Exhibition «Emperor Alexander I and the Patriotic War of 1812»

About exhibition

The exhibition project presented by the State Borodino Military-Historical Museum-Reserve tells of a key event in early 19th-century Russian history — the victory of the Russian armed forces over Napoleon’s army — in the context of Emperor Alexander I’s personality, who played a significant role in achieving that victory. The exhibits in the exhibition’s sections briefly outline milestones in Russo-French relations — including the military confrontation that proved unsuccessful for the Russian army while allied with Austria and Prussia, and the forced alliance with France concluded in 1807 as a result of a personal meeting between Alexander and Napoleon. One section of the exposition is devoted to the Russian imperial army that opposed Napoleon. It opens with engraved portraits of the “father-commanders,” but the central focus is on images of ordinary participants, revealed through graphic depictions of soldiers from various regiments of the Russian army, military toy items, and authentic examples of uniforms and equipment. Among them is an officer’s uniform of the Life-Guards Izmaylovsky Regiment that belonged personally to Alexander I.