Museum-reserve "Prokhorovskoye Field". Brief overview and tips for those wishing to visit

Last May, I very actively traveled to places associated with tragic events. I managed to talk about some of them on the blog, but not yet about others. Why? Well, firstly, this topic is very difficult for me to write, both morally and technically, and secondly, many citizens of the Russian Federation remember the Second World War only when Victory Day and related weekends approach. And during the year they try not to bother themselves with patriotism and terrible details of military operations. Accordingly, there is no interest and then simply no one reads the posts, and the statistics do not show even half of the average views for my blog. It is for these two reasons that quite a lot of photographic material lay on the hard drive for almost a year. But spring is in full swing, many will go on various trips during the May holidays and, perhaps, even stop somewhere along the way to honor the memory of soldiers and officers who fell in battle. For example, in Prokhorovka, where on July 12, 1943, during the defensive phase of the Battle of Kursk, one of the largest military history battle using armored forces.

In this post I will give an overview of what you can see in Prokhorovka, where to stay the night, eat, and so on. And, of course, as briefly as possible (after all, May 9 is still far away) I’ll tell you about the meat grinder that happened here in the summer of 1943.

So, north, urban-type settlement Prokhorovka. In fairness, it is worth noting that the famous tank battle took place at the Prokhorovka railway station, named after the track engineer V.I. Prokhorov, and located a little to the side. This same locality until 1968 it was called the village of Aleksandrovskoye. In the post-war years, it grew and included the very Prokhorovka station, which became the western part of the village.

02 . There are no hotels in Prokhorovka other than the one you see in the photo below, so I recommend booking rooms in advance through the website of the Prokhorovskoye Pole hotel complex. The hotel is not bad, especially for a provincial one. The only bad thing is the organization of meals for guests. Breakfast is extremely slow, and we didn’t get to have dinner at all, because the hotel restaurant closes very early. We wanted to take a walk at sunset. However, catering is bad everywhere in Prokhorovka. More than 9 thousand people live in the village, there is a sports complex, a cinema, an elevator, factories, but there is nowhere to eat. We raided three cafes that the hotel administrator recommended to us, and as a result, one was hosting a wedding, another served only beer and snacks, and the third was completely closed. Therefore, we had to improvise in the room ourselves. We had a three-year-old daughter with us, who didn’t really want to feed sandwiches at night.

03 . Near the hotel parking lot there is a sculptural group “Tankman and Infantryman”. It is clear that the role of infantry in a tank duel was the most unenviable and essentially suicidal.

04 . Almost opposite the hotel complex there is a huge building of the Museum of Military Glory “The Third Military Field of Russia”.

05 . The building was opened on May 2, 2010. Outwardly, it resembles an arc, lined with gray granite, and the main façade, as conceived by the architect, imitates tank tracks.

06 . A sculptural composition that struck me to the core. Two Soviet and three life-size German tanks collided in a powerful ram. They write on the Internet that you can climb into one of the tanks and see a defeated fascist there, but they open this door, as I understand it, only for large organized groups.

06 . Traditionally, Soviet sources indicate that about 1,500 tanks took part in the Battle of Prokhorovka. 800 Soviet and 700 German. Some modern historians claim that there were fewer tanks, but looking at this monument, I can’t even imagine what kind of hell was going on here then.

07 . To the right of the museum building is the rather unusual Church of Peter and Paul.

08 . Remake. Built for the 50th anniversary of the Great Victory.

09 . In the courtyard there is also a small St. Nicholas Church, etc. "Bell of Unity" This is a monument erected as a symbol of the unity of three Slavic peoples: Belarus, Russia and Ukraine. Opened on the anniversary of the 55th Victory Day. Patriarch Alexy II, Putin, Kuchma and Lukashenko were present at the opening.

10 . By evening light we drove from the village, actually, to the battlefield. Now bread grows on it every day, but how much blood it once absorbed...

11. The height of 252.2 is marked by a belfry.

12. The height of the belfry itself is 59 meters. Inside, under the dome, there is an alarm bell weighing 3.5 tons, and on 4 wall pylons there are 24 high reliefs with 130 images. I specially publish photos in large size so that you can appreciate this work of art and the main monument of all memorial complex"Prokhorovskoye Field"

13 . A little further away they erected a monument to one of its creators - sculptor Vyacheslav Klykov. He died in 2006

14 . Nearby is another sculptural group - "Great commanders of the three military fields of Russia - Dmitry Donskoy, Mikhail Kutuzov, Georgy Zhukov."

15 . And, of course, tanks.

16 . More precisely, tanks, Katyushas, ​​guns and other military equipment from the times of the Great Patriotic War.

17 . T-34-85 and my favorite Vikushonok.

18 . The next morning we continued our exploration of Prokhorovka. We had breakfast, checked out of the hotel and went to the museum.

19 . But first they walked around him in a circle. Behind the building there was a rather interesting exhibition showing a fragment of the defense line: trenches and enemy equipment in positions.

20 . Almost all of the German equipment was melted down in the post-war years, so the German tank is represented only by a turret on a stand.

