Napoleonic Wargame Club (NWC)

Shakos away! A moment of silence in honor of those who fought and fell on the fields around Borodino 197 years ago.

<center></center>
<center><b>Eyo Imperatorskogo Velichestva Leib-Kirassirskogo polku
General-Adjutant Anton Valeryevich Kosyanenko
Commander of the Second Army of the West </b></center>

Coming up on the 200th anniversary of the battle. Would love to go there to see if they do a reenactment of the battle.

Colonel Bill Peters
Armee du Rhin - V Corps, Cavalerie du V Corps, 20ème légère Brigade de Cavalerie, 13ème Hussar Regiment
HPS Napoleonic Scenario Designer (Eckmuhl, Wagram, Jena-Auerstaedt and ... more to come)

They do. About 3000 reenactors and 100+ thousand visitors each year.

<center></center>
<center><b>Eyo Imperatorskogo Velichestva Leib-Kirassirskogo polku
General-Adjutant Anton Valeryevich Kosyanenko
Commander of the Second Army of the West </b></center>

Does anyone know if the Battlefield is actually still in good condition for a tour or is it built over?
Has anyone been there and do they have a museum/visitor centre or anything?

The Americans are THE BEST at battlefield preservation and tour development. the ACW battlefields are just an amazing experience to visit, Museums, bookshops, guided tours, CD tours for you car, re-enactments....they reallly do honour the dead and educate each generation, just fantastic!

In 2015 I will be visiting Gallipoli (100th anniv 25 April), D-Day (70th 6 June) and Quatra Bra/Ligny then Waterloo for the 200th Anniv. Have already started saving leave for it. Three months touring battlefields will be something special.

Would be more than happy to meet anyone at any of those locations and share many drinks in memory of fallen warriors.

Salute!

Col Mike Ellwood
Konig Regt
1 Bde, 22 Div
VII Saxon Corps, ADR

I was on the field last year. The field itself is a state reservation area. But for the villages that were present on the field during the combat any other activity is prohibited. There are quite a few monuments on the field. Most of them were set but the regiments that took part in the battle in memory of the 100th anniversary. They have a museum and some merchandise shops. Most of the books are in Russian though. I do not recall any facilities to have meal or something like that. There was Raevski redoubt (the Grand Battery) recreated and the place of Shevardino redoubt was evident. Though the remains of a fortification on the later site are from 1912. The museum is not the strongest place of the complex. There are also several WW2 time fortifications - in 1941 the fighting took place right at the field. Expositions of state Historical museum (right on the Red Square) and Borodino Panorama impressed me more. Another important sight is a convent created on the field of battle. They still pray constantly for those who fell defending the Motherland.

<center></center>
<center><b>Eyo Imperatorskogo Velichestva Leib-Kirassirskogo polku
General-Adjutant Anton Valeryevich Kosyanenko
Commander of the Second Army of the West </b></center>

Thanks for that. Sounds like its worth a good visit if ever I get cloe to Russia again [:)].

Salute

Col Mike Ellwood
Konig Regt
1 Bde, 22 Div
VII Saxon Corps, ADR

I salute the soldiers who fought at Borodino it was the most savage of encounters where both sides rarely had a unit run away, if at all.

On the Russian side there was an almost spiritual determination to defend the motherland and on the French side the soldiers were so far from home they were desperate to get the war over with.

It's sad that great cultures must meet in such a way. [:(]

I often think of Borodino as a prelude to the Somme or similar head on encounters from the ACW and others. The close order of the forces, the enormous artillery resources of both sides and the overall strategic situation just made it terrible. [xx(]

This was the heavy weight boxing match of the two great empires of the time in which neither side blinked. There were magnificent feats of bravery on both sides.

Salute!





General de Brigade Knox
Baron de l'Empire



2e Regiment Gardes d'Honneur (the regaled pheasants)
La Jeune Garde



CO. 1er Brigade, III Division Cavalerie Legere, III Corps Armee du Nord
http://www.aspire.co.nz/colinknoxnwc.htm

Monsieur there’s a picture that comes to my mine when I think on this great battle its shows a regiment of Russian Hussars beating the iron clad Knights of France the Élite Carabineers!

General de Brig Kliff Marbot
II Corps Art Res Division .Commander
Marechal de Camp AN