The Battle of Borodino in 1812 is a battle that lasted only one day, but has been preserved in the history of the planet among the most important world events. Napoleon took this blow, hoping to quickly conquer the Russian Empire, but his plans were not destined to come true. It is believed that the Battle of Borodino was the first stage in the fall of the famous conqueror. What is known about the battle that Lermontov glorified in his famous work?

Battle of Borodino 1812: background

This was a time when Bonaparte’s troops had already managed to subjugate almost all of continental Europe, and the emperor’s power even extended to Africa. He himself emphasized in conversations with those close to him that in order to gain world domination, all he had to do was gain control over Russian lands.

To conquer Russian territory, he assembled an army of approximately 600 thousand people. The army rapidly advanced deeper into the state. However, Napoleon's soldiers died one after another under the blow of peasant militias, their health deteriorated due to the unusually difficult climate and poor nutrition. Nevertheless, the advance of the army continued, the French goal being the capital.

The bloody Battle of Borodino in 1812 became part of the tactics used by Russian commanders. They weakened the enemy army with minor battles, biding their time for a decisive blow.

Main stages

The Battle of Borodino in 1812 was actually a chain consisting of several clashes with French troops, which resulted in huge losses on both sides. The first was the battle for the village of Borodino, which is located approximately 125 km from Moscow. On the Russian side, de Tolly took part in it, and on the enemy side, the Beauharnais corps.

The Battle of Borodino in 1812 was in full swing when the battle took place. It involved 15 divisions of French marshals and two Russians, led by Vorontsov and Neverovsky. At this stage, Bagration received a serious wound, which forced him to entrust command to Konovnitsyn.

By the time the Russian soldiers left the flushes, the Battle of Borodino (1812) had already been going on for about 14 hours. A summary of further events: the Russians are located behind the Semenovsky ravine, where the third battle takes place. Its participants are people who attacked flushes and defended them. The French received reinforcements, which became the cavalry under the leadership of Nansouty. Uvarov's cavalry hastened to help the Russian troops, and the Cossacks under the command of Platov also approached.

Battery Raevsky

Separately, it is worth considering the final stage of such an event as the Battle of Borodino (1812). Summary: the battles for what went down in history as the “grave of the French cavalry” lasted about 7 hours. This place really became the grave for many of Bonaparte's soldiers.

Historians remain perplexed as to why the Russian army abandoned the Shevadinsky redoubt. It is possible that the commander-in-chief deliberately opened the left flank in order to divert the enemy's attention from the right. His goal was to protect the new Smolensk road, using which Napoleon’s army would quickly approach Moscow.

Many historically important documents have been preserved that shed light on such an event as the war of 1812. The Battle of Borodino is mentioned in a letter that was sent by Kutuzov to the Russian emperor even before it began. The commander informed the Tsar that the terrain features (open fields) would provide the Russian troops with optimal positions.

Hundred per minute

The Battle of Borodino (1812) is briefly and extensively covered in so many historical sources that one gets the impression that it took a very long time. In reality, the battle, which began on September 7 at half past six in the morning, lasted less than a day. Of course, it turned out to be one of the bloodiest among all the short battles.

It’s no secret how many lives the Battle of Borodino took and its bloody contribution. Historians have not been able to establish the exact number of those killed; they call 80-100 thousand dead on both sides. Calculations show that every minute at least a hundred soldiers were sent to the next world.

Heroes

The Patriotic War of 1812 gave many commanders their well-deserved glory. The Battle of Borodino, of course, immortalized a man like Kutuzov. By the way, Mikhail Illarionovich at that time was not yet a gray-haired old man whose one eye did not open. At the time of the battle, he was still an energetic, albeit aging man, and was not wearing his signature headband.

Of course, Kutuzov was not the only hero who was glorified by Borodino. Together with him, Bagration, Raevsky, and de Tolly entered history. It is interesting that the last of them did not enjoy authority among the troops, although he was the author of the brilliant idea to field partisan forces against the enemy army. If you believe the legend, during the Battle of Borodino, the general lost his horses three times, which died under a barrage of shells and bullets, but he himself remained unharmed.

Who has the victory?

Perhaps this question remains the main intrigue of the bloody battle, since both sides participating in it have their own opinion on this matter. French historians are convinced that Napoleon's troops won a great victory that day. Russian scientists insist on the opposite; their theory was once supported by Alexander the First, who proclaimed the Battle of Borodino an absolute victory for Russia. By the way, it was after him that Kutuzov was awarded the rank of Field Marshal.

