Napoleon retreating from the Kremlin.

The 1812 Fire of Moscow broke out on September 16, 1812 in Moscow shortly after Napoleon's troops entered the city following the Battle of Borodino, the largest battle of the Napoleonic Wars. The battle itself ended in a draw, but the casualties were such that Kutuzov, Russia's commander, decided to withdraw and regroup, lest further fighting destroy the Russian army altogether. Moscow was evacuated and the army retreated, leaving the city to the French. September 16 is the 259th day of the year (260th in leap years). ... 1812 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Location Position of Moscow in Europe Government Country District Subdivision Russia Central Federal District Federal City Mayor Yuriy Luzhkov Geographical characteristics Area  - City 1,081 km² Population  - City (2005)    - Density 10,415,400   8537. ... Bonaparte as general Napoleon Bonaparte ( 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821) was a general of the French Revolution and was the ruler of France as First Consul (Premier Consul) of the French Republic from November 11, 1799 to May 18, 1804, then as Emperor of the French (Empereur des... Kazan Cathedral in St Petersburg and the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow were built to commemorate the Russian victory against Napoleon. ... Combatants First French Empire Russian Empire Commanders Napoleon Bonaparte Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov Strength 134,000 155,000 Casualties 30,000 45,000 {{{notes}}} The Battle of Borodino (Russian: Бородино) (September 7, 1812, or August 26 in the Julian calendar then used in Russia), also called the Battle of the Moskva, was... Combatants Allies: • Great Britain (until 1801)/United Kingdom(from 1801) • Prussia • Austria • Sweden • Russia • Portugal • Spain • and others • France • Denmark-Norway • Poland Casualties Full list The Napoleonic Wars comprised a series of global conflicts fought during Napoleon Bonapartes rule over France (1799 - 1815). ... Prince Mikhail Illarionovich Golenishchev-Kutuzov (September 16, 1745 – April 28, 1813 (n. ...

The actual cause of the fire is unclear; some blame the invading French army, while others, like Leo Tolstoy in his historical novel War and Peace, suggest that Muscovites started fires as they were leaving. In any case, it started as many small fires, which immediately grew out of control and formed a massive blaze. Although Napoleon encouraged executions of arsonists, the inferno destroyed much of the city and made it impossible for him to stay there; about a month after entering Moscow, the French withdrew and began the return journey west. Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy (Russian: , Lev Nikolaevič Tolstoj), commonly referred to in English as Leo Tolstoy, September 9 [O.S. August 28] 1828 – November 20 [O.S. November 7] 1910) was a Russian novelist, philosopher, Christian anarchist, pacifist, educational reformer, vegetarian, moral thinker and an influential member of the Tolstoy... A historical novel is a novel in which the story is set among historical events, or more generally, in which the time of the action predates the lifetime of the author. ... War and Peace (Russian: Война и мир, Vojna i mir; in original orthography: Война и миръ, Vojna i mir) is an epic novel by Leo Tolstoy, first published from 1865 to 1869, which tells the story of Russian society during the Napoleonic Era. ...

Among the casualties of the fire were historic buildings, about 2,000 wounded Russian soldiers, and the only extant manuscript of The Tale of Igor's Campaign. After the war, the city was reconstructed under the supervision of Joseph Bové. Moscow grew rapidly, outgrowing its previous fortifications such as the Zemlyanoi Val, an earthen wall and accompanying moat which encircled the city. The Val was leveled, the moat filled, and the land became the Garden Ring, a circular avenue surrounded by many public parks. The Tale of Igors Campaign (Old East Slavic: Слово о плъку Игоревѣ, Slovo o pălku IgorevÄ›; Modern Russian: Слово о полку Игореве, Slovo o polku Igoreve) is an anonymous masterpiece of East Slavic literature written in Old East Slavic language and tentatively dated by the end of 12th century. ... Joseph Bové (Russian: Осип Иванович Бове, Osip Ivanovich Bove) (November 4, 1784 — June 28, 1834, all n. ... The Garden Ring, also known as the B Ring (Russian: Садовое кольцо, кольцо Б) is a circular avenue in the centre of Moscow, Russia. ...

Further reading

• Полосин И.И., Кутузов и пожар Москвы 1812 г., «Исторические записки», 1950, т. 34.
• Холодковский В.М., Наполеон ли поджёг Москву?, «Вопросы истории», 1966, № 4.
• Тартаковский А.Г., Обманутый Герострат. Ростопчин и пожар Москвы, «Родина», 1992, № 6—7.