Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: Moscow Government – Moscow Government –
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A panorama by the Russian artist of French origin Franz Roubaud is the central exhibit of the panorama museum. The Battle of BorodinoThe 115-by-15-meter canvas is a faithful reconstruction of a tense moment during the Battle of Borodino. It was created for the 100th anniversary of the Patriotic War of 1812. Roubaud and his military historian consultants repeatedly visited the Borodino field, studying the terrain and troop dispositions. There is a "Roubaud point" on the field, from which he constructed the composition.
The artist worked for 11 months in a studio in Munich. Then, the canvas, along with the subject plan, was placed on a platform and shipped to Russia by rail. A special wooden pavilion was built for it in Moscow on Chistye Prudy. The masterpiece's fate was a difficult one: after the Revolution, it was rolled back onto the platform, and for many years the panorama was stored in unsuitable locations, even outdoors. In 1962, the "Battle of Borodino" Panorama Museum finally opened. The cylindrical building was built specifically to house the gigantic exhibit.
Total immersion and deliberate deviation from the truth
The canvas and the subject matter are the main tools of immersion: the viewer stands on the observation deck and sees how the three-dimensional reality of the field transitions onto the painted canvas.
Plywood, fabric, plaster, and even soil—all to create a sense of presence. "Many visitors say it really does smell like earth, like a real field," notes Victoria Pavlenko, Deputy Director of Development at the Battle of Borodino Panorama Museum.
Roubaud and the creators of the panorama deviated from reality in only one detail: the battlefield is clearly visible. In reality, on September 7, 1812, the battle was so fierce that the artillery fired nonstop and the entire field was shrouded in smoke. "…from a mysterious cloud of smoke that obscured the entire terrain ahead, cannonballs and slowly whistling grenades flew incessantly with a hissing, rapid whistle," is how Leo Tolstoy describes the Battle of Borodino in his novel War and Peace. If Roubaud hadn't deviated from the truth, we would have seen nothing but a dense smoke screen.
"It was around 10:30 a.m., when the French were advancing on the village of Semenovskoye. It was a tragic moment for the Russian army—literally an hour earlier, Pyotr Bagration had been mortally wounded, and a new left flank commander, Dmitry Dokhturov, had arrived to take his place. This was the moment of the Russian Guard's greatest involvement in the battle," explains Victoria Pavlenko.
A reflective umbrella is mounted above the observation deck, behind which are fluorescent lamps and reflective screens. The diffused light evenly illuminates the canvas, creating the impression of the three-dimensional space of the Borodino field.
The 14-hour Battle of Borodino is considered the bloodiest single-day battle of the 19th century. No one emerged victorious. But, as Leo Tolstoy wrote, the Russian victory was moral, and a direct consequence of the Battle of Borodino was Napoleon's unjustified flight from Moscow.
Not just a panorama
The museum also houses approximately 400 other exhibits. Among them is a grenadier cap from the Pavlovsky Grenadier Regiment, pierced by a bullet or shrapnel. Victoria Pavlenko explains: "For the valor of the Pavlovsky Regiment's soldiers, Alexander I ordered that this particular type of headgear—the grenadier cap—be preserved for them in perpetuity."
The museum's collection continues to grow. A significant new exhibit recently arrived: a portrait of Yevgeny Petrovich Nazimov by artist Nikolai Melnikov. "It was a gift from Mikhail Karisalov, a renowned collector and philanthropist. Nazimov fought in all the battles against Napoleon, beginning with Austerlitz," says Victoria Pavlenko.
Nazimov lost 16 horses to the enemy, but he survived. The brave hussar was even awarded two thousand rubles from the treasury—"as compensation for his loss and in recognition of his distinguished service."
Two miles from Moscow: a military council in Fili
Near the museum is a memorial stone, "Two Miles from Moscow," and the restored hut of peasant Mikhail Frolov, where the very same council of war took place, at which Kutuzov made the difficult and correct decision to abandon Moscow without a fight after the Battle of Borodino. The hut hosts master classes andexcursionsAnd in the museum, you can see a copy of the painting "Military Council at Fili in 1812" by Alexei Kivshenko.
