserves was 9-10 thousand people against twice or three times the difference in the number of regular troops of the armies at the beginning of the battle. At the same time, Kutuzov said that the Russians brought into battle "everything to the last reserve, even the guards in the evening," "all the reserves are already in action." However, it should be borne in mind that Kutuzov argued this in order to justify the retreat. Meanwhile, it is reliably known that a number of Russian units (for example, the 4th, 30th, 48th chasseur regiments) did not take a direct part in the battle, but only suffered losses from enemy artillery fire.

If we evaluate the qualitative composition of the two armies, then we can refer to the opinion of the Marquis of Chambray, a participant in the events, who noted that the French army had superiority, since its infantry consisted mainly of experienced soldiers, while the Russians had many recruits. In addition, the advantage of the French gave a significant superiority in heavy cavalry.

Starting position

The starting position, chosen by Kutuzov, looked like a straight line running from the Shevardinsky redoubt on the left flank through a large battery, later named the Raevsky battery, the village of Borodino in the center to the village of Maslovo on the right flank. Leaving the Shevardinsky redoubt, the 2nd Army pushed back the left flank beyond the river. Kamenka and the battle order of the army took the form of an obtuse angle. The two flanks of the Russian position occupied 4 km each, but were not equivalent. The right flank was formed by the 1st army of Barclay de Tolly, consisting of 3 infantry. and 3 cav. corps and reserves (76 thousand people, 480 guns), the front of his position was covered by the river Kolocha. The left flank was formed by the smaller 2nd Army of Bagration (34 thousand people, 156 guns). In addition, the left flank did not have strong natural obstacles in front of the front like the right. After the loss of the Shevardinsky redoubt on August 24 (September 5), the position of the left flank became even more vulnerable and relied only on three unfinished flushes.

However, on the eve of the battle, the 3rd Infantry. Tuchkov's corps of the 1st was withdrawn from the ambush behind the left flank on the orders of Chief of Staff Bennigsen without the knowledge of Kutuzov. Bennigsen's actions are justified by his intention to follow a formal battle plan.

Around the same time, Junot's 8th French (Westphalian) Corps made their way through the Utitsky Forest to the rear of the fleches. The situation was saved by the 1st cavalry battery, which at that time was heading to the flush area. Its commander, Captain Zakharov, seeing the threat to the flashes from the rear, hastily deployed guns and opened fire on the enemy, who was building up to attack. Arrived in time 4 infantry. the regiment of the 2nd corps of Baggovut pushed Junot's corps into the Utitsky forest, inflicting significant losses on it. Russian historians claim that during the second offensive, Junot's corps was defeated in a bayonet counterattack, but Westphalian and French sources completely refute this. According to the memoirs of direct participants, the 8th Corps participated in the battle until the evening.

According to Kutuzov's plan, Tuchkov's corps was supposed to suddenly attack from an ambush the flank and rear of the enemy, who was fighting for the Bagration flushes. However, in the early morning, Chief of Staff L. L. Bennigsen pushed Tuchkov's detachment out of the ambush.

Around 9 am, in the midst of the battle for Bagration's fleches, the French launched the first attack on the battery with the forces of the 4th corps of Eugene Beauharnais, as well as the divisions of Morand and Gerard from the 1st corps of Marshal Davout. By influencing the center of the Russian army, Napoleon hoped to hinder the transfer of troops from the right wing of the Russian army to the Bagration fleches and thereby ensure his main forces a quick defeat of the left wing of the Russian army. By the time of the attack, the entire second line of Raevsky's troops, by order of Bagration, was withdrawn to defend the flushes. Despite this, the attack was repulsed by artillery fire.

Almost immediately, Beauharnais re-attacked the mound. Kutuzov at that moment brought into battle for the Raevsky battery the entire horse-artillery reserve in the amount of 60 guns and part of the light artillery of the 1st Army. However, despite heavy artillery fire, the French of the 30th regiment of General Bonami managed to break into the redoubt.

At that moment, the chief of staff of the 1st Army, A.P. Ermolov, and the chief of artillery, A.I. Having led the battalion of the Ufa regiment and having attached the 18th chasseur regiment to it, Yermolov and A.I. Kutaisov hit with bayonets right on the redoubt. At the same time, the regiments of Paskevich and Vasilchikov hit from the flanks. The redoubt was recaptured and Brigadier General Bonami was taken prisoner. Of the entire French regiment under the command of Bonami (4,100 people), only about 300 soldiers remained in the ranks. Major General of Artillery Kutaisov died in the battle for the battery.

Despite the steepness of the sunrise, I ordered the chasseur regiments and the 3rd battalion of the Ufa regiment to attack with bayonets, the favorite weapon of the Russian soldier. The fierce and terrible battle did not last more than half an hour: desperate resistance was met, the elevation was taken away, the guns were returned. Wounded by bayonets, Brigadier General Bonami was spared [captured], there were no prisoners. The damage from our side is very great and is far from commensurate with the number of attacking battalions.

Chief of Staff of the 1st Army A.P. Ermolov

Kutuzov, noticing the complete exhaustion of Raevsky's corps, withdrew his troops to the second line. Barclay de Tolly sends the 24th infantry to the battery to defend the battery. division of Likhachev.

After the fall of the Bagration fleches, Napoleon abandoned the development of an offensive against the left wing of the Russian army. The original plan to break through the defenses on this wing in order to reach the rear of the main forces of the Russian army lost its meaning, since a significant part of these troops failed in the battles for the fleches themselves, while the defense on the left wing, despite the loss of the fleches, remained intact . Drawing attention to the fact that the situation in the center of the Russian troops had worsened, Napoleon decided to redirect his forces to the Raevsky battery. However, the next attack was delayed for two hours, since at that time Russian cavalry and Cossacks appeared in the rear of the French.

Taking advantage of the respite, Kutuzov moved the 4th infantry from the right flank to the center. corps of Lieutenant General Osterman-Tolstoy and the 2nd Cavalry. corps of Major General Korf. Napoleon ordered to intensify the fire on the mass of infantry of the 4th Corps. According to the recollections of eyewitnesses, the Russians moved like machines, closing ranks as they went. The path of the corps could be traced on the trail of the bodies of the dead.

General Miloradovich, commander of the center of the Russian troops, ordered adjutant Bibikov to find Eugene of Württemberg and tell him to go to Miloradovich. Bibikov sought out Yevgeny, but no words could be heard because of the roar of the cannonade, and the adjutant waved his hand, indicating the location of Miloradovich. At that moment, a flying cannonball tore off his arm. Bibikov, falling from his horse, again indicated the direction with his other hand.

According to the commander of the 4th Infantry Division,
General Eugene of Württemberg

The troops of Osterman-Tolstoy joined the left flank of the Semyonovsky and Preobrazhensky regiments, located south of the battery. Behind them were the cavalrymen of the 2nd corps and the approaching Cavalier Guard and Cavalry regiments of the guard.

Around 3 p.m., the French opened crossfire from the front and flashes of 150 guns at Raevsky's battery and launched an attack. For the attack against the 24th division, 34 cavalry regiments were concentrated. The first to go on the attack was the 2nd Cavalry. corps under the command of General Auguste Caulaincourt (corps commander General Montbrun had been killed by this time). Caulaincourt broke through the hellish fire, bypassed the Kurgan height on the left and rushed to the Raevsky battery. Met from the front, flanks and rear by stubborn fire from the defenders, the cuirassiers were driven back with huge losses (Raevsky’s battery received the nickname “grave” from the French for these losses). French cavalry"). Caulaincourt, like many of his associates, found death on the slopes of the barrow.

Meanwhile, the troops of Beauharnais, taking advantage of Caulaincourt's attack, which fettered the actions of the 24th division, broke into the battery from the front and flank. A bloody battle took place on the battery. The wounded General Likhachev was taken prisoner. At 4 o'clock in the afternoon Raevsky's battery fell.

Having received news of the fall of Raevsky's battery, at 17 o'clock Napoleon moved to the center of the Russian army and came to the conclusion that its center, despite the retreat and contrary to the assurances of the retinue, was not shaken. After that, he refused requests to bring the guards into battle. The French attack on the center of the Russian army stopped.

End of the battle

After the battery was occupied by the French troops, the battle began to subside. On the left flank, Poniatowski carried out fruitless attacks against Dokhturov's 2nd Army. In the center and on the right flank, the matter was limited to artillery fire until 7 pm.

At 12 o'clock at night, an order from Kutuzov arrived, canceling preparations for the battle scheduled for the next day. The commander-in-chief of the Russian army decided to withdraw the army beyond Mozhaisk in order to make up for human losses and better prepare for new battles. The organized retreat of Kutuzov is evidenced by the French General Armand Caulaincourt (brother of the deceased General Auguste Caulaincourt), who was during the battle of Napoleon and therefore well-informed.

The emperor repeated many times that he could not understand how the redoubts and positions, which were captured with such courage and which we so stubbornly defended, gave us only a small number of prisoners. He many times asked the officers who arrived with reports where the prisoners were to be taken. He even sent to the appropriate points to make sure that no other prisoners had been taken. These successes without prisoners, without trophies did not satisfy him ...
The enemy carried off the vast majority of his wounded, and we got only those prisoners of which I have already spoken, 12 guns of the redoubt ... and three or four others taken during the first attacks.

Chronology of the battle

Chronology of the battle. Most significant fights

Designations: † - death or mortal wound, / - captivity,% - wound

There is also an alternative point of view on the chronology of the Battle of Borodino. See, for example, .

