Napoleon's Crossing of the Berezina: reenactment 205 years on

Throughout its history, Belarus has seen numerous wars and battles. The Great Patriotic War of 1812 was no exception. Napoleon’s army was three times as big as the Russian one, which did not mean a victory for the French, however. The Berezina River fording by Napoleon's army during the 1812 war was reenacted at the Brilevskoye Field. BelTA joined the event and enjoyed the spectacular reenactment first hand.

The Brilevskoye Field has seen all kinds of weapons of that age, different types of artillery, cavalry, and infantry. The organizer Alexander Gursky pointed to the authenticity of the reenactment event. “All the people taking part in the ‘battle’ act in accordance with the army regulations and warcraft of those times. The uniforms have been made using the 1812 technologies,” he clarified.

According to Deputy Minsk Oblast Governor Viktor Sirenko, this year’s edition has been bigger than the past ones. “This is a powerful and beautiful event. In 2017, it marks the record-breaking number of visitors – over 400 people,” he added. The official also stressed the importance of such holidays. “The reenactment event provides an opportunity for people of different nations, ethnic groups, and countries to meet with each other and commemorate the victims of the war. This is a reminder: it is better to reenact and recall battles rather than make war for real,” Viktor Sirenko noted.

Photo: Oksana Manchuk