What did Napoleon do on Poklonnaya Hill. Bow mountain. Moscow addresses of the heroes of the novel "War and Peace"

To understand why Napoleon was waiting for the keys to the Kremlin as an offering from the defeated people, and did not take them himself, it is worth highlighting the events that took place earlier than September 2, 1812.

At one of the auctions in Fontainebleau, a lot with a unique letter from 1812 was sold for 187 thousand euros. It is dated the twentieth of October. Its author is Napoleon, and he writes about his intention to blow up the Kremlin. But even a month ago, after so many victories in Europe, he could not even imagine that the Russian savages would not only put an end to his triumphant wars, but for the sake of victory they would not even spare the holy capital. Moscow was burned, so the only thing left for the emperor was to blow up the Kremlin that survived the fire. But why did he make such a decision when his army had already left the lifeless city and the inevitability of defeat was obvious?

Maybe because he never had a chance to experience the sweet heaviness of the weighty keys to the Kremlin in his palms? But it's more like an act of revenge. Not solid for an emperor with claims to the world crown. It's just that the Kremlin for him is the last straw that a drowning man grabs at. He believed that, having left Russia without a heart, i.e. without the Kremlin, having thus broken the Russian spirit, he will still be able to subdue this barbarous country and return to France again as a winner.

Why exclusively clever man and the brilliant commander so easily succumbed to self-deception? And why did Napoleon wait for the keys to the Kremlin six weeks earlier? For the same reason that he so naively and smugly expected the Russian delegation not just with keys, but with bread and salt and the traditional Russian bow. He wanted not just the obedience of the vanquished, he needed recognition.

This was the second self-deception. No one but crows flying from all sides to the place of fire. But the crows could not tell what awaits Napoleon in the city. But the delegation never showed up. But why did Napoleon wait for the keys to the Kremlin, but the Russians did not bring them? The significance of Poklonnaya Gora for the Russians explains why. Napoleon was waiting for the keys to the Kremlin there. But even a Russian scout could not advise him a more inappropriate place. The name of the mountain is not accidental. Since ancient times, it has been worshiped as the holy dwelling place of the gods. To come here with a bow to Napoleon would mean betraying not the city, not the country, but faith, and recognizing the usurper as almost a god. No Russian could have imagined such blasphemy.

Perhaps this is not the only explanation why Napoleon was waiting for the keys to the Kremlin, but never did. This man was remembered not only as a commander who lost the war and a disgraced emperor. He entered eternity great personality capable of making history and changing its course. And if I may say so, then today France does not have a brand "Napoleon" There is no country where there would not be at least one bust of Napoleon. Fans of historical reconstruction again and again recreate episodes of battles, which this ruler had a lot of.

Napoleonic death masks continue to appear in museums around the world. Bronze, copper, plaster... For most of them, the authenticity is doubtful. And outwardly, they sometimes differ not only in small details. For museum employees, for historians, this is an unfortunate phenomenon. On the other hand, this is eloquent evidence that the role of Napoleon in history is enormous, that he still managed to conquer the world. Not geographically, not politically, but in the minds of people. He will no longer be forgotten, because his name has acquired a nominal meaning. And it is hardly possible to find in another such person, whose great name did not diminish even a great defeat, similar to that suffered by Napoleon in Russia.

Russian Literature Lesson

7th grade

Subject: L.N. Tolstoy "War and Peace" (fragments). "Council in Fili", "Napoleon on Poklonnaya Hill". Images of Napoleon and Kutuzov.

Goals:

To acquaint with the personality of Leo Tolstoy and the history of the creation of the novel "War and Peace", show the role of historical figures Napoleon and Kutuzov in the events of the Patriotic War of 1812; test knowledge of literary theory (portrait, artistic detail);

promote the development of monologue speech, mental and creative activity;

develop an interest in history and literature.

Expected results:

Knowledge of the biography of Kutuzov and Napoleon;

Knowledge of information about the war of 1812;

Knowledge of the biography of Leo Tolstoy and the history of the creation of the novel "War and Peace";

Ability to select the necessary information and graphically depict it;

The ability to formulate questions of the "High" order and the ability to express one's thoughts;

Ability to work in a group;

Ability to draw conclusions;

Knowledge of fragments of the novel "War and Peace".