The result of the battle

Colorized engraving of Sharon. 1st quarter of the 19th century

Russian casualty estimates

The number of losses of the Russian army has been repeatedly revised by historians. Different sources give different numbers:

According to the surviving statements from the RGVIA archive, the Russian army lost 39,300 people killed, wounded and missing (21,766 in the 1st Army, 17,445 in the 2nd Army), but taking into account the fact that the data of the statements for various reasons is incomplete (does not include the loss of the militia and the Cossacks), historians increase this number to 45 thousand people.

French casualty estimates

Much of the Grand Army's documentation perished during the retreat, making it extremely difficult to estimate French casualties. The losses of officers and generals have been established, which significantly exceed those in the Russian army (see below). In view of the fact that the Russian troops were saturated with officers no more than the French, these data are not fundamentally linked to the assumptions about the lower overall losses of the French, but indicate the opposite. The question of the total losses of the French army remains open.

The most common in French historiography, the number of losses of the Napoleonic army of 30 thousand is based on the calculations of the French officer Denier, who served as an inspector at the General Staff of Napoleon, who determined the total losses of the French in the three days of the battle of Borodino at 49 generals and 28,000 lower ranks, of which 6,550 killed and 21,450 wounded. These figures were classified by order of Marshal Berthier due to a discrepancy with the data of Napoleon's bulletin on losses of 8-10 thousand and were published for the first time in the city. The figure of 30 thousand cited in the literature was obtained by rounding Denier's data.

But later studies have shown that Denier's data are greatly underestimated. So, Denier gives the number of 269 killed officers of the Grand Army. However, in 1899, the French historian Martignen, on the basis of surviving documents, established that at least 460 officers known by surname were killed. Subsequent studies increased this number to 480. Even French historians admit that "since the information on the generals and colonels who were out of action at Borodino given in the statement is not accurate and underestimated, it can be assumed that the rest of Denier's figures are based on incomplete data" . If we assume that the total losses of the French army are underestimated by Denier in the same proportion as the losses of the officers, then an elementary calculation based on Marignen's incomplete data gives a rough estimate of 28,086x460/269=48,003 (48,003 men). For the number 480, the corresponding result is 50,116. This figure refers only to the losses of regular troops and should be correlated with the losses of regular Russian units (about 39,000 people).

The French historian, retired general Segur, determined the losses of the French at Borodino at 40 thousand soldiers and officers. The writer Horace Vernet called the number of French losses "up to 50 thousand" and believed that Napoleon failed to win the Battle of Borodino. This estimate of French casualties is one of the highest given by French historians, although based on data from the Russian side.

IN Russian literature a frequently cited number of French casualties was 58,478. This number is based on a false report by Alexander Schmidt, a defector who allegedly served in Berthier's office. In the future, this figure was picked up by patriotic researchers, indicated on the Main Monument. However, the proof of the falsity of the data cited by Schmidt does not cancel the historical discussion about the losses of the French in the region of 60 thousand people, based on other sources.

One of the sources capable, in the absence of documentation of the French army, to shed light on the losses of the French, are data on the total number of those buried in the Borodino field. The burial and burning were carried out by the Russians. According to Mikhailovsky-Danilevsky, a total of 58,521 bodies of the dead were buried and burned. Russian historians and, in particular, employees of the museum-reserve on the Borodino field estimate the number of people buried on the field at 48-50 thousand people. According to A. Sukhanov, on the Borodino field and in the surrounding villages, without including French burials, 49,887 dead were buried in the Kolotsky Monastery. Based on the losses killed in the Russian army (the maximum estimate is 15 thousand) and adding to them the Russian wounded who later died on the field (there were no more than 8 thousand, since out of 30 thousand wounded 22 thousand were taken to Moscow) , the number of French buried on the battlefield alone is estimated at 27 thousand people. In the Kolotsk monastery, where the main military hospital of the French army was located, according to the testimony of the captain of the 30th linear regiment, C. Francois, 3/4 of the wounded died in the 10 days following the battle - an indefinite number, measured in thousands. This result brings us back to the estimate of French losses of 20,000 killed and 40,000 wounded indicated on the monument. This assessment is consistent with the conclusions of modern French historians about the strong underestimation of losses of 30,000 people, and is confirmed by the very course of the battle, in which the French troops, who during the attacks outnumbered the Russian troops by 2-3 times, due to some objective reasons, did not have the opportunity to develop success . Among European historians, the figure of 60,000 casualties is not widely accepted.

The losses of the officers of the parties amounted to: Russians - 211 killed and approx. 1180 wounded; French - 480 killed and 1448 wounded.

The losses of the generals of the parties killed and wounded amounted to: Russians - 23 generals; French - 49 generals.

Grand total

After the 1st day of the battle, the Russian army left the battlefield and no longer interfered with Napoleon's advance on Moscow. The Russian army failed to force Napoleon's army to abandon its intentions (to occupy Moscow).

After dark, the French army was in the same positions in which it was before the start of the battle, and Kutuzov, due to heavy losses and small reserves, given that reinforcements had already approached Napoleon - the fresh divisions of Pinault and Delaborde (about 11 thousand people) , decided to continue the retreat, thus opening the way to Moscow, but keeping the army and the opportunity to continue the fight. Kutuzov's decision was also influenced by the fact that the size of Napoleon's army before the start of the battle was estimated at 160-180 thousand people (Mikhailovsky-Danilevsky).

Napoleon, who tried to defeat the Russian army in one battle, was able to achieve a partial displacement of the Russian troops from their positions with comparable losses. At the same time, he was sure that it was impossible to achieve more in the battle, since Napoleon did not consider the refusal to bring the guards into battle wrong. " A strike by the guard might not have had consequences. The enemy showed still quite firmness”Napoleon remarked much later. In conversations with private individuals, Napoleon clearly assessed both his capabilities in the Battle of Borodino and the danger of a Russian counterattack against the exhausted French army. After the struggle for flushes, he no longer hoped to defeat the Russian army. Military historian General Jomini quotes him as saying: " As soon as we took the position of the left flank, I was already sure that the enemy would retreat in the course of the night. Why was it voluntary to undergo the dangerous consequences of the new Poltava?».

The official point of view of Napoleon was expressed by him in his memoirs. In 1816 he dictated on Saint Helena:

The battle of Moscow is my greatest battle: it is a battle of giants. The Russians had 170,000 men under arms; they had all the advantages behind them: numerical superiority in infantry, cavalry, artillery, excellent position. They were defeated! Fearless heroes, Ney, Murat, Poniatowski - that's who belonged to the glory of this battle. How many great, how many wonderful historical deeds will be noted in it! She will tell how these brave cuirassiers captured the redoubts, hacking the gunners on their guns; she will tell of the heroic self-sacrifice of Montbrun and Caulaincourt, who found their death in the height of their glory; she will tell how our gunners, open on a level field, fired against more numerous and well-fortified batteries, and about these fearless infantrymen who, at the most critical moment, when the general who commanded them wanted to encourage them, shouted to him: “Calm down, all your soldiers have decided to win today, and they will win!”

A year later, in 1817, Napoleon decided to give new version Battle of Borodino:

With an army of 80,000, I rushed at the Russians, who consisted of 250,000, armed to the teeth and defeated them ...

Kutuzov also considered this battle his victory. In his report to Alexander I, he wrote:

The battle of the 26th, the former, was the most bloody of all those that modern times known. The place of the battle was completely won by us, and the enemy then retreated to the position in which he came to attack us.

Alexander I announced the Battle of Borodino as a victory. Prince Kutuzov was promoted to field marshal with an award of 100 thousand rubles. All the lower ranks who were in the battle were granted five rubles each.

The Battle of Borodino is one of the bloodiest battles of the 19th century. According to the most conservative estimates of cumulative losses, 2,500 people died on the field every hour. Some divisions lost up to 80% of their composition. The French fired 60,000 cannon shots and nearly a million and a half rifle shots. It is no coincidence that Napoleon called the battle of Borodino his greatest battle, although its results are more than modest for a great commander accustomed to victories.

The Russian army retreated, but retained its fighting capacity and soon drove Napoleon out of Russia.

Notes

1. ; The quotation as presented by Mikhnevich was compiled by him from a free translation of Napoleon's oral statements. The primary sources do not convey a similar phrase of Napoleon in this form, but the review in Mikhnevich's edition is widely cited in modern literature.
2. Extract from the notes of General Pele on the Russian war of 1812, "Readings of the Imperial Society for the History of Antiquities", 1872, I, p. 1-121
3. Some of the bloodiest one-day battles in history ("The Economist" Nov 11th 2008) . Retrieved April 30, 2009.
4. M. Bogdanovich , History Patriotic War 1812 according to reliable sources, v.2, St. Petersburg, 1859, p. 162.
   Bogdanovich's data are repeated in ESBE.
5. Tarle, "Napoleon's Invasion of Russia", OGIZ, 1943, p. 162
6. Russian united armies at Borodino August 24-26 (September 5-7), 1812 Alexey Vasilyev, Andrey Eliseev
7. Tarle, "Napoleon's Invasion of Russia", OGIZ, 1943, p. 172
8. Zemtsov V.N. Battle of the Moscow River. - M.: 2001.
9. http://www.auditorium.ru/books/2556/gl4.pdf Troitsky N. A. 1812. The Great Year of Russia. M., 1989.
10. Chambray G. Histoire de I'expedition de Russie.P., 1838
11. Clausewitz, Campaign in Russia 1812 “... on the flank where it was necessary to expect an enemy attack. Such, undoubtedly, was the left flank; one of the advantages of the Russian position was that it could be foreseen with complete certainty.
12. Borodino, Tarle E.V.
13. Tarle, "Napoleon's Invasion of Russia", OGIZ, 1943, p. 167
14. http://www.auditorium.ru/books/2556/gl4.pdf Troitsky N. A. 1812. THE GREAT YEAR OF RUSSIA
15. Caulaincourt, "Napoleon's Campaign in Russia", ch.3. Retrieved April 30, 2009.
16. Inscription on the Main Monument. 2nd line: "1838 - Grateful fatherland to those who put their lives on the field of honor - Russians: Generals Killed - 3 Wounded - 12 Warriors Killed - 15,000 Wounded - 30,000"
17. BATTLE AT THE KOLOTSK MONASTERY, SHEVARDIN AND BORODIN ON AUGUST 24 AND 26, 1812 (V) . Retrieved April 30, 2009.
18. The historian Tarle in "Napoleon's Invasion of Russia" repeats these figures of the historians A. I. Mikhailovsky-Danilevsky and M. I. Bogdanovich)
19. Mikheev S.P. History of the Russian army. Issue. 3: The era of wars with Napoleon I. - M .: edition of S. Mikheev and A. Kazachkov, 1911. - S. 60
20. On the losses of the Russian army in the battle of Borodino on August 24-26, 1812. article by S. V. Lvov
21. P. Denniee. Itineraire de l'Empereur Napoleon. Paris, 1842
22. Martinien A. Tableaux par corps et par batailles des officiers tues et blesses pendant les guerres de l'Empire (1805-1815). P., 1899;
23. Henri Lashuk. "Napoleon: campaigns and battles 1796-1815"
24. Horace Vernet, History of Napoleon, 1839. In describing the Battle of Borodino, Vernet used the work of Mikhailovsky-Danilevsky, as described in the corresponding chapter.

