The Patriotic War of 1812 is one of thethe most heroic pages of our history, fully demonstrated the ability of the Russian people to consolidate in the face of external danger. And although its main event is considered to be the Battle of Borodino, it was the battle of Maloyaroslavets in 1812 that forced Napoleon to abandon the plan to conquer the southern provinces and forced him to retreat along the Smolensk road. As a result, the French army was destroyed, and Russian troops liberated Europe and entered Paris.
Almost immediately after September 14In 1812 the Napoleonic army entered Moscow, in its rear, a guerrilla war unfolded. Particularly much concern was brought to the enemy by the detachments led by I. Dorokhov, A. Seslavin, D. Davydov and A. Figner, as they destroyed the convoys with provisions and fodder. At the same time, losses resulting from attacks by partisans on units of the French army were often quite comparable to the number of victims in major battles. In particular, on October 11, Dorokhov's detachment liberated Vereya, having beaten the battalion of the Westphalian Regiment, and the guerrillas received a convenient base for further attacks both on the Kaluga and Smolensk roads. The lack of supplies and fodder led to the fact that the French began to lose their fighting ability and even started throwing guns because of the lack of horses. Given all of the above and the silence of the Russian Tsar in response to a proposal for peace, Napoleon decided to leave Moscow and move to Smolensk through Kaluga.
Before telling about the battle forMaloyaroslavets, it is necessary to understand how the armies of opponents in general were next to this small and unremarkable town, where at the time lived only about 1,5 thousand people. So, the army of Napoleon emerged from the ruined Russian capital on October 19 and moved along the old Kaluga road. However, the next day the emperor ordered to turn from the village of Troitskoe to the New Kaluga road and sent forward the vanguard under the command of his stepchild Eugene Bogarne, who on October 21 seized the village of Fominskoye. After the report that the enemy follows towards Maloyaroslavets, Kutuzov ordered Dokhturov to block the way to Kaluga. At the same time, Napoleon mistakenly understood the maneuver of the Russian troops for preparing for the battle and ordered Bogartne to stop advancing, placing this mission on the small division of General Delzon.
When Delzen approached the city, the mayor P.Bykov ordered the destruction of the bridge through the Luzhu. However, this did not prevent the enemy infantrymen from crossing the other side of the pontoon bridge built by them and taking Maloyaroslavets, who at that time had no one to defend. In this case, the emperor himself with the main forces settled for the night in Borovsk.
As you know, historians are most interested inquestions "when" and "where." So, the battle of Maloyaroslavets in 1812, the date of which - October 24, began at 5 o'clock in the morning, when Dokhturov sent in attack the rangers of Colonel A. Bistrom. Thousands of soldiers of this regiment managed to knock out the French on the outskirts of the city, but by 11 o'clock in the afternoon the shelves of Beauharnais, and later Napoleon himself with the main forces, came to the aid of the defenders. Reinforcements received and the Russians, so by noon in the fighting already took part in 9 thousand people on each side. A few more hours passed, but the battle not only did not abate, but it became even more fierce, as all the new regiments hurried to help the armies.
At four o'clock in the afternoon the battle near Maloyaroslavetshas entered its decisive stage. The fact is that Kutuzov managed to occupy a favorable position at the heights located 1-3 km south of the city, which allowed to control the way to Kaluga. In this case, the battle for the burning city lasted until 10 pm.
The next morning instead of Maloyaroslavets wasAshes, and both sides again prepared for battle. However, unexpectedly, Field Marshal MI Kutuzov ordered to retreat to the positions prepared from the evening, provoking his actions with bewilderment from the enemy. This maneuver was accompanied by the secret movement of several regiments of Platov, who crossed the other bank of the Puddle and attacked the French. Moreover, Napoleon himself narrowly escaped captivity and was forced to convene a council in Gorodnya, where he solely decided to "think only of saving the army." Thus, the battle of Maloyaroslavets in 1812, the date of its withdrawal on October 26, ended in the retreat of Napoleon's army to Mozhaisk, which did not bode well for her.
Judging by the reports of the French commanders,which significantly differ, the army of Napoleon lost from 3,500 to 6,000 people. According to the Russian side, about 6,700 soldiers and officers were killed and wounded. And no one took into account the losses among the militia, which certainly also was a lot. Despite all the sacrifices, the battle of Maloyaroslavets during the Patriotic War of 1812 was subsequently unanimously recognized by historians as a major strategic victory by Kutuzov. As for the French, it only delayed their retreat and deprived the army of Napoleon of the last hope to resume the military campaign in 1813.
