Mozhaysk, City of Military Glory

6 points19 km0 hours

Mozhaysk is a town with a rich history, surrounded by hills and forests. Its old fortress walls and churches recall its past as a defensive stronghold on the approaches to Moscow. The Battle of Borodino was fought nearby, and the area keeps the memory of the War of 1812. Mozhaysk is an easy trip from the capital and a way to explore important chapters of Russian history.

Route author

Susanin Team

Things to do

📜 Learn the city's history
📚🎬 Recall films and books

Route points (6)

Borodino Field Museum in Mozhaysk

Point on route “Mozhaysk, City of Military Glory”

Point 5

Borodino Field Museum

📜 Historic site • 🏛️ Museum

Historical Background

Borodino Field is one of the best-known monuments of Russian military history. It was here, on September 7, 1812, that the decisive battle took place between Napoleon's army and Russian forces commanded by Mikhail Kutuzov. The field is 15 kilometers (9 miles) from Mozhaysk, near the village of Borodino. During the Great Patriotic War, the front line of the Mozhaysk defense line of Moscow ran through here. Hundreds of monuments, obelisks and mass graves commemorate the events of both wars.

The Museum-Reserve

The Borodino Field Museum-Reserve was founded in 1839 and is considered the oldest museum of its kind in Russia. It covers about 110 square kilometers (42 square miles) and includes more than 300 sites: redoubts, positions, memorials, burial sites and fortifications. Its main monument is the memorial to the heroes of the Battle of Borodino on the Raevsky Battery. General Bagration's grave is here as well.

Exhibitions and Museum Sites

The museum complex includes several permanent exhibitions. “Glory Forever, Borodino!” covers the history of the battle and includes thousands of archaeological finds from the battlefield. The exhibition “Heroes of War and Peace on the Borodino Field” explores the role of Leo Tolstoy and his characters in understanding the events of 1812.

Architecture and Memorial Sites

At the heart of the ensemble are the 1701 Church of the Nativity of Christ and a restored manor house, a former imperial palace turned museum. The ensemble also includes cavalry wings, a dining house and a park with service buildings. Borodino Field hosts annual commemorations, battle reenactments and military history festivals. The place keeps alive the memory of the heroism and steadfastness of those who fought in the Patriotic War of 1812.