"I humbly ask you ... that these fortifications remain inviolable. Let time, and not the human hand, destroy them; let the farmer, cultivating his peaceful field around them, do not touch them with his plow; even at a later time they will be sacred for Russians monuments of their courage; let our descendants, looking at them, be ignited by the fire of competition and say with admiration: "This is the place where the pride of predators fell before the fearlessness of the sons of the Fatherland."
M.I. Kutuzov, October 1812

09/01/2012 - celebration of the 200th anniversary of Russia's victory in the Patriotic War of 1812. Borodino field - here in September 1812 the Russian army under the command of the famous commander Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov and the Great Army of the French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte met in a fierce confrontation. About 300 thousand people participated in this grandiose battle with 1200 artillery pieces.

In August 1812, two opposing armies met in a fierce battle on the Borodino field: the Russian army under the command of General of Infantry Mikhail Illarionovich Golenishchev-Kutuzov and the Great Army of the French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. About 300 thousand people participated in this grandiose battle on both sides with 1200 artillery pieces. On August 24, a fierce battle broke out near the village of Shevardino. 11 thousandth detachment under the command of A.I. Gorchakov with 36 guns, supported by units of the 2nd Grenadier and 2nd Combined Grenadier Divisions, was repeatedly attacked by superior enemy forces.
From Napoleon's side, about 40 thousand people participated in this battle with 186 guns. Until nightfall, the Russians held a position at the Shevardinsky redoubt, which had been erected the day before as a forward stronghold to protect the left flank of the Russian army. Already at night, by order of the commander-in-chief, Lieutenant-General Gorchakov withdrew the remnants of his troops to the main position near the village of Semenovskoye.
Losses in this battle on each side amounted to 6 thousand killed and wounded. On August 25, there were no active hostilities in the area of ​​the Borodino field. Both armies were preparing for a decisive, general battle, conducting reconnaissance and erecting field fortifications. On August 26, by five o'clock in the morning, the French army, having in its composition about 135 thousand people and 587 guns. Around 6 am on August 26, the famous Battle of Borodino began. fighting continued until 9 pm. In the final part of the battle, Russian artillery distinguished itself, which "silenced the French artillery."
By the end of the day on August 26, both armies remained on the battlefield. The battle of August 26, 1812 was the bloodiest in the military history of that time. The losses of each side amounted to 40 thousand killed, wounded and missing. Emperor Napoleon later recalled: “Of all my battles, the most terrible is what I gave near Moscow. The French showed themselves worthy of victory in it, and the Russians - to be called invincible.
“This day will remain an eternal monument to the courage and excellent courage of the Russian soldiers, where all the infantry, cavalry and artillery fought desperately. The desire of everyone was to die on the spot and not give in to the enemy, ”M.I. gave such a high assessment to the Russian army on the day of August 26. Kutuzov.

plan of the battle of Borodino

Movement of military-historical reconstruction ("reenactment").
Every year on the first Sunday of September, the anniversary of the Battle of Borodino is widely celebrated on the Borodino field. Tens of thousands of people come to Borodino to feel their involvement in the heroic past Russian state. A few days before the start of the holiday, participants in the military-historical reenactment, members of the military-historical clubs of Russia, near and far abroad arrive at the Borodino field. Infantrymen, grenadiers, artillerymen, lancers, hussars, cuirassiers and dragoons of the Russian and Napoleonic armies of 1812 are located respectively on two bivouacs. The day before, on Saturday, there is a general rehearsal.
On Sunday, the holiday traditionally begins with solemn ceremonies at the command posts of M.I. Kutuzov in the village of Gorki and Napoleon near the village of Shevardino. At the Main Monument on the Rayevsky Battery, the official part of the holiday takes place - the giving of military honors to the heroes of Borodin and the laying of wreaths. The culmination of the holiday is the military-historical reconstruction of episodes of the Battle of Borodino on the parade ground theater west of the village of Borodino. More than a thousand lovers of military history, who made uniforms, equipment and weapons of the 1812 era with their own hands, are united in the "Russian" and "French" armies to fight in the "battle of the giants".
At the same time, they demonstrate the tactics of warfare, knowledge of the military regulations of that time, possession of firearms and edged weapons. The spectacle ends with a parade of military-historical clubs and the awarding of those who distinguished themselves in battle. On this day, more than 100 thousand people from Russia and foreign countries who are interested in military history era of the Napoleonic wars

Emperor Napoleon with retinue - reconstruction

BATTLE OF BORODINO
Battle of Borodino (during French history- Battle of the Moscow River, fr. Bataille de la Moskova) is the largest battle of the Patriotic War of 1812 between the Russian army under the command of General M. I. Kutuzov and the French army of Napoleon I Bonaparte. It took place on August 26 (September 7), 1812 near the village of Borodino, 125 km west of Moscow.

During the 12-hour battle, the French army managed to capture the positions of the Russian army in the center and on the left wing, but after the cessation of hostilities, the French army withdrew to its original positions. Thus, in Russian historiography, it is believed that the Russian troops won, but the next day, the commander-in-chief of the Russian army, M.I. army.

September 8 is the Day of Military Glory of Russia - the Day of the Borodino battle of the Russian army under the command of M. I. Kutuzov with the French army (this date was obtained by erroneous conversion from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian, in fact, the day of the battle is September 7).

Since the beginning of the invasion of the French army into the territory of the Russian Empire in June 1812, Russian troops have constantly retreated. The rapid advance and the overwhelming numerical superiority of the French deprived the commander-in-chief of the Russian army, Infantry General Barclay de Tolly, of the opportunity to prepare troops for battle.
The protracted retreat caused public discontent, so Emperor Alexander I removed Barclay de Tolly and appointed General of Infantry Kutuzov as commander-in-chief. However, the new commander-in-chief chose the path of retreat. The strategy chosen by Kutuzov was based, on the one hand, on exhausting the enemy, on the other hand, on waiting for reinforcements sufficient for a decisive battle with Napoleon's army.

On August 22 (September 3), the Russian army, retreating from Smolensk, settled down near the village of Borodina, 125 km from Moscow, where Kutuzov decided to give a general battle; it was impossible to postpone it further, since Emperor Alexander demanded that Kutuzov stop the advance of Emperor Napoleon towards Moscow.
On August 24 (September 5), the battle took place at the Shevardinsky redoubt, which delayed the French troops and made it possible for the Russians to build fortifications on the main positions.

The result of the battle

Monument inside the former ramparts of the Shevardino Redoubt
The number of losses of the Russian army has been repeatedly revised by historians. Different sources give different numbers:

According to the 18th bulletin of the Great Army (dated September 10, 1812), 12-13 thousand were killed, 5 thousand prisoners, 40 generals were killed, wounded or captured, 60 captured guns. The total losses are estimated at approximately 40-50 thousand.
F. Segur, who was at Napoleon's headquarters, gives completely different data on trophies: from 700 to 800 prisoners and about 20 guns.
A document entitled “Description of the battle at the village of Borodino, which took place on August 26, 1812” (presumably compiled by K. F. Tol), which in many sources is called “Kutuzov’s report to Alexander I” and dated August 1812, indicates 25,000 people in common losses, including 13 killed and wounded generals.
38-45 thousand people, including 23 generals. The inscription "45 thousand" is carved on the Main Monument on the Borodino field, erected in 1839 [P 7], is also indicated on the 15th wall of the gallery of military glory of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior.
58 thousand killed and wounded, up to 1000 prisoners, from 13 to 15 guns [P 8].
The data on losses are given here on the basis of a summary of the duty general of the 1st Army immediately after the battle, the losses of the 2nd Army were estimated by historians of the 19th century quite arbitrarily at 20 thousand. These data were no longer considered reliable at the end of the 19th century, they are not taken into account in the ESBE, which indicates the number of losses "up to 40 thousand."
Modern historians believe that the report on the 1st Army also contained information about the losses of the 2nd Army, since there were no officers responsible for the reports in the 2nd Army.
42.5 thousand people - the losses of the Russian army in the book by S. P. Mikheev, published in 1911.
According to the surviving statements from the RGVIA archive, the Russian army lost 39,300 people killed, wounded and missing (21,766 in the 1st Army, 17,445 in the 2nd Army), but taking into account the fact that the data of the statements for various reasons is incomplete (does not include the loss of the militia and the Cossacks), historians usually increase this number to 44-45 thousand people. According to Troitsky, the data of the Military Registration Archive of the General Staff give the figure of 45.6 thousand people.

