The Great Fire in Moscow in 1812

The Great Fire of Moscow broke out on 14 September 1812. It happened during the war with Napoleon Bonaparte. French Army won the Battle of Borodino over the Russian troops and was marching to Moscow. Russian Military Council together with General Kutuzov decided not to stop the French troops and let them march to Moscow . The military Plan was: " We have to give up Moscow in order to save Russia.". Most of the residents abandoned the city taking all valuable possessions with them. Napoleon's troops entered the city without resistance. Napoleon's expectation was that the key to the Kremlin would be given to him as a sign of surrender of Russian Army. He was waiting for the key to the Kremlin in vain . Moscow was a completely deserted and hostile city and at the top of it -the fire broke out which later was called The Great Moscow Fire. It raged for several days and nights, destroying an estimated three - quarters of Moscow .

The cause of the fire was never established. Most of the historians believe it was Russian Sabotage: " We better burn our homes and our possessions rather than leave them to Napoleon and his Army". It is believed that some wealthy citizens set fire to their beautiful houses destroying them with picture galleries, the collections of books and objects of art.

The other version of the cause of the fire was - French military camps which were set up by solders in the city. Many buildings caught fire from bonfires, French solders cooking food twice a day and smoking pipes. The catastrophe started as many small fires, which grew out of control and formed a massive blaze. On September 16, the fire threatened the Kremlin. Napoleon relocated to suburban Petrovsky Palace - the palace of Peter the Great. On September 17, the Fire destroyed most of the city. On September 18, Napoleon returned to the Kremlin still expecting plea for peace from Tsar Alexander 1 of Russia. It did not happen. On October 18, French Army left Moscow.

The Great Fire in Moscow destroyed 3/4 of all properties in the city. About 9.000 private houses, 8.000 shops and 200 churches were destroyed. 80 % of the buildings in Moscow were made of wood. After the war the city had to be rebuilt. The Commission of Building in Moscow was formed. The Commission hired local architects and topographers who produced the Master Plan of Reconstruction of Moscow. City planners set up the Garden Ring, a circular Highway in place of an old fortification wall . The name - GARDEN RING came from the original gardens which the residents had planted in front of their houses along the old fortification wall before the war. This circular Highway still exists in Moscow and it has 12 undergrounds Metro stations at present time.

Many streets and squares were widened. Neoclassical Upper Trade Rows were built in Red Square. In 1818 - the Monument to Minin and Pozharsky - the first public monument in Moscow was completed. Later in 1825 the Architect Bove designed the symmetrical Theatre Square and completed Bolshoi and Mali theatres. Moscow University and other public buildings were rebuilt.

Tanya Tsishevski May 2014