21 . Shortly before our arrival, next to the museum, another monument was opened for the 70th anniversary of the Victory, called “Tank Landing”. Work was in full swing around it to improve the territory (we were in Prokhorovka on May 1) and by the ninth there was still a lot to be done.

22 . Work was also going on at another exhibition site military equipment, which presents 12 of the most significant vehicles in the history of armored vehicles, through which you can trace the main stages in the development of armored vehicles and tank weapons. In addition, on May 9, the opening of a tankodrome with an obstacle course, stands for spectators with 1,300 seats, and other things was supposed to take place. It’s a pity that we weren’t able to see the tank show, but it will give us a reason to come back someday.

23 . In general, then we go to inspect the museum exhibition. It is huge and perhaps I will talk about it in a separate post, but now just a couple of fragments. Beautiful interactive map sights of the Belgorod region. It can be seen that now the belfry and the Cathedral of Peter and Paul are highlighted on it, but if you turn on another area on the multimedia screen next to the map, then other objects will be highlighted, and you can read on the monitor general information. Very cool, in my opinion.

24 . I note that everything in the museum is very modern and interactive. There is no typical museum “mothball” feel, if you know what I mean.

25 . Although not without some complications, as it turned out. In front of me, one of the spectators puzzled the guide with a question about some discrepancy between a detail of the soldier’s uniform (I don’t remember what exactly) and the 1943 uniform. The woman was embarrassed and said that the stands were made and decorated by some Moscow office and in a very fast manner, so there may be slight discrepancies.

26. And finally, back to the topic again Catering in Prokhorovka. Not far from the belfry there is a rather interesting themed cafe "Blindage". In general, I give the establishment a "test" (a wooden jukebox with songs from the war years and artillery shell casings as vases for wild flowers - that's five!), but in the evening of the first day it was already closed, and at lunchtime on the second day almost the entire ration was eaten.

27 . In particular, there was not enough foie gras potatoes. The last portion was grabbed for our daughter (the cook scraped the bottom of the barrel for the little girl), and Lena and I took the less popular millet for ourselves. I note that landscaping work was also going on around the “Dugout” and it is quite possible that another cafe appeared nearby. At least on Wikimapia there is a mark of the Prival cafe, so I hope that people who, on my advice, go to Prokhorovka will not remain hungry.

28 . After lunch we went to see the observation post of the commander of the 5th Guards Tank Army, General Rotmistrov. It was from here that the command of the Prokhorovsky battle was exercised. Alas, there was a lock on the door and we had to limit ourselves to only an external inspection. After that, our program had a wonderful

Kulikovo field

battle of Borodino

Prokhorovo Field (Battle of Kursk)

I hope everyone knows the events of the Battle of Kursk, namely the tank battle on the Prokhorovsky field. This field is the third military field after Kulikovsky and Borodino. We will take a tour of the memorial, which is located in Prokhorovka.

This monument symbolizes a tank ram. The symbol of the Battle of Prokhorovka is the feat of tanker Nikolaev, who rammed his damaged and burning T-34, saving the wounded tank commander.

You can go inside the monument. (but here, as always, this is only possible on holidays)







The first battlefield is Kulikovo, the second is Borodino


Entrance to the exhibition.



In 1941 the Germans occupied Belgorod region. Agitation.



German agitation in the occupied territories.






Camping gramophone and instruments. Donated by relatives of combat participants.



The museum is well computerized. There are touch panels in each room with which you can clarify information. Watch video clips. Choose a display window for the hall and look at it in detail.



Tiger (T-6) Confidently destroyed any tank at a distance of 2000 meters. The Soviet T-34 could do this at a distance of 500 meters.


I was surprised that the German division "Reich" had a company of our captured T-34 tanks






Star of the hero of Belgorod.


Soviet awards




Real stabilizer of a downed aircraft.

Kulikovo field

“Mamaevo Massacre”, or “Massacre on the Don” - this was the name of this battle between the all-Russian army led by the Moscow prince Dmitry Ivanovich and the troops of the temnik Mamai and his puppet khan Tyulyak (Tulunbek). The term Battle of Kulikovo was first used by the Russian historian N.M. Karamzin. We know both a lot and a little about this battle.

The first chronicles about the Battle of Kulikovo, created almost immediately after the battle, contain a minimum of information about event. Literary works The 16th–17th centuries “Zadonshchina”, “The Tale of the Massacre of Mamayev” are full of various, sometimes fantastic details, unreliable facts and historical errors. At the same time, not a single event medieval history Russia was not so widely reflected in the chronicle, literary and pictorial traditions.

Sources name several reasons for Mamai’s campaign against Rus'. Chronicle stories mention among them Mamai's desire to avenge defeats in the battle on the Vozha River in 1378, where the army sent by Mamai suffered a crushing defeat. Murza Begich and 5 Horde temniks were killed. Another reason was economic. Mamai wanted to force Moscow to pay tribute as under Khan Dzhanibek, that is, to regularly pay “exit” in larger amounts (maybe twice as much) than was agreed upon in 1371, when the Horde issued a label to Prince Dmitry of Moscow for the great reign of Vladimir. Taking advantage of the confusion in the Horde, Moscow stopped paying Horde tribute altogether in 1374. Mamai desperately needed funds to preserve his troops and attract new supporters in the struggle for power in the Golden Horde.

