The Battle of Borodino Panorama Museum in Moscow (photos are presented in the article) is located on Kutuzovsky Prospekt, next to the Park Pobedy metro station. There are a large number of exhibits related to the Patriotic War of 1812. About the panorama "Battle of Borodino" in Moscow, its history and features will be described in detail in the essay.
History
Before you start studying the panorama of the Battle of Borodino (Moscow), you need to turn to history. The exposition itself was created by the famous artist Francois Roubaud in the period from 1911 to 1912. It was the master's third battle canvas. Roubaud completed his first painting with battle scenes, Storming the Village of Akhulko, in 1890. He received for her the honorary title of Academician of the Academy of Arts of Bavaria, as well as the Order of St. Michael and the Legion of Honor (France).
After completing work on the painting "Defense of Sevastopol" in 1905, the master thought about a newwork. In 1909, Roubaud decided to create the Battle of Borodino panorama. In Moscow, preparations began in advance for the 100th anniversary of this event. His idea received support, and an order was received from the imperial court for the creation of this large-scale canvas.
Creating a painting
Francois Roubaud painted the panorama painting "Battle of Borodino" while in Munich. When creating this large-scale creation, he was assisted by a military historian, Lieutenant General B. I. Kolyubakin, master of painting I. G. Myasoedov, as well as artists P. Muller, M. Tseno-Dimer, K. Forsh and the brother of the painter Roubaud himself.
As a result, a canvas was painted, having a size of 15 by 115 meters. It depicted the decisive battle and one of its most important moments. In May 1912 the canvas was completed.
For several days, the picture was presented at the Munich charity exhibition. Then she was sent to Moscow with the help of special railway platforms. The artist followed his work of art, accompanied by three workers and four assistants.
First exposition in Russia
A special wooden pavilion was built in Moscow for the Battle of Borodino panorama. The authors of the project were military engineer P. Vorontsov-Venyaminov and engineer E. Izrailovich. The pavilion was erected on Chistye Prudy, on the spot where house number 12 is currently located.
Construction took place in a hurry, since the place for the pavilion itself was allocated only at the very beginning of 1912, and the exhibition had to be opened in August - for the 100th anniversary of the battle. Herselfthe construction was planned as temporary, for only one season, since the capital development of wooden buildings in this city part was prohibited due to fire safety. In the future, the structure was planned to be rebuilt using stone as a material.
It took almost a month to set up the huge painting and place the subject plan. Already in August 1912, posters appeared on the streets of Moscow announcing the opening of the Museum of the Battle of Borodino panorama of 1812 in Moscow.
The solemn opening ceremony took place on August 29, 1912. It was attended by Emperor Nicholas II, the entire family of the Romanovs, as well as representatives of the nobility. Already on August 31, the pavilion was available for public viewing.
Further events
After the opening, the fate of the Battle of Borodino panorama in Moscow was not the best. The roof of the temporary pavilion began to leak during the rain. Because of this, the canvas umbrella, which was located above the site and the subject plan, got wet. Dirty water stains began to appear on the painting.
In 1914, the museum temporarily stopped its work for diplomatic reasons. The fact is that during the First World War, France was Russia's closest ally.
After the October Revolution, the building, together with the painting by Roubaud, as well as with the subject plan and the rest of the property, was given over to the electrical school.
The premises themselves were used by the literary and artistic circle and for various social events. In 1918, the museum of the panorama "Battle of Borodino"was closed, and by the middle of the year the building fell into disrepair and was demolished.
Painting condition
Francois Roubaud's largest painting, 115 meters long, was rolled onto a special wooden shaft and stored for several years in various rooms that were not adapted for this.
Due to unsatisfactory storage, a significant part of the picture has practically rotted away. Out of 1725 m 2 of canvas, about 900 m2 were lost. The commission, which was led by I. Grabar in 1939, examined the canvas and issued a verdict that it was impossible to restore it.
After the Great Patriotic War, it was decided to re-examine the canvas. For this, the canvas was delivered and placed in an aircraft hangar. It was only possible to expand it to one third of its entire length.
At that time, the state of the painting was very deplorable, and some members of the commission suggested leaving only the surviving sections of the canvas. Poorly preserved places, it was proposed to write anew. However, the muralist P. D. Korin, who headed the commission, made an attempt to save the work of Francois Roubaud.
