B

orodino: Battle and Museum

 

September 4, 2005






Russian flag



Perhaps one of the most unusual and fun days we spent in Moscow was attending the annual re-enactment of the Battle of Borodino, perhaps the most decisive battle that Russia undertook against the armies of Napoleon. The battle ended in a standoff, but a standoff that took an enormous number of casualties and weakened the French army so much that it had to beat a very costly retreat.

Borodino
Russian Troops on the Borodino Battlefield

You cannot be long in Moscow before you start noticing references to the great victory over Napoleon. Statues of Generals and bridges were erected in honor of the event and the biggest battle of the whole war was undoubtedly Borodino, which is located about xxx kms west of Moscow. The most famous of the famous generals is of course Kutuzov, who masterminded the battle and the ensuing harassment and coralling of the Napoleonic horde, forcing them to retreat along the path they had arrived by which had already been shorn of provisions. Second only to Kutuzov is the heroic figure of Bagration, who died at Borodino defending the Motherland.

Borodino
French Troops leaving the Borodino Battlefield

Before we ever heard of the re-enactment we had attended the Borodino Panorama Museum, a museum in the round which represents the battlefield in three dimensions and (if you are lucky enough to understand Russian) includes a commentary that describes the battle. As history buffs we couldn't miss it and on the same day spent time admiring the triumphal arch built in memory of the victory and located nearby.

Borodino
Borodino Re-enactment Spectators

But nothing can compare with the battlefield itself, which is dotted with monuments to the various regiments that took part in the battle, both French and Russian. There are also monuments to the heroic Soviet troops of World War II, who also fought Hitler's army in this area. We walked a couple of miles across the battlefield, making our way, we hoped, to the re-enactment site armed only with imperfect information gathered from people we met along the way. We were given at least three different times for the start of the main event, but always were generally pointed in the same direction. After more than an hour of wandering from monument to monument, we finally came upon the giant column that honors Bagration and knew we must be close to the battle-site itself. There we took a breath, sat down and ate our picnic lunch and just enjoyed the countryside with its rolling hills, basking in the warm late summer sun.

Borodino
One of the Many Borodino Characters

Having finished our lunch we followed the crowds of people heading towards the village of Borodino and there, walking along a road along a ridge, we rounded a corner and saw the battle, already in full swing. We wormed our way down through the crowd and found ourselves a spot on the far left edge of the audience, just above a small gulley that served as stage entrance right to the battle participants.

The effect was truly magnificent. Put on by the Russian military, it is a quite professional affair with what look like very authentic costumes, some very well-trained horses, a full minute-by-minute commentary, and some very impressive explosive effects. We watched enthralled for an hour cheering on mostly the Napoleonic red-coats whose front was not far from our viewpoint.

Borodino
WWII Tank at Borodino, with Slogan: "For the Nation, For Stalin"

We found out about the re-enactment by a pure stroke of luck. About two weeks before the event, we wandered into the Ukraine hotel, one of Stalin's wedding-cake monster buildings that was only a few blocks from where we lived but that hitherto we had never found time to visit. Inside, Gerry was browsing an information stand when he came across a flyer in English advertizing a tour to the re-enactment being offered by a tour group. He picked up the brochure and there and then decided that we would go. We didn't take the tour, of course, but like thousands of ordinary Russians, we rode the train and shanks's pony (foot) to get there. Vive la France! Vive la Russie!

Borodino
Church at Borodino, Thanking God for Victory

Borodino was, of course, a famous battle for the tsarists of Russia. It also was used however, by Stalin to rally the people for the battle against Hitler. Now that the Communists have faded away, it is once again a point of pride for those who would like the royal house to be reinstated. For us it was a perfect excuse for an outing.




December 31, 2005