After the defeat of Begich, Mamai thoroughly prepared during 1379 and the first half of 1380 for a campaign against Moscow. According to sources, Temnik attracted the Grand Duke of Lithuania Jagiello as an ally of Moscow’s enemy, and also negotiated with Oleg Ryazansky, hoping for old contradictions between Moscow and Ryazan. All the lands of the right bank of the Volga, Crimea and North Caucasus. In the chronicles about the Battle of Kulikovo, mercenary detachments of the Italian colonies in the Crimea ("Fryaz"), Cherkasy (Adyghe), Yasy (Ossetians), Besermyans, Burtases and Armenians (peoples and settlers of Volga Bulgaria) are mentioned as participants in Mamai's coalition. At the beginning of the summer of 1380, the Mamaev Horde slowly moved from the nomadic headquarters of the Temnik in the lower reaches of the Don to Rus', following the upstream of this river. Mamai was in no hurry, as he expected the allies to approach in the fall for a joint movement to Rus'. At the beginning of August, Mamai’s army reached the mouth of Voronezh. Oleg Ryazansky, seeing a strong Horde army at the borders of his principality, was forced to promise Mamai the payment of tribute and the sending of military assistance, which, most likely, never came to the temnik.

The invasion of Mamaia in Moscow became known at the end of July - beginning of August from scouts or from the Ryazan prince. Realizing the inevitability of an open military clash with the troops of Mamai, Dmitry Ivanovich at a military council, in which nearby Moscow boyars and his cousin Vladimir Andreevich Serpukhovskoy took part, decided to gather regiments and armies of the entire Moscow principality and allied princes. At the same time, it was decided to send military intelligence (“watchman”) to Tikhaya Sosnya to monitor Mamai’s horde. Probably, the trip of Prince Dmitry to the Trinity Monastery to see Sergius of Radonezh also dates back to this time. Before the harsh trials of the largest direct armed resistance to the troops of the Golden Horde in the century and a half history of Rus', Dmitry needed moral support. Considering that at that time there was no metropolitan in Rus', the fact of Dmitry’s trip to Sergius is beyond doubt.

The gathering of the entire army was scheduled in Kolomna on August 15. Kolomna was an important strategic point on the southern borders of Moscow. Before sending the regiments from Moscow, Dmitry, having no information from the first watchman, sends a second one to the steppe. A review of the troops was held in Kolomna, the assembled forces were united into large military formations - “regiments”, regimental commanders were appointed, and the marching order was determined. Here a third watchman was sent into the field. Horde ambassadors came to Kolomna to the Moscow prince demanding Mamai to pay tribute, as under Khan Janibek. On August 20, Dmitry's army set off from Kolomna up the Oka, following its left bank to the mouth of Lopasnya, constantly collecting information about the enemy. From Kolomna, detachments and regiments from the cities and volosts of the great reign of Moscow, Kolomna, Zvenigorod, Mozhaisk, Serpukhov, Borovsk, Dmitrov, Pereyaslavl, Vladimir, Yuryev, Kostroma, Uglich, squads of Belozersky, Yaroslavl, Rostov, Starodubsky, Molozhsky set out on a campaign against the Don. , Kashinsky, Vyazemsky-Dorogobuzhsky, Tarussko-Obolensky, Novosilsky, Muromsky, Yeletsk, Meshchersky principalities, Pskov and Novgorod the Great, as well as the serving Moscow prince Roman Mikhailovich Bryansky. However, the regiments of the Nizhny Novgorod principality, drained of blood by the constant raids of the Horde, did not come to the Kulikovo field. The army of Mikhail Tverskoy, who was deliberately waiting for the results of Mamai’s campaign, did not appear either. We talked about the difficult position of Oleg Ryazansky above. Thus, the forces of the three great principalities of North-Eastern Rus' did not take part in the battle.

