TASS DOSSIER. On September 8, every year since 1995, Russia celebrates the Day of the Borodino battle between the Russian army and the French army.

Established by the federal law “On days of military glory and memorable dates of Russia”, signed by Russian President Boris Yeltsin on March 13, 1995.

The battle near the village of Borodino between the Russian army under the command of commander Mikhail Kutuzov and the French army under the command of Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte took place on September 7 (August 26 - old style) 1812 during the Patriotic War.

Before the battle

After Napoleon's invasion of Russia in June 1812, the Russian troops opposing him constantly retreated towards Moscow, avoiding a general battle. In August 1812, Russian Emperor Alexander I removed Mikhail Barclay de Tolly from his post as commander-in-chief and appointed Mikhail Kutuzov in his place, demanding that the latter prevent the French from capturing Moscow.

On September 3, the Russian army settled down at Borodino, 125 km from Moscow, and managed to build field fortifications. The French offensive was delayed by the battle at the Shevardinsky redoubt on September 5.

Progress of the battle

About 250 thousand people and 1 thousand 200 artillery pieces took part in the Battle of Borodino on both sides. The forces of the French and Russians were approximately equal. The battle lasted about 12 hours: the French managed to push back Kutuzov’s army in the center and on the left flank, including, after fierce resistance, taking the high mound on which the infantry corps of Lieutenant General Nikolai Raevsky was located.

At the same time, the French troops failed to achieve decisive success, which is why Napoleon did not risk introducing his main reserve, the guard, and ordered a retreat to their original positions. After the end of the battle, Kutuzov ordered the troops to retreat towards Mozhaisk.

Results of the battle

The Russian army lost, according to various estimates, from 40 to 50 thousand people killed, wounded and missing; French losses, according to various estimates, ranged from 30 to 50 thousand soldiers and officers.

Kutuzov reported to the emperor about the results of the Battle of Borodino: “The battle that took place on the 26th was the bloodiest of all those that are known in modern times. We completely won the battlefield, and the enemy then retreated to the position where he came to attack us.” .

The Battle of Borodino ended in a draw, but became a turning point in the campaign of 1812. Kutuzov allowed Napoleon to take Moscow without a fight on September 14, but retained a combat-ready army and seized the strategic initiative. French troops, forced to leave the devastated and burned capital on October 19, unsuccessfully tried to break into the food-rich southern provinces of Russia to wait out the winter there, but were rebuffed by Kutuzov’s army.

After the battle of Maloyaroslavets, Napoleon decided to retreat through Smolensk. As a result of cold weather, food shortages, the actions of Russian partisan detachments and the battles near Krasnoe and the Berezina, Napoleon’s “Grand Army” was practically destroyed - of the half a million people who invaded Russia in June, only 10 thousand managed to leave its territory in December.

On December 21, 1812, Kutuzov, in an order to the army, congratulated the troops on expelling the enemy from Russia and called on them to “complete the defeat of the enemy on his own fields.”

Perpetuation of memory

In 1820, at the site of the battle, the Church of the Savior Not Made by Hands was consecrated, erected as a monument to military glory. In 1839, the Main Monument was solemnly opened on Kurgan Heights (destroyed in 1932, recreated in 1987), at the base of which the ashes of General Peter Bagration, who died from the wound he received in the Battle of Borodino, were reburied.

In 1912, monuments to corps, divisions and regiments of the Russian army were erected on the field. Monuments and buildings on the field were heavily damaged during the fighting with German troops in October 1941. From the 1950s to the 1980s. restoration work was carried out on the territory; in 1961, the Borodino field received the status of a state military-historical reserve. Currently, there are more than 200 monuments and memorable places on the territory of the museum-reserve. Every year at the beginning of September, a large-scale historical reconstruction of episodes of the battle is held on the Borodino field.

The Battle of Borodino is reflected in literature and art (poems by Denis Davydov, Alexander Pushkin, Mikhail Lermontov, Pyotr Vyazemsky, Leo Tolstoy’s novel “War and Peace”, paintings by Vasily Vereshchagin, Franz Roubaud, etc.), in memory of the battle in the USSR and The Russian Federation printed coins and postage stamps.

We would be incomplete without a description of the greatest battle of the Patriotic War of 1812.

Napoleon on Borodino Heights

V.V. Vereshchagin, “Napoleon on the Borodino Heights”

This is the day of the Battle of Borodino - August 26, 1812. Napoleon passionately wanted a general battle; he was afraid that the Russians would deceive him here too and leave. He got up at three o'clock in the morning, after a short rest and, despite the cold that he had felt since the evening, he began vigorous activity. His first words were: “What are the Russians doing?”- Having received in response that our troops remained in place, he was very happy and, leaving the tent, said to the many officers who had gathered around him: “Today is a little cold, but clear: this is the sun of Austerlitz”.

Almost throughout the entire battle, Napoleon was at the height of the Shevardinsky redoubt, which was taken from us on August 24. He was not entirely healthy. The artist depicted him sitting on a folding chair. Behind him are the headquarters and retinue; behind them are the guards in full dress uniform.

For the Battle of Borodino, Napoleon was reproached for insufficient energy in leading the battle and insufficient decisiveness in conducting it. This is explained partly by his ill health, and partly by the fact that in 1812 he behaved more like an emperor than a general: he did not dare to expose himself to danger; in the newsletter * about the Battle of Borodino it is said that the Emperor never once exposed himself to danger in this battle; for the same reason, he did not dare to take risks and risk his last reserve - the guard, which, despite the insistence of his generals, he did not bring into battle. As we will see later, he had to retreat from this course of action in the later period of this war.

* During the War of 1812, Napoleon sent 29 bulletins to France, which were compiled on his instructions and with which he notified his country and all of Western Europe about the events of the war. These bulletins, by the way, were very far from the truth.

Can be considered the most important thing in the 1812 campaign. This is a general clash between both sides; their main armies took part in it entirely - the enemy army under the command of Napoleon himself, the Russian army under the command of Kutuzov himself. More than 225,000 soldiers fought to their death here; more than 80,000 of them fell. There was never such a mass of troops and such massive losses in any of the battles of the War of 1812; and indeed, in terms of bloodshed, this is one of the rarest battles in history.

Hess’s picture groups together several of the most important moments of the Battle of Borodino.

Of central interest is the retirement from the ranks of Prince Bagration, the commander-in-chief of our 2nd Army. This episode occupies a central place in the film. Bagration, wounded in the leg, sits on the ground with a bandaged leg and talks to General Konovnitsyn, who stands next to him on horseback. Konovnitsyn turned out to be the eldest of the generals in this section of the position, and Bagration transfers command to him. Physician Villiers runs to the wounded Bagration to provide medical assistance.

The wounded General Vorontsov is immediately brought up on a cart. He commanded a combined grenadier division; in hand-to-hand combat he was wounded with a bayonet, and his division was almost destroyed; in his notes he speaks about his participation in the Battle of Borodino as follows: “My resistance could not last long, but it did not end until the destruction of my division.”.

In the left corner of the picture - a square of regiments of the Izmailovsky Life Guards and the Lithuanian Life Guards, under the command of Colonel Khrapovitsky, repels the attack of the enemy cavalry (Nansouty and Montbrun).

