The remains of more than 100 French and Russian soldiers who died on the battlefield nearly 200 years ago were buried outside Moscow on Saturday.
The bodies included 120 soldiers who fought in the Battle of Vyazma in 1812, in which the troops of the Russian Empire defeated Napoleon’s retreating army after the failed invasion of Moscow in November 1812. There were also three women, presumably receiving food and first aid. had provided assistance to the troops, and three teenage boys, believed to be drummers, AFP reported.
When the bodies were found during a construction project in 2019, archaeologists initially thought the mass grave was from World War II, but researchers determined that it was much older. Alexander Khokhlov, head of the archaeological expedition, said the discovery of metal uniform buttons contributed to the establishment of the French army regiments in which some of the victims served.
The funeral ceremony was attended by officials from both countries and direct descendants of the leaders of the battle, Yulia Khitrovo, a descendant of the Russian Field Marshal Mikhail Kutuzov, and Prince Joachim Murat, a descendant of one of Napoleon’s most celebrated marshals, were in attendance . “They are equal through death: they are all now in one grave,” said Khitrovo.
The event was seen as a moment of unity between France and Russia, who were at odds with Russia’s crackdown on political protest and other issues.