During the classes

Organizing time

Update

Dividing the class into groups

Creation of a collaborative environment (viewing the video "Good mood"

1 group. Life and work of Leo Tolstoy

2 group. Short review novel "War and Peace"

3rd group. War of 1812

4 group. Kutuzov

5 group. Napoleon

Groups form clusters.

Band performance

others make notes in the form of a thesis plan and prepare for one issue

"high" order, using questions on Bloom's taxonomy for analysis, synthesis or evaluation.

Band performance

F opdeveloping new concepts and modes of action

Work on the fragment “Council in Fili” (all groups participate)

What issue was discussed at the council in Fili?

Write out the portrait of Kutuzov from the text.

Emphasize the details of the portrait of Kutuzov, expressing psychological condition commander and draw a conclusion about how L.N. Tolstoy draws a portrait of Kutuzov.

Carefully read the description of the generals who came to the council. What details of their portraits does the author indicate? Fill the table.

General's name

Portrait Description Details

1. Barclay de Tolly

________________________________________________________________

2. Dokhturov

3. Osterman-Tolstoy

He sat leaning on his broad hand, with bold features and sparkling eyes, head ..., seemed immersed in his thoughts.

4. Raevsky

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________

A firm, handsome and kind face ... shone with a gentle, sly smile.

Underline in the table the details of the statistical portrait with one line, and the dynamic portrait with two lines.

Analyze the behavior on the advice of Kutuzov and Benigsen.

How does the girl Malasha see Kutuzov and Benigsen?

Why, in your opinion, L.N. Tolstoy shows Kutuzov and Bennigsen through the eyes of a six-year-old girl?

What drives Kutuzov and Benigsen? Fill in the table with quotes that indicate the motives for their behavior.

Kutuzov

Bennigsen

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What is the name of the artistic technique used by the author when comparing Kutuzov and Benigsen?

Is it possible to use the terms "protagonist" and "antagonist" in relation to Kutuzov and Benigsen? Why?

Application. Formation of skills and abilities

Ngapoleon on Poklonnaya Hill

1) Mark in the text artistic details showing Moscow in 1812.

2) Write out from the text the elements of the portrait of Napoleon and the lines that express the acting and posturing of the French emperor.

3) Analyze the collected material and determine the relationship

Homework information stage

Summing up the lesson

Reflection stage

Additional material

Patriotic War of 1812

At the beginning of the Patriotic War of 1812, General Kutuzov was elected in July the head of the St. Petersburg, and then the Moscow militia. On the initial stage During the Patriotic War, the 1st and 2nd Western Russian armies rolled back under the onslaught of Napoleon's superior forces. The unsuccessful course of the war prompted the nobility to demand the appointment of a commander who would enjoy the confidence of Russian society. Even before the Russian troops left Smolensk, Alexander 1 was forced to appoint General-of-Infantry Kutuzov as commander-in-chief of all Russian armies and militias. For 10 days before the appointment, the tsar granted Kutuzov the title of His Grace Prince (bypassing the princely title). The appointment of Kutuzov caused a patriotic upsurge in the army and the people. Kutuzov himself, as in 1805, was not in the mood for a decisive battle against Napoleon. According to one of the testimonies, he put it this way about the methods by which he would act against the French: “We will not defeat Napoleon. We will deceive him."

The great superiority of the enemy in forces and the lack of reserves forced Kutuzov to retreat inland, following the strategy of his predecessor Barclay de Tolly. A further withdrawal meant the surrender of Moscow without a fight, which was unacceptable both from a political and moral point of view. Having received insignificant reinforcements, Kutuzov decided to give Napoleon a pitched battle, the first and only one in the Patriotic War of 1812. battle of Borodino, one of the largest battles of the era of the Napoleonic Wars, took place on August 26 (September 7). During the day of the battle, the Russian army inflicted heavy losses on the French troops, but according to preliminary estimates, by the night of the same day, it lost almost half personnel regular troops. The balance of power obviously did not shift in favor of Kutuzov. Kutuzov decided to withdraw from the Borodino position, and then, after a meeting in Fili (now a Moscow region), he left Moscow. Nevertheless, the Russian army proved to be worthy at Borodino, for which Kutuzov was promoted to field marshal on August 30.

