Shevardino redoubt on Borodino field

Shevardino redoubt was an important fortified height where the Old and New Smolensk roads converged. Without capturing this redoubt, Napoleon could not deploy his troops to battle on the Borodino field, where the Russians were just completing their fortifications. Later, during the battle, it was the headquarters of Napoleon, where he commanded his troops.

The battle for the Shevardino redoubt was on August 24. It preceded the main battle of Borodino on August 26. The redoubt was defended by a detachment under the command of General Andrey Gorchakov. In total, there were 8 thousand soldiers and 48 guns. Napoleon wanted to immediately attack the main Russian troops on the Borodino field, so to capture the Shevardino redoubt, he sent a very large force: 30 thousand infantry, 10 thousand cavalry and 186 guns.

A hard fight ensued. The French broke into the redoubt several times, but each time the Russians drove them out. The battle lasted all day, but the French were unable to capture the Shevardino redoubt. The next day, the construction of the fortifications on Borodino field was completed, and Kutuzov gave the order to withdraw the Russian troops from the Shevardino redoubt. Now there is a monument to the 12th battery company, which fought directly on the redoubt during the attacks of the French army.

At the foot of the redoubt, during the battle of Borodino was the headquarters of Napoleon, where he commanded the troops. In agreement with Emperor Nicholas II, in 1912, the French erected a monument on this site. The inscription on the monument: Aux Morts de la Grand Armee (To the Dead of the Grand Army). It is dedicated to the French soldiers who died during the battle of Borodino.