Red hill, monument

French casualty estimates
A significant part of the documentation of the Grand Army was lost during the retreat, so the assessment of French losses is extremely difficult. The question of the total losses of the French army remains open.
According to the 18th bulletin of the Grand Army, the French lost 2,500 killed and about 7,500 wounded, 6 generals killed (2 divisional, 4 brigade) and 7-8 wounded. The total losses are estimated at approximately 10 thousand people. In the future, these data were repeatedly questioned, and at present, none of the researchers considers them to be reliable.
“Description of the battle at the village of Borodino”, made on behalf of M.I. Kutuzov (presumably K.F. Tolem1]) and dated August 1812, indicates more than 40,000 total losses, including 42 killed and wounded general.
The most common in French historiography, the number of losses of the Napoleonic army of 30 thousand is based on the calculations of the French officer Denier, who served as an inspector at the General Staff of Napoleon, who determined the total losses of the French for 3 days of the battle of Borodino at 49 generals, 37 colonels and 28 thousand lower ranks, from of these, 6,550 were killed and 21,450 were wounded. These figures were classified by order of Marshal Berthier due to a discrepancy with the data of Napoleon's bulletin on losses of 8-10 thousand and were published for the first time in 1842. The figure cited in the literature of 30 thousand was obtained by rounding Denier's data (taking into account the fact that Denier did not take into account 1176 soldiers of the Great Army who were captured).
Later studies have shown that Denier's data are grossly underestimated. So, Denier gives the number of 269 killed officers of the Grand Army. However, in 1899, the French historian Martignen, on the basis of surviving documents, established that at least 460 officers known by surname were killed. Subsequent research increased this number to 480. Even French historians admit that "since the information given in the statement about the generals and colonels who were out of action at Borodino is inaccurate and underestimated, it can be assumed that the rest of Denier's figures are based on incomplete data."

Retired Napoleonic General Segur determined the losses of the French at Borodino at 40,000 soldiers and officers. A. Vasiliev considers Segur's assessment tendentiously overestimated, pointing out that the general wrote during the reign of the Bourbons, while not denying her some objectivity.
In Russian literature, the number of French casualties was often given as 58,478. This number is based on the false information of the defector Alexander Schmidt, who allegedly served in the office of Marshal Berthier [P 9]. In the future, this figure was picked up by patriotic researchers, indicated on the Main Monument [P 10].
For modern French historiography, the traditional estimate of French losses is 30 thousand, with 9-10 thousand killed. The Russian historian A. Vasiliev points out, in particular, that the number of losses of 30 thousand is achieved by the following calculation methods:
a) by comparing the data on the personnel of the surviving statements for September 2 and 20 (subtracting one from the other gives a loss of 45.7 thousand), subtracting losses in avant-garde affairs and the approximate number of sick and backward and
b) indirectly - by comparison with the battle of Wagram, equal in number and in the approximate number of losses among the command staff, despite the fact that the total number of French losses in it, according to Vasilyev, is precisely known (33,854 people, including 42 generals and 1,820 officers ; under Borodino, according to Vasiliev, it is considered the loss of command staff of 1,792 people, of which 49 are generals).

The losses of the generals of the parties killed and wounded amounted to 49 generals among the French, including 8 killed: 2 divisional (Auguste Caulaincourt and Montbrun) and 6 brigade. The Russians lost 26 generals, but it should be noted that only 73 active Russian generals participated in the battle, while in the French army there were 70 generals only in the cavalry. The French brigadier general was closer to the Russian colonel than to the major general.

However, V.N. Zemtsov showed that Vasiliev's calculations are unreliable, since they are based on inaccurate data. So, according to the lists compiled by Zemtsov, “on September 5-7, 1928 officers and 49 generals were killed and wounded,” that is, the total loss of command personnel amounted to 1,977 people, and not 1,792, as Vasiliev believed. The comparison of data on the personnel of the Great Army for September 2 and 20, carried out by Vasiliev, also, according to Zemtsov, gave incorrect results, since the wounded who returned to duty after the battle were not taken into account. In addition, Vasiliev did not take into account all parts of the French army. Zemtsov himself, using a technique similar to that used by Vasiliev, estimated the French losses for September 5-7 at 38.5 thousand people. The figure used by Vasilyev for the loss of French troops at Wagram, 33,854 people, is also controversial - for example, the English researcher Chandler estimated them at 40 thousand people.

It should be noted that to the several thousand killed should be added those who died from wounds, and their number was enormous. In the Kolotsk monastery, where the main military hospital of the French army was located, according to the testimony of the captain of the 30th line regiment C. Francois, 3/4 of the wounded died in the 10 days following the battle. French encyclopedias believe that among the 30 thousand victims of Borodin, 20.5 thousand died and died of wounds.

The overall result of the battle
The battle of Borodino is one of the bloodiest battles of the 19th century and the bloodiest of all that came before it. According to the most conservative estimates of cumulative losses, about 6,000 people died or were injured on the field every hour, the French army lost about 25% of its composition, the Russian - about 30%. From the French side, 60 thousand cannon shots were fired, from the Russian side - 50 thousand. It is no coincidence that Napoleon called the battle of Borodino his greatest battle, although its results are more than modest for a great commander accustomed to victories.

The death toll, counting those who died of wounds, was much higher than the official number killed on the battlefield; the victims of the battle should also include the wounded, who later died. In the autumn of 1812 - in the spring of 1813, the Russians burned and buried the bodies that remained unburied on the field. According to military historian General Mikhailovsky-Danilevsky, a total of 58,521 dead bodies were buried and burned.
Russian historians and, in particular, employees of the museum-reserve on the Borodino field, estimate the number of people buried on the field at 48-50 thousand people. According to A. Sukhanov, 49,887 dead were buried on the Borodino field and in the surrounding villages (without including French burials in the Kolotsky Monastery).
Both commanders chalked up the victory.
Napoleon's point of view is expressed in his memoirs:
The battle of Moscow is my greatest battle: it is a battle of giants. The Russians had 170,000 men under arms; they had all the advantages behind them: numerical superiority in infantry, cavalry, artillery, excellent position. They were defeated! Fearless heroes, Ney, Murat, Poniatowski - that's who the glory of this battle belonged to. How many great, how many wonderful historical deeds will be noted in it!
She will tell how these brave cuirassiers captured the redoubts, hacking the gunners on their guns; she will tell of the heroic self-sacrifice of Montbrun and Caulaincourt, who found their death in the height of their glory; she will tell how our gunners, open on a level field, fired against more numerous and well-fortified batteries, and about these fearless infantrymen who, at the most critical moment, when the general who commanded them wanted to encourage them, shouted to him: “Calm down, all your soldiers have decided to win today, and they will win!”
This paragraph was dictated in 1816.

A year later, in 1817, Napoleon described the Battle of Borodino as follows:
With an army of 80,000, I rushed at the Russians, who consisted of 250,000, armed to the teeth and defeated them ...
Kutuzov in his report to Emperor Alexander I wrote:
The battle of the 26th was the most bloody of all those that are known in modern times. The place of the battle was completely won by us, and the enemy then retreated to the position in which he came to attack us.
Emperor Alexander I was not deceived about the actual state of affairs, but in order to support the hopes of the people for a speedy end to the war, he announced the Battle of Borodino as a victory. Prince Kutuzov was promoted to field marshal general with an award of 100 thousand rubles. Barclay de Tolly received the Order of St. George of the 2nd degree, Prince Bagration - 50 thousand rubles. Fourteen generals received the Order of St. George, 3rd class. All the lower ranks who were in the battle were granted 5 rubles each.

Since then, in Russian, and after it in Soviet (except for the period of 1920-1930s) historiography, the Battle of Borodino has been treated as an actual victory for the Russian army. In our time, a number of Russian historians also traditionally insist that the outcome of the Battle of Borodino was uncertain, and the Russian army won a "moral victory" in it.

Foreign historians, who in our time have been joined by a number of their Russian colleagues, regard Borodino as an undoubted victory for Napoleon. As a result of the battle, the French occupied some of the advanced positions and fortifications of the Russian army, while retaining reserves, pushed the Russians back from the battlefield, and ultimately forced them to retreat and leave Moscow. At the same time, no one disputes that the Russian army retained its combat effectiveness and morale, that is, Napoleon never achieved his goal - the complete defeat of the Russian army.

The main achievement of the general battle at Borodino was that Napoleon failed to defeat the Russian army, and in the objective conditions of the entire Russian campaign of 1812, the absence of a decisive victory predetermined the final defeat of Napoleon.
The battle of Borodino marked a crisis in the French strategy of a decisive general battle. During the battle, the French failed to destroy the Russian army, force Russia to capitulate and dictate peace terms. The Russian troops, on the other hand, inflicted significant damage on the enemy army and were able to save forces for future battles.

historical reenactment of the battle

MONUMENTS OF THE BORODINO FIELD
INDEX OF MONUMENTS
1. Field Marshal M. I. Kutuzov at the command post. To the north of the monument are three Russian fortifications.
2. 1st and 19th chasseur regiments.
3. Life Guards Chasseurs Regiment and sailors of the Guards crew.
4. Monument to the soldiers of the Russian army and the grave of General P.I. Bagration on the Raevsky battery. To the east, in the ravine of the Ognik stream, there is a Russian fortification for 3 guns.
5. 24th Infantry Division, General Likhachev.
6. Horse artillery.
7. 12th Infantry Division General Vasilchikov.