Above the square of our guards regiments in the distance in the picture is the Shevardinsky redoubt, near which stands Napoleon and his retinue. From there, Murat's cavalry rushes to the attack and he is with it.

On the right side of the picture is a large fortification of our center (Raevsky’s battery). What was taken by the enemy is taken back by Ermolov. Even further to the right is a large battery of our right flank; here - Barclay de Tolly (on foot) and even further Kutuzov. The village of Borodino is visible ahead of them. Behind him, Uvarov’s 1st Cavalry Corps and Platov’s Cossacks bypass the left flank of the enemy’s position and unexpectedly appear on the flank and partly in the rear of the corps of the Italian Viceroy Eugene Beauharnais.

In fact, all of the listed episodes of the Battle of Borodino did not take place at the same time, but the artist wanted to capture its most important moments in one picture * . Another artist, an artist of words (M. Yu. Lermontov) sang the Battle of Borodino in verse; Here are some wonderful verses from there:

We retreated silently for a long time,

It was a shame, we were waiting for a fight,

The old people grumbled:

“What are we? for winter apartments?

Don't the commanders dare?

Aliens tear up their uniforms

About Russian bayonets?

And then we found a large field:

There is somewhere to go for a walk in the wild!

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

And only the sky lit up,

Everything suddenly began to move noisily,

The formation flashed behind the formation.

Our colonel was born with a grip:

Servant to the king, father to the soldiers...

Yes, I feel sorry for him: he was struck down by damask steel,

He sleeps in damp ground.

And he said, his eyes sparkling:

"Guys! Isn't Moscow behind us?

We'll die near Moscow,

How our brothers died!

- And we promised to die,

And they kept the oath of allegiance

We are in the Borodino battle.

* It must be said that not all of the listed episodes of the Battle of Borodino are clearly visible in the picture; the last four are not entirely clear, but we name them based on the inscriptions on the frame of this picture hanging in the officers’ collection of the Life Guards of the Izmailovsky Regiment.

Life Guards Izmailovsky Regiment in the Battle of Borodino on August 26, 1812

At the beginning of the Battle of Borodino, the entire guard was in reserve, but when the enemy launched fierce attacks on Bagration’s fleshes, the Izmailovsky Life Guards, Lithuanian Life Guards and Finnish Life Guards regiments were moved out of the reserve and sent to reinforce the troops operating at these fleshes. Moving from reserves in dense columns (columns to attack), these regiments came under heavy enemy artillery fire, but, regardless of it, bravely rushed into the attack.

A participant in the Battle of Borodino, the French general Pele, vividly describes the attacks of our troops at the Bagration flushes and says: “As reinforcements approached Bagration’s troops, they walked forward over the corpses of the fallen with the greatest courage to take possession of the lost points. Before our eyes, the Russian columns moved like moving trenches, sparkling with steel and flame. Hit by our grapeshot, attacked first by cavalry, sometimes by infantry, these brave warriors suffered enormous losses, but, having gathered their last strength, they attacked us as before.”

The brigades from the regiments of the Izmailovsky Life Guards and the Lithuanian Life Guards were commanded by the commander of the first of them, Khrapovitsky. In the history of the first of these regiments (formed in 1882), its participation in the Battle of Borodino is outlined as follows:

“Colonel Khrapovitsky, having formed the brigade in columns for the attack, moved forward in perfect order at eight o’clock in the morning. On the way, the Izmailovites met a procession with the icon of the Smolensk Mother of God, returning from our left flank. Seeing this as a happy omen for themselves, the soldiers devoutly crossed themselves and moved forward with a strong spirit, despite the fact that enemy shells were already tearing apart their ranks.”

“Of the first victims of the Battle of Borodino, the regimental drummer, who was walking next to Colonel Khrapovitsky, fell. Both of his legs were crushed by the cannonball (this is shown in the picture). Shells fell more and more often into the ranks of the Izmailovites. The bullets were already beginning to whistle loudly and, every now and then, people dropped out of the ranks, but the regiment walked calmly. Here the horse under Colonel Khrapovitsky reared high and, capsizing on its back, remained in place as a victim of an enemy bullet that hit it. Khrapovitsky stood up, and the Izmailovites again saw him calmly riding in front of the regiment on a new horse.”

Then the Life Guards Izmailovsky Regiment, together with the Life Guards Lithuanian, had to repel a series of violent and furious attacks by numerous French cavalry. They silently allowed the enemy cavalry to come within 50 steps and only then fired at them with faithful, destructive fire, which upset them and put them to flight. According to the testimony of the commander of one of the battalions of the Life Guards of the Lithuanian Regiment, this battalion during one of the attacks on it by enemy cuirassiers did not even open fire, but silently waited for the galloping cavalry, holding their guns in their hands and turning their muzzles from side to side; the resulting flash of bayonets frightened the horses and held them back, and those who jumped up were stabbed in the muzzles with bayonets by the soldiers, then they themselves went on to attack the upset cavalrymen, put them to flight and opened heavy fire on them in pursuit.

The attacks of the enemy cavalry on our infantry were moments of respite for her, since at this time the enemy artillery stopped firing at her.

After repelling the cavalry attacks of the Life Guard. The Izmailovsky regiment was subjected to destructive enemy artillery fire; It was around noon when the enemy bombarded our positions with shells. The regiment stood unshakably, despising danger and numerous casualties.

A grapeshot bullet hit Colonel Khrapovitsky in the leg, but he remains in service. Having bandaged the wound, he cheerfully rides along the ranks of the brigade and thanks the heroes for their courage and perseverance. But, having toured his battalions, he loses strength and orders himself to be carried to the dressing station.

Soon after, Colonel Kozlyaninov was wounded and forced out of action, as well as many more staff and chief officers and lower ranks. After shelling our positions with artillery, the enemy launched new attacks on them with infantry and cavalry. But the Izmailovites, although they suffered terrible losses, fought back until the end of the battle with the same courage and steadfastness, without yielding to the enemy. They lost in this battle: 28 officers out of 51 and 1135 lower ranks out of 1920, i.e. more than a half.

Having temporarily replaced the wounded Bagration in the main command in the sector of the position where the Life Guard Izmailovsky Regiment was operating, General Konovnitsyn in his report about the battle says this:

“I cannot speak with satisfied praise about the exemplary fearlessness shown this day by the Lithuanian Life Guards and Izmailovsky Life Guards regiments. Arriving on the left flank, they unwaveringly withstood the strongest fire from enemy artillery, which showered their ranks with grapeshot. Despite the losses, they were in the best order, and all ranks, from the first to the last, one before the other, showed their eagerness to die before yielding to the enemy. Three large cavalry attacks by enemy cuirassiers and mounted grenadiers on both regiments were repulsed with incredible success; for despite the fact that the squares built by these regiments were completely surrounded, the enemy was driven away with extreme damage by fire and bayonets... In a word, the Izmailovsky and Litovsky regiments in the memorable Battle of Borodino on August 26 covered themselves with unfading glory in the sight of the entire army.”

The Life Guards Izmailovsky Regiment was awarded the Banners of St. George for the Battle of Borodino.

Battle of Borodino August 26, 1812

The picture reproduces an episode of an unexpected attack by our artillery corps under the command of Lieutenant General O.P. Uvarov on the left flank of Napoleon’s army. This action was of great importance in the Battle of Borodino, although it did not achieve the goal intended by Kutuzov.

