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“Battle of Borodino” Panorama Museum

Details

Moscow
38/1 Kutuzovsky prospekt, Moscow, 121170
Phones: 8(499) 148-19-27
Web site: 1812panorama.ru
See the world’s largest circular painting See the world’s largest circular painting and feel like you are in the heart of the Battle of Borodino. Learn about life in the Russian and French armies and see ancient weapons, clothing, documents, and personal belongings of soldiers.

Expositions

The image of the panorama of the Battle of Borodino with the local topography, special lighting and circular arrangement of the painting creates the illusion of a real natural space and military events, as well as the effect of being there. The panorama shows the decisive moment of the battle between the Russian and French armies at the village of Borodino, which took place on September 7, 1812. In addition to the Borodino panorama, the museum features an extensive collection of items from that military era, including battle paintings and decorative art, weapons, uniforms and equipment, awards, household items from the Russian and French armies, as well as ancient coins and rare books. Besides seeing the Panorama Museum, visitors can look into the hut of the Military Council in Fili, where the fate of Moscow was decided on September 13, 1812. The Council was held in the house of a local peasant. That evening, Commander-in-Chief Mikhail Kutuzov was faced with a dilemma: whether he should try to fight another battle near Moscow after the battle of Borodino, which had not produced a winner, or leave the city without a fight. As it is known, Kutuzov decided to give Moscow to the enemy in order to save the Russian army for further battles. The memorial complex also includes the Museum of Heroes of the Soviet Union and Russia, where one can learn about the exploits and combat path of brave warriors.

History

The “Battle of Borodino” Panorama Museum is located in the west of Moscow, not far from Poklonnaya Gora, on the site of the former village of Fili near Moscow. Its central exhibit is the artistic panorama “Borodino”. This is one of the largest paintings in the world at 115 meters long and 15 meters high. Nearby is the “Kutuzovskaya Hut” Museum, and a historical and memorial complex of monuments of the Patriotic War of 1812 was constructed around there. The museum visually introduces the history of that war. The panorama painting was done by the outstanding Russian battle artist and professor of the Imperial Academy of Arts, Franz Roubaud, in 1912 to celebrate the centenary of the Battle of Borodino. Initially, Roubaud’s panorama was located in Moscow, in a building at Chistye Prudy. After the revolution, the canvas was removed and sent into storage. It was only in 1962 that the “Battle of Borodino” Panorama Museum was opened in a new building on Kutuzovsky Prospekt. In 2012, in honor of the 200th anniversary of the Patriotic War of 1812, the Panorama Museum presented an updated permanent exhibition titled “Honor of Borodino Day”. In the “Kutuzovskaya Hut” Museum, a new exhibition called “The Hut of the Military Council” was created

Interesting Facts

The Museum has launched a project called “Open Restoration”. Its concept is that the restoration of fragments of the panorama is carried out directly in the Museum without dismantling the canvas and in the presence of visitors. In addition to visiting the Museum in person, guests can take a virtual tour of the Borodino panorama at any time. All the best of the Museum’s collections are presented on the “Museum Moscow Online” portal. Furthermore, Internet users can find out the most interesting things about the life and work of the author of the panorama “Borodino”. The izi.TRAVEL app and virtual reality platform offer free audio guides of the Museum’s permanent exhibit, and of current and past exhibits. In collaboration with playwrights, the Museum launched the project “Heroes of the 19th Century”. Young playwrights wrote plays based on the events of 1812 and in October 2020, the Museum hosted the first closed readings of these plays with discussions, which were attended by representatives of the Playwrights’ Workshop and the Russian University of Theatre Arts, GITIS, as well as Museum employees, directors, actors, writers, and producers. All three sections of the Museum are adapted for visitors with restricted mobility. Every year, the museum opens its exhibition spaces for creative works made by people with disabilities. People with all kinds of disabilities can take part in celebrations and events held by the museum. Additionally, sightseeing tours with sign language translation are available for deaf and hard of hearing visitors on the last Sunday of September (International Day of Sign Languages).