8. Volynsky infantry regiment.

9. 4th Cavalry Corps.

10. 3rd Infantry Division General Konovnitsyn.

11. 2nd Grenadier Division of General Mecklenburg and the Combined Grenadier Division of General Vorontsov.

12. Monument at the grave of General Neverovsky.

13. 27th Infantry Division, General Neverovsky.

14. Pioneer (engineering) troops.

15. 12th battery company.

16. French soldiers, officers and generals who died on the Borodino field. To the northeast - the French fortification - the Fouche battery; southeast - the French fortification - the Sorbier battery.

17. 4th Infantry Division.

18. 1st Cavalry Battery of the Life Guards Artillery Brigade.

19. Murom Infantry Regiment.

20. 2nd Cuirassier Division.

21. Battery No. 2 and Light No. 2 companies of the Life Guards Artillery Brigade.

22. Life Guards Izmailovsky Regiment.

23. Life Guards Artillery Brigade.

24. Life Guards to the Lithuanian Regiment from the Moscow Regiment.

25. Life Guards to the Finnish Regiment and the grave of the captain of this regiment A. G. Ogarev.

26. Life Guards Lithuanian Regiment.

27. 3rd Cavalry Corps (Brigade of General Dorokhov). To the southeast, on the edge of the forest, there are two mass graves of Russian soldiers in 1812.

28. Astrakhan cuirassier regiment.

29. Cavalier Guards and Horse Guards.

30. 23rd Infantry Division General Bakhmetiev. There are also three graves here: Lieutenant S. N. Tatishchev and Ensign N. A. Olenin from the Life Guards of the Semenovsky Regiment, Captain of the Guards Chasseurs Regiment A. P. Levshin and Captain of the Life Guards of the Preobrazhensky Regiment P. F. Shaposhnikov.

31. 7th Infantry Division General Kaptsevich.

32. 2nd Cavalry Battery of the Life Guards Artillery Brigade.

33. Pavlovsky Grenadier Regiment.

34. 17th Infantry Division General Olsufiev.

35. 1st Grenadier Division General Stroganov.

36. Monument-chapel of Tuchkov.

37. Nezhinsky Dragoon Regiment. Away, west of the river. Warriors, French fortifications Ev. Beauharnais.

43. Tomb of an unknown Russian soldier. Monuments on mass graves Soviet soldiers who died in the Great Patriotic War on the Borodino field in 1941-1942.

38. In the village of Gorki.

39. At the Borodino Military History Museum

40. Southeast of the village of Semenovskoye.

41. Near the village of Borodino station.

42. On the Utitsky mound. A - Shevardinsky redoubt B - Bagration's flashes C - Raevsky's battery D - Utitsky mound D - Maslovsky flashes.

SCHEME OF THE BORODINO FIELD
The area depicted in the diagram belongs to the western outskirts of the Moscow region. According to its relief, it is part of the Moscow-Smolensk Upland. The territory of the district is crossed by the Moskva River. The source of this largest river in the Moscow region is located somewhat to the west. In the northern part of the region, the Moskva River, blocked by a dam, formed a large reservoir - the Mozhaisk Sea.

The history of this area is rich and interesting. The Moscow River was one of the main means of communication ancient Rus'. Fortified cities, villages built on its banks, more than once took the blows of foreign invaders. On the western approaches to the capital of our Motherland, great battles took place both in the Patriotic War of 1812 and in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. The Borodino field, located 124 km west of Moscow, will forever remain the field of glory of the Russian people and will serve as a formidable warning to their enemies.

Hiking routes in this area can be varied, but they all include a visit to the Borodino field and the Mozhaisk reservoir. Since it takes a relatively long time to arrive at the starting point of the journey and return to Moscow, the duration of the trips should be at least 2 - 3 days.

We present short description one of the routes: st. Borodino - Uvarovka - with. Porechye - Mozhaisk reservoir - Mozhaisk, about 75 - 80 km long. Traveling along this route with three overnight stays in the field entitles you to receive the badge "Tourist of the USSR"

Starting point of the hike - st. Borodino, where they arrive by electric train from the Belorussky railway station. The station is located on the famous Borodino field.

Here, on September 7 (August 26 old style), 1812, the historical battle of Borodino took place, in which the Russian army under the command of M. I. Kutuzov dealt a blow to the invader army of the French emperor Napoleon, from which the enemy could not recover.

reconstruction of battles in the Great Patriotic War

State
Borodinsky
military historical
museum-reserve
Acquaintance with the Borodino field usually begins with a visit to the Military History Museum, but you can also start it from the village of Gorki, where during the Battle of Borodino the command post of M. I. Kutuzov was located; here from the station you can come by bus. From the high hill on which the monument to the great commander is erected, the entire Borodino field is well viewed. You can see the points for which the most fierce battles took place - the Shevardinsky redoubt, the Bagration fleches, the Raevsky battery at Kurgan height and numerous monuments erected in honor of the military units that fought in the Battle of Borodino. Most of these monuments were built in 1912 (on the centenary of the battle) with voluntary donations from soldiers and officers of the Russian army.

In the autumn of 1941, the Borodino field again found itself in the center of hostilities. The division under the command of Colonel V. I. Polosukhin fought fierce battles here for six days (from October 13 to 18) against the superior forces of the Nazi invaders. And now, on the field next to the defensive structures of 1812, one can see reinforced concrete pillboxes, anti-tank ditches and trenches built in August - September 1941.

In a number of places - near the Borodino station, not far from the museum and next to the monument to M.I. Kutuzov, monuments were erected on the graves of Soviet soldiers who fell in battle in the fall of 1941 and in January 1942, when the Soviet native land, drove the Nazis to the west.

In 1962, in connection with the 150th anniversary of the Patriotic War of 1812, by decision of the party and government, large construction and restoration work was carried out on the Borodino field.

Near the Bagration flushes and the former. Spaso-Borodino monastery is located Borodino tourist base.

Tourists arriving here for ten days make excursions and hikes in the field and the surrounding area.

Having examined the monuments of the Borodino field, tourists are sent through Uvarovka to Porechie.

Their path passes by the villages of Shevardino and Fomkino along the former New or Bolshaya Smolenskaya road (or parallel to it, along the Kolocha River) to the old, half-destroyed Kolotsky Monastery.

In the last century, before railways, the New Smolensk road was the main highway connecting Moscow with the west; the Russian army retreated along it, and then pursued the Napoleonic troops in 1812. The former Kolotsky monastery, located on a hill 10 km from the village of Shevardino, was built back in the 16th century. under Ivan the Terrible. Now in the few surviving monastery buildings there is a school. After spending the night on Kolocha, you need to get to Uvarovka (the former regional center, 5 km from the monastery), and from there you can take a regular bus or a passing car to Porechie, which is 22 km from Uvarovka. The road on this section of the route is not of particular interest. Only on the bridge near the village of Glyatkovo (before reaching the end of the road 2 km) should you stop to admire the Moscow River in its upper reaches.

Porechye is an ancient village located on the left high, wooded bank of the fast-flowing Inocha, not far from its confluence with the Moscow River.

In one of the halls of the museum
At the end of the XVIII century. here was a vast and rich estate of the Counts Razumovsky, which then passed into the possession of the Counts Uvarovs. One of the Uvarovs, a lover of archaeological excavations, in the middle of the last century created a museum of antiquities in his estate, as well as a rich library. Uvarov owned a large Porechensky cloth factory at that time, which employed about a thousand serfs. The main manor house (heavily damaged during the Great Patriotic War) had a portal of Ionic columns and ended with a belvedere, from where a beautiful view opened. Large two-story outbuildings have been preserved, one of them houses a school. A beautiful park has also been preserved, in which tourists can find a good place for a halt.

The famous arborist K. F. Türmer in 1857 - 1891. laid in the Poretsky forest area arrays of artificial forest plantations. Now on an area of ​​more than a thousand hectares there are beautiful forests that are the pride of the Moscow region.

Having examined the Porechye region and having a rest, on the next or better on the third day, tourists head to the Moscow River and the Mozhaisk reservoir. You can go either along the Inocha to its confluence with the Moscow River and then along the right bank of the reservoir to Malovka or Pozdnyakovo; or by a mountainous road through the forest to the village of Bolshoe Gribovo (4 km from Porechye on the left bank of the Moskva River). In the first half of the XIX century. this village belonged to the architect A. L. Vitberg. From here you have a beautiful view of the river valley. Following further, you can reach the village of Myshkino (11 km from Porechie), whose church tourists will see from afar. Near the pier, from which regular movement of roomy boats is established along the Mozhaisk reservoir (it starts a little higher than Myshkino).

The further journey is usually made by boat along the reservoir. A two-hour trip through the expanse of water with stops at picturesque villages will remain in your memory for a long time.

The Mozhaisk reservoir was formed in the spring of 1960, when the flood waters of the Moskva River, blocked by a kilometer-long dam built near the village of Marfin Brod, overflowed, forming a "sea".

The Mozhaisk reservoir is a protected area; any pollution of its water is strictly prohibited. The reservoir is enriched with valuable species of fish, the fishing of which is allowed only with a fishing rod. Fishing and sports base of the society "Fisherman-sportsman" provides members of the society with boats and lodging for the night.

After getting acquainted with the Mozhaisk hydroelectric complex, the tourists go to the final destination of the route - to Mozhaisk. Regular buses run from the hydroelectric complex and from Borodino. You can also walk along the right bank of the Moskva River past the village of Marfin Brod to the ancient Luzhetsky Monastery.