Having failed in his attempts to make peace with Russia, on October 7 (19) Napoleon began to withdraw from Moscow. He tried to lead the army to Smolensk by the southern route through Kaluga, where there were food and fodder supplies, but on October 12 (24) in the battle for Maloyaroslavets he was abandoned by Kutuzov and retreated along the devastated Smolensk road. The Russian troops launched a counteroffensive, which Kutuzov organized so that Napoleon's army was under flank attacks by regular and partisan detachments, and Kutuzov avoided a frontal battle with large masses of troops.

Thanks to Kutuzov's strategy, the huge Napoleonic army was almost completely destroyed. It should be especially noted that the victory was achieved at the cost of moderate losses of the Russian army.

Napoleon often spoke contemptuously about the generals opposing him, while not embarrassed in expressions. Characteristically, he avoided public assessments of Kutuzov's command in the Patriotic War, preferring to blame the "harsh Russian winter" for the complete destruction of his army. Napoleon's attitude towards Kutuzov can be seen in a personal letter written by Napoleon from Moscow on October 3, 1812 with the aim of starting peace negotiations:

“I am sending one of my adjutant generals to you to negotiate on many important matters. I want Your Lordship to believe what he tells you, especially when he expresses to you the feelings of respect and special attention that I have long had for you. I have nothing else to say with this letter, I pray the Almighty to keep you, Prince Kutuzov, under his sacred and good cover.

In January 1813, Russian troops crossed the border and reached the Oder by the end of February. By April 1813, the troops reached the Elbe. On April 5, the commander-in-chief caught a cold and fell ill in the small town of Bunzlau (Prussia, now the territory of Poland). Alexander 1 arrived to say goodbye to a very weakened field marshal. Behind the screens, near the bed on which Kutuzov lay, was the official Krupennikov, who was with him. The last dialogue of Kutuzov, overheard by Kruppenikov and betrayed by chamberlain Tolstoy: “Forgive me, Mikhail Illarionovich!” - "I forgive you, sir, but Russia will not forgive you."

I NAPOLEON ON POKLONNAYA MOUNTAIN

On September 1, at night, Kutuzov ordered the retreat of Russian troops through Moscow to the Ryazan road.

A. Kivshenko - Military Council in Fili

The first troops moved into the night. The troops marching at night were in no hurry and moved slowly and sedately; but at dawn, the advancing troops, approaching the Dorogomilovsky bridge, saw in front of them, on the other side, crowding, hurrying along the bridge and on the other side rising and flooding the streets and alleys, and behind them pushing, endless masses of troops. And causeless haste and anxiety seized the troops. Everything rushed forward to the bridge, onto the bridge, into the fords and into the boats. Kutuzov ordered that he be taken around the back streets to the other side of Moscow.

By 10 o'clock in the morning on September 2, only the rearguard troops remained in the Dorogomilovsky suburb. The army was already on the other side of Moscow and beyond Moscow.

A. Semenov, A. Sokolov - The Russian army and residents leave Moscow in 1812

At the same time, at 10 am on September 2, Napoleon stood between his troops on Poklonnaya Hill and looked at the spectacle that opened before him.

1812. Napoleon near Moscow

From August 26 to September 2, from the battle of Borodino to the entry of the enemy into Moscow,

A. Shepelyuk - Kutuzov at the command post V. Vereshchagin - Napoleon at the Borodino Heights
on the day of the Battle of Borodino

all the days of this anxious, this memorable week, there was that extraordinary, always surprising people, autumn weather when the low sun heats hotter than in spring, when everything glitters in the rare, clean air, so that it hurts the eyes; when the chest grows stronger and fresher, inhaling the odorous autumn air; when the nights are even warm, and when in these dark, warm nights golden stars are constantly falling from the sky, frightening and delighting.

On the 2nd of September at 10 o'clock in the morning the weather was like this. The sparkle of the morning was magical. Moscow from Poklonnaya Gora spread out spaciously with its river, its gardens and churches, and it seemed to live its own life, quivering like stars with its domes in the rays of the sun.

View of Moscow from Poklonnaya Hill

At the sight of a strange city with unprecedented forms of extraordinary architecture, Napoleon experienced that somewhat envious and restless curiosity that people experience when they see the forms of an alien life that does not know about them. Obviously, this city lived with all the forces of its life. By those indefinable signs by which a living body is unmistakably recognizable from a dead one at a long distance, Napoleon from Poklonnaya Gora saw the trembling of life in the city and felt, as it were, the breath of a large and beautiful body.

