PICTURE GALLERY "RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN OF 1812"

Page 29

The battle at Viazma. October,22,1812 (The picture by Hess) When seeing this picture you can involuntary feel the horrible nightmare of the war in its whole reality. Viazma was a quiet white town and the life had been passing there in peace and quiet for long years before, but suddenly the war blew over its peaceful narrow streets... Look at this picture attentively: many houses are on fire, tongues of flame go up , the clouds of smoke cover the sky and on the streets... You see unthinkable crowds there. In the right corner there is a terrible mess of carriages, transports with food, horses, drivers; in the centre you see a hot fighting between French and Russians, many dead bodies lay around. On the left the Russian troops are attacking in thick columns. Further in the centre the huge mass of French troops is moving towards the place of the battle. The Death reigns everywhere...