About museum

State Borodino War and History Museum and Reserve is a federal institution for scientific research, culture and education and nature protection subordinate to the Ministry of Culture of Russia. Locates 120 km west of Moscow.

Founded on the precise spot of the Battle of Borodino (1812) the Borodino museum is the oldest in the world among the museums situated at battlefields. In 1961 it was reorganized: comprised historic monuments and landscape of the Borodino Battlefield and started to function as a museum and reserve. In 1995 the Borodino State Musem and Reserve was given the highest existing status for a museum in Russia — the Object of Special Value of historic and cultural heritage of the peoples of Russia. The reserved area is nowdays 109,7 square km, protection zone — 645 square km.

The main historic object of the museum and reserve is the field of the decisive battle between the Russian army under Kutuzov and Napoleon's Grand army on the 7th of September 1812. Remains and ashes of more than 50 thousand killed in the battle lie here in common graves. In October 1941 the area of the battlefield was the front defensive line of the Battle of Moscow. Soviet troops repelled the Nazi offensive for 6 days and gained time for concentration of reinforcements around Moscow. This historic events and further memorialization of the Borodino battlefield formed it as the unique memorial of military history.

The historic landscape of the Borodino battlefield is similar to that of the year 1812 and comprises about 300 monuments, fortification sites and historic buildings of the XVII– XX centuries: The Church of the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of the God (Black Virgin) (XVIII) in the village of Borodino, the eye-witness of the Battle of Borodino; fortification sites of the Russian and French armies (1812) such as he Shevardino redoubt, Bagration fleches, Rayevsky battery (or the Grand redoubt), French batteries and others; graves of general Bagration and general Neverovsky (hero of Leipzig, 1813), heroes of the battle, common graves; the Main Monument (1839) commemorating all Russian warriors on the Rayevsky battery site ; the unique ensemble of the Borodino Savior Convent (1820-1870), now — the nunnery; monuments marking command posts used by Kutuzov (1912) and Napoleon (1913) in the course of the battle; 34 monuments to different Russian regiments (1911-1912) that took part in the Battle of Borodino; defensive works of World War II — pillboxes, communication trenches, antitank ditches (1941–1942); common graves with monuments to the soviet soldiers who defended (in 1941) and freed (in 1942) the area (1950-1960); sculptural monuments of Russian commanders; the historic building of the Borodino museum (1839, 1912, 1962); the Old Smolensk Road (XIV–XVIII), archeological sites (III–XIII); historic villages and architectural monuments (XVII–XIX).

The Borodino museum enters XXI century with a new exposition “Borodino – the Fight of Giants”. The Battle of Borodino is depicted as the main event of the War of 1812, that predetermined the liberation of Europe subjugated by Napoleon.
Exposition is based upon the original objects connected with the Borodino battle, – uniforms and weapons of both armies, colours, standards and awards, personal belongings of the participants of the battle, documents and maps, archeological artifacts found in the battleground: cannon balls, grenade fragments, case-shot and musket bullets. Works of fine arts created both by participants or contemporaries of the Patriotic War of 1812 and the artists of the XIX - XX centuries are included in the display. The full picture of the decisive battle on August, 26 appears before visitors in the central big hall through to the rare and remarkable exhibits such as the personal items of the heroes of the battle, four oil-painted sketches to the Borodino panorama by F. Pubo, the diorama “Fighting for the Bagration fleches”, newly reconstructed model of the battlefield.

4 museum exhibitions are displayed in the interiors of the Borodino Savior Convent buildings. Exhibition «The Field of Borodino. Marks of History» depicts the history of the area of the famous battle from the ancient period till nowadays in different objects and artifacts from Borodino museum collection.The exhibition of toy soldier and military figurines is devoted to heroic events of Russian military history. Special displays are devoted to Leo Tolstoy and his famous novel «War and Peace» and the events of the Moscow Battle in the area of the Borodino battlefield in1941–1942.

The Borodino Museum organizes different tours of the battlefield and its monuments, exhibitions and some special events. Every first Sunday in September the annual celebration of the Battle of Borodino with the re–enactment of the battle events takes place. Hundreds of re-enactors from Russia and abroad in self–made uniforms and equipped with replicas of historic weapons are “fighting” in sight of the tens of thousands visitors from different countries on historic battlefield.

The traditional scientific conference «War 1812. Sources. Memorials. Problems» is held every year at the beginning of September. The papers are published yearly. Computer databases containing information on the participants of the Battle of Borodino, the Battle of Moscow (1941–1942), source materials for the War 1812 historiography are created by museum spesialists since 1993 . The museum library comprises more than 10 000 volumes.

More than 300 000 visitors from different countries of the world visit the Borodino Museum and Reserve yearly.

The State Borodino War and History Museum and Reserve is a member of the International Committee of Museums of Arms and Military History (ICOMAM) of the International Council of Museums, are in contact to the Musee del Armee in Paris, Organization of Military Museums of Canada (OMMC), International Napoleonic Society (Montreal), military museums of Germany, Czech Republic, and Bulgaria.

The Museum of local history and culture locates in the city of Mozhaysk and is a department of State Borodino War and History Museum and Reserve with the following sightseengs: remains and entrance gate of the ancient Mozhaysk Kremlin ( XIV– XVIII), New St.Nicolas Cathedral (1684–1812), St. Peter and Paul Church (1848), exhibition «Monuments and Memorials of Mozhaysk land»; the Luzhetsky monastery (founded in 1408., architectural ensemble of the XVI–XVII ).