It is known that Bonaparte was not satisfied with the reports provided by his military leaders. The number of guns captured from the Russians turned out to be minimal, as was the number of prisoners that the retreating army took with them. It is believed that the conqueror was completely crushed by the morale of the enemy.

The large-scale battle, which began on September 7 near the village of Borodino, has inspired writers, poets, artists, and then directors who covered it in their works for two centuries. You can recall both the painting “The Hussar Ballad” and the famous creation of Lermontov, which is now being taught at school.

What was the Battle of Borodino 1812 really like and how did it turn out for the Russians and French? Buntman and Eidelman are historians who created a laconic and accurate text that covers the bloody battle in detail. Critics praise this work for its impeccable knowledge of the era, vivid images of the heroes of the battle (on both sides), thanks to which all the events are easy to imagine in the imagination. The book is a must read for those seriously interested in history and military affairs.

• Battle for the village of Borodino
• Battle for flushes

The entire course of the Battle of Borodino, which took place in August 1812, consisted of several stages, each of which was a very significant battle with a huge number of losses.

Battle for the village of Borodino

In the battle for the village, the forces of the French corps of E. Beauharnais and the chasseur regiments under the command of M. Barclay de Tolly came together. The French launched an attack on the village from two sides at once: from the north and west, under the cover of pre-dawn fog. Noticing the enemy, the Russian rangers met them with bayonets.
Thanks to the numerical superiority of the French, they began to press back the Jaeger regiments and even followed them across a bridge across the small river Kolocha. However, here they were met by additional detachments of rangers and sailors.
As a result, the French took the village, but were unable to advance further.

Battle for flushes

One of the most important stages of the entire Battle of Borodino was the battle for Bagration’s flushes. 15 French divisions advanced here against two Russian divisions. Later, reinforcements were sent to both fighting sides.
Over the course of five hours, the French attacked the flushes 8 times. Several times they even managed to capture the fortifications, but not for long. P. Bagration, who led their defense, did not allow Napoleon’s troops to gain a foothold in the flushes and expelled them from there every time.
As a result of the last attack and the wounding of Bagration, the flushes were nevertheless taken by the French. The Russian detachments retreated to the eastern bank of the Semenovsky ravine, where they gained a foothold and did not allow the French to advance further.

Raid of Russian troops behind enemy lines

At the most critical moment, in order to allow the main forces of the Russian army to regroup and prepare for a massive attack by the French, Kutuzov sent the Cossack cavalry regiments of generals F. Uvarov and M. Platov on a raid behind enemy lines.
Having crossed Kolocha, the generals forced the enemy to change position and withdraw part of the troops from Raevsky’s battery, thereby delaying the decisive attack of Napoleonic troops. In addition, with their sudden appearance, they caused confusion among the French and Napoleon himself and instilled in them doubts about their strength and victory.

Battle for the Raevsky battery. End of the battle

The final stage of the battle of Borodino was a fierce battle for the Raevsky battery. Built on a natural hill with excellent views. The battery was of great strategic importance.
Two morning attacks by the French breaking through to the battery were repulsed. The third attack began only at three o'clock in the afternoon, and here the significant numerical superiority of the French proved decisive.
The defenders of the battery, retreating, united with other parts of the Russian army and organized a defense slightly south of the fortification.
After this, the battle gradually began to subside. Some battles still continued, but none of the armies, exhausted and tired, having lost a large number of soldiers and officers, dared to engage in major battles.
The next decisive battle was planned for the next day. However, at night Kutuzov’s order came for the retreat of the Russian army, dictated by the desire to avoid further human losses.

Each of us still remembers the lines of this wonderful poem by Lermontov, memorized at school: “It’s not for nothing that all of Russia remembers Borodin’s Day!” But what kind of day was it? What happened on this day near the village of Borodino, which is located 125 kilometers from Moscow? And most importantly, who ultimately won the Battle of Borodino? You will learn about this and more right now.

Prologue of the Battle of Borodino

Napoleon invaded Russia with large forces - 600 thousand troops. The commander-in-chief of our army, Barclay, avoided decisive battles because he believed that Russian forces were not yet enough. Under pressure from the patriotic mood in society, the tsar removed Barclay and installed Kutuzov, who, however, was forced to continue the strategy of his predecessor.