At the mouth of Lopasnya, the all-Russian army was joined by regiments under the command of Prince Vladimir Andreevich Serpukhovsky and the Moscow governor Timofey Velyaminovich. On August 26-27, Russian regiments crossed the Oka and moved along the border of the Ryazan lands to the south to get closer to Mamai. The meaning of this maneuver, according to most historians, was to wedge between Mamai’s possible allies and prevent them from uniting. The last stop of the Russian troops before the rush to the Don took place in the town of Berezuy, where the squads of the Lithuanian princes Dmitry and Andrei Olgerdovich approached. On September 6, the Russians reached the Don and set up camp. According to the latest historical and archaeological research, the last part of the route, Russian soldiers moved along the land road, known in later times as Old Dankovskaya, the route of which ran along the watershed of the Don and Mokraya Tabola rivers. The camp of the Russian troops was located at the mouth of the Mokraya Tabola River. On September 7, a battle between the guard detachments of the Russian and Horde troops took place, in which victory remained with the former. Mamai was furious when he learned about the approach of Dmitry’s troops. The scouts informed the Moscow prince that the Horde were camped on Gusin Ford, one passage from the Russian camp, in the upper reaches of the Beautiful Sword River. At the military council, it was decided to give battle to Mamai beyond the Don. On the night of September 7-8, 1380, the regiments began to cross the Don. Previously, the Ambush Regiment crossed the river to cover the crossing of the entire Russian army. IN Lately Historians estimate the number of Russian troops on the Kulikovo Field to be no more than several tens of thousands of soldiers (V.A. Kuchkin). The numerical superiority was on Mamai's side. Such a gathering of warriors was enormous in the eyes of contemporaries. At that time, the clash of armies exceeding several thousand was considered a major battle. That is why the sources provide such fantastic information about the number of participants in the Battle of Kulikovo.

On the foggy morning of September 8 (21), Saturday, the day of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Russian regiments began to deploy into battle formation facing south. According to “The Tale of the Massacre of Mamayev,” detachments of the Watch Regiment were advanced far ahead. The first line of the Russian formation was the Advanced Regiment. Behind him stood the main line of Dmitry's troops with the Large Regiment in the center and the wings (Right and Left Hand regiments). Behind the large regiment there was probably a private reserve. Anticipating the course of the battle, the Russian governors left aside from the general line of regiments a strong general reserve - the Ambush Regiment. According to the latest scientific data, the Russian regiments lined up, with the Don and Nepryadva behind them, between the Fishy Verkh gully and the Smolka River, occupying a front of no more than one and a half kilometers. The slopes of the ravine, river and their outlets were densely forested. Thus, for the offensive, Mamai had a narrow watershed steppe corridor, which did not give the Horde the opportunity to turn around and use their favorite flanking envelopments.

Far ahead, the Russian soldiers heard the roar of the approaching Horde army. Mamai needed some more time to rebuild his forces from marching to combat formation. The guard detachments were the first to enter the fray. Sources informed us that Prince Dmitry participated in the battle of military outposts, the so-called “first battle.” It was important for the Moscow prince to see with his own eyes the detailed formation of Mamai’s troops. Then he went to the Big Regiment to lead the battle. The battle itself lasted three hours - from the 6th to the 9th hour according to ancient Russian time, that is, from 10 hours 35 minutes to 13 hours 35 minutes. After the battles, the Horde guards attacked the Advance Regiment with all their might, which was almost completely destroyed, but weakened the offensive impulse of Mamai’s troops. Then the main forces entered the battle. For about two hours, the Russian regiments held back the continuous attacks of Mamaev’s cavalry in a narrow and cramped space “... I was suffocating from the great cramped space, as if I was too weak to fit on the Kulikovo field...”. At about half past one in the afternoon, “the trash began to overcome.” According to the "Legend...", the Horde managed to break through on the left flank of the Russian forces and reach the rear of the Big Regiment. The Moscow prince was wounded. A critical situation was created in the complete encirclement and destruction of Dmitry Ivanovich’s entire army. At this moment, the Ambush Regiment entered the battle (they write about it in "Zadonshchina" and "The Legend..."), which was located not far from the Left Hand regiment in the large forest area "Green Dubrava". The introduction of fresh Russian forces into the battle radically changed the situation on the battlefield. Panic began among the Horde. Mamai's troops fled. The persecution of the Horde was led by Vladimir Serpukhovskoy. It lasted until dark.

The defeat of the enemy was complete, most of the Horde warriors were killed in battle or while fleeing. Mamai's camp was captured with all its property and herds. For several days, Russian soldiers buried the fallen and collected trophies. Then on September 14, the thinned Russian army moved back. During the movement, individual detachments of Dmitry's troops were attacked by the Ryazan people. In the 20th of September, the Russian army approached Kolomna. Here the army stood for several days, and then moved to Moscow. On October 1, Muscovites solemnly greeted the heroes of the Battle of Kulikovo.

S. M. Solovyov wrote that the Battle of Kulikovo was “a sign of the triumph of Europe over Asia” and was in the nature of their “desperate clash... which was supposed to resolve the great question in the history of mankind - which of these parts of the world should triumph over the other.” A.E. Presnyakov noted that the battle ruined Mamai, but did not create a turning point in Russian-Horde relations. This is one of the most significant battles in the history of Moscow, symbolizing the main trend of the times. Undoubtedly, the Don Massacre marked the beginning of the end of the yoke. We can also talk about shifts in consciousness. The stereotype of the previous century was broken, about which A. Tereshchenko accurately and colorfully wrote: “We thought that it was impossible to rebel against the oppressors, that only heavenly power, and not man, could fight the enemies of faith and nationality. The loss of independence disarmed us, and we , like low admirers, did not dare to conceive of fair freedom: despotism pressed." The Battle of Kulikovo showed that there were prerequisites for final liberation, that the forces were ripe to repel the enemy, and that there was an organizer - the Moscow prince. The unprecedented campaign of Russian troops beyond the Don made the Principality of Moscow a recognized center of the anti-Horde struggle. The confrontation between the Grand Duchy of Moscow and the Mamayev Horde ended in the collapse of the latter. Dmitry Donskoy did not allow Mamai to restore power over the Russian lands. But another involuntary result of the Kulikovo victory was the disruption of the unstable balance that had existed for almost 20 years between the two parts of the Horde. Objectively, Khan Tokhtamysh received the most concrete political benefit from the defeat of Mamai on the Kulikovo Field. The defeat of Mamai contributed to the unification of the Golden Horde under his rule. But in the people's memory, the Massacre of Mamaev, painted, however, in tragic tones due to the death of many Russian soldiers, remained a symbol of the great victory, giving a powerful impetus to national self-awareness and the creation of an all-Russian statehood centered in Moscow.

