BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

26/11/2006

Remains Of Napoleonic Soldiers Ceremonially Buried In Belarus

BORISOV, Belarus, Nov 26, 2006 (AFP) - French and Belarussian officials began burying Sunday the almost two-century-old remains of 224 Napoleonic soldiers slain as the French emperor's army fled in defeat from Russia.

The first remains were buried in a coffin beneath a memorial by the River Berezina near the town of Borisov, east of Minsk, accompanied by Belarussian and French military bands, their members wearing period 19th century uniforms.

Orthodox and Catholic prayers were offered in the French, Old Slavonic and Belarussian languages at the ceremony, which took place on the 194th anniversary of the 1812 retreat across the river.

"Perhaps the inhabitants of this land will in the same spirit erect other monuments, churches, chapels or museums in this place, to which all Europe's inhabitants can come to study the facts of the armies of their ancestors," said French Ambassador Stephane Chmelewsky.

As many inhabitants of Belarus' present territory fought in Napoloen's multi-national army as on the Russian side in the conflict, Chmelewsky stressed.

The remains to be buried here were found last year at a site outside the capital Minsk by a Belarussian army battalion and their regiments were identified from remnants of their uniforms.

A similar reburial of 3,000 Napoleonic soldiers occurred in Lithuania in 2003.

Source:

http://www.ttc.org/200611261424.kaqeoj308564.htm