The Russian Ministry of Culture reported on the results of inspection in the Borodino Field. Using the bureaucratic language, “no new objects of unlawful construction” were detected in spite of media investigations. If there is no cover-up (and it’s difficult not use such a caveat) this is partly encouraging, given that the houses which have already been built on the territory of the war history reserve are not likely to disappear before the 200th jubilee of the Borodino Battle by virtue of complexity and long duration of legal proceedings leading to the demolition of the illegal development.
What is going on in the Borodino Field now and what the traditional reconstruction of the Borodino Battle will be like on the 200th anniversary of the Borodino Battle? These issues were raised at the press conference where representatives of the Public Board assisting the State Committee for preparation for celebrating the victory of Russia in the Patriotic War of 1812 participated. A whole sequence of events to commemorate this jubilee was also discussed.
As you may know, the State Committee led by President Medvedev was formed in the run-up to the memorable date. However a number of public initiatives left without due support on the part of the government will reportedly be carried through by the Public Board with the help of sponsors and in alliance with other NGOs.
What’s the mission of this organization? The list of their endeavors published by the Board’s Vice Chairman and also Head of Society of Descendants of Patriotic War 1812 Veterans, Vissarion Alyavdin, is rather impressive. It includes the development of standard plans of celebrations and their mailing to the regions which have adopted a festive agenda. The initiative is not as useless as one might think, since according to Mr. Alyavdin, in many regions the activists did not even know what should be the right approach to this matter. No wonder as only several Russian regions – Leningrad, Pskov, Smolensk, Moscow, Kaluga and Kaliningrad – were directly involved in the warfare. It should not be forgotten, however, that other regions and provinces in the European part of Russia formed militia for the war on Napoleon and therefore have the historic right to participate in the jubilee celebrations.
The board is creating a Book of Memory of those who perished during the war of 1812-1814 and has developed an entire program of identifying the sites of battles, set-up of monuments and memory signs. Thus a new monument has appeared in Moscow – To Medical Workers at the Time of Patriotic War 1812 – not far from the Sechenov Medical Academy. Another monument to the heroes of 1812 will be set up in the city of Maloyaroslavets. There are also some other projects – a monument to the Mariupol Regiment in Ukraine, a monument to Miloradovic in St. Petersburg and to Chechagov in Paris.
Events will be held throughout the whole year. The inauguration of the Borodino Panorama after an overhaul and Kutuzov’s log hut that hosted the headquarters of M.I. Kutuzov and the military council will definitely be important events for Muscovites. Renovation of the Arch of Triumph that is currently in a deplorable condition is expected to have been completed by September.
However the key celebrations will still be dated to the Borodino Battle, although, as was emphasized by President of the International War History Association, Alexander Valkovich, it should not be forgotten that it is not the battle anniversary, but rather the jubilee of the victory in the Patriotic war that will be celebrated. In August another interesting event will take place – a horseback march from Moscow to Paris. Contemporary riders will follow the path Hetman Platov’s Cossacks. Is this not a better idea than a traditional motor rally (also planned)? Especially because riding on the Don thoroughbreds will promote the Russian horses in Europe.
Europe is also ready to participate in the memorable events but in connection with the later warfare in 1813-1814. In the words of Valkovich, “they wait for Russian regiments in Paris” and in Germany they’ve already expressed the desire to cooperate within the framework of the cross-year Russia – Germany (2013).
The inauguration on September 8 of the Museum of the War 1812, where exhibits from the stocks of the State Historical Museum will be displayed, promises to become the main museum event of the year (in addition to numerous shows and expositions both in Moscow and regional museums).
Historic clubs and those of military glory will be particularly active in this year. One of the key scenes will be laid in the Tsaritsyno Estate where a small-scale reconstruction was already held on January 7. A bivouac will be laid out in Tsaritsyno on May 18, The Night of Museums, and all volunteers will be able to partake of the bivouac meal. And in June a historic ball and a reconstruction of Napoleon’s Army crossing the river Neman will be staged there.
The traditional re-enactment of the Borodino Battle will also be rather unusual, assured Alexander Valkovich. This year about 3,000 men (usually around 1,000), representing all European powers whose soldiers were fighting here some 200 years ago, will take part in the mock warfare. The defense of Smolensk, the battles at Maloyaroslavets and Vyazma will also be reproduced as well as the battle during the crossing of the river Berezina that will be the last to be staged in December. This is not the end, however, since in 2013 we’ll be treated to reconstruction of the battle at Dresden and in 2014 – the Battle of the Peoples at Leipzig.
Hopefully an exciting “historic” year lies ahead of us. Any festival is a good time, especially when there is such an excellent occasion. One more latent objective of the planned festivities should not be forgotten either: upholding the historic memory. This does not seem to be a problem. Who does not know anything about Napoleon, Alexander I, Kutuzov and Bagration? Who has not seen The Hussar Ballad, after all? True, we know the history of this war much better than some of the XX century’s events, such as the World War I. But unfortunately, this is not a safeguard against intentional or unintentional perversions. And while the famous black bandage of Kutuzov that made its debut in the feature film Kutuzov of 1944 and later reappeared in The Hussar’s Ballad by Eldar Ryazanov (though in reality the Russian General wore no such bandage) can be written off to the force of the cine image, many set patterns in the domestic and Western historiography (take General Frost, for example!) make one to recall the myths of another Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. We’d like the professional community to gladden us on this jubilee year with quality historical investigations. Perhaps it is no less important that this event be in the focus of mass media, especially our domestic TV, for history can be much more captivating than many popular TV shows.
Boris Serov