Museum collection of finds from the Kulikovo battlefield:

battle of Borodino

Battle of Borodino (during French history- Battle of the Moscow River, fr. Bataille de la Moskova) is the largest battle of the Patriotic War of 1812 between the Russian army under the command of General M.I. Kutuzov and the French army of Napoleon I Bonaparte. It took place on August 26 (September 7), 1812 near the village of Borodino, 125 km west of Moscow.

During the 12-hour battle, the French army managed to capture the positions of the Russian army in the center and on the left wing, but after the cessation of hostilities, the French army retreated to its original positions. Thus, in Russian historiography it is believed that the Russian troops “won victory”, but the next day the commander-in-chief of the Russian army M.I. Kutuzov gave the order to retreat due to heavy losses and due to the presence of large reserves from Emperor Napoleon, who were rushing to help from the French army.

According to the memoirs of French General Pele, a participant in the Battle of Borodino, Napoleon often repeated a similar phrase: “The Battle of Borodino was the most beautiful and most formidable, the French showed themselves worthy of victory, and the Russians deserved to be invincible.”

It is considered the bloodiest one-day battle in history.

Since the beginning of the French army's invasion of the territory Russian Empire in June 1812, Russian troops were constantly retreating. The rapid advance and overwhelming numerical superiority of the French made it impossible for the commander-in-chief of the Russian army, General of Infantry Barclay de Tolly, to prepare troops for battle. The prolonged retreat caused public discontent, so Emperor Alexander I dismissed Barclay de Tolly and appointed Infantry General Kutuzov as commander-in-chief. However, the new commander-in-chief chose the path of retreat. The strategy chosen by Kutuzov was based, on the one hand, on exhausting the enemy, on the other, on waiting for reinforcements sufficient for a decisive battle with Napoleon’s army.

On August 22 (September 3), the Russian army, retreating from Smolensk, settled down near the village of Borodino, 125 km from Moscow, where Kutuzov decided to give a general battle; it was impossible to postpone it further, since Emperor Alexander demanded that Kutuzov stop the advance of Emperor Napoleon towards Moscow.

On August 24 (September 5) the battle took place at the Shevardinsky redoubt, which delayed the French troops and gave the Russians the opportunity to build fortifications in the main positions.

Total number The Russian army is determined to be 112-120 thousand people:

Historian Bogdanovich: 103 thousand regular troops (72 thousand infantry, 17 thousand cavalry, 14 thousand artillerymen), 7 thousand Cossacks and 10 thousand militia warriors, 640 guns. Total 120 thousand people. from the memoirs of General Tol: 95 thousand regular troops, 7 thousand Cossacks and 10 thousand militia warriors, 640 guns. Total 112 thousand people.

The size of the French army is estimated at about 136 thousand soldiers and 587 guns:

According to the Marquis of Chambray, a roll call held on August 21 (September 2) showed the presence of 133,815 combat ranks in the French army (for some of the lagging soldiers, their comrades responded “in absentia”, hoping that they would catch up with the army). However, this number does not take into account the 1,500 sabers of the cavalry brigade of divisional general Pajol, who arrived later, and the 3 thousand combat ranks of the main apartment.

In addition, taking into account the militias in the Russian army implies adding to the regular French army numerous non-combatants (15 thousand) who were present in the French camp and whose combat effectiveness corresponded to the Russian militias. That is, the size of the French army is also increasing. Like Russian militias, French non-combatants performed auxiliary functions - they carried out the wounded, carried water, etc.

It is important for military history to distinguish between the total size of an army on the battlefield and the troops that were committed to battle. However, in terms of the balance of forces that took direct part in the battle of August 26 (September 7), 1812, the French army also had a numerical superiority. According to the encyclopedia “Patriotic War of 1812”, at the end of the battle Napoleon had 18 thousand in reserve, and Kutuzov had 8-9 thousand regular troops (in particular, the Preobrazhensky and Semenovsky guards regiments). At the same time, Kutuzov said that the Russians brought into the battle “every last reserve, even the guard by evening,” “all reserves are already in action.”