But social pressure increased, and Kutuzov finally decided to give the French battle. He himself determined the location of the battle with Napoleon - Borodino Field.

The location was strategically advantageous:

1. The most important road to Moscow passed through the Borodino field.
2. On the field there was Kurgan Height (Raevsky’s battery was located on it).
3. Above the field rose a hill near the village of Shevardino (the Shevardinsky redoubt was located on it) and the Utitsky mound.
4. The field was crossed by the Kolocha River.

Preparation for the Battle of Borodino

On August 24, 1812, Napoleon and his army approached the Russian troops and immediately identified the weak points of their position. There were no fortifications behind the Shevardinsky redoubt; this was fraught with the danger of a breakthrough to the left flank and general defeat. Two days later, this redoubt was attacked by 35 thousand French, and defended by 12 thousand Russian soldiers under the command of Gorchakov.

About 200 guns fired at the fortifications, the French constantly attacked, but were unable to take the redoubts. Napoleon chose the following battle plan: attack the left flank - the Semyonov flushes (built behind the Shevardinsky redoubts at the last moment), break through them, push the Russians back to the river and defeat them.

All this was to be accompanied by additional attacks on the Kurgan Heights and the offensive of Poniatowski’s troops on the Utitsa Heights.

The experienced Kutuzov foresaw this enemy plan. On the right he placed Barclay's army. Raevsky's corps was placed on Kurgan Heights. The defense of the left flank was under the control of Bagration's army. Tuchkov's corps was stationed near the Utitsky mound to cover the road to Mozhaisk and Moscow. However, the most important thing: Kutuzov left a huge reserve in reserve in case of unexpected changes in the situation.

Beginning of the Battle of Borodino

On August 26, the battle began. First, the opponents spoke to each other in the language of guns. Later, the Beauharnais corps unexpectedly invaded Borodino and from its location organized a massive shelling of the right flank. But the Russians were able to set fire to the bridge over Kolocha, which prevented the French advance.

At the same time, Marshal Davout's troops attacked Bagration's flashes. However, here too the Russian artillery was accurate and stopped the enemy. Davout gathered his strength and attacked a second time. And this attack was repulsed by the infantrymen of General Neverovsky.

In this case, infuriated by the failure, Napoleon threw his main striking force to suppress Bagration's flushes: the corps of Ney and Zhenya with the support of Murat's cavalry. Such a force managed to push through Bagration’s flushes.

Concerned by this fact, Kutuzov sent reserves there and the original situation was restored. At the same time, Poniatowski’s French units set out and attacked the Russian troops near the Utitsky Kurgan with the goal of getting behind Kutuzov’s rear.

Poniatowski managed to complete this task. Kutuzov had to weaken the right flank by transferring Baggovut’s units from it to the Old Smolensk Road, which were stopped by Poniatovsky’s troops.

At the same time, Raevsky’s battery passed from hand to hand. At the cost of enormous efforts, the battery was saved. Around noon, seven French attacks were repulsed. Napoleon concentrated large forces at the flushes and threw them into the eighth attack. Suddenly Bagration was wounded, and his units began to retreat.

Kutuzov sent reinforcements to the flushes - the Platov Cossacks and Uvarov’s cavalry, which appeared on the French flank. The French attacks stopped due to the onset of panic. Until the evening, the French attacked and captured all Russian positions, but the cost of losses was so high that Napoleon ordered a halt to further offensive actions.

Who won the Battle of Borodino?

The question arises about the winner. Napoleon declared himself such. Yes, it seems he captured all the Russian fortifications on the Borodino field. But he did not achieve his main goal - he did not defeat the Russian army. Although she suffered heavy losses, she still remained very combat-ready. And Kutuzov’s reserve remained completely unused and intact. The cautious and experienced commander Kutuzov ordered a retreat.

Napoleonic troops suffered terrible losses - about 60,000 people. And there could be no talk of a further offensive. Napoleonic armies needed time to recover. In a report to Alexander I, Kutuzov noted the unparalleled courage of the Russian troops, who won a moral victory over the French that day.

Result of the Battle of Borodino

Reflections about who won and who lost that day - September 7, 1812 do not cease to this day. The main thing for us is that this day will forever go down in the history of our state as the Day of Military Glory of Russia. And literally in a week we will celebrate another anniversary - 204 years since the Battle of Borodino.

