"Two WARs of 1812 / 1941 and the Great Memory of Millitary Glory” (Borodino 1812 – Tarutino – Malojoroslavets 1941), 2 days

Type: special offers, around Moscow, excursion, historical, events, culture heritage, recommended, discovery

Route: Moscow, Borodino Battle and Tarutino, Napoleon and War 1812

Dates: upon request, june to september

Mode: on foot, car, minibus, vehicle

Group: 2 pax and more

                                                                                                            Led by Vasiliy Novakovskiy

The first Great Patriotic War Russia had took place in 1812. We supported GB in Napoleon blockade of Britain. Russia used American ships supplying Britain with sails, ancors and other goods.  

                       
            France started invasion into Russia on the 24 of June 1812 from Eastern Prussia – Kenigsberg city ( now Kaliningrad ). Half a million people in Napoleon speaking 20 languages. Russia was waiting for this War and had prepared strategy. The War was organised in the strategy of retreat of two Russian armies in Belorussia. Commanders were Mr. Barkley and Mr. Bagration.

            Michael Barkley has had a ‘Scottish blood’ in his generation and he was the War as Minister in the government of Alexandr I. He was one of the ‘fathers’ (creator) of the strategy.     

Peter Bagration was Georgian and the son of Georgian king. As Russian officer he had become at the age of 14.  There are four stars on his shoulders.  

 
            These two Russian armies were retreating along prepared roots not giving the enemy “the great" battle.  Only rear guard fightings. In the middle of August they joined in Smolensk and started crossing Dnieper river. There was a  strong rear fighting. Commanders Rayevskiy and Dokhturov.  

            After Smolensk the French  troops continued it’s retreat to Moscow.  Communications of Napoleon became very long and the spirit of the army decreased. Previous wars had one or two big battles and Victory. Here in Russia manoeuvers and no victory after two monthes of war.   

   
            Russians also were needed the big battle to feel their possibilities. They did not like Barkley. He was the commander of retreat. Only the top Generals well known the strategy. 

Russian  government changed the commander. Above these two armies Michael Kutusov was appointed. He was the most respected fieldmarchal. And he ordered "retreat".      

            To give  Russian solgers the chance to touch the enemy with the buyonet he started preparing the battle "to clean the feathers of the armies".  A hundred km from Moscow near Mojaysk (the road Warsaw Minsk Smolyensk Moscow) the battle field was found.

In the center of  it was located Borodino village. The right Russian flank  touched Moscow river. The left flank was stood close to the village Syemyenovskoiye (Simon).  The key ‘point’ were the two roads (The Old and the New Smolensk roads) going through Russian position

to Moscow and the road lies along the front.   Disposition for the battle was very simple: no offencive, no retreat. To fight and keep the position.    

            Napoleon attacked at the beginning of September (according with new Calendar).

For several days there were fighting contacts. The parties were preparing for the main Battle.        Napoleon made the main offencive on the left flank of Russians and on the its center. Bagration was hardly wounded in the very beginning of fighting. Mr. Dokhturov started commanding of the left flank. Mr. Rayevskiy was in the center.   The battle continued till evening.

Russians successfully managed to keep the position. At night Russians made organised retreat along these two roads.    

      
            In 1941 on the same position Soviet Russia has had a week  battle with Hitler troops.

On the ground batteries positions of 1812 you will see and touch concreet shooting points of 1941.

            Kutusov ordered to continue retreat and give up Moscow city to Napoleon. The troops marched through Moscow to the South – East (the road to Riysan). Russian solders already had known  that it’s Army is able and  possible to have good fighting with Napoleon during this War.

            Napoleon entered Moscow. He stood on the slopes of Poklonnaya Hill (Gora) and was waiting for the ‘ city keys’  but nobody did it. His residence was Kremlin.

And his horses were  kept in the Orthodox Churches of Moscow Kremlin.

          At that time, Meanwhile Kutusov started demonstrate to  Napoleon “how to do the war”.

          Russians crossed Moscow river (river Pakhra estuary) and marched to the West to Podolsk upper  river Pakhra.

          This march closed Napoleon the way to the South of Moscow. The winter was aproaching and Napoleon was needed  supply. The Western roads from the Russian border to Moscow were destroyed by the war. There  was only ONE chance for Napoleon  move Army  to the South.

And later in marsh  via Kaluga move to Smolensk where Napoleon had big stores.

These storages of fodder and food will be given Napoleon a good chance to spend Russian winter.

