Borodino Battlefield to be restored

[Aardvark154]

The Borodino Battlefield 120 km west of Moscow is to be restored to its appearance in 1812, in time for the bicentennial of the battle.

http://www.sptimes.ru/index.php?action_id=2&story_id=31076

A number of houses are to be removed, and I liked this quote:
"Most residents of the settlement are current and former staff of the State Borodino War and History Museum and Reserve, which is located nearby, and they are more than happy to give up their ramshackle homes in exchange for something better"

 

[mandrill]

Given the total lack of prior interest by the Russians in the sort of care and attention Americans lavish on national military sites like the Alamo and Gettysburg, this is an interesting development. I would love to tour a reconstructed Borodino. Hopefully, this suggests that Russia is becoming a little more sensitive to tourism considerations that the West takes for granted.

As for the evicted residents, I have no reason to believe that they will not get a nice 2 room apartment each on the outskirts of Moscow and those - at least - will have functioning plumbing..... on good days.

Actually, this is historically synchronicitous. The Russian army razed the original village of Borodino in 1812 to clear fields of fire for its artillery. I doubt the then resident peasants were offered any type of compensation.

 

[Musketeer]

Given the total lack of prior interest by the Russians in the sort of care and attention Americans lavish on national military sites like the Alamo and Gettysburg, this is an interesting development. I would love to tour a reconstructed Borodino. Hopefully, this suggests that Russia is becoming a little more sensitive to tourism considerations that the West takes for granted.

As for the evicted residents, I have no reason to believe that they will not get a nice 2 room apartment each on the outskirts of Moscow and those - at least - will have functioning plumbing..... on good days.

Actually, this is historically synchronicitous. The Russian army razed the original village of Borodino in 1812 to clear fields of fire for its artillery. I doubt the then resident peasants were offered any type of compensation.

None at all. The Russian version of 'War and Peace' (Sergei Bondarchuk) depicts the frightening side of Napoleonic warfare with its' high casualties.

Pity that Napoleon never announced freedom for the serfs as he was contemplating, otherwise the outcome of the 1812 campaign might have been different.

Glad to see the Borodino Battlefield will be restored. 1812! What a year for historical re-enactments, both in Russia and in North America for our own War of 1812 celebrations.

 

[OddSox]

I didn't know that Russia was in the War of 1812! Whose side were they on?


(sorry, my bad attempt at a joke)

 

[Rockslinger]

The Russian version of 'War and Peace' (Sergei Bondarchuk) depicts the frightening side of Napoleonic warfare with its' high casualties.

Didn't Napoleon march into Russia with 600,000 and only 6,000 came back alive?

 

[mandrill]

Didn't Napoleon march into Russia with 600,000 and only 6,000 came back alive?

I believe it was about 30,000 that came out. Most of them were sick and frostbitten and they had left behind all their guns and eaten their horses. Napoleon had left early in his luxury coach and was already back in France.

 

[Aardvark154]

Given the total lack of prior interest by the Russians in the sort of care and attention Americans lavish on national military sites like the Alamo and Gettysburg, this is an interesting development. I would love to tour a reconstructed Borodino. Hopefully, this suggests that Russia is becoming a little more sensitive to tourism considerations that the West takes for granted.

Same situation in the Crimea with the battlefields of the Crimean War - very hard to see where anything happened (trees have grown up, no markers etc. . .). Around Saint-Petersburg you if you look closely you can see where the siege lines were in the Second World War (Great Patriotic War) as there are small monuments by the side of the road including an anti-tank gun. Also on one of the bridges on Nevsky Prospekt you can still see the gouges left in the granite by shell splinters.

 

[Aardvark154]

I didn't know that Russia was in the War of 1812! Whose side were they on?


(sorry, my bad attempt at a joke)

The Overtue Team

(even worse joke)

 

[oil&gas]

I didn't know that Russia was in the War of 1812! Whose side were they on?


(sorry, my bad attempt at a joke)

On the side of the British Empire.

British general Sir Robert Thomas Wilson was an observer within the Russian
army in 1812. You can read about many horrors of the war in his journal.

It is amazing that Russia actually had a navy fighting the U.S.
alongside its ally in the Atlantic ocean.

Yes I am such a fool that I didn't get the joke.