If we evaluate high-quality composition two armies, then we can turn to the opinion of the Marquis of Chambray, a participant in the events, who noted that the French army had superiority, since its infantry consisted mainly of experienced soldiers, while the Russians had many recruits. In addition, the French had a significant superiority in heavy cavalry.

The idea of ​​the commander-in-chief of the Russian army, Kutuzov, was to inflict as many losses as possible on the French troops through active defense, change the balance of forces, preserve Russian troops for further battles and for the complete defeat of the French army. In accordance with this plan, the battle formation of the Russian troops was built.

The initial position chosen by Kutuzov looked like a straight line running from the Shevardinsky redoubt on the left flank through the large battery on Red Hill, later called the Raevsky battery, the village of Borodino in the center, to the village of Maslovo on the right flank. Leaving the Shevardinsky redoubt, the 2nd Army bent its left flank beyond the Kamenka River, and the army’s battle formation took the form of an obtuse angle. Both flanks of the Russian position occupied 4 km, but were unequal. The right flank was formed by the 1st Army of Infantry General Barclay de Tolly, consisting of 3 infantry, 3 cavalry corps and reserves (76 thousand people, 480 guns), the front of its position was covered by the Kolocha River. The left flank was formed by the smaller 2nd Army of Infantry General Bagration (34 thousand people, 156 guns). In addition, the left flank did not have such strong natural obstacles in front of the front as the right. After the loss of the Shevardinsky redoubt on August 24 (September 5), the position of the left flank became even more vulnerable and relied only on 3 unfinished flushes.

Thus, in the center and on the right wing of the Russian position, Kutuzov placed 4 infantry corps out of 7, as well as 3 cavalry corps and Platov’s Cossack corps. According to Kutuzov’s plan, such a powerful group of troops would reliably cover the Moscow direction and at the same time allow, if necessary, to strike the flank and rear of the French troops. The battle formation of the Russian army was deep and allowed for wide maneuvers of forces on the battlefield. The first line of battle formation of the Russian troops consisted of infantry corps, the second line - cavalry corps, and the third - reserves. Kutuzov highly appreciated the role of the reserves, pointing out in the disposition for the battle: “The reserves should be protected as long as possible, because the general who still retains the reserve will not be defeated.”

Emperor Napoleon, having discovered the weakness of the left flank of the Russian army during a reconnaissance on August 25 (September 6), decided to strike the main blow against it. Accordingly, he developed a battle plan. First of all, the task was to capture the left bank of the Kolocha River, for which it was necessary to capture Borodino. This maneuver, according to Napoleon, was supposed to divert the attention of the Russians from the direction of the main attack. Then transfer the main forces of the French army to the right bank of the Kolocha and, relying on Borodino, which has become like an axis of approach, push Kutuzov’s army with the right wing into the corner formed by the confluence of the Kolocha with the Moscow River and destroy it.

To accomplish the task, Napoleon began to concentrate his main forces (up to 95 thousand) in the area of ​​the Shevardinsky redoubt on the evening of August 25 (September 6). The total number of French troops in front of the 2nd Army front reached 115 thousand. For diversionary actions during the battle in the center and against the right flank, Napoleon allocated no more than 20 thousand soldiers.

Russian and Soviet sources point to Kutuzov’s special plan, which forced Napoleon to attack the left flank. The historian Tarle leads exact words Kutuzova:

“When the enemy... uses his last reserves on Bagration’s left flank, then I will send a hidden army into his flank and rear.”

However, on the eve of the battle, the 3rd Infantry Corps of Lieutenant General Tuchkov 1st was withdrawn from an ambush behind the left flank by order of Chief of Staff Bennigsen without the knowledge of Kutuzov. Bennigsen's actions are justified by his intention to follow the formal battle plan.

Napoleon understood that enveloping Russian troops from the flanks was difficult, so he was forced to resort to a frontal attack in order to break through the defenses of the Russian army in a relatively narrow area near the Bagration flushes, go to the rear of the Russian troops, press them to the Moscow River, destroy them and open up for himself way to Moscow. In the direction of the main attack in the area from the Raevsky battery to the Bagration flashes, which had a length of 2.5 kilometers, the bulk of the French troops were concentrated: the corps of Marshals Davout, Ney, Murat, division general Junot, as well as the guard. To divert the attention of Russian troops, the French planned to carry out auxiliary attacks on Utitsa and Borodino. The French army had a deep formation of its battle formation, which allowed it to build up impact force from the depth.

On the night of August 26 (September 7), 1812, part of the Russian forces was moved to the left flank, which reduced the disproportion of forces and turned the frontal attack, which, according to Napoleon’s plan, led to the rapid defeat of the Russian army, into a bloody frontal battle.

Everyone always looks forward to the May holidays. Sun, warmth, great mood, May 1st, after all! Heading on the road! This time our path went to the Belgorod region, Prokhorovka village.
Here during the years of the Great Patriotic War The largest tank battle took place. On July 12, 1943, the armies of Manstein and two Soviet armies- 5th Guards and 5th Guards Tank Army. This was the most significant battle of the Oryol-Kursk Bulge.