            For a whole week Murat (Napoleon’s general) was searching for Russians troops. When he atlas found the army it was in Tarutino village. This Tarutino’s  march of Russians had blocked the chances of Napoleon. That was means French Army just losted the time for offensive.

             A greate and big Russian’s camp was organised there. The millitary reserves and everything were coming to Tarutino already. After these three weeks we had the new equipped Army.

While Napoleon had been with his solders  in a bad exciting and disrepair. Napoleon tried to find the way “make peace". Russian side had kept silience. At last Napoleon started the march of his Army to the South. It was the beginning of October. It was the middle of autunm but no frosts.

            There had took place  a battle on the field close to Tarutino village after which Napoleon turned to the South West and moved along on the road directly to Kaluga city.

In Maloyaroslavets Russians had a principal battle and did not give Napoleon the way to Kaluga and Medyn.
           In Tarutino and Maliy Yaroslavets the spine of Napoleon was broken. He had forced  to move to Borodino and then to Smolensk without supplies. No food for horses and as a result he lost his cannons.

            This time Russians scouts and partisans fired the stores in Smolensk. Russian army was marching along the southern flank of Napoleon. On the northern flank we have had the strong Russians partisan groups attacked the enemies and destroyed food and hay.

            There was again the battle near Smolensk in Krasnoye village after which Napoleon lost everything. Some days after Krasnoye Napoleon said “good by”  to his army and rushed up to France to mobilise the new army. Some battles with allies in 1813 -1814.

           Waterloo. There would never be Wateloo if there were no Tarutino and Maloyaroslavets.

            We will show you during this trip the Great Historical Parallels due the bloody fightings with Hitler troops had took place in 1941 in the same points of Russia.               

            1. Borodino.  In October 1941 for a week there was  a big fighting again on the Borodino battle field. At present, concrete shooting points are save and entrashments.
             2. Tarunino.  In Octoder 1941 on the Tarutino battle field Hitler was stopped and could not further  march to Moscow.
            3. Maloyaroslavets town. In October 1941 the few hundreds of cadets of Podolsk military colleges were severely fighting for a week in concrete shooting points along  the road Medyn - Maloyaroslavets -  Ilyinskoye.  2500 of young solders stayed there for ever.

We will observe their battle's position too.

The season: all year round. Recommended time is – spring / summer / autunm.

               The first day
            A Day trip Programme “Borodino 1812 - 1941”  (exept Friday)
               (Included visiting of  three museums and lunch)

            Itinerary:
               10.00 - 11.00  Visit to Borodino battle Museum in Moscow (history and great art)
               11 00 - 12.00    Transfer to Kubinka(the museum of tanks)
               12.00 - 13.00  Visit to the museum of tanks
               13.00 - 15.00  Transfer to Mojaysk and Borodino. Lunch in Mojaysk.
               15.00 - 16.00   Visit to the State Museum on the Borodino Battle Field
               16.00 - 17.00  Tour around Borodino Battle Field. Fortifications of 1812 

                                                and 1941.  Memorials there.
               17.00-19.00 Transfer back to Moscow
 
            The Second day

            A Day trip “Tarutino and Maloyaroslavets”
             ( Included visiting of four museums and lunch)

             Itinerary:

            07.30 - 08.30   Transfer to Tarutino. En-route, a short stopping at NKVD place                                                   named as “Kommunarka”                 

            08.30 - 09.00  Visit to “Kommunarka” (cemetry of 20000-50000 Sovitt people and                                            foreign citizens were killed by NKVD in 1936-1940)
             09.00 - 10.30  Transfer to Tarutino. On the transfer visit to the Memorial of 1812 and                                       1941 events on the Tarutino battle field
            10.30 - 11.30  Visit to the Museum of 1812 in Tarutino
            11.30 - 12.00  Transfer to Zjukov town  to the State Museum of Soviet General                                                 Zjukov  (He was  the deputy Chief Commander of the Soviet army in                                                Great Patriotic War - WarII)
            12.00-13.30   Visit to the museum of Zjukov and village Strelkovka to explore the house                                   where he was born.
            13.30 - 15.00  Transfer to Maloyaroslavets and getting lunch in Maloyaroslavets

                                   (local restaurant).
            15.00 - 16.00  Visit to the 1812 events Museum in Maloyaroslavets and to the Memorials                                  of the battle with Napoleon in a War 1812
            16.00 -17.00  Visit to the Museum of Podolsk cadets  and observe of  the their                                                   battle position (concrete shooting points with the traces of German                                              (Guderian) tanks in 1941

          17.00 - 19.00   Transfer back to Moscow