Talking about any battle, and even more so,as the battle of Maloyaroslavets during the Patriotic War of 1812 (occurred in the first days after the retreat of Napoleon from Moscow), it is impossible not to say a few words about the generals who took part in it. So, in the battle for the Luga bridgehead, an exceptional role was played by:
Among the generals of Napoleon in this battle were distinguished:
For the deeds committed in the battle for Maloyaroslavets,received awards several hundred lower ranks. Among them, there were especially many soldiers of the 19th Jaeger Regiment, with whom Archpriest Vasilkovsky also went to attack. This pastor is famous for being the first Russian priest to be awarded the Order of St. George fourth degree. A big part is that the battle of Maloyaroslavets in 1812 ended in favor of the Kutuzov army, and S. Belyaev played, who at that time was the local court raiser. When the French wanted to build a pontoon bridge, this young man dismantled the dam, and the pouring water delayed the invaders.
To date, only one"Eyewitness" of the battles with Napoleon, which occurred on the banks of the river Luzha. The fact is that since the end of the 16th century there was a monastery in Maloyaroslavets, in 1812 it turned out to be in the very center of military operations. After the famous battle, the townspeople noticed that the Blue Gate of the monastery with the image of the Savior was entirely covered with traces of bullets and canister, but the face of Christ was not damaged by a single bullet. This was perceived as a miracle, and during the reign of Nicholas I, at the behest of the emperor, the inscription "Ulcers in memory of the French war" appeared on the gate. Unfortunately, this tablet has not survived, but today at the Blue Gate you can consider the traces of bullets, which the restorers left in memory of the descendants.
Almost immediately after completionPatriotic War with Napoleon, the Russian people began to establish memorials, which were supposed to perpetuate the memory of the fallen. The battle of Maloyaroslavets was not an exception, it is rather difficult to tell about it briefly.
The first monument in honor of the heroes of this battle wasNikolsky Cathedral Church, built on the donations of Russians and consecrated in 1843. In addition, by the 30th anniversary of the victory of the Russian army in the war with Napoleon, Nicholas the First ordered the erection of monuments on the ground of all the most famous battles, including in Maloyaroslavets. The monument was cast according to the sketch of the architect A. Adamini, and its installation in the main square of the city was completed in October 1844. Unfortunately, this monument has not reached our days, as it was destroyed in the 30s of last century.
In the 1950s, it was decided to break up thecity square in memory of the victims of the Patriotic War with Napoleon. It was set up around two mass graves, in which soldiers were buried, thanks to which the battle of Maloyaroslavets during the Patriotic War of 1812 was an important turning point. Earlier, in honor of the 100th anniversary of this event, two monuments were erected over the crypts.
The first of them rises on a hill.In the center of the composition, designed to perpetuate the memory of those who won the battle of Maloyaroslavets, the pedestal with the rock on which the cross is erected rises. To his foot lies a wreath of soldiers of the Polotsk regiment, and on the site in front of the monument you can see 3 field guns of the 1812 model and a pyramid of cores.
As for the second monument, he is inthe same square and represents a rock with a cross on top of which the year is indicated (the battle near Maloyaroslavets occurred in 1812) and a commemorative plaque with the inscription: "Valiant great-grandfathers Fifth Army Corps" was installed.
In addition, on the outskirts there is another mass grave with a modest obelisk, also dating from 1812.
Memory of the events that took place in Maloyaroslavetsand in its vicinity more than 200 years ago, they are still revered today. In particular, on October 5, 2014 in the city, a monument was erected to Archpriest V. Vasilkovsky, whose author is the artist S. Shcherbakov.
Remember the feats of grandfathers - this is kindtradition. Within its framework for several decades around the world, there have been reconstructions of various battles. In our country, the first such events began to be organized from the late 80's, and most often they are dedicated to the famous battles of two World Wars. This year, the reconstruction of the battle of Maloyaroslavets (2014) took place on October 26, and, except for episodes of battles, recreated in great detail, the audience also saw a colorful parade, master classes in making ammunition and took part in various competitions.
Many battles of the war of 1812 forever enteredtextbooks of military art. And although, as the poet said, all of Russia remembers Borodin's day, the battle near Maloyaroslavets also deserves the descendants to remember her heroes.