All along the same beloved M2 highway, we set off towards Kursk. The weather got better and better! The road was pleasing to the eye with landscapes and excellent surface. Having entered the Belgorod region, we drove another hour to the sign in the village of Yakovlevo, and there we were already very close to the memorial. The entire journey from the city of Orel to the village of Prokhorovka near Belgorod took 5 hours of pleasant time.

Before reaching the village itself, we saw a memorial. A huge space where samples of military equipment are located and there is a monument to those killed in this battle.

From afar, only as we approached, we noticed him. This monument is called "Belfry". It was installed for the 50th anniversary of the Victory in 1995. This stele is created in the form of a bell tower, more than 50 meters high, and a large bell hangs inside!

Believe me, it's impressive!

On the side of the hill stands a T 34 tank.

You can approach and touch all the combat vehicles and guns with your own hands. This is what many children and adults who visited the memorial at that moment were doing.

After being on the road for 5 hours, we wanted to grab a bite to eat. There is a café “Blindage” on site.

Interesting interior, very low prices.

But we didn’t enjoy the food.
The menu included soldier's porridge, borscht, solyanka, tea, everything was just like in 1943. We could have taken something else, but we decided to try what soldier’s porridge is! No! This is not buckwheat with meat at all, as my daughter thought! It turned out to be salted millet in water with lard! Of course, I don’t mind 28 rubles, but it wasn’t very pleasant to eat. This was the only negative thing about our trip. We somehow satisfied our hunger.

After walking around the Field, we finally decided to get to the village itself. 10 minutes and we are there! In Prokhorovka, focusing on the domes of the church, we main road We arrived at a large museum, which is also called the “Third Battle Field”.

I kept wondering why Third field? Then I understood! By scale of battles: First - Kulikovo Field, Second - Borodino and Third - Prokhorovka!

The museum is very large and interesting.

There are trenches dug in the yard, there are several dugouts (they were, however, closed), there are broken guns and shell casings lying around. Joy for children! Run along the passages and passages as much as you like!

In front of the entrance there is a monument called “Taran”.

Life-size tanks of the opposing sides collided head-on! Makes an amazing impression! Compared to them, you seem like a bug!

The museum has two floors, there are interactive screens where you can see how the disposition of enemy troops changed during the battle, see specifications weapons of both sides.

And on the site next to museum of military glory “Third Military Field of Russia” and tankodrome a new monumental sculpture "Tank landing".
Its task is to show the soldier’s feat in the Battle of Prokhorov. The landing party was placed on the hull of the tank, and during the attack, when the tank came close to the enemy trenches, the soldiers jumped off it and went hand-to-hand.
This monument is a symbol of courage Soviet soldiers. In the center is the legendary T-34 tank going on the attack. There are six soldiers on it along with a nurse, three more are running nearby. It is noteworthy that, as conceived by the authors, the heroes of the composition represent different nationalities. There are Slavs, Caucasians, soldiers from Central Asia.
The sculpture took 2 years to create by a sculptor Friedrich Soghoyan together with his sons Vahe and Mikael.

Opposite the tankodrome behind the museum building there is also something to see: fragments of Soviet and German defensive fortifications with trenches, trenches, platforms for guns and shelter for tanks, wartime vehicles, fragments of tanks from the battlefield, etc. And on the territory of the domestic trenches an observation post has been reconstructed.

And this is the main entrance to Museum "THIRD BATTLE FIELD OF RUSSIA".

On the site in front of the Museum, where military artifacts are presented, there is a sculptural composition “Tank battle near Prokhorovka. Ram", monument "Candle of Memory" , three steles, where the names of 325 soldiers who received the title of Hero are stamped Soviet Union in the battle of Kursk and more six special stone slabs with the names of the soldiers who fell here, information about the course of the battle.

Makes a very strong impression sculptural and artistic composition "TARAN"- monument to tank heroes.
The plot of the composition - two formidable Soviet vehicles ramming three German tanks - represents an episode a few seconds before the explosion...
And let the main characters "Tank ram"- not people, but fighting vehicles, it is not difficult to imagine what the soldiers in these tanks were thinking and dreaming of at that moment.
Some cursed the enemy who came to capture native land, others cursed those military leaders who sent them to certain death in a country where even children were ready to give their lives for their Motherland.
U "Tank ram" has its own story.
On the Prokhorovsky field more than ten tank rams, which Soviet soldiers went to, knowing that they would die.
On July 12, the crew of the T-34 tank performed the first such feat - crew commander Lieutenant Gusev, driver mechanic Alexander Nikolaev, senior sergeant Roman Chernov.
20 year old Sergeant Nikolaev, saving the wounded commander and his comrades, he gave himself the order: “I’m going to ram!” He was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Posthumously…

The feat of Soviet tank crews is also depicted on a monumental artistic canvas in museum-diorama “Kursk Bulge. Belgorod direction".
It was from there that sculptors picked up the idea of ​​depicting a tank ram in the form of a monument.
The famous Belgorod man worked on the frame of the “ram” sculptor Taras Kostenko.
The author of the sculpture itself was famous in Russia sculptor Friedrich Soghoyan.

