France and Russia bury their soldiers 200 years after Napoleon’s defeat

The remains of Russian and French soldiers who died during Napoleon’s withdrawal from Moscow in 1812 will be buried this Saturday near the Viazma battlefield, in an unusual moment of unity between the two countries.

In eight coffins, 126 remains discovered in a mass grave between Smolensk and Moscow will be buried with honors, in the presence of the descendants of great Russian and French military leaders of the time.

These 120 soldiers, three probable women who followed their husbands on military campaigns and three teenagers – possibly drummers – died during or on the occasion of the Battle of Viazma on November 3, 1812, two weeks after the withdrawal began. which culminated soon after with multiple losses in the Battle of the Berézina to cross the river.

Saturday’s ceremony represents a moment of unity as Russia disagrees with the West on multiple issues.

Russians or French will be buried together with honors to the sound of cannon fire and under the gaze of a hundred extras dressed in period uniforms.

“Death puts everyone on an equal footing: everyone is in the same grave”said Yulia Khitrovo, 74, great-great-granddaughter of the Tsar’s General-in-Chief Mikhail Kutuzov.

“I am very happy to be present at this ceremony, symbol of the mutual respect of the parties”, declare to AFP Prince Joachim Murat, great-great-grandson of Napoleon’s famous Marshal, who will attend the funeral.

Pierre Malinowski, president of the Foundation for the development of Franco-Russian historical initiatives, promoter of the event, appreciates their presence “Direct descendants of the main actors of the conflict” who together commemorate these soldiers.

The remains were unearthed in 2019 by a team of Russian and French archaeologists, southwest of Viazma, a town of 52,000 inhabitants. About ten years earlier, an excavator found them during construction work.

History buffs thought it was one of the many mass graves of WWII, but an expert report from the Russian Academy of Sciences concluded that they were victims of the campaign of Napoleon, many between 30 and 39 years old explained AFP anthropologist Tatiana Chvedchikova.

The Russian campaign has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives.

(With information from AFP)

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