Mozhaisk is one of the ancient Russian cities that arose at the crossroads of trade routes from Moscow to the west.

In the XIII century. he was part of the Smolensk principality. In 1303, Prince Yuri Danilovich of Moscow captured it, and Mozhaisk became a frontier fortress in the west of the Moscow principality. Then the saying was born: "drive out of Mozhai", which meant to drive out of the Moscow principality. At one time it was the center of a specific principality. In the autumn of 1606, during the campaign of the rebel peasants under the leadership of I. I. Bolotnikov against Moscow, Mozhaisk joined the rebels. At the beginning of the XVII century. the dilapidated walls of the Mozhaisk Kremlin were replaced by new stone ones, and it took on the appearance of a fortress.

In 1812, the supply of the Russian army went through Mozhaisk, and the wounded were evacuated. Around the city, on the main roads, a detachment of Denis Davydov and other partisan detachments operated.

In October 1941, on the Minsk highway near Mozhaisk Soviet troops fought heavy battles with the superior forces of the Nazis. Three months later, at the onset Soviet army, the Germans stubbornly held out for some time on the outskirts of the city, but then, fearing encirclement, they began to hastily retreat. January 20, 1942 the city was liberated. West of Mozhaisk, the commander of the glorious 32nd division, Colonel V. I. Polosukhin, died in battle.

Parts of the 32nd, 50th and 82nd divisions took part in the battles for the liberation of Mozhaisk, Dorokhov and the Borodino field.

Behind last years Mozhaisk has improved considerably; A number of industrial enterprises operate in the city.

In Mozhaisk, tourists visit historical and architectural monuments: the ensemble of the former. Luzhetsky Monastery, the construction of which began in the 15th century. (Nativity Cathedral 1408-1426) and continued until the end of the 17th century; in the former Kremlin (from the walls of which only the foundation has been preserved) - the restored cathedrals of Old Nikolsky (1462-1472) and New (1802-1804), very beautiful, built on the edge of a steep cliff; Akiman one-domed church of the 15th century. They also get acquainted with housing and cultural construction, visit the graves of Colonel V. I. Polosukhin and other heroes of the liberation of Mozhaisk, buried in the city garden.

You can make a trip along the described route and in the reverse order, starting from Mozhaisk; electric trains from the Belorussky railway station arrive here much more often than at the station. Borodino. Then the first overnight stay after visiting Mozhaisk and the hydroelectric complex can be in Pozdnyakovo, Malovka or another convenient point on the banks of the reservoir, where they come by boat; the second - in Porechye and the third - on the river. Koloche, on the way to the Borodino field. Return to Moscow - from Art. Borodino or from Mozhaisk, where they come from Borodino by regular bus.

Those who wish to limit themselves to a one-day trip to this area are advised to take an electric train to the station. Borodino, explore the Borodino field and visit the military history museum; From there, take a regular bus in the direction of Mozhaisk to the stop "Gidrouzel"; walk 3 km from this stop to the Mozhaisk reservoir, and then return to Mozhaisk by bus.

Such an excursion can be carried out in the reverse order, starting from Mozhaisk. From the city, take a bus to the reservoir and hydroelectric complex, from here go to the stop "Gidrouzel" and take a regular bus to the Borodino field.

Fans of water travel can swim in May - mid-June in kayaks along the river. Koloche from the village of Borodino to the dam at the mouth of the river near Staroye Selo. Kayaks must be carried across the dam by hand. Travel along the Mozhaisk reservoir along its banks can be made throughout the summer. All travelers in the Moscow region should remember that forests and green spaces on the banks of the Mozhaisk reservoir, as well as the Moscow River and its tributaries, are included in the water protection zone and therefore they must be especially protected.

MUSEUM OF BORODINO
The State Borodino Military Historical Museum-Reserve is located in the Mozhaisk District of the Moscow Region, 120 km west of Moscow.
The official name of the FBGUK museum is the State Borodino Military Historical Museum-Reserve. The abbreviated official name is the Borodino Field Museum-Reserve.
State Borodino Military Historical Museum-Reserve has the status of a federal public institution culture, is included in the list of federal state museums(approved by order of the Government of the Russian Federation of January 5, 2005 N 4-r) and reports directly to the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation.
The Borodino Field Museum-Reserve was founded by decree of the Emperor on August 26, 1839 on the site of the Battle of Borodino and is the oldest museum in the world created on the battlefields.
By Decree of the Council of Ministers of the RSFSR dated May 31, 1961, No. 683, the Borodino field was declared the State Borodino Military History Museum-Reserve with the inclusion of memorable places and historical monuments of the Borodino Field and the State Borodino Military History Museum.
In 1995, by decrees of the President of the Russian Federation, the State Borodino Military Historical Museum-Reserve, including the territory with historical and cultural monuments located on it, was included in the State Code of Especially Valuable Objects of the Cultural Heritage of Peoples Russian Federation(Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of January 24, 1995 No. 64), as well as in the List of objects of historical and cultural heritage of federal (all-Russian) significance (Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of February 20, 1995 No. 176).
The State Borodino Military Historical Museum-Reserve has branches in the city of Mozhaisk - Mozhaisk Historical local history museum(created by order of the Ministry of Culture of the RSFSR dated 01/07/86 No. 4) and the House-Museum of the artist S.V. Gerasimov.
At present, the museum's efforts are aimed at the formation and development of the museum collection, ensuring the safety of museum funds, and creating optimal conditions for their storage. One of important tasks The museum-reserve is the work of acquisition, storage, accounting, cataloging of museum collections (funds). Exposition and exhibition work has become a priority area of ​​the museum's activity. The restoration of movable and immovable monuments remains an important area of ​​the museum's activity. No less significant is the work on the preparation and further implementation of projects and plans for the restoration of lost immovable monuments of history and culture, reconstruction, restoration, preservation and further museumification of the historical and cultural landscape and individual monuments and objects of the Borodino field.
One of the main activities of the museum is research, educational and publishing work. Scientific conferences are held annually. The publishing and scientific and educational activities of the museum are aimed at publishing the results scientific research, annual scientific conferences, popularization of historical and cultural monuments located on the territory of the museum-reserve, its collections, attracting a wider circle of the population to the museum.
Currently, more than 200 people work in the State Borodino Military Historical Museum-Reserve.

Historical and cultural landscape

The historical and cultural landscape of the Borodino field is all the surviving evidence of the battle, everything that reminds of the battle of the giants. IN early XIX century neighborhood with. Borodino was a typical area for the western suburbs without a special name.

Its relief was formed in the postglacial period. The fate of this western outskirts of Moscow lands, annexed at the beginning of the 14th century to the Moscow principality, was determined by its borderline significance with Lithuania and the passage of the ancient Smolensk road through it. In the Time of Troubles at the beginning of the 17th century, these lands were so devastated “from all sorts of vagabonds and rebels and from the Poles” that even after 200 years many villages were considered “wastelands” or disappeared forever. At the beginning of the 19th century, this area consisted of 57 land dachas, including 4 villages, 15 villages and 4 villages, connected by a network of country roads. At 13 settlements there were one-story master's wooden houses, in 6 estates - orchards. Most of the forests looked like groves and copses of birch, aspen, spruce, sometimes alder, hazel, willow. The banks of the ravines were free from thickets. About 70% of the Borodino field were open spaces. Availability of communications (Old and New Smolensk roads), natural obstacles (the rivers Koloch and Voina, over 15 streams with ravines), awns and hills suitable for equipping firing positions, as well as a combination of wooded and open spaces made this area quite convenient for battle. The reason for its transformation into a cultural landscape and heritage site was the general battle between the Great Army of Emperor Napoleon I (about 132 thousand people, 589 guns) and Russian troops under the command of General M. I. Kutuzov (135 thousand people, 624 guns) on August 26 1812. It lasted about 15 hours, both sides fired about 120 thousand gun and 3 million rifle shots. By the spring of 1813, about 49 thousand remains of fallen soldiers of both armies and about 39 thousand fallen horses were buried and burned here. As a result, on an area of ​​about 100 sq. km, the material and information imprint of the battle was recorded.

This area was called the Borodino field and turned into a military-historical landscape. The transformation of the Borodino battlefield into a cultural landscape is the result of three main factors: natural processes, renewal economic activity(disappearance of traces of destruction, "wounds of war") and memorialization - recognition by society of the special cultural value of this place. 25 years after the battle on the Borodino field, a memorial and museum complex began to form. In 1839, it included: a land plot (about 800 hectares) with the ruins of earthen fortifications and mass graves, bought by Emperor Nicholas I, a symbolic monument to the soldiers of the Russian army and the grave of General P.I. Bagration on the Rayevsky battery, a temple and a palace park ensemble in the village of Borodino, the first buildings of the Spaso-Borodino Monastery. In 1912, 33 monuments were erected at the locations of Russian military units. The places of the command posts of M. I. Kutuzov and Napoleon were fixed by monuments that became landscape dominants.