P.S. Friends, as you probably noticed, I did not set myself the task of describing this great battle of the Patriotic War of 1812 in as much detail as possible. On the contrary, I tried to condense it as much as possible in order to tell you briefly about that day, which, it seems to me, lasted an eternity for the participants in the battle itself. And now I need your help.

Please give me feedback in the comments to the article about in what format it is better to describe other Days of Military Glory of Russia from now on: briefly or in full, as I did with the battle of Cape Tendra? I look forward to your comments under the article.

Peaceful skies above everyone,

Reserve Sergeant Suvernev.

R. Volkov "Portrait of M.I. Kutuzov"

You will never see such battles!..
Banners were worn like shadows,
The fire sparkled in the smoke,
Damask steel sounded, buckshot screamed,
The soldiers' hands are tired of stabbing,
And prevented the cannonballs from flying
A mountain of bloody bodies... (M.Yu. Lermontov “Borodino”)

Background

After the invasion of the French army under the command of Napoleon into the territory of the Russian Empire (June 1812), Russian troops regularly retreated. The numerical superiority of the French contributed to the rapid advance into the depths of Russia; this deprived the commander-in-chief of the Russian army, Infantry General Barclay de Tolly, of the opportunity to prepare troops for battle. The long retreat of the troops caused public outrage, and therefore Emperor Alexander I appointed Infantry General Kutuzov as commander-in-chief. However, Kutuzov continued his retreat. Kutuzov's strategy was aimed at 1) exhausting the enemy, 2) waiting for reinforcements for the decisive battle with the Napoleonic army.

On September 5, the battle took place at the Shevardin Redoubt, which delayed the French troops and gave the Russians the opportunity to build fortifications in the main positions.

V.V. Vereshchagin "Napoleon on the Borodino Heights"

The Battle of Borodino began on September 7, 1812 at 5:30 a.m. and ended at 6:00 p.m. Fighting throughout the day took place in different areas of the position of the Russian troops: from the village of Maloe in the north to the village of Utitsy in the south. The heaviest battles took place for Bagration's flushes and at Raevsky's battery.

On the morning of September 3, 1812, having begun to concentrate in the area of ​​​​the village of Borodino, M.I. Kutuzov carefully examined the surrounding area and ordered the construction of fortifications to begin, because concluded that this area was most suitable for a decisive battle - it was impossible to postpone it further, since Alexander I demanded that Kutuzov stop the French advance towards Moscow.

The village of Borodino was located 12 kilometers west of Mozhaisk, the terrain here was hilly and crossed by small rivers and streams that formed deep ravines. The eastern part of the field is higher than the western part. The Koloch River, which flowed through the village, had a high, steep bank, which provided good cover for the right flank of the Russian army. The left flank, approaching a swampy forest, overgrown with bushes, was poorly accessible to cavalry and infantry. This position of the Russian army made it possible to cover the road to Moscow, and the wooded area made it possible to shelter reserves. It was impossible to find a better place for the decisive battle. Although Kutuzov himself realized that the left flank was a weak point, he hoped to “correct the situation with art.”

Start of the battle

Kutuzov’s idea was that as a result of the active defense of Russian troops, French troops would suffer as many losses as possible in order to change the balance of forces and subsequently defeat the French army. In accordance with this, the battle formation of the Russian troops was built

In the village of Borodino there was one battalion of Russian guards rangers with four guns. To the west of the village there was a military guard of rangers from army regiments. East of Borodino, 30 sailors guarded the bridge over the Kolocha River. After the Russian troops retreated to the eastern bank, they were supposed to destroy it.

A corps under the command of E. Beauharnais, Viceroy of Spain, entered the battle near Borodino, who sent one division from the north and the other from the west.

The French, unnoticed, under the cover of the morning fog, approached Borodino at 5 am, and at 5-30 they were noticed by the Russians, who opened artillery fire. The guards moved towards the French with bayonets, but the forces were not equal - many of them died on the spot. Those who remained retreated beyond Kolocha, but the French broke through the bridge and approached the village of Gorki, where Kutuzov’s command post was located.

But Barclay de Tolly, having sent three regiments of rangers, drove off the French, and the bridge over Kolocha was dismantled.