When in the afternoon Napoleon was preparing a decisive attack on our center, Uvarov’s corps, which had previously stood behind our right flank, was moved forward and directed to bypass the left flank of the enemy’s position; Platov moved even further to the right with the Cossacks. The unexpected appearance of Uvarov’s corps on the flank of Napoleon’s army (the Italian Viceroy’s corps was located here), and Platov’s Cossacks in his rear, caused a commotion in the enemy troops and diverted Napoleon’s attention from our center, forcing him to take up his left flank; the attack on our center was suspended and this suspension lasted for two hours; We took advantage of this break to bring order to the troops of our center, upset by the battle, and to strengthen the weakened points of our position with reinforcements.

On the right side of the picture is the left flank of Napoleon's army, namely the viceroy's corps; Borodino is visible, occupied by the troops of his corps; In front of this village is a bridge over the Kolocha River.

Riding a bay horse is Adjutant General, Lieutenant General O.P. Uvarov, a young cavalry general (39 years old) with the Order of St. George, 2nd degree. Behind him, in a Life Cossack uniform, is another young cavalry lieutenant general, Adjutant General Count Orlov-Denisov (37 years old). Our cavalry attacks the enemy infantry and artillery. The enemy fights back, retreats and takes away the guns.

The end of the Battle of Borodino

V.V. Vereshchagin, “The End of the Battle of Borodino”

The battlefield is littered with a pile of bodies. There are more dead than living. Napoleon's soldiers, having occupied the fortifications we had ceded, exclaim: “Vive l"empereur!”

A French author, a participant in the battle (Labaume), describes the Borodino battlefield after the battle as follows: “The middle of the large redoubt presented a terrible picture: the corpses were piled one on top of the other in several rows. The Russians died, but did not give up. In the space of one square league there was no place not covered with dead bodies... Mountains of corpses could be seen, and where they were not, there were fragments of weapons, lances, helmets, armor, cannonballs, covering the ground like hail after a strong thunderstorm...”

After the battle, Napoleon's troops retreated to their previous bivouacs. Napoleon declared the Battle of Borodino his victory. But here is what the condition of the “winners” was like as described by French historians:

“After the Battle of Borodino, Napoleon’s troops spent a terrible night in bivouacs, without lights, among the dead, dying and wounded. Only at dawn did they learn about the Russian retreat. It has hardly ever happened that the winners experienced such an extraordinary feeling after a victory: they were in some kind of stupor. After so many disasters, hardships and labors endured in order to force the Russians to fight, after so many exploits and courage, what are the consequences! - A terrible massacre... and even greater uncertainty than before - how long the war will last and what its outcome will be.

In the evening after the battle, no songs or conversations were heard, sad and silent despondency prevailed. Napoleon himself could not sleep: his soul was not easy. His sleep was restless, or, better said, he did not sleep at all. He exclaimed many times, turning quickly in bed: “quelle journee!” (what a day!). His headquarters at Shevardin was surrounded by the old guard all night: despite the considerable distance from the battlefield, he considered this precaution necessary.

When the next morning he was informed about the retreat of the Russian troops, he said: “Let them retreat; and we will wait a few hours to attend to our unfortunate wounded.”

One French colonel (Fezenzak), appointed regiment commander after the Battle of Borodino, says in his memoirs, “that he did not find the same cheerfulness in the soldiers, did not hear songs and conversations - they were plunged into gloomy silence. Even the officers walked as if submerged in water. This despondency is strange after the victory, which seemed to open the gates to the enemy capital.”.

One of the French historians of the war of 1812 (Marshal Saint-Cyr) spoke about the Battle of Borodino as follows: “The Russians, despite the most stubborn resistance, can be considered defeated only because they retreated, but they were not defeated, they were not thrown back in complete disorder in any part of their position. The body was struck, but not the soul of the army. Their losses were great, even enormous, but they were almost balanced by the losses of Napoleon, and yet a great advantage remained on their side: their losses could be immediately compensated by the reinforcements that they received daily, while the loss in our troops remained irreparable.”.

Napoleon himself subsequently spoke about the Battle of Borodino as follows: “Of all my battles, the most terrible is the one I fought near Moscow. In it, the French showed themselves worthy of victory, and the Russians acquired the right to be invincible... Of the fifty battles I have given, in the battle of Moscow the most valor was shown and the least success was achieved.”.

When preparing the material, the book “The Patriotic War of 1812 in the Paintings of Russian Artists” was used, published by I. S. Lapin, Paris. Adaptation for the site: S. Nikolaev.

The main battle of the Patriotic War of 1812 took place on August 26 (September 7) near the village of Borodino near Mozhaisk, 124 km from Moscow. In French historiography, this battle is called the Battle of the Moscow River. His Serene Highness Prince M.I. Golenishchev-Kutuzov, having decided to enter into a general battle, proceeded from several factors. He took into account the mood of the army, which was eager to engage the enemy in battle and the understanding of the fact that the ancient Russian capital could not be given up without a battle.

For the battle site, it was necessary to choose a position that would satisfy Kutuzov’s basic requirements. The field had to accommodate the main forces of the army, be able to build them in deep order, allow the troops to maneuver, and have natural obstacles for better defense. In addition, the army should have been able to block the New and Old Smolensk roads leading to Moscow. Quartermaster General Tol discovered this position in front of the city of Mozhaisk. In the center of the field stood the village of Borodino, from which the battle received its name.

Napoleon on the Borodino Heights. Vereshchagin (1897).

The number of armies and the location of Russian troops

The Russian army (the combined 1st and 2nd Western armies of Barclay de Tolly and Bagration) consisted of about 120 thousand people: 103 thousand regular troops, about 7-8 thousand Cossack and other irregular cavalry, 10 thousand. warriors mainly of the Moscow and Smolensk militias (according to other sources, about 20 thousand militias) and 624 field artillery guns. It is also necessary to take into account that the regular troops included about 15 thousand recruits who underwent only initial military training.

On the day of the battle, the “Grand Army” of the French emperor numbered about 135-136 thousand soldiers with 587 field artillery pieces. In addition, the French army had approximately 15 thousand auxiliary forces (non-combatants), whose combat capability and functions corresponded to the Russian militias. The number of armies opposing each other still causes debate among researchers. The French army had not only a numerical superiority, but also a qualitative one - the French infantry mainly consisted of experienced soldiers, Napoleon had superiority in heavy cavalry. However, these advantages were balanced by the Russian fighting spirit and the high morale of the army.

The position of the Russian army on the Borodino field was about 8 kilometers long. In the south it began near the village of Utitsa, and in the north - near the village of Maslovo. The right flank, approximately 5 km long, ran along the bank of the Koloch River and well covered the New Smolensk Road. In the event of an unfavorable outcome of the battle, Mikhail Kutuzov could only withdraw his troops along this road. Here the Russian position was protected from the flank by a dense forest, which excluded the enemy’s outflanking maneuver. In addition, the terrain here was hilly, intersected by rivers and streams. Natural obstacles were reinforced by a number of fortifications: Maslovsky flushes, gun positions, abatis.

The position on the left flank was more open, so there were more field fortifications here. Semenovsky (Bagrationovsky) flushes were built on the left flank. The Shevardinsky redoubt was located ahead of them. However, the fortifications were not completed at the start of the battle. The center of the Russian army's position was based on the Raevsky Battery (battery of the Kurgan Heights), the French called it the Great Redoubt.