Every Russian person, looking at Moscow, feels that she is a mother; every foreigner, looking at her and not knowing her maternal meaning, should feel the feminine character of this city; and Napoleon felt it.

Cette ville asiatique aux innombrables eglises, Moscou la sainte. La voilà donc enfin, cette fameuse ville! Il était temps a - said Napoleon and, dismounting from his horse, ordered the plan of this Moscou to be laid out in front of him and called the interpreter Lelorme d'Ideville. "Une ville occyrée par l'ennemi ressemble à une fille qui a perdu son honneur," he thought.

Here it is, finally, this famous Asian city with its countless churches, sacred Moscow! It is high time! - said Napoleon and, dismounting from his horse, ordered the plan of this Moscou to be laid out in front of him and called the interpreter Lelorme d'Ideville. "A city occupied by the enemy is like a girl who has lost her virginity," he thought.

French map of 1812

And from this point of view, he looked at the oriental beauty lying in front of him, unknown to him yet. It was strange to him that, at last, his long-standing, which seemed to him impossible, wish had come true. In the clear morning light, he looked first at the city, then at the plan, checking the details of the city, and the certainty of possession thrilled and terrified him.

V.Vereshchagin - Napoleon near Moscow. Waiting for the deputation of the boyars

“But how could it be otherwise?” he thought. “Here it is - this capital - at my feet, oh idyaya fate. Where nowAlexander, what does he think?

Strange, beautiful, majestic city! And strange and majestic this minute! In what light do I present myself to them?” he thought of his troops. “Here it is - a reward - for all these unbelievers (he thought, looking around at those close to him and at the troops approaching and lining up). One word of mine, one movement of my hand, and that ancient capital of des Czars perished. Mais ma clemence est toujours prompte a descendre sur les vaincus (But my mercy is always ready to descend on the vanquished). I must be generous and truly great ... But no, it's true that I'm in Moscow (it suddenly occurred to him). However, here she lies at my feet, playing and trembling with golden domes and crosses in the rays of the sun. But I will spare her. On the ancient monuments of barbarism and despotism, I will write great words of justice and mercy ... Alexander will understand this most painfully, I know him. (It seemed to Napoleon that the main significance of what was happening lay in his personal struggle with Alexander).

F.Ya. Alekseev - View of the Moscow Kremlin from the Stone Bridge

From the heights of the Kremlin - yes, this is the Kremlin, yes! - I will give them the laws of justice, I will show them the meaning of true civilization, I will make generations of boyars remember the name of their conqueror with love. I will tell the deputation that I do not want war; that I only made war on the false politics of their Court; that I love and respect Alexander, and that I will accept conditions of peace in Moscow worthy of me and my peoples. I do not want to take advantage of the happiness of war to humiliate the respected sovereign. “Boyars!” I will tell them, “I do not want war, but I want peace and prosperity for all my subjects.” However, I know that their presence will inspire me, and I will tell them, as I always say: clear, solemn and great. But is it really true that I'm in Moscow? Yes, here she is!“

Qu'on m'amene les boyards ( Let the boyars bring me), he turned to the retinue.

The general with a brilliant retinue immediately galloped after the boyars.

L. Gardet - Lunch on the hike

Two hours have passed. Napoleon had breakfast and again stood in the same place on Poklonnaya Hill, waiting for the deputation. His speech to the boyars was already clearly formed in his imagination. This speech was full of dignity and that grandeur that Napoleon understood. The tone of generosity in which Napoleon intended to act in Moscow captivated him. In his imagination he appointed the days of reunion dans le palais des Czars ( days of meetings in the court of the kings), where Russian nobles were supposed to converge with the nobles of the French emperor, one who would be able to attract the population. Having learned that there were many charitable institutions in Moscow, he decided in his imagination that all these institutions would be showered with his favors. He thought that just as in Africa one had to sit in a burnous in a mosque, so in Moscow one had to be merciful, like tsars. And in order to finally touch the hearts of Russians, he, like every Frenchman, who cannot imagine anything sensitive without mentioning ma chère, ma tender, ma pauvre mère (my dear, tender, poor mother), he decided that at all in these establishments, he orders to write in capital letters: "Etablissemen dédié à ma chère Mère." No, just "Maison de ma Mère" ( "Institution dedicated to my mother." No, just "My Mother's House"), he decided to himself. “But am I really in Moscow? Yes, here she is in front of me; but why is the deputation of the city so long?' he thought.