The French who survived and retreated to Borodino established an artillery battery here, from which they fired at Raevsky’s battery and at the battery near the village of Gorki.

Battle for Bagration's flushes

J. Doe "Portrait of P.I. Bagration"

Bagration had at his disposal about 8 thousand soldiers and 50 guns (the 27th infantry division of General Neverovsky and the consolidated grenadier division of General Vorontsov) to protect the flushes.

Napoleon had 43 thousand people and more than 200 guns (seven infantry and eight cavalry divisions under the command of Marshals Davout, Murat, Ney and General Junot) to attack the flushes. But these troops were not enough, additional reinforcements came, as a result, Napoleonic army fought for Bagration’s flushes consisting of 50 thousand soldiers and 400 guns. During the battle, the Russians also brought up reinforcements - 30 thousand soldiers and 300 guns made up the number of Russian troops.

During the 6 hours of battle, the French launched eight attacks: the first two were repulsed, then the French managed to temporarily capture three flushes, but they were unable to gain a foothold there and were driven back by Bagration. This defeat worried Napoleon and his marshals, since the French had a clear numerical superiority. The French troops were losing confidence. And so the eighth attack of the flushes began, which ended with its capture by the French, then Bagration put forward all his available forces for a counterattack, but he himself was seriously wounded - Lieutenant General Konovnitsyn took command. He raised the spirit of the army, broken by Bagration's wound, withdrew the troops from the flushes to the eastern bank of the Semenovsky ravine, quickly installed artillery, built infantry and cavalry, and delayed the further advance of the French.

Semyonovskaya position

10 thousand soldiers and artillery were concentrated here. The task of the Russians in this position was to delay the further advance of the French army and block the breakthrough that formed after the French occupied the Bagration flushes. This was a difficult task, since the bulk of the Russian army were those who had already been fighting for Bagration's flushes for several hours, and only three guards regiments (Moscow, Izmailovsky and Finlyandsky) arrived from reserve. They lined up in a square.

But the French did not have reinforcements either, so Napoleonic marshals decided to attack in such a way as to hit the Russians on both sides with artillery crossfire. The French attacked fiercely, but were constantly repulsed, most of them dying from Russian bayonets. Still, the Russians were forced to retreat east of the village of Semenovskoye, but soon Kutuzov gave the order to attack the cavalry of the Cossack regiments of Platov and Uvarov, which diverted part of the French troops from the center. While Napoleon was regrouping his troops on the left wing, Kutuzov gained time and pulled his forces to the center of the position.

Battery Raevsky

J. Doe "Portrait of General Raevsky"

Lieutenant General Raevsky's battery had a strong position: it was located on a hill, where 18 guns were installed, there were 8 infantry battalions and three Jaeger regiments in reserve. The French tried to attack the battery twice, but were unsuccessful, but there were heavy losses on both sides. At three o'clock in the afternoon, the French again began to attack Raevsky's battery and two regiments managed to bypass it from the north side and break in. A fierce hand-to-hand fight began, Raevsky’s battery was finally taken by the French. Russian troops retreated in battle and organized a defense 1-1.5 kilometers east of Raevsky’s battery.

Fighting on the Old Smolensk Road

After a long break, the battle began again on the Old Smolensk Road. It was attended by regiments of the 17th division, the approaching Wilmanstrad and Minsk regiments of the 4th division and 500 people of the Moscow militia. The French could not withstand the attacking actions of the Russian troops and retreated, but then Poniatowski’s infantry and cavalry forces struck from the left flank and rear. Russian troops initially successfully resisted, but then retreated along the Old Smolensk Road and settled east of the Utitsky Kurgan, in the upper reaches of the Semenovsky Stream, joining the left flank of the 2nd Army.

The end of the Battle of Borodino

V.V. Vereshchagin "The end of the Battle of Borodino"

The French army fought with Russian forces for 15 hours, but could not achieve success. Its physical and moral resources were undermined, and with the onset of darkness, Napoleonic troops retreated to the starting line, leaving Bagration's flashes and Raevsky's battery, for which there was a stubborn struggle. Only the advanced detachments of the French remained on the right bank of the Kolocha, and the main forces retreated to the left bank of the river.

The Russian army was firmly in position. Despite significant losses, her morale did not drop. The soldiers were eager to fight and were eager to completely defeat the enemy. Kutuzov was also preparing for the upcoming battle, but the information collected at night showed that half of the Russian army was defeated - the battle could not be continued further. And he decides to retreat and surrender Moscow to the French.