The battle formation of the Russian army was composed of three lines: the first contained infantry corps, the second - cavalry, and the third - reserves. The army's artillery was evenly distributed throughout the position.

On August 24, the battle for the Shevardinsky redoubt took place. During it, it became clear that the enemy was going to deliver the main blow to the left flank of the Russian troops, which was defended by the 2nd Army under the command of Bagration. On August 25 there was a lull, both sides were preparing for the decisive battle, and the construction of defensive structures continued. According to ancient tradition, the Russian army prepared for a decisive battle as if it were a holiday. The soldiers washed, shaved, put on clean linen, confessed, etc. Napoleon Bonaparte personally reconnoitered the positions of the Russian army.

The position of the troops before the Battle of Borodino on August 26, 1812 (map source: http://www.mil.ru/).

Start of battle (5:30–9:00)

At 5:30 am, about 100 French guns opened fire on the positions of the Russian left flank. Simultaneously with the shelling of Russian positions, Delzon’s division from the 4th Corps of Beauharnais moved to the village of Borodino (the center of the Russian position). The first to meet the onslaught of the enemy was His Majesty's Life Guards Jaeger Regiment under the command of one of the bravest regimental commanders, Karl Bistrom. For about half an hour, the guards repelled the onslaught of superior enemy forces (the regiment lost more than a third of its strength). Then, under the threat of being outflanked, they were forced to retreat across the Kolocha River. One of the French regiments also crossed the river. Barclay de Tolly threw three regiments of chasseurs into battle. The rangers overthrew the French (the French 106th regiment was almost completely destroyed) and burned the bridge across the river. The battle ended by 8 o'clock in the morning, the French retained the village of Borodino, but they were unable to cross the Koloch River.

The main action took place on Bagration's flushes. Flashes were called field fortifications, which consisted of two faces, each 20-30 m long, at an acute angle, the corner with its apex facing the enemy. They were defended by the 2nd Combined Grenadier Division of General Mikhail Semenovich Vorontsov. Each flush was defended by one battalion. The French, after an artillery bombardment, attacked the fléches. The divisions of generals Dessay and Compan from the 1st Corps of Davout went on the offensive. From the very beginning the battle became fierce and stubborn. It is still unknown exactly how many enemy attacks followed the Semenov flushes. The fortifications changed hands several times. Napoleon unleashed the main blow on the left flank, trying from the very beginning of the battle to turn the tide in his favor. The battle was accompanied by an artillery duel, in which dozens of guns took part (the French were constantly increasing the number of guns in this direction). In addition, several large clashes of cavalry formations took place on the left flank. The Russian cavalry was not inferior to the enemy, and the “Great Army” lost up to half of its cavalry on the Borodino field. Subsequently, Napoleon was never able to restore the strength of his cavalry.

Mikhail Semyonovich Vorontsov.

In the first attack, the French infantry overcame the resistance of the rangers and made their way through the Utitsky forest. However, when the divisions of generals Dessay and Compan began to line up on the edge opposite the southernmost flush, they came under heavy fire from Russian artillery and were overturned by a flank counterattack by Vorontsov's rangers. At 8 o'clock the French launched a second attack and captured the southern flush. The commander of the 2nd Army, Bagration, sent the 27th Infantry Division of General Dmitry Petrovich Neverovsky, as well as the Akhtyrsky Hussar and Novorossiysk Dragoon Regiments to help Vorontsov’s division to strike the enemy’s flank. The French were driven out of their fortifications and suffered heavy losses. So, Marshal Davout was shell-shocked, both division commanders - Dessay and Compana - and almost all the brigade commanders were wounded. Russian troops also suffered severe losses: Vorontsov’s combined grenadier division practically ceased to exist, with only about 300 people left in it. Vorontsov himself was wounded in the leg when he led the last battalion of the division in a bayonet attack.

Battle of Borodino from 5:00 to 9:00.

Battle of Borodino (9:00–12:30)

Napoleon intensified the pressure on the left flank: three infantry divisions of Ney’s 3rd Corps and three of Murat’s cavalry corps launched a third attack. The number of artillery barrels in this direction was increased to 160 units.

Bagration expected an enemy attack and ordered the commander of the 7th Infantry Corps, Raevsky (he was defending the central position), to immediately advance the entire second line of his troops to the flushes. He also instructed the commander of the 3rd Infantry Corps, Tuchkov, to immediately send the 3rd Infantry Division of General Pyotr Petrovich Konovnitsyn to the Semenovsky flashes. In addition, at the request of Bagration, Kutuzov sent the reserve Life Guards Lithuanian and Izmailovsky regiments, the 1st Combined Grenadier Division, the regiments of the 3rd Cavalry Corps and the 1st Cuirassier Division to the left flank. At the same time, the 2nd Infantry Corps of Baggovut from the 1st Army began to move from the right flank to the left.

The French, after a heavy artillery bombardment, broke into the southern flush. During this battle, General Neverovsky was wounded. The 2nd Cuirassier Division from Borozdin's 8th Corps overthrew the enemy formations. Moreover, the Russian cavalrymen almost captured the king of the Kingdom of Naples and the commander of the French cavalry, Joachim Murat; he was saved by the infantry. However, in a fierce battle, the French were able to defend the captured fortifications.

The situation was corrected by the attack of Konovnitsyn’s division; he arrived at the flushes at 10 o’clock and knocked out the enemy with a bayonet strike. During this battle, brigade commander Alexander Alekseevich Tuchkov 4th died. He led the attack of the Revel and Murom regiments and was mortally wounded in the chest (they could not take him out of the battlefield and bury him). After Bagration was wounded, Konovnitsyn led the defense of the left flank; the general, while repelling enemy attacks, was wounded twice, but did not abandon his soldiers.

Around the same time, Junot’s 8th Corps passed through the Utitsky forest to the rear of the Semenovsky flushes. The situation was saved by the 1st horse battery of Captain Zakharov, which at that time was moving towards the flushes. Having discovered the enemy, Zakharov deployed his guns and opened fire on the Westphalians who were building. The arriving regiments of Baggovut's 2nd Corps struck with bayonets and overthrew the enemy.

At the 11th hour, Napoleon threw up to 45 thousand bayonets and sabers into a new attack, concentrating up to 400 guns against the Russian left flank. Bagration led his forces - about 20 thousand soldiers - on a counterattack. A brutal hand-to-hand battle ensued, which lasted about an hour. During it, the advantage began to lean in favor of the Russian troops, but Bagration's wound - a cannonball fragment crushed the hero's tibia in his left leg (the hero died of blood poisoning on September 12 (25), 1812) - led to the confusion of the troops and they began to retreat. Konovnitsyn took command. He withdrew the soldiers behind the Semenovsky ravine, the flashes remained with the French. Behind the ravine there were reserve batteries and guards regiments; the French did not dare to attack the new Russian positions on the move. There was a brief lull on the left flank.

Pyotr Petrovich Konovnitsyn.

