Napoleon’s army returns to Russian battlefield

5 Sep, 2010 11:42 / Updated 14 years ago

Russians are marking the anniversary of one of the bloodiest military clashes in the country's history. On Sunday, September 5, Napoleon’s and Kutuzov’s armies are back on battlefield at Borodino.

Over a thousand enthusiasts of historical reenactments gathered at the village of Borodino in the Moscow region dressed in the uniforms which French and Russian troops wore back then.

Over the course of the day they will re-enact key moments of the battle that took place in Borodino 198 years ago when Napoleon invaded Russia.

Historians say Borodino was the turning point of the war, as Napoleon's army suffered irreplaceable losses. It involved about 250,000 soldiers and lasted for 15 hours.

The Russians did retreat, leaving the capital to the French, but they were soon forced to abandon Moscow because of the fatal blow they were dealt at Borodino.

The Russian armies went on to push Napoleon all the way back to Paris.