The significance of the Battle of Borodino

Under Borodino, the Russian army under the command of Kutuzov dealt a severe blow to the French army. Its losses were enormous: 58 thousand soldiers, 1600 officers and 47 generals. Napoleon called the Battle of Borodino the bloodiest and most terrible of all the battles he fought (50 in total). His troops, who won brilliant victories in Europe, were forced to retreat under the pressure of Russian soldiers. The French officer Laugier wrote in his diary: “What a sad sight the battlefield presented. No disaster, no lost battle can compare in horror to the Borodino Field. . . Everyone is shocked and crushed."

The Russian army also suffered heavy losses: 38 thousand soldiers, 1500 officers and 29 generals.

The Battle of Borodino is an example of the military genius of M.I. Kutuzova. He took everything into account: he successfully chose positions, skillfully deployed troops, provided strong reserves, which gave him the opportunity to maneuver. The French army conducted a mainly frontal offensive with limited maneuvers. In addition, Kutuzov always relied on the courage and perseverance of Russian soldiers, soldiers and officers.

The Battle of Borodino was a turning point in the Patriotic War of 1812 and was of great international significance, influencing the fate of European countries. Defeated at Borodino, Napoleon was never able to recover from his defeat in Russia, and later suffered defeat in Europe.

V.V. Vereshchagin "On the high road - the retreat of the French"

Other assessments of the Battle of Borodino

Emperor Alexander I announced the Battle of Borodino as victory.

A number of Russian historians insist that the outcome of the Battle of Borodino was uncertain, but the Russian army won a “moral victory” in it.

F. Roubaud "Borodino. Attack on the Raevsky battery"

Foreign historians, as well as a number of Russian ones, consider Borodino as an undoubted Napoleon's victory.

However, everyone agrees that Napoleon failed defeat the Russian army. To the French failed destroy the Russian army, force Russia to capitulate and dictate peace terms.

Russian troops inflicted significant damage on Napoleon's army and were able to preserve their strength for future battles in Europe.

The Patriotic War of 1812 ended more than 200 years ago, but interest in that glorious page of Russian history is not lost even today. Of course, thanks to the heroism of the Russian army, Napoleon’s troops were almost completely destroyed, and the fighting was transferred outside of Russia. The turning point of the military campaign was the Battle of Borodino, which every self-respecting person is simply obliged to know about.

Events leading up to the battle

In June 1812, Napoleon's huge army invaded the territory of the Russian Empire. Thus began the war, which became one of the important events of the 19th century and is known in Russian history as the Patriotic War of 1812 (more about it). In the first months of hostilities, Russian troops constantly retreated. One of the reasons for this was their fragmentation.

Therefore, the command decided to retreat to Smolensk with the aim of unification. Finally, on August 3, the 1st and 2nd armies united near this city. However, the general battle that was expected from the acting commander-in-chief, General Barclay de Tolly, did not follow. Anticipating that the French, having a numerical superiority, would be able to find themselves behind Russian lines, the general ordered the abandonment of Smolensk. But the prolonged retreat caused dissatisfaction among Russian society.

The need to transfer military power to one person also became apparent. Soon, the famous commander General M.I. was appointed as such commander-in-chief. Golenishchev-Kutuzov. Kutuzov's army continued its fighting retreat towards Moscow. She stopped only at the village of Borodino, where on September 7 the decisive battle of the War of 1812 took place.

Famous battle

The surroundings of the village of Borodino (location: 125 km from Moscow), consisting of ravines, small rivers, and streams, were ideally suited for a decisive battle. The battlefield itself was located at the intersection of the Old and New Smolensk roads leading to Moscow. It is the above components that are the main reasons for the Commander-in-Chief’s choice in favor of Borodino. At the site of the upcoming clash, Russian soldiers erected redoubts, flushes, and lunettes. Developing a battle plan, M.I. Kutuzov suggested:

• while defending, inflict heavy losses on the enemy;
• go on the offensive with fresh forces and defeat your opponent.

On the eve of the battle, the Russian army, including the Cossacks, numbered approximately 120 thousand people, and the French army consisted of approximately 140 thousand people.