Battle for the Kurgan Battery. Napoleon, in order to support the attack on the Semenov flushes and prevent the Russian command from transferring troops from the center to the left flank, gave the order to his left wing to strike the Russian troops at Kurgan Heights and capture it. This position was defended by the 26th Infantry Division of General Ivan Fedorovich Paskevich from the 7th Raevsky Corps. At the beginning of the battle, the battery itself had 18 guns. Units of the 4th Corps of the Viceroy of Italy Eugene Beauharnais went on the offensive. Enemy forces crossed the Koloch River and struck the Great Redoubt.

By this point, Raevsky had sent his entire second line to defend Semenovsky flushes. The first enemy attack was repelled by artillery fire. Beauharnais almost immediately launched a second attack. Kutuzov brought into battle the entire horse artillery reserve of 60 guns and part of the light artillery of the 1st Army. However, the enemy, despite heavy artillery fire, was able to break into Russian positions.

At this time, the chief of staff of the 1st Western Army, Alexey Petrovich Ermolov, and the chief of artillery of the entire army, Alexander Ivanovich Kutaisov, were passing by the height. They organized and led a counterattack by the 3rd battalion of the Ufa Infantry Regiment and the 18th Jaeger Regiment. At the same time, the regiments of Paskevich and Vasilchikov hit the enemy flanks. Russian soldiers recaptured the redoubt with a bayonet attack, and the enemy suffered heavy losses. Brigadier General Bonamy was captured. During the battle, Kutaisov died. Ermolov led the defense of the battery until he was shell-shocked, then he handed over command to General Pyotr Gavrilovich Likhachev. Paskevich's division was almost completely destroyed, Raevsky's corps was taken to the rear and replaced by Likhachev's 24th Infantry Division.

Battle for the Utitsky Kurgan. In the very south of the Russian position, the 5th Corps (Polish) of General Poniatowski moved around the left flank of the Russian position and at about 8 o'clock in the morning near the village of Utitsa collided with the 3rd Infantry Corps of General N.A. Tuchkov 1st. At this moment, Tuchkov had already sent Konovnitsyn’s 3rd Infantry Division to Bagration’s disposal and had only one division – the 1st Grenadier Division. The enemy pushed Tuchkov's soldiers out of Utitsa. Russian soldiers retreated to the Utitsky Kurgan. All attempts by the Poles to move forward and capture the mound were repulsed. However, at about 11 o'clock Poniatowski, having received the support of Junot's 8th Corps, was able to capture the Utitsky Kurgan. Tuchkov personally led the counterattack of the Pavlovsk Grenadier Regiment and recaptured the position. But in this attack the brave commander received a mortal wound. He was replaced by Baggovut. He left the position only around one o'clock in the afternoon, when it became known about the fall of Semenov flushes.

Nikolai Alekseevich Tuchkov.

At about 12 noon, Kutuzov and Napoleon regrouped their troops on the battlefield. Kutuzov sent reinforcements to the defenders of Kurgan Heights and strengthened the left flank, where units of the 2nd Army retreated beyond the Semenovsky ravine.

Battle of Borodino from 9:00 to 12:30.

To be continued…

The Patriotic War of 1812 was the greatest test for the Russian people and at the same time a turning point in the spiritual life of the entire country. The enemy's invasion of Russia, the Battle of Borodino, the fire of Moscow, and the intense struggle with Napoleon's armies caused a powerful popular upsurge.

Napoleon prepared for a long time and carefully for the war with Russia. Two operational plans for possible military actions were prepared. The first involved luring Russian armies beyond the borders of the Russian Empire, into the territory of the Duchy of Warsaw, dependent on Napoleon, encircling and defeating Russian troops. The second plan called for delivering a decisive blow to the Russians. The emperor intended to cross the Neman with the forces of a 610,000-strong army and defeat the enemy in one general battle.

The Russians chose a defensive plan of war, and the Military Command drew up a disposition for the deployment of three Western armies. 1st Western Army, the largest (commander-in-chief - Minister of War M.B. Barclay de Tolly; more than 120 thousand with 550 guns stood at the crossroads of the roads to St. Petersburg and Moscow, between the city of Vilna (Vilnius) and the upper reaches of the Neman River , occupying a defense line of 180-200 km.

Bagration's 2nd Western Army (about 45 thousand with 180-200 guns) defended a line 100 km south of the 1st Army. It was assumed that it would close the road to Moscow and Kyiv, acting on the flank of Napoleon's army. The 3rd Western Army of A.P. Tormasov (45 thousand with 170 guns) stood much further south, 200 km from Bagration in the Lutsk region in Volyn. Its main task is to protect Kyiv from a possible invasion by Austrian troops.

On June 11-18, the French “Grand Army” crossed the Russian border. On June 13, the city of Kovno was occupied, and on the 16th the French entered Vilna; On June 19, having ascertained the situation, Napoleon decided not to allow the Russian armies to unite. He brought out Murat's cavalry against Barclay de Tolly's army, and Napoleon - 3 columns of troops, which were subordinate to Marshal Davout, against Bagration's army. The French emperor hoped with this maneuver to strike the flank of the troops of the 2nd Army moving to the north.

Under the current conditions, both Russian armies were forced to begin a retreat to unite. By June 29, the 1st Army concentrated in the Dris camp, where it received reinforcements (10 thousand people) and rest.

The actions of the 2nd Army took place in a difficult situation. By 21, having covered 80 km, the army reached Nikolaev and the next day began crossing the Neman. But it soon became known that the enemy was trying to cut off all escape routes. Then Bagration decided to fight his way through. July 14 near the village. Saltanovka, Bagration, rushing out of encirclement, dealt Davout’s troops a serious blow, and on 13-14, when Bagration’s forces were crossing the Dnieper, the 1st Army fought several heated rearguard battles. On July 13, at Ostrovshchina, General Osterman-Tolstoy ordered his troops to “stand and die”, holding back Murat’s attacks. The next day the battle of Kakuvyachine took place. The Russians retreated to Vitebsk, where Napoleon approached on July 15.

However, the French failed to force a general battle here. On July 22, breaking away from the French, the 1st and 2nd Russian armies united near Smolensk. The initial period of the war is over. The enemy troops retreated beyond the Western Dvina-Dnieper line. Napoleon achieved great political success. Lithuania, Belarus and most of Courland were in his hands.

Napoleon had to abandon the attack on St. Petersburg. Having captured Riga, it was impossible to carry out attacks along the coast; The Kiev direction lost its meaning after Davout refused to speak out against Russia. The only possible option remained - an attack on Moscow. Napoleon regrouped his troops and also rebuilt the rear. The new operational line ran from Warsaw to Minsk, Orsha and further to Smolensk.

For the Russians, Moscow became the main operational area. It turned out that beyond the line of the Dvina and Dnieper the Russian army did not have a reserve base. The question of basing and new operational lines arose again. But it was no longer Barclay de Tolly, not Bagration, but Kutuzov who had to solve them.

The main event of the Patriotic War of 1812, undoubtedly, was the famous battle of August 26 (September 7) near Mozhaisk, near the village of Borodino.

Pursuing the retreating Russian troops, Napoleon always strived for a general battle, hoping to destroy the Russian army and end the war with one blow. At the beginning of the campaign, he had a great chance of achieving victory, since he had a significant superiority in forces. Having delved almost 1000 km into the vast expanses of Russia, Napoleon faced the fact of a gradual equalization of the balance of forces. However, before the Battle of Borodino, the French army was still numerically superior to the Russian one, and, in addition, Napoleon hoped for the qualitative superiority of his troops and command staff. Therefore, he was firmly confident in his victory and set himself the goal of completely defeating the Russians in a decisive battle and thereby opening the way to Moscow, after the capture of which he could quickly conclude peace. The Battle of Borodino clearly showed the failure of Napoleon's strategy.