The monument is made of metal sheets. And it works inside mini-exposition, allowing you to feel like a tanker - a participant Prokhorovsky battle.
...A door inconspicuous from the outside...and inside this powerful sculptural group there is a small monument to a soldier of Nazi Germany.
Not to the Great Victor, but to him, the distraught, frightened and confused German, who lost his iron armor and realized the full horror of his situation.
And behind him, as if in mockery, is a quote “from Hitler”: “The victory at Kursk should act on the world as a fanfare signal.” And the date is April 15, 1943.
During the excursion, a three-minute soundtrack still sounds here - explosions, the grinding of tank armor, the dying cries of soldiers.

And further Interesting Facts about the "Tank Ram".

- Some three months remained until the turning point battles on the Prokhorovsky field.
Photo of a German soldier after the battle military photojournalist Viktor Kinelovsky made in July 1943.
Confusion, hopelessness, despair in the appearance of a man who brought so much grief to our country personify the defeat of Nazi Germany.
For the first time in 65 years after the war, the enemy is depicted not as a ferocious and ruthless invader, but as a deeply unhappy, distraught person. And it’s as if a fascist, driven into a trap, is groaning, who there, in Germany, was probably also expected from the front...

Working on creating monument "Tank Ram" can be called without exaggeration jewelry
The embossing of brass and rough metal was carried out by eleven people - it was thanks to hand embossing that the tanks turned out “as if they were alive”, it seems that the clumsy vehicles are about to rumble apart, and...
We had to wear gas masks to work inside, since only argon welding can be used to work with brass,
At the same time, zinc, lead and other harmful substances are released into the air.
In total, about 20 people worked on the creation of the monument.

Sculptor Taras Kostenko said that while working on the “Tank Ram” the masters encountered inexplicable, almost mystical facts.
When the shot-making process was carried out (in a special installation under high air pressure, the metal had to be coated with small shot to remove oil and other impurities), the metal on the tanks began... to cry, as if covered in bloody streaks.
The tanks did not want to be treated with another unit - sandblasting, which was necessary to “smooth out” the seams. The metal resisted and was not allowed to machines.
Required only manual processing! So the builders of the monument (there’s no other way to call them!) worked on this colossus, literally feeling and processing every centimeter by hand.
In total, about 11 kilometers of welding seams were applied.
And when the tanks, still separate and not locked in a deadly ram, were transported on cargo trailers, the military saluted the combat vehicles.
And during the opening of the monument, one of the distinguished guests said: “ They drive like they're alive...».

And a little about something new Museum of Military Glory of the Third Military Field of Russia. It opened in May 2010.
The museum complex occupies 5000 square meters.
This is a building equipped with modern museum technology: sound, video installations, and information terminals in each room. The latest equipment is harmoniously integrated into the historical interior.

The first hall greets us and tells us about history of the Prokhorovsky district.
The same as he was on the eve of the war. Imagine, just a minute ago people were living an ordinary peaceful life: reading books or listening to music, playing lotto and dominoes...
And a moment later - war. The exhibits in this hall show the rapid and sudden transition from civilian life to military life.

Next is an exhibition dedicated to the beginning of the Battle of Kursk and the hostilities that took place from July 5 to July 11.
Models of various military equipment and personal belongings of combat participants are located here. For example, the things of twice Hero of the Soviet Union Andrei Kravchenko. His tank corps was the first to take on the battle on Prokhorovsk soil.

The third hall is dedicated events of July 12. On this day entered the battle tank army Lieutenant General Pavel Rotmistrov.
The “Rotmistrov Headquarters” complex includes furniture from the house where the army commander’s headquarters was located, as well as the personal belongings of the lieutenant general.
And here you can also see complexes (these are mini-exhibitions dedicated to a particular topic) of artillerymen, tank crews, mortarmen, reconnaissance officers, step-by-step maps of military operations.

The fourth room talks about significance of the Prokhorovsky battle and about the fate of its participants.
The focus is on the legendary T-34 Victory Tank. It turns out that the engine power of this tank is 500 horsepower, and it can accelerate to 54 kilometers per hour! And this with an average weight of 27.5 tons!
The hall also displays items belonging to participants in the battle who achieved significant success in the fields of science, technology, production, and military art.

The last room is dedicated Victory Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War.
Here, literally year by year, the most significant battles that influenced the course of the war are presented. Battle of Moscow (1941), Battle of Staliningrad (1942), Battle of Kursk- (1943). In 1944 - the liberation of Belarus and the Baltic states by the Red Army. In 1945 - Berlin operation, as a result of which Nazi Germany was defeated.

And on the second floor of the museum there is exposition “History of the region”.
There are also many interesting exhibits here. They show how the Belgorod land developed from the 7th century BC (these are very ancient times!) to the present day.
There are models of both the serif line and a section of the fortress wall. The life of our ancestors and the arrangement of their homes are presented.

We liked the Museum, it is interesting, good presentation of material and excellent guides!!!
and some photos...