Battle diagram

The French approached the Borodino field on September 5th. That day, Kutuzov’s men were still building fortifications at the main positions. Therefore, Gorchakov’s barrage detachment located in the village of Shevardino (3 km from Borodino) took the enemy’s blow. The defenders held back the enemy's onslaught until late at night and left the redoubt only after receiving the appropriate order.

On September 7 (August 26) at 6 am the Battle of Borodino began, which lasted about 12 hours. It was impossible to bypass Kutuzov’s troops on the right side; the positions there were covered by the Kolocha River. And the main hostilities began with the attack of the French corps under the leadership of the Duke of Davout on the left flank of the Russians, commanded by Prince Bagration.

Bagration's warriors repulsed seven of the eight fierce attacks, but the last attack forced them to retreat. The prince himself received a mortal wound during this battle. Around noon, his soldiers entrenched themselves in the village of Semenovskoye and, with powerful artillery fire, did not allow the French to go further than the Semenovsky ravine. Also, the cavalry sent here by Kutuzov forced Napoleon to temporarily stop his attacks.

In the central section of the Borodino field, Raevsky’s battery fought heroically. But in the afternoon, the general’s troops were forced to retreat and consolidated in a new location.

All evening the opposing forces maintained powerful artillery fire, and at night the French returned to their original positions without breaking their opponent.

The results of the battle near the village of Borodino affected the fate of all of Europe. Here Napoleon lost a quarter of his troops. French morale fell. Soon the once invincible army began to be “haunted” by defeats.

Kutuzov's army lost up to 40 thousand people on September 7th. In order to save the remaining people and not lose Russia, the Commander-in-Chief decided to surrender Moscow. And then the cold came, and Russian troops, along with the partisan detachments of D. Davydov, expelled Napoleon’s exhausted army from their native land.

How it was in our time

Every year, a reconstruction of the famous battle that took place in 1812 is held on the Borodino field. It is created by members of military history clubs. Thus, dressed in Russian and French military uniforms of the early 19th century, reenactors recreate the atmosphere that reigned on the battlefield more than 200 years ago. Videos and pictures from past years tell how grand this event is.

Soon, at the site where the famous battle took place, a reconstruction will take place in 2018. In front of the eyes of the spectators, hundreds of hussars, lancers, grenadiers, infantrymen, and artillerymen will desperately fight for victory. In short, the reconstruction program is rich in key moments of the battle, where, among others, the raids of Platov’s Cossacks and Uvarov’s cavalry. Spectators will be able to watch the progress of the battle from the stands.

Battle in Tolstoy's novel

The description of the battle at Borodino is occupied in the novel by L.N. Tolstoy's "War and Peace" twenty chapters of the third volume. The reader looks at the battle either through the eyes of the hereditary military prince Andrei, or through the eyes of a civilian Pierre Bezukhov. After all, Pierre, not knowing military affairs at all, considered it necessary to be on such an important day on the battlefield. During the battle, it seemed to Count Bezukhov, who found himself on the Raevsky battery, that the main events were taking place here. Through Pierre's perception, the tragedy of the war for each individual person is shown. At the same time, Pierre understood the strength that unites him, Prince Andrei, ordinary soldiers and General Kutuzov. And this strength lay in the desire to defend their native land.

Borodino also turns out to be a meeting place for some of the main characters in the novel. Fate pits Bezukhov against Dolokhov, and the already mortally wounded Prince Bolkonsky forgives the dying Anatoly Kuragin.

Thus, through Tolstoy’s eyes the significance of the battle on the Borodino field is shown. After all, it was after this battle that the spirit of the Russian army strengthened, which greatly contributed to the final victory over the French.

Historians' assessments

The conclusions of historians about the results of the battle of Borodino have remained ambiguous at all times. Thus, the historian S. B. Okun believed that the Russian army on the Borodino field won one of its outstanding victories. The French historian J. Michelet wrote about the victory of the French troops, but emphasized that Napoleon did not take advantage of its fruits. Doctor of Historical Sciences Abalikhin expressed his opinion that the outcome of the battle was a draw.

In general, we can say that tactically it was a victory for Russian weapons, because the Russian army retained its combat capability, it simply retreated and then dealt crushing blows to the enemy. But strategically it was a victory for Napoleon, since he finally achieved his goal and entered Moscow. Then he probably did not imagine what awaited him, however, it was still far away.

One way or another, the date August 26 (September 7), 1812 is forever inscribed in “golden letters” in the history of Russia.