Kutuzov, having taken command of the army stationed in Tsarevo-Zaimishche on August 17, also considered it necessary to give the French a general battle on the roads to Moscow. He knew that Napoleon still had a numerical superiority over the Russian army. He highly appreciated the military talent of Napoleon and his marshals, as well as the combat effectiveness of the French troops. But Kutuzov hoped to compensate for the superiority of the French by skillfully organizing the battle in a pre-selected position. The goal of the battle was the defeat of Napoleon's attacking army and the defense of Moscow.

Upon arrival in Tsarevo-Zaimishche, Kutuzov rode around the intended position on horseback and became convinced that it was impossible to accept a battle there. The commander-in-chief decided to continue the retreat until more favorable conditions.

On August 22, Kutuzov with his main forces approached the village of Borodino. The commander of the Russian rearguard, General P. P. Konovnitsyn, having withstood two heated battles with the French vanguard: at Gridnev, about 25 km from Borodin, and at the Kolotsky Monastery, about 10 km from Borodin, joined the main forces on the same day.

So, on the morning of August 22, 1812, the main forces of the Russian army began to concentrate in the area of ​​​​the village of Borodino. M.I. Kutuzov carefully examined the area and ordered the construction of fortifications to begin.

The area in the Borodino region (located 12 km west of Mozhaisk) is very hilly and crossed by a significant number of rivers and streams that have formed deep ravines. The eastern part of the Borodino field is more elevated than the western part. The river flows through the village. Kolocha. It has a high and steep bank, which well covered the right flank of the Russian army position. The left flank approached a shallow forest, heavily overgrown with dense bushes and swampy in places. This forest presented serious difficulties for the movement of significant masses of enemy infantry and cavalry in the event of an attempt to make a flanking move. Most of the tributaries of the Kolocha - the Voina River, the Semenovsky, Kamenka, Ognik and other streams, the banks of which were densely overgrown with bushes, crossed the Borodino field from south to north and therefore could serve as a convenient position for riflemen. From west to east through the village. The Great, or New, Smolensk Road, which was of great strategic importance, passed through Valuevo. Almost parallel to it, about 4 km south of the village of Borodina, ran the Old Smolensk Road. Having taken a position at Borodino, the Russian army had the opportunity to cover both of these roads leading to Moscow. In the depths of the position, the area was also wooded. It made it possible to successfully position and well camouflage reserves.

On the right flank, well protected by the high banks of Kolocha and essentially impregnable to the enemy, as well as in the center, Kutuzov decided to deploy significant forces: three infantry, three cavalry corps and a large Cossack detachment of General M.I. Platov. By placing his troops in this way, the commander sought to force the French emperor to conduct a frontal attack with his main forces in a narrow defile between Koloch and the Utitsky forest, excluding the possibility of covering the flanks of the Russian position. The troops of the right flank, occupying a position near the New Smolensk road, represented a strong group of infantry and cavalry, which posed a serious threat to the left wing of Napoleonic army. These troops could also be used as a reserve. Kutuzov ordered the construction of bridges, crossings over ravines and streams so that, if necessary, the troops of the right flank could be transferred to the left at the moment when the enemy launched an offensive there with the main forces. The most vulnerable part of Borodino's position was its left flank. Kutuzov understood this well and took measures to strengthen the position with engineering structures. On the left flank, near the village. Semenovskoe, three flashes (earthen fortifications) were built, which later received the name “Bagration’s”, since during the Battle of Borodino they were defended by Bagration’s troops. To the west of the flashes there was a forward fortification - the Shevardinsky redoubt. On the right flank, near the village. Maslovo, the Russians erected a group of earthen fortifications, redoubts and lunettes. In the center, at the height of Kurgannaya, they built an 18-gun battery, which went down in history as the Raevsky battery.

By the time it approached Borodino, Napoleon's army suffered very heavy losses (killed, sick, deserters). Significant detachments were allocated to guard the extended communications supporting the flanks of the main forces advancing on Moscow. Only about 130 thousand soldiers of the “Great Army” reached Borodino. (Kutuzov M.I. Materials of the anniversary session of the military academies of the Red Army, dedicated to the 200th anniversary of the birth of M.I. Kutuzov, - Voenizdat, 1947. P. 88.) But these were selected soldiers, the strongest, most persistent, seasoned in battles, confident in their own invincibility, in the outstanding qualities of their generals and officers, and in the brilliant military talent of their leader. They believed Napoleon, who said that they would face the last crushing one; in Russian, after which they will find rich booty in Moscow, a choir of an apartment, generous rewards and a happy return home. Thus configured, the well-trained and organized French army at Borodino was a formidable force. She was eager to fight in order to overthrow the last obstacle - the Russian army, which was blocking the road to Moscow and to peace. Napoleon Bonaparte brought the best part of his army to the Borodino field: the 1st, 3rd, 4th and 6th corps, reserve cavalry, as well as the elite of the French troops - the Imperial Guard, led by Marshals Mortier and Bessières. But an equally formidable force confronted the French on the Borodino field. The Russian army, reorganized in the period 1807-1813, was not much inferior to the French. And in courage and boundless readiness to defend their Motherland from the conquerors, the Russians surpassed Napoleon’s army.

In the Patriotic War of 1812, the names of Bagration, Dokhturov, Barclay de Tolly, N.N. Raevsky, Konovnitsyn, Miloradovich, Platov and many others were covered with immortal glory. As for the soldiers, although there were many recruits in Kutuzov’s army, there were also veteran heroes of Suvorov’s and Kutuzov’s campaigns, especially non-commissioned officers. Many of them had already fought with the French in 1799, 1805 and 1807. These veterans, no less than Napoleon's Old Guard, had the right to consider themselves invincible, and the young soldiers of the Russian army looked up to them.

All the memoirs of contemporaries testify to the high patriotic upsurge in the ranks of the Russians on the Borodino field. The army had long been waiting for a decisive battle with the enemy and grumbled, complaining about constant retreats. When it became clear to everyone that the battle would really be given, that the retreat was over, the Russian troops began to prepare for battle. They decided to die rather than let the French get to Moscow. The officers asked Kutuzov's permission to dress in ceremonial uniforms for battle. The soldiers cleaned and sharpened their weapons, put their uniforms and equipment in order. The heroic Russian army was preparing for the last formidable parade. In front of the Russian position was the Shevardinsky redoubt, which had the character of a forward fortification. Behind him lay the entire left flank of the Russians, where near the village. Semenovskoe fortifications were erected. On August 24, a battle took place between the troops of General M.D. Gorchakov 2nd and the main forces of Napoleon for Shevardino. Until nightfall, the Russians held back the French attacks, thereby giving Bagration time to strengthen his positions.