Spaso-Borodino Monastery

Were recreated in the form that they had before the start of the fighting, 5 artillery fortifications. The centenary of the battle can be considered the time of relative completion of the process of formation of the associative cultural landscape of the Borodino field. In the 1920s and 30s, monuments were destroyed on the Borodino field due to ideological reasons. As a result of the construction of the advanced line of the Mozhaisk line of defense and six-day battles in October 1941 with the Nazi troops, a second historically significant layer of the cultural landscape of the Borodino field was formed. In the 1950-80s, extensive restoration work was carried out, all the monuments and the ensemble of the Spaso-Borodino Monastery were restored. New commemorative signs were installed on 3 mass graves of 1812 discovered in the forest, places of hostilities of the militia and Cossacks. A monument to the soldiers of the 5th Army was also erected - the T-34 tank and tombstones on 9 mass graves of Red Army soldiers. At present, the cultural landscape of the Borodino field, which includes monuments-evidence of the events of 1812 and 1941, memorable places and memorial signs, retains its authenticity and integrity. An integral expression of the special value of the Borodino field is the transformation of the word Borodino into an associative concept of a national and international scale, like Marathon, Waterloo, Verdun, Stalingrad.

Military gallery of the Borodino field

The exposition "The Military Gallery of the Borodino Field" is located in the refectory Church of the Beheading of John the Baptist of the Spaso-Borodino Monastery, founded by M.M. Tuchkova, the widow of General A.A. Tuchkov, who died on the Bagration Flushes. On the day of the temple holiday, September 11, Russian Orthodox Church commemorates all "leaders and warriors who laid down their lives on the battlefield", including the heroes of Borodin.
The exposition presents 73 portraits of generals and officers of the Russian army. These are all graphic images of the participants in the Battle of Borodino, which have so far been collected in the collection of the Borodino Museum-Reserve. Among them are not only famous commanders, but also little-known, "ordinary" generals.
All engravings and lithographs were created in the first half of the 19th century. Many of them were made on the basis of lifetime portraits by famous engravers A.G. Ukhtomsky, A.A. Florov, S. Cardelli. Some of the portraits were made by G. Dow and T. Wright based on paintings by the author of the Military Gallery of the Winter Palace, the English portrait painter George Doe. The images of the heroes of Borodin have come down to us and thanks to the lithographs of I.A. Klyukvin, K. Kray and I. Pesotsky. Multiple reproductions of these portraits testify to the popularity and recognition of the merits of the defenders of the Fatherland in the heroic year 1812.
More than a third of the military leaders presented in the exposition were wounded or shell-shocked in battle. Traces of the fiery whirlwind that raged on the Borodino field on August 26, 1812 are archaeological finds - lead and grapeshot bullets, fragments of grenades, cannonballs, bayonets, fragments of firearms and edged weapons.
The electronic "Borodino Book of Memory" contains information about military service, participation in hostilities, wounds and awards of more than eleven thousand participants in the Battle of Borodino - generals, officers and soldiers of the Russian army. This information is connected with the map, which shows the monuments and memorable places of the Borodino field, where they distinguished themselves.
The exposition "Military Gallery of the Borodino Field" was created in preparation for the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Borodino.
Author's team:
State Borodino Military Historical Museum-Reserve: Honored Worker of Culture of the Russian Federation A.V. Gorbunov (supervisor), Honored Worker of Culture of the Russian Federation V.E. Anfilatov, E.V. Semenishchev, with the participation of O.V. Gorbunova, T.Yu. Gromova, Honored Worker of Culture of the Russian Federation G.N. Nevsky, L.V. Smirnova, D.G. Tselorungo, M.N. Tselorungo, T.I. Yantzen.

Museum-Art LLC: Honored Artist of the Russian Federation A.N. Konov (artistic director), V.E. Voitsekhovsky, A.M. Gassel, S.I. Zinovieva, V.A. Pravdin.

RNII Heritage named after D.S. Likhachev: E.A. Vorobiev, A.V. Eremeev, S.A. Pchelkin.

Borodino during the Great Patriotic War

The exposition was created for the 40th anniversary of the Victory. It is located in one of the buildings of the Spaso-Borodino Monastery, where a field mobile hospital was located from July to September 1941, and is dedicated to the events of the Great Patriotic War. In October 1941, the soldiers of the 5th Army detained the German fascist invaders rushing to Moscow for six days on the Borodino field. Documents, photographs, weapons, trophies, personal belongings of the Red Army soldiers tell about that period of the war, which Marshal G.K. Zhukov called the most difficult in the battle for Moscow. In the Hall of Memory - lists of those killed on the Borodino field in 1941-1942.

Roubaud height

Poets, writers, artists in different time visited the Borodino field and reflected their impressions in their works.
One of the famous canvases dedicated to the “battle of the giants” is the panorama of F.A. Roubaud "Battle of Borodino", created for the 100th anniversary of the war of 1812.
Working on the panorama, F.A. Roubaud visited the Borodino field twice (in April 1910 and in August 1911) and the height where he made the initial sketches became a historical site over time.
Roubaud's height was equipped according to the project of the architect V.Ya. Sidnin as a memorial place in 1992, on the occasion of the 180th anniversary of the battle of Borodino.
On the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812, the Borodino Museum has developed an excursion called Roubaud's Height.

Palace and park ensemble in the village of Borodino

The palace and park ensemble in the village of Borodino, created in 1839, is inextricably linked with the Battle of Borodino - the general battle of the Patriotic War of 1812 and the creation of a memorial on the Borodino field.
The ensemble included the Church of the Nativity of Christ (1701), a wooden palace rebuilt from the master's house, three cavalier outbuildings, a "dining hall", an "English garden" - a park, and outbuildings.
Until 1912, the palace and park ensemble in the village. Borodino, along with the Spaso-Borodino Monastery and the monument on the Raevsky Battery, was one of the main attractions of the Borodino field.
The purpose of the reconstruction of the palace and park ensemble, begun in 2009, is the organization of the memorial and historical center of the Borodino Museum-Reserve in it, including objects of the museum display and service buildings. On the territory of the palace and park ensemble, archaeological research. For the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Borodino, the park has been completely recreated, appearance buildings "dining room" (depository), the Imperial Palace and the "confectionery wing". Walking along the alleys of the park, visitors can see the restored bust monument to Emperor Alexander II.

Mozhaisk Local History Museum

The Mozhaisk Local History Museum is a branch of the State Borodino Military Historical Museum-Reserve.

In 1905, a museum of visual aids was organized at the local Zemstvo to help students. With the participation of Countess P.S. Uvarova, it gradually turned into a local history study. Exhibits appeared in the museum, transferred from the rich collection of Counts Uvarovs, kept in the estate of Porechie, Mozhaisk district.
After February Revolution In 1917, the museum was left without supervision. Its exhibits were distributed to Mozhaisk schools, and partially ended up in a museum organized by local cooperation. This museum existed until the fire of 1920, when almost all of its exhibits perished in the fire. In the 1920s, through the efforts of local historians N.I. Vlasyev, head of the historical and archaeological section of the Mozhaisk Society of Local Historians, and V.I. Gorokhov, a local chronicler, the museum was revived.
Before the outbreak of hostilities in 1941, the museum's collections were evacuated to the Regional Museum of Local Lore in Istra, from where they did not return after the war for various reasons. In 1964, on the initiative of Mozhaisk teachers A.A. and B.L. Vasnetsov, a museum was organized in school No. 1, which became the basis for the revival of the city museum of local lore. The Mozhaisk Museum of History and Local Lore was reopened in 1981 on the occasion of the 750th anniversary of the city. Since 1986, the museum has become a branch of the State Borodino Military Historical Museum-Reserve.
In 1985, the House-Museum of the People's Artist of the USSR S.V. Gerasimov, which since 1990 has become a branch of the Borodino Military History Museum-Reserve in the structure of the Mozhaisk Local History Museum.
The funds of the Mozhaisk Local History Museum include collections of historical and everyday items, archaeological finds, documents and photographs, a collection of paintings and drawings by Mozhaisk artists, S.V. Gerasimov and his students.
Currently, an exhibition hall operates in the building of the local history museum, where visitors get acquainted with objects of a historical and everyday nature of the 18th-20th centuries from the museum's collection.
In the House-Museum of S.V. Gerasimov, a permanent memorial exhibition has been opened, exhibitions of works by his students are regularly organized.

Display objects of the Mozhaisk Local History Museum:
The territory of the former Mozhaisk Kremlin, earthen ramparts, entrance gates, Novo-Nikolsky Cathedral (1684-1812), Peter and Paul Church (1848).
Luzhetsky Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Ferapontov Monastery (XV-XIX centuries).
Memorial Complex, dedicated to memory heroes of the Great Patriotic War, defenders and liberators of the land of Mozhaisk in 1941-1942.

Local history readings are held annually in the museum.

The museum is open daily from 9.00 to 17.00,
except Monday and last Friday of the month.

Address:
143200, Mozhaisk, Komsomolskaya Square, 2.
Directions - from the Mozhaysky bus station by bus
to the stop "House of Culture" or "Komsomolskaya Square".
telephones: 8(496-38) 20-389, 8(496-38) 42-470

____________________________________________________________________________________________

SOURCE OF INFORMATION AND PHOTO:
Team Nomads
http://www.borodino.ru
Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: In 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg, 1890-1907.
Borodino and its environs, Tourist scheme
Monuments of the Borodino field, Main Directorate of Geodesy and Cartography under the Council of Ministers of the USSR, Moscow, 1972
http://www.photosight.ru/
Great Soviet Encyclopedia.
http://www.skitalets.ru/
Wikipedia site.

Losses in the Battle of Borodino

In Russian literature, at one time, the following figure of Napoleonic losses was widespread - 58,478 people. But the number of losses of the Russian army in the battle of Borodino was repeatedly revised by historians.

For example, General L.L. Bennigsen gives us the following data:

“We have over 30,000 people out of action.”

General A.P. Yermolov in his Notes writes:

“This battle is the fiercest of all in recent wars taking place; he is likened to one Wagram (which was in 1809 between the French and Austrians): it cost us more than 20 generals, up to 1800 killed and wounded headquarters and chief officers, and up to 36 thousand lower ranks.