Restoring the painting
Work has begun on the restoration of a large-scale canvas. It took the group a year and a half to complete the work. It should be noted that the head of the group of restorers, P. D. Korin, decided to make a number of changes to the large-scale painting by Roubaud. The figure of M. I. Kutuzov, depicted on the canvas, was enlarged. Also on the canvas depicted P. Bagration, whonot originally present.
After the completion of the restoration work, it turned out that there is no building in Moscow that could accommodate a large-scale painting by Roubaud. In this regard, the panorama "Battle of Borodino" was sent for storage to the storerooms of the Pushkin Museum im. A. S. Pushkin.
New building
There was a question about the placement of the painting, in connection with which it was decided to build a new building. Several architectural projects were created, which proposed buildings with columns, arcades and gables, in other words, with classical elements. The building itself was planned to be erected on the banks of the river, near the Neskuchny Garden.
However, the construction was moved to Kutuzovsky Prospekt, to the place where the village of Fili was previously located. This was also done because it was here that since September 1812, in a simple hut of the peasant M. Frolov, a military council was held, where M. I. Kutuzov announced his decision to leave the capital without a fight.
The new building was erected between 1961 and 1962. The architectural project was created by S. Kachanov, A. Korabelnikov, Yu. Avrutin. This unusual project was a far cry from classic buildings designed for museums and exhibitions.
Description of the building
The basis of the new building for the Battle of Borodino panorama in Moscow was a cylindrical object, 23 m long, which was lined with special glass. The sides of the building were crowned with two wings made of reinforced concrete and with facades that were decorated with mosaic panels madebased on sketches by the artist B. Talberg. They depicted "The victory of the Russian troops and the expulsion of Napoleon" and "The people's militia and the fire in Moscow." The names of the heroes of the war of 1812 were carved on the side walls of the building.
After the completion of the construction work, the painting by F. Roubaud underwent another restoration. It was performed by a group of artists led by M. Ivanov-Churonov. The opening of the panorama museum took place on October 18, 1962 and was timed to coincide with the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Borodino.
Damage and restoration
In 1967, several vandals who were supporters of the Chinese Cultural Revolution poured a flammable liquid on the canvas and set it on fire. As a result, about 60% of the entire picture suffered. A new restoration was needed, which was taken up by the battle painters of the studio of M. Grekov, who was a student of Francois Roubaud.
After the completion of the work, the canvas was placed along with the subject plan in its original place. Despite the fact that the building was designed specifically for one painting, over time, various exhibits were placed here, which related to the events of the war of 1812.
After another restoration in 2012, the painting took its place. In 2017, a major overhaul of the building for the Battle of Borodino panorama in Moscow began. The work schedule was scheduled until 2018. After the completion of the renovation, the museum was opened for visits and is currently working.
Panorama "Battle of Borodino" in Moscow: schedulework, address
The Museum is open from 9-00 to 17-00 from Monday to Thursday, from Friday to Sunday - days off. In addition to the most large-scale canvas, the museum can see various expositions dedicated to the war of 1812. It was possible to collect about 40 thousand various items of that era.
Address of the Battle of Borodino panorama in Moscow: Kutuzovsky Prospect, Building 38, Building 1. The museum is very popular not only among guests of the capital, but also among local residents. Here you can always see a line of people who want to get acquainted with the unique large-scale canvas and panorama. Guided tours that tell the story of Moscow during the War of 1812 are also very popular.
Panorama "Battle of Borodino" in Moscow: reviews
Those who have visited this museum speak of an impressive painting that amazes with its size. The subject exhibition emphasizes and complements the picture of a talented battle painter. The huge size of the canvas shows and reveals the events that took place during the battle.
According to visitors' opinions, the panorama "Battle of Borodino" in Moscow is a huge picture, the exposition is simply mesmerizing in its scale. The museum has the opportunity to learn in detail about everything that happened at that difficult time for Russia.
According to those who visited the museum, this is a great place to get acquainted with the history of the country during the early 19th century. François Roubaud's magnificent work tells about the war and one of the most important battles.
The panorama of the “Battle of Borodino” in Moscow is a uniquea work of art that has survived to this day. Despite the fact that it has undergone significant changes, the spirit of the work has been preserved. Those who are going to the capital should visit this museum to feel the grandeur and beauty of a large-scale battle painting.