After a tough battle on August 24, the Russians occupied the line of Maslovo, Borodino, Semenovskoye, Utitsa. The French began deploying to attack on the front west of Borodino, Aleksinka, Shevardino and to the south. On August 25, both sides prepared for battle, reconnaissance was completed and final orders were given. The French carried out a series of military operations (reconnaissance) north of Borodino and south of Utitsa, which confirmed Napoleon’s assessment of the terrain in these directions: it was unsuitable for the action of large masses of troops. Judging by the available data, on August 25, both commanders - Napoleon and Kutuzov - as a result of the battle for the Shevardinsky redoubt and reconnaissance, adopted the following battle plans.

NAPOLEON'S PLAN. With a massive blow of infantry and cavalry, supported by powerful artillery fire, break through the Russian combat position in the Semyonovsky flushes, Kurgan battery. Following this, introduce reserves into the breakthrough, direct a strike to the north at the flank of the Russian group covering the New Smolensk road, press it to the Moscow River and destroy it. At the same time, launch auxiliary attacks on the flanks against Borodino and Utitsa, of which the attack on Utitsa, which would facilitate a breakthrough from the Semyonov flushes from the south, was to be especially important.

KUTUZOV'S PLAN. By the evening of August 24, Kutuzov quite accurately determined the direction of the French main attack. In this regard, he made a partial regrouping on August 25, strengthening his left flank. In its final form, Kutuzov’s plan boiled down to inflicting the greatest possible losses on the enemy in the direction of his main attack through stubborn resistance from limited forces and frustrating him. At the same time, maintain complete freedom of maneuver for your reserves, positioning them out of reach of the enemy during the battle. Accordingly, Kutuzov deployed a large contingent of troops, reliably covering the New Smolensk road.

On August 26 at 5:30 a.m. the sun came out. Napoleon's order was read to the troops. It said: “Warriors! This is the battle you've been wanting. Victory depends on you. She is necessary for you, she will provide us with everything we need: comfortable apartments and a quick return to our homeland. Act as you acted at Austerlitz, Friedland, Vitebsk, Smolensk. Let later posterity proudly remember your exploits to this day. Let it be said about each of you: he was in the great battle near Moscow!” (Rastunov I.I. Patriotic War of 1812. M., 1987. P. 22.)

Dawn broke, the fog cleared, the first ray of sun flashed. “This is the sun of Austerlitz!” - Napoleon exclaimed. A heavy gun thundered from the direction of the Russian positions, as it seemed that the French were approaching. But there was no movement yet.

At about six o'clock in the morning an attack began against the Russian right flank on the village of Borodino. The soldiers of the Life Guards Jaeger Regiment entered into a shootout with the enemy, and then into hand-to-hand combat. In his report to Alexander I about the battle of Borodino, Kutuzov will write that the Life Guards of the Jaeger Regiment stopped the enemy and that for more than an hour, in full view of the entire army, they held back the onslaught of the French.

However, the Russians had to retreat across the river. Kolocha. The French, on the shoulders of the retreating troops, burst into their positions. But at that moment the 1st Jaeger Regiment arrived to the aid of the Life Guards Jaeger Regiment. Having united with the retreating forces, he rushed at the enemy. With a cry of “Hurray!”, the Russians not only drove the enemy from their positions, but also crossed the river themselves. Kolocha, they broke into the French positions. However, it was very risky to remain there, and the Russian soldiers moved back, and the last ones to leave set fire to the bridge across the river. During the entire Battle of Borodino in this sector, the French and Russians limited themselves to skirmishing. The attack on the village of Borodino ended. However, this enemy offensive was of a demonstrative nature. The main events unfolded at the Bagration flushes of the 1st battery of Raevsky.

At 6 o'clock, Marshal Davout's troops began attacking the flushes. The flushes were defended by the combined grenadier division of M. S. Vorontsov and the 27th infantry division of D. N. Neverovsky. Despite the enemy's triple superiority, the Russians fought courageously and were undaunted. They met the attacking columns of the French with powerful artillery fire, and after approaching, they rushed at the enemy with bayonets. The enemy could not stand it and, leaving piles of dead and wounded, retreated in disorder. The first French attack on flushes failed.

At this time, on the extreme left flank, near the village of Utitsa, the French attacked the Russians. Or rather, the Poles attacked, since the corps of I. A. Poniatovsky, who was entrusted with this section of the front, mainly consisted of Poles. Poniatowski managed to capture the village of Utitsa. The commander of the Russian troops in this sector, Tuchkov, moved to the Utitsky Kurgan and entrenched himself there.

At 7 o'clock the enemy resumed the attack on the flushes. With the aim of heavy losses, he managed to capture the left flank of the Semyonov fortifications. By order of Bagration, several battalions counterattacked the enemy on the flank. The taken aback, the French were driven back, suffering new heavy casualties. The second attack also ended in bloody French failure. Napoleon was amazed at the stubborn resistance of the Russians. Having reinforced Davout's troops with Ney's corps and Murat's cavalry, he gave the order to resume the onslaught. In turn, Bagration took the necessary measures to strengthen the defense. He promoted the 1st Grenadier and 3rd Cuirassier divisions from the reserve to the front line. Here he also sent 8 battalions from Raevsky’s 7th Corps, which defended north of the flashes and, in addition, stationed Konovnitsyn’s 3rd Infantry Division near the village of Semenovskoye. Kutuzov, who closely followed the progress of the battle, sent large reserves to reinforce Bagration’s troops. However, the transfer of these forces could be carried out no earlier than in 1.5-2 hours. It follows that when repelling the next attack of the French, Bagration had to rely only on his own strength.

At 8 o'clock, after an artillery preparation of 160 guns, the enemy launched a third attack. Coming out of the forest, the French lined up in several dense columns and moved towards Bagration's flushes. Russian artillerymen, having waited for the enemy for the nearest grape shot, opened deadly fire on him. At the same time, the infantry fired several volleys. The French fell in dozens. But we must note the courage of the enemy. Under grapeshot fire, the French calmly continued to move towards the flushes, where they, at the cost of incredible efforts, managed to break into. But at that moment Count Vorontsov with his grenadier battalions struck with bayonets. The strong onslaught mixed up the ranks of Napoleonic soldiers and forced him to retreat back in confusion. Then the French tried with a dashing cavalry charge to capture the flushes that had just been recaptured from them. The French cavalry, quickly rushing towards the Russians, was met by the Life Guards Izmailovsky, Lithuanian and Finnish regiments, which, lined up in a square, bristling with bayonets, were waiting for the enemy. Having let the enemy approach a rifle shot, they opened fire, which forced the enemy to retreat. The retreating French cavalry and the cuirassiers who arrived in time turned around and again rushed at the Russians. And again our soldiers, letting the enemy get closer, opened rifle fire on him. Those who were able to break through to the ranks were bayoneted.

At this time, Poniatowski tried several times to take the Utitsky mound. Having surrounded the mound on all sides, the enemy launched attacks on the 1st Grenadier Division. In his report, Kutuzov later wrote: “The brave grenadiers, having waited for the enemy, opened the most brutal fire on him and, without hesitating at all, rushed at him with bayonets. The enemy could not withstand such a rapid attack, left the battlefield with damage and disappeared into the nearby forests. Lieutenant General Tuchkov was wounded by a bullet in the chest, and Lieutenant General Alsufiev took command of him.” (Ibid., p. 141.)

Thus, the first stage of the battle ended with minor French successes in the areas of auxiliary attacks and a decisive failure in the direction of the main attack. Both commanders begin to bring in fresh forces here.