But the quartermaster general K.F. Tol claims that the loss on our side in killed and wounded was only 25,000 people, plus 13 generals and about 800 staff and chief officers.

There are other numbers as well. For example, the figure "45 thousand" is engraved on the Main Monument of the Borodino field, erected in 1839, and is also indicated on the wall of the military glory gallery of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. The figures are also called 42,500 people, 39,300 people, etc.

Let's immediately put all the dots on the "i": the Napoleonic army in the battle of Borodino obviously lost not 58,478 people.

There is also a lot of data scatter here. For example, in French historiography, the most common number is 30,000. It is based on the calculations of the French officer Dennier, who served as an inspector of reviews at the main headquarters of Napoleon (he determined the total losses of the Napoleonic army for the three days of the battle of Borodino as follows: 49 generals, 37 colonels and 28,000 lower ranks, of which 6,550 were killed and 21,450 wounded ). Thus, the figure of 30,000 often given in the literature was obtained by rounding the data of Pierre-Paul Dennier.

The participants in the battle from the Napoleonic side, who somehow had access to loss data, called the following numbers: chief surgeon Jean-Dominique Larrey of the Great Army - 22,000 people, Count Roman Soltyk - 18,000 people, etc. Napoleon himself wrote about losses of 8,000-10,000 people for propaganda purposes.

Of course, these figures are too much underestimated.

On the other hand, the same General Philippe-Paul de Segur determined Napoleon's losses in the Battle of Borodino at 40,000 soldiers and officers. But this figure seems to be somewhat overestimated.

At the same time, without any doubt, trying to verify these data is very difficult, almost impossible.

Are there any convincing ways to calculate the losses of the army? This question is asked by the historian V.N. Zemtsov, and he gives the following answer: there are two such ways. The first of them is a comparison of the statements of the army before the battle and after the battle, the second is a calculation based on the lists of dead and wounded officers by name.

Accordingly, V.N. Zemtsov conducts these operations, making the necessary, in his opinion, adjustments.

It turns out that on the morning of August 27 (September 8), Napoleon could hypothetically have 97,275 people in the ranks. Therefore, the total losses of the Great Army in the battles of Shevardino and Borodino could be 32,000–34,000 people.

However, according to the historian, this method of counting has obvious drawbacks. He's writing:

“In addition to the fact that we were forced to operate with a number of rounded figures, we are not able to take into account those who, having been slightly wounded or shell-shocked during the battle, were already in service by September 20!”

The second method is based on the proportion between the losses of officers and soldiers, which ranges from 1:17 to 1:20. Based on the fact that in the Battle of Borodino the Napoleonic army lost 49 generals and 1928 officers, the average total losses could be 38,500 people.

Citing these data, V.N. Zemtsov notes:

“However, it should be remembered that a considerable number of fighters, despite the wounds, continued to remain in the ranks, including hoping for an award. At the same time, no less number of soldiers were dispersed, being outside their units, and only gradually, on September 8, and often later, were able to join them.

In our opinion, the following estimate is closer to reality: about 35,000 people were killed, wounded and missing.

Faber du Fort. Borodino field after the battle

And how did the participants in the battle from the Napoleonic side assess the losses of the Russians?

For example, General Jean-Louis Charrier wrote later:

“The Russian army is completely demoralized<…>In the battle of September 7, she lost more than 50 thousand people.

Napoleon wrote to his wife Marie-Louise immediately after the battle that Russian losses were estimated at 30,000. But later, largely for propaganda purposes, he wrote to the Austrian Emperor Franz about the enemy's losses of 40,000–50,000 people. From this, in fact, the figure of Russian losses of 50,000 people entered the memoir literature.

In our opinion, the following estimate of Russian losses is closest to reality: about 45,000 people killed, wounded and missing.

Thus, the losses of the Russian army were greater than the losses of the Napoleonic army.

Prominent modern historians speak about the same. For example, David Chandler gives the following figures: according to his data, the Russians lost at least 44,000 people, and the Grand Army - at least 30,000 people. Henri Lashuk estimates the losses of both sides in the battle of Borodino in a slightly different way: the total losses of the Russians exceeded 46,000 people, Napoleon's total loss was 35,000 people. Wherein, "as in most battles of this campaign, the defending side lost more than the attacking side."

Many people pay attention to this fact. Indeed, how can one speak of a Pyrrhic victory for Napoleon if his army, being the advancing side, lost less people than the Russian army, which defended itself in positions reinforced by field fortifications...

Nobody argues: Russian soldiers and officers showed miracles of valor and selflessness. But this could not change the results of the confrontation between the two armies: as noted by N.N. Muravyov, other Russian regiments "completely disappeared" A "in many regiments there were barely 100 or 150 people who were commanded by ensigns."

On the other hand, it was not for nothing that the battle was called the “battle of the generals”: ​​on the French side, 12 generals were killed, 38 generals and one marshal were wounded and shell-shocked. Thus, total number casualties among the generals amounted to 50 people. On the Russian side, the losses among the generals amounted to 26 people (generals A.I. Kutaisov and A.A. Tuchkov 4th were killed; mortally wounded - P.I. Bagration and N.A. Tuchkov 1st, wounded and shell-shocked more 22 generals, including A.P. Ermolov, P.G. Likhachev, M.S. Vorontsov, P.P. Konovnitsyn, D.P. Neverovsky, A.I. Osterman-Tolstoy and E.F. Sen- At).

Bridge across the river Koloch near Borodino. Artist H. Faber du Fort

The losses of the Russians were greater, but at the same time, one should not forget what Barclay de Tolly's adjutant V.I. noted immediately after the battle. Levenstern:

“Although the losses suffered by us in men and horses were enormous, they could be replenished, while the losses of the French army were irreparable; especially detrimental to Napoleon, as the consequences showed, was the disorganization of his cavalry.

And yet the fact remains: in the battle of Borodino, the losses of the Russians were much greater, and in these huge losses the strategy and tactics of M.I., far from perfect, played a role, first of all. Kutuzov.

The French General Pele, who was a colonel in 1812, clearly indicates this in his Notes. He's writing:

"The loss of the battle was facilitated by the bad orders of Kutuzov."

He cannot hide his indignation:

“He dared to declare himself the winner: he announced an imaginary victory not only to the inhabitants of Moscow and the tsar<…>but also the commander-in-chief of other Russian armies, misled by his dispatches. Alexander ordered a prayer service: he awarded his army great rewards, and promoted the defeated general to field marshals, who are very few in Russia.

An important role in the fact that the Russian losses turned out to be greater than the Napoleonic ones was also played by the high efficiency of the French artillery.

Historian V.N. Zemtsov notes:

“It was not only in its technical condition<…>but in incomparably better organization on the battlefield."

For comparison: the Napoleonic army spent during the battle, according to various sources, from 60,000 to 90,000 shells, and the Russian - only 20,000.

In addition, as V.N. Zemtsov, "The soldiers of the Great Army more effectively than the Russians used rifle fire, including aimed fire."

In general, Russian soldiers were trained in small arms fire much weaker than the French. Often, instead of shooting, they preferred to use edged weapons (recall the “strange” instruction of A.V. Suvorov: “A bullet is a fool, a bayonet is a good job”).

In addition, the worst quality of Russian weapons should be noted: guns, sabers, etc. For example, French guns were put in order faster, all their parts, including locks, were interchangeable. The same cannot be said about Russian guns. In addition, in Russian cannons, the gun carriages rested on wooden axles, and in French ones, on metal ones.

Plus, there were a large number of inexperienced recruits in the Russian army, etc., etc.

From the book Pearl Harbor. Japan strikes author Ivanov S. V.

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The Russian army under the command of M.I. Kutuzov with the French army (1812).

The battle of Borodino is the largest battle of the Patriotic War of 1812. In France, this battle is called the battle on the Moscow River.

Starting the war, Napoleon planned a border general battle, but the retreating Russian army lured him far from the border. After leaving the city of Smolensk, the Russian army retreated to Moscow.

The commander-in-chief of the Russian army, Mikhail Golenishchev-Kutuzov, decided to block Napoleon's path to Moscow and give a general battle to the French near the village of Borodino, located 124 km west of Moscow.

The position of the Russian army on the Borodino field occupied 8 km along the front and up to 7 km in depth. Its right flank adjoined the Moskva River, the left flank - to the impenetrable forest, the center rested on the height of Kurgannaya, covered from the west by the Semyonovsky stream. The forest and shrubs in the rear of the position made it possible to covertly deploy troops and maneuver with reserves. The position provided good visibility and artillery fire.

Napoleon later wrote in his memoirs (translated by Mikhnevich):

“Of all my battles, the most terrible is the one I gave near Moscow. The French showed themselves worthy of victory, and the Russians acquired the right to be invincible ... Of the fifty battles I gave, in the battle near Moscow [the French] showed the most valor and achieved the least success.

Kutuzov, in his memoirs, assessed the Battle of Borodino as follows: "The battle of the 26th, the former, was the most bloody of all those that are known in modern times. The place of the battle was completely won by us, and the enemy then retreated to the position in which he came to attack us."

Alexander I announced the Battle of Borodino as a victory. Prince Kutuzov was promoted to field marshal with an award of 100 thousand rubles. All the lower ranks who were in the battle were granted 5 rubles each.

The battle of Borodino did not lead to an immediate turning point in the course of the war, but it radically changed the course of the war. To successfully complete it, it took time to make up for losses, to prepare a reserve. It took only about 1.5 months when the Russian army, led by Kutuzov, was able to begin the expulsion of enemy forces from Russia.

The material was prepared on the basis of information from open sources