A.P. Apsit - Napoleon on Poklonnaya Gora awaits the deputation of the boyars

Meanwhile, in the back of the emperor's retinue, an excited conference was taking place in a whisper between his generals and marshals. Those sent for the deputation returned with the news that Moscow was empty, that everyone had left and left it. The faces of those conferring were pale and agitated. Not that Moscow was abandoned by the inhabitants (no matter how important this event seemed) frightened them, but they were frightened by how to announce to the emperor, how, without his majesty flocking to that terrible, called the French ridicule (ridiculous), the position to announce to him that he waited in vain for the boyars for so long that there are crowds of drunks, but no one else. Some said that it was necessary at all costs to collect at least some kind of deputation; others disputed this opinion and argued that it was necessary to carefully and cleverly prepare the emperor and tell him the truth.

Il faudra le lui dire tout de meme ( Still, you have to tell him.) ... - said the gentlemen of the retinue. Mais, messieurs...

A. Nikolaev - Napoleon on Poklonnaya Hill

The situation was all the more difficult because the emperor, pondering his plans of generosity, patiently paced back and forth in front of the plan, looking from time to time from under his hand on the way to Moscow and smiling cheerfully and proudly.

Mais c'est impossible ( But this is impossible) ... - shrugging their shoulders, the gentlemen of the retinue said, not daring to pronounce the implied terrible word: le ridicule ...

Meanwhile, the emperor, tired of vain waiting and feeling with his acting instinct that the majestic minute, lasting too long, was beginning to lose its majesty, gave a sign with his hand. A lone shot of a signal gun rang out, and the troops, which surrounded Moscow from different sides, moved to Moscow - to the Tver, Kaluga and Dorogomilovskaya outposts. Faster and faster, overtaking one another, at a quick step and at a trot, the troops moved, hiding in the clouds of dust they raised and filling the air with merging rumbles of screams.

The entry of the French into Moscow (Modern engraving)French entry into Moscow
(German bast picture)

Fascinated by the movement of troops, Napoleon rode with his troops to the Dorogomilovskaya outpost, but there he again stopped and, dismounting from his horse, walked for a long time at the Kamer-Kalezhsky shaft, waiting for the deputation.

Moscow meanwhile was empty. There were still people in it, a fiftieth of all the former inhabitants remained in it, but it was empty. It was empty, as a dying beehive is empty.

AT different angles Moscow, people were still moving senselessly, observing old habits and not understanding what they were doing.

When it was announced to Napoleon with due caution that Moscow was empty, he looked angrily at the one who informed about this and, turning away, continued to walk in silence.

Bring the carriage, - he said.

He got into the carriage next to the adjutant on duty and drove to the suburbs. Moscow desert! Quel evenement invraisemblable" ( Moscow is empty! Which incredible event“ ), he said to himself.

He did not go to the city, but stopped at an inn in the Dorogomilovsky suburb.

Le coup de theater avait rate ( Failed denouement of theatrical performance).

At noon we learn about the last moments of Count Rostopchin in Moscow.

Napoleon on Poklonnaya Hill (based on the novel by Leo Tolstoy "War and Peace")? and got the best answer

Answer from GALINA[guru]
It has long been believed that Poklonnaya Gora in Moscow got its name because everyone who arrived in the city or left it had to bow to the city at this place, bow to it, and also because important people who arrived here were met with a bow. to Moscow. It could be, for example, princes and ambassadors of foreign states.
Emperor Napoleon's advisers probably told him about this custom - otherwise why did he decide to wait for a deputation from the city authorities with the keys to the Kremlin on Poklonnaya Hill?
But the hours of waiting on Poklonnaya Gora, which ended in nothing, should have aroused conflicting feelings in the emperor.

