Vyazma 2021
REALIZED PROJECT
In the summer of 2019 after the discovery in Smolensk of the remains of Napoleon's close friend, General Charles-Etienne Gudin, the Foundation for the Development of Russian-French Historical Initiatives organized a new expedition dedicated to the retreat of Napoleon's army in November 1812.
During one month a group of 30 French and Russian experts with students from the both countries found and exhumed 126 skeletons of Russian and French soldiers who died on that tragic day on November 3, 1812 among which the remains of 3 women and 3 teenagers "Drummers" aged 14 - 15 years were found.
On February 13, 2021 the burial ceremony of these 126 French and Russian soldiers and the unveiling of a memorial monument funded by the Foundation and Christian Bourdeille, President of the Souvenir Napoléonien Foundation, took place.
During one month a group of 30 French and Russian experts with students from the both countries found and exhumed 126 skeletons of Russian and French soldiers who died on that tragic day on November 3, 1812 among which the remains of 3 women and 3 teenagers "Drummers" aged 14 - 15 years were found.
On February 13, 2021 the burial ceremony of these 126 French and Russian soldiers and the unveiling of a memorial monument funded by the Foundation and Christian Bourdeille, President of the Souvenir Napoléonien Foundation, took place.
The ceremony was held with the participation of the All-Russian public movement "Clubs of Historical Reconstruction of Russia" (ROSREKON), which provided 70 reenactors in Russian and French military uniforms of that time, artillery shots were fired and the opera tenor Yuri Rostotskiy performed the both hymns.
The ceremony was attended by the Defense Attaché of the French Embassy in Russia, Brigadier General Ivan Martin, Prince Pontecorvo Joachim Murat, Grand Duke Georgy Romanov, a direct descendant of Russian Marshal Mikhail Kutuzov (Yulia Vasilievna Khitrovo), diplomats of the French Embassy, representatives of the Vyazemsky District Municipal Formation , Ministry of Defense, Director of the Institute of Archeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences Makarov N.A. and other honored guests and public figures.
The ceremony was attended by the Defense Attaché of the French Embassy in Russia, Brigadier General Ivan Martin, Prince Pontecorvo Joachim Murat, Grand Duke Georgy Romanov, a direct descendant of Russian Marshal Mikhail Kutuzov (Yulia Vasilievna Khitrovo), diplomats of the French Embassy, representatives of the Vyazemsky District Municipal Formation , Ministry of Defense, Director of the Institute of Archeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences Makarov N.A. and other honored guests and public figures.
FOR THIS, WE NEED YOU!
Our goal is to keep the memory of these heroes who died for freedom and also prevent these horrible events to repeat!