By order of Napoleon, at about 9 o'clock the attacks on Bagration's flushes were resumed.

During the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th attacks, the area around the Bagration flashes was littered with the corpses of Russians and French. The French attacked Bagration's flushes continuously. The infantry, which the Russians drove back with bayonet strikes, was replaced by cavalry, which was fired upon by several surviving Russian cannons. While the enemy cavalry and infantry were reorganizing and stocking up on ammunition, French artillery was constantly hitting the Russian positions.

Around 10 o'clock the French began a large attack of flushes. This time, against Bagration’s 18 thousand soldiers and 300 guns on a 1.5 km front, Napoleon moved 45 thousand of his soldiers and 400 guns. The Russians met the enemy with a crushing bayonet strike. An oncoming hand-to-hand fight ensued. A participant in the Battle of Borodino, Russian officer F.I. Glinka wrote: “...The picture was terrible of that part of the Borodino field near the village of Semenovskoye, where the battle was boiling like in a cauldron. Thick smoke and bloody steam obscured the midday sun. Some kind of faded, uncertain twilight lay over the field of horrors, over the field of death. In this twilight, nothing was visible except formidable columns, advancing and defeated, fleeing squadrons... The distance presents a view of complete chaos: torn, broken French squadrons crash, worry and disappear in the smoke, giving way to infantry marching orderly!.. Having comprehended the intention of the marshals and seeing the formidable movement of the French forces, Prince Bagration conceived a great deed. The orders were given, and our entire left wing, in its entire length, moved from its place and advanced at a rapid pace with bayonets. We agreed!.. “There is no language to describe this dump, this crash, this lingering crash, this last struggle of a thousand! Everyone grabbed the fatal scales to pull them to their side... And the Russians did not give up an inch of ground.” (Rastunov I.I. Patriotic War of 1812 - Knowledge, 1987. P. 23.)

In this battle, Bagration was wounded; a fragment of a French grenade hit him in the leg. The flashes have been captured. Immediately Ney’s corps and M.-V.’s cavalry. -N. Latour-Maubourg and E. -A. -M. The Nansoutis rushed into the resulting gap. The Russians had to retreat under enemy pressure. Konovnitsyn temporarily took command of the Semenov flushes. A very difficult task fell to his lot: until a new general was appointed to replace the wounded Bagration, while the forces allocated by the command from the reserve moved to the aid of the 2nd Army, he needed to hold back the enemy rushing forward at any cost.

Soon, Dokhturov, who was appointed to replace Bagration, arrived on the left flank and found the 2nd Army bleeding, but was ready to fight to the end.

At the same time, in the center of the Russian position, the French persistently stormed Raevsky’s battery; approximately in the middle of the 7th French attack on Bagration’s flushes, Barclay de Tolly noticed the enemy’s movement towards the center of the Russian position. To reinforce the Russian center, the commander of the 1st Army ordered the 4th Corps to join the right wing of the Preobrazhensky Regiment, which with the Semenovsky and Finland regiments remained in reserve. Behind these troops the 2nd and 3rd cavalry corps were located, and behind them were regiments of the cavalry guard and horse guards. As soon as the Russians settled in new positions, they were subjected to brutal artillery fire, after which the enemy advanced in dense columns towards Raevsky’s battery and overthrew the 26th Division, which could withstand its superior forces. A difficult situation has arisen.

Kutuzov ordered General Ermolov to go to the artillery of the left flank and put it in order. The chief of the main staff of the 2nd Army, Count E.F. Saint-Prix, was wounded, and Ermolov had to take command. Ermolov took with him three companies of horse artillery.

Driving past Raevsky's battery, Ermolov saw that the position had been captured by the French and the Russians were fleeing. Realizing the danger of the current situation, the brave general immediately began to act. He rushed to the 6th Corps, closest to the height, ordered the 9th Battalion of the Ufa Infantry Regiment to move quickly forward and stop the fleeing and retreating 18th, 19th and 40th Jaeger Regiments. The enemy could not use the guns of the captured battery, but, having pulled up his light artillery, began to shower Russian troops from the flanks. The three cavalry companies accompanying Ermolov stopped on the left flank of his small position and, diverting fire to themselves, made it possible to capture the lost battery. Ermolov recalled later: “The battery and the slope of the hill to the top were covered with enemy bodies. All those who resisted paid with their lives, only one was captured, Brigadier General Bonamy, who received twelve wounds with bayonets. Our lost guns were all returned, but the damage from my side to some of the people was terrible” (Borodino. Documents, letters, memories. P. 358.)

At this time, a fierce battle was going on on the Utitsky Kurgan for mastery of the height. Poniatowski first occupied this mound, but was soon driven out.

Thus, the 3rd stage of the battle ended with a major French success in the main direction. The Russian front was broken through, and the breakthrough was only weakly closed east of Semenovsky. It took time for new reinforcements sent here by Kutuzov to arrive. The position of the Russians was difficult. But the French also needed reserves and fresh forces. Napoleon reluctantly agreed to the use of the Young Guard to increase the breakthrough on the Semenov flushes.

But then Kutuzov makes a brilliant move. He sends the cavalry of Platov and F.P. Uvarov to the rear of the French. Uvarov's cavalry captured Bezzubovo, but was detained here by the French (more precisely, by the Italian units of the French Army). The Cossacks, breaking into the rear of the French, caused panic there. Napoleon stopped the 3rd attack of French troops on the Raevsky battery and the movement of the Young Guard, and he himself went to the left flank to clarify the situation. He spent about 2 hours on this, during which Kutuzov completed the regrouping of troops and firmly secured his left flank. Thus, the time for success was lost.

At about 2 p.m., the French attacked Raevsky’s battery for the third time. As a result of this attack, by 17:00 in the afternoon, the defenders of the battery were almost completely destroyed, and the French took possession of it. The Russians, without panic, retreated by order of the command. Next, the French tried to attack the Russians at their new position, but to no avail. At the end of the day, Poniatowski managed to capture the Utitsky Kurgan.

By 18 o'clock the Russians were firmly entrenched in the position of Gorki - Old Smolensk Road. Seeing the futility of further attacks, Napoleon ordered them to be stopped and the troops to be withdrawn to the river. Shooting at night. The Borodino battle is over.

The opponents dispersed, leaving mountains of corpses and wounded on the battlefield. In this battle, Russian losses were no less than French losses. Different sources give completely different figures for losses on both sides. However, it is officially known that after the flight of Napoleonic army from Russia, 58,520 human corpses and 35,478 horse corpses were found on the Borodino field. No wonder Borodino was called by contemporaries “the grave of the French cavalry.” (Levitsky N. War of 1812. M., 1938. P. 26.)

It is also difficult to determine the winner of this bloody battle. One can argue for a long time who won on this terrible day. But, despite the seemingly “indisputable” defeat of the Russians to many, Napoleon suffered a crushing moral defeat in the Battle of Borodino. After August 26, the combat energy of the French army began to decline steadily. The blow dealt to her by the Russians at Borodino ultimately proved fatal.

The Battle of Borodino went down in the history of the liberation struggle of the peoples of our country as one of its most striking pages. The legendary feat of Borodin's heroes became an inspiring example of patriotic fulfillment of duty to the Motherland for subsequent generations of Russian people.

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 advance of the French 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 chasseurs, 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 close 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 and break into it. 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. 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.