While waiting for a deputation from Moscow, he thinks about how he should appear before the Russians at such a majestic moment for him. As an experienced actor, he mentally played out the whole scene of the meeting with the "boyars" and composed his magnanimous speech to them.
“At the sight of a strange city with unprecedented forms of unusual architecture, Napoleon experienced that somewhat envious and restless curiosity that people experience at the sight of forms that do not know about them, alien life. Obviously, this city lived with all the forces of its life. By those indefinable signs by which at a long distance, a living body is unmistakably recognizable from a dead one, Napoleon from Poklonnaya Gora saw the flutter of life in the city and felt, as it were, the breath of this large and beautiful body.
- Cette ville asiatique aux innombrables eglises, Moscou la sainte. La voilà donc enfin, cette fameuse ville! Il était temps (This Asian city with countless churches, Moscow, their holy Moscow! Here it is, finally, this famous city! It's time!), - said Napoleon and, dismounting from his horse, ordered the plan of this Moscou to be laid out in front of him and called the interpreter Lelorgne d "Ideville. "Une ville occupée par l" ennemi ressemble à une fille qui a perdu son honneur "(" A city occupied by the enemy is like a girl who has lost her innocence "), he thought (as he said this to Tuchkov in Smolensk) .
And from this point of view, he looked at the oriental beauty lying in front of him, which he had never seen before.
It was strange to him that, at last, his long-standing, which seemed to him impossible desire, had finally come true. In the clear morning light, he looked first at the city, then at the plan, checking the details of this city, and the certainty of possession thrilled and terrified him. "
Using the technique of the hero's "inner" monologue, Tolstoy exposes in the French emperor the petty vanity of the player, his insignificance. "When Napoleon was announced with due caution that Moscow was empty, he angrily looked at the informer about this and, turning away, continued to walk in silence ... "Moscow is empty. What an incredible event!"
He did not go to the city, but stopped at an inn in the Dorogomilovsky suburb.
Having shown how fate finally debunked Napoleon, Tolstoy notes that the denouement of the theatrical performance failed - "the power that decides the fate of peoples lies not in the conquerors."

Answer from Elena Fedorova[guru]
Tolstoy, through the portrait and behavior of Napoleon, shows the futility of his intentions and his attitude towards the personality of Napoleon. Thus, opposing him to the truly great commander Kutuzov.
“The tone of generosity in which Napoleon intended to act in Moscow captivated him himself. In his imagination, he appointed the days of réunion dans le palais des Czars 5, where the Russian nobles were to converge with the nobles of the French emperor. He mentally appointed a governor, such who would be able to attract the population. Learning that there were many charitable institutions in Moscow, he decided in his imagination that all these institutions would be showered with favors from him. He thought that, just as in Africa one had to sit in a burnous in a mosque, so in Moscow one had to be merciful, like tsars, and in order to finally touch the hearts of the Russians, he, like every Frenchman, who cannot imagine anything sensitive without mentioning that chère, ma tendre, ma pauvre mère 6, he decided that on in all these establishments, he orders to write in capital letters: Etablissement dédié à ma chère Mère. No, simply: Maison de ma Mère 7, he decided to himself. "But am I really in Moscow? Yes, here she is in front of me. But what not so long is the deputation of the city? he thought.
Meanwhile, in the halls of the emperor's retinue, an excited conference was taking place in a whisper between his generals and marshals. Those sent for the deputation returned with the news that Moscow was empty, that everyone had left and left it.
Meanwhile, the emperor, tired of vain waiting and feeling with his acting instinct that the majestic minute, lasting too long, was beginning to lose its majesty, gave a sign with his hand. A single shot of a signal cannon rang out, and the troops, which surrounded Moscow from different sides, moved to Moscow, to the Tver, Kaluga and Dorogomilovskaya outposts. Faster and faster, overtaking one another, at a quick step and at a trot, the troops moved, hiding in the clouds of dust they raised and filling the air with merging rumbles of screams.
Fascinated by the movement of troops, Napoleon rode with his troops to the Dorogomilovskaya outpost, but there he again stopped and, dismounting from his horse, walked for a long time at the Kamerkollezhsky rampart, waiting for the deputation. "(L. Tolstoy "War and Peace")

The answer seems to be simple - with Poklonnaya. Everyone knows that shortly after the Battle of Borodino, on a sunny morning on September 2, 1812, Napoleon, standing on Poklonnaya Hill, was waiting for the deputation of the inhabitants of Moscow with the keys to the city. Many books, pictures and illustrations have been written on this subject. Everything seems to be simple, but even many of those who know the history of these places will not be able to indicate where Napoleon, shown in the paintings, stood.

