The book exhibition “200 years of the Patriotic war of 1812. The battle of Borodino” is timed to the 200-th year from the beginning of the war.

   On June 24, 1812 Napoleon’s army without the announcement of war intruded onto the territory of the Russian empire. The quick advancement of the mighty French army  made the Russian commandment retreat into depth of the country thus depriving the commander-in-chief of the Russian army, general Barclay-de-Tolli of the possibility to prepare the army for the battle. The prolonged retreat caused public dissent , and that is why on August 20 the emperor Alexander I signed the decree on the appointment as commander-in-chief of the Russian army of M.I.Kutuzov. But he also was forced to retreat to win time to collect all the forces. By that time Napoleon’s army had sustained considerable losses and the difference in number of the two armies became reduced. In this situation Kutuzov decided to give the general battle near Moscow at the village of Borodino.

The battle of Borodino - the largest battle of the Patriotic war of 1812 between the Russian and French armies took place on September 7, 1812 (August 26 by the old calendar) near the village of Borodino westwards of Moscow.

   Early in the morning on September 7, 1812 there started the great battle of Borodino. For 6 hours the Russian forces rebuffed the fierce attacks of the enemy. The losses were huge from both sides – more than 38 thousand Russian soldiers and 58 thousand French soldiers. The Russian army retreated  but preserved its fighting capacity. Napoleon didn’t manage to achieve the main goal – the defeat of the Russian army. Kutuzov started “the lesser war” using the army gorilla teams. By the end of December the remainders of Napoleon’s army were banished from Russia.

    The battle of Borodino is one of the most bloody battles of the XIX-th century. By the most modest estimates of joint losses every hour at the battlefield there died 2500 people. Some divisions lost up to 80% of their staff.

    There at the exhibition is presented the literature on the history, the course of events, the heroes and historical personalities of the Patriotic war of 1812 and the battle of Borodino.