One of the halls features a reconstruction of a partisan camp. Here, the story told by Denis Davydov comes to life. "One day, a hungry, ragged 15-year-old French drummer named Vincent Bode wandered into their camp near Maloyaroslavets," continues Victoria Pavlenko. The boy traveled with Davydov's unit to Paris. There, the now-mature youth was returned to his parents.
Chessboard of Empires: Three Games with Napoleon
Exhibition "Mate in three moves in a difficult game" offers a look at the military confrontation between Russia and France in the early 19th century through the metaphor of chess. The exhibition builds a narrative around three key battles: Austerlitz (1805), Borodino (1812), and Leipzig (1813). These are three games in a grand game, in which each side learned from its mistakes.
Russia's first game, lost, was a harsh lesson. A statement by Napoleon, quoted by Victoria Pavlenko, illustrates his attitude toward that confrontation: "In a conversation with Prince Repnin-Volkonsky, who, incidentally, was one of the prototypes for Andrei Bolkonsky in War and Peace, Napoleon expressed the idea that Alexander I was bound to lose, because for him, this battle was the first, and for Napoleon, the fortieth."
This is the very battle in which Tolstoy's hero, Prince Bolkonsky, was wounded. Under the "sky of Austerlitz" (the expression has become a byword), he reassesses life's values: "…Yes! Everything is empty, everything is a deception, except this endless sky…" The army's leadership also had to rethink much after this battle.
Fakes of the 19th century
Fake news is not a modern invention. After the defeat at Austerlitz, information about the mass deaths of retreating Russian troops was widely circulated. This moment is depicted in a "reliable" 19th-century French engraving, "The Battle of Austerlitz." But this is a myth, started by Napoleon himself. It was claimed that 20,000 people drowned. "There were no lakes on the field of the Battle of Austerlitz. There were two ponds, Meninsky and Zhatchansky. The Russian troops retreated between the two ponds, and there was absolutely no reason for them to rush en masse onto the thin ice of the ponds," argues Victoria Pavlenko.
After the battle, the ponds were drained. No people were found at the bottom of the Meninskoye. General Suchet's report states that "138 horse corpses and three human bodies" were found at the bottom of the Zhatchanskoye—clearly not the 20,000 claimed.
Chess game between Napoleon, Alexander I and Kutuzov
The exhibition features a memorable chess set. These are modern pieces (2012), but captivating in their detail. On the board are Alexander I, Napoleon, Kutuzov, Davout, and Murat. This is a reconstruction of a game devised by the Russian chess master Alexander Petrov in 1823. As a child, he witnessed the war.
"The game is called 'Napoleon's Flight from Moscow to Paris,' where the kings are Napoleon and Alexander I. Checkmate is achieved in 14 moves," explains Victoria Pavlenko.
Borodino and Leipzig: from draw to victory
The next set—Borodino—is presented as a turning point. Of particular interest are the engravings by the German artist Albrecht Adam, who accompanied the 4th Corps under the command of Napoleon's stepson, Eugène de Beauharnais. Three engravings depict three days of Napoleon's campaign: the day before, the day of the Battle of Borodino, and immediately after—the alarm, the battle, and the devastation.
The Battle of Leipzig went down in history as the Battle of the Nations, as coalitions fought on both sides. It was a final victory, from which the Napoleonic Empire never recovered.
The exhibition features an engraving by an unknown artist depicting a small scene: Alexander I during the Battle of Leipzig. "The engraving is called 'Alexander I Praying During the Battle of the Nations at Leipzig in 1813.' It is known that he was near the village of Gross, where the fighting took place on the first day. He prayed for a successful outcome for the united army," concludes Victoria Pavlenko.
October 18 at the Panorama Museum The Battle of Borodino The building on Kutuzovsky Prospekt celebrates its 63rd anniversary. On this day, tours will be held at the panorama's observation deck, which is usually off-limits to visitors, and a festive program is planned.
You can still get to one more exhibition before the end of October – Waterloo: The Last Battle.
There's a running joke at the museum that Muscovites come here at least three times in their lives: as children, then with their children and grandchildren. There's a fair amount of truth to this joke—the museum appeals to a variety of people, and at every age, they rethink the history of the decisive battles in a new way.
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