Innocent girl at the feet of Napoleon

Here is probably the most famous colorful description of Napoleon's inspection of Moscow from Poklonnaya Hill, presented by Leo Tolstoy in the third volume of "War and Peace":

Moscow from Poklonnaya Gora spread out spaciously with its river, its gardens and churches, and it seemed to live its own life, quivering like stars, its domes in the rays of the sun.

Cette ville asiatique aux innombrables eglises, Moscou la sainte. La voilà donc enfin, cette fameuse ville! Il était temps (This Asian city with countless churches, Moscow, their holy Moscow! Here it is, finally, this famous city! It's time!), - said Napoleon and, dismounting from his horse, ordered the plan of this Moscou to be laid out in front of him and called the interpreter Lelorgne d "Ideville. "Une ville occupée par l" ennemi ressemble à une fille qui a perdu son honneur "(" A city occupied by the enemy is like a girl who has lost her innocence "), he thought (as he said this to Tuchkov in Smolensk) . And from this point of view, he looked at the oriental beauty lying in front of him, which he had never seen before.

It was strange to him that, at last, his long-standing, which seemed to him impossible desire, had finally come true. In the clear morning light, he looked first at the city, then at the plan, checking the details of this city, and the certainty of possession thrilled and terrified him.

Poklonnaya Gora as a mountain is no longer there, only one name remains. Where is this remarkable place located? Why can't you enjoy this view now? Let's try to determine where Napoleon looked at Moscow from.

Modern Poklonnaya Hill is a different mountain

The name of the place is known to everyone - Poklonnaya Gora. But the mountains are there, as you know, now there is none! Flipping through the old maps of Moscow, you can see how much this area has changed.

Poklonnaya Gora can be found on many modern and Soviet-era maps. Here, for example, was the peak of a considerable height by Moscow standards - 170.5 meters, designated as Poklonnaya Gora on the 1968 map. Now Poklonnaya Gora is usually called the place where the Victory Monument is installed. The height of the monument is 141.8 meters - 10 centimeters for each day of the Great Patriotic War. After numerous scandals, this monument was erected in 1995. Everyone knows that the monument is set on a rather flat place, there is no mountain there, it was cut off almost to the root around 1987. As can be seen from a comparison of the 1968 map with satellite images, the position of the Victory Monument roughly corresponds to the peak marked as Poklonnaya Gora, 170.5 meters high, on the 1968 map.

Poklonnaya Gora on the map of 1968 - this place is now the Victory Monument:

(All presented maps are clickable for a detailed view)

Did Napoleon stand on Poklonnaya Hill on the site of today's Victory Monument? Not!

It was not the Poklonnaya Hill from which Napoleon looked at Moscow!

Where was the "real" Poklonnaya Hill?

The thing is that the area, traditionally called Poklonnaya Gora, was originally a large hill with two noticeable peaks. Until the 1940s, Poklonnaya Gora was marked on the maps by the peak, which was located about 700 meters northeast of today's Victory Monument. The position of this peak can be seen on many old maps, for example, on the topographic maps and years below (click on the maps for a detailed view). The two peaks were separated from each other by one of the tributaries of the Setun, which flowed in the ravine. If Napoleon looked at Moscow from "today's" Poklonnaya Hill, then in those years the view of the city would have been blocked by the northwestern peak. Napoleon would hardly have chosen such a point to explore the city.

"Old" and "New" Poklonnye Gory on the map of 1860:

The position of Poklonnaya Gora on the map of 1848 relative to the Victory Monument:

What would Napoleon see "oriental beauty" in our days

Therefore, there is every reason to believe that Napoleon looked at the city from the "old" Poklonnaya Hill, marked on the maps of the 1800s. This peak (and, accordingly, Napoleon) was located approximately in the place where the farthest corner from the center of the house 16 along Kutuzovsky Prospekt is now located.

As Tolstoy wrote, "And from this point he looked at the oriental beauty lying in front of him, which he had never seen before."

This is how the beauty turned out now.

Used maps and images from the site