Pultusk 2006

Foundation Empire of History

Masovia Center of Culture and Art

City of Pultusk

Czech Center in Warsaw

Project Austerlitz

Bicentennial of the battle of Pultusk 1806
Project Pultusk 2006

6-9 July 2006 in Pultusk and Warsaw

The commemoration of 1806 events,
the battle of Pultusk on November 26th 1806 and
the arrival of the French army to Warsaw on November 28th 1806.

Russian foundation Empire of history, Masovia Center of Culture and Art, Czech Center in Warsaw, City of Pultusk and Project Austerlitz, represented by the Czech production company Davay Communications, s. r. o. have the honor to invite you for the grand re-enactment of the battle of Pultusk on Sunday July 9th 2006.

The event will be opened on Thursday July 6th with the arrival of the event participants to military camps in Pultusk. On Friday, both armies will line-up on the battlefield for the day-long maneu-vers.

On Saturday participants will travel to Warsaw. There the program continues with the defile symbolizing the departure of the Russian army from Warsaw under the pressure of the French troops. The Russians on the head will be portraying the departure of the Warsaw garrison under general Yurkovskyi with its rear guard shooting at the advancing French. In the certain distance behind the advance guard the main French forces will be advancing. They will be led by Marshal Murat in the circle of his adjutants with the cavalry and infantry following.

After the departure of the Russian troops from the Royal Chateau, Marshal Murat will arrive to its gate to be welcomed by the city representatives in periodical costumes. The French troops will then line up in front of the chateau and the city representatives will hand over the symbolic keys from the city to the Marshal as well as give their thanks for liberating the city. Marshal Murat will as well thank for the cordial welcoming in French and Polish. The ceremony will be closed by the parade with participation of the city magistrate representatives.

In the evening the festive vernissage of the exhibition Napoleon in Warsaw will be hosted by the Great Theatre (Teatr Wielki). Presented will be the impressive collection of Napoleonic items never shown outside Russia comprised of 180 exhibits owned by the Russian foundation Empire of History including paintings, engravings, weapons, uniforms parts, furniture and crafted arts from 19th century, mainly of the French provenience.

The exhibition scenography will be created by one of the world’s most respected theatre experts Valeryi Yakovlevich Levental. The exhibition will be opened to the public from 9th to 23rd July 2006.

On Sunday in Pultusk, the battlefield from December 1806 is going to witness the battle after the script inspired by true events. Specially created fragment of the old Pultusk, 1400 re-enactors in historic uniforms, pyrotechnic effects, live commentary and music will bring the unrepeatable experience. Large-scale and thoroughly prepared battle reconstruction will provide the attractive resource allowing the public to approach events from 200 years ago. After the military-historical program the public will see the festive defile of troops. In the evening hours halls of the Royal Chateau in Warsaw are going to host invited guests – generals, high officers, officials and groups’ leaders with their entourage. All the event participants will wear periodical garments.

On July 9th, the authentic battlefield from December 1806 in the band of the Narew River, not far from the Pultusk chateau will see the re-enactment of the battle after the scenario inspired by historic combats with exceptional sound and pyrotechnic effects as well as with huge decorations of the town of Pultusk. After the battle the audience will see the festive defile of participants in historic uniforms and the military parade. Visitors will be offered the unique possibility to witness the in Poland never-seen-before exhibition of the early 19th century warfare. Such exhibitions are worldwide known as re-enactment or so-called “living history”. Re-enactment events are very spectator attractive and much-frequented as they offer the visitors the exceptional insight to the history.

The event production was entrusted to the Czech company Davay Communications, s. r. o., the producer of the recent Austerlitz 2005 event – the Bicentennial of the battle of Austerlitz as well as numerous smaller and larger re-enactment events in Czechia and abroad since 1990.

A couple numbers:
The battle reconstruction will be performed by some 1500 members of groups of the Napoleonic military history from Poland, Russia, Czechia, Belarus, Ukraine, Lithuania, France, Belgium, United Kingdom and other countries next to 150 horses.

A brief history of the Polish campaign 1806-1807
Not even one year passed since the battle of Austerlitz and Europe saw the outbreak of the new war conflict. The Kingdom of Prussia, so far standing rather aside of the struggle of powers, declared the war on France as similarly as Austria in 1805, Prussians had underestimated the strength of Napoleon’s armies. They suffered defeats in battles of Jena and Auerstädt in October 1806, lost their capital but continued the resistance – the Russian re-enforcements were on their way. In late 1806, both powers clashed again. This time Poland – recently divided by the main participants of this conflict (except France) – became the war theatre. Naturally, France became the ally of both the local population and the political representation.

It is the Pultusk 2006 which is supposed to commemorate the early Polish campaign of 1806 and 1807. It is going to be the first of the series of events to be concluded with the commemoration the Peace of Tilsit in summer 2007. Only there the war of 1807 between France and Russia, opened by the Austerlitz campaign, saw the end

The battle of Pultusk (December 26th 1806) does not belong among the decisive general battles of the Napoleonic wars. On the French side was involved the Vth Corps of marshal Lannes and Gudin’s division (under general Daultanne) from the IIIrd Corps of marshal Davout, totally some 26.000 men. Marshal Lannes’ task was to capture the town of Pultusk and the local bridge across the Narew River. The core of French forcers advanced towards Golymin.

But the Russian army of some 40.000 men and 120 guns under general Benningsen stood right at Pultusk and the French had no notion about it. There general Benningsen’s intention was to strike a decisive battle against the enemy and dislocated his divisions into two lines southwest of the town. Neither of the two opponents was sure what forces he was facing. Marshal Lannes underestimated Russians and had thrown both his divisions into a fierce at-tack without hesitations.

French charges and Russian countercharges went on in a sea of mud and barrage of the December snow. The fierce fighting lasted several hours. The French were not able to hold gained positions and they were running out of energy. Luckily for them in the very breaking point general Daultanne with Gudin’s division arrived to the battlefield and immediately charged against the Russian right flank. Lannes restored the pressure in his direction, too. However, the Russian army sustained the countercharge and around 8 PM the battle slowly ended. Bennigsen suspected that French reinforcements are much stronger and that he would not be able to face them the next morning. Therefore he had decided to order general retreat and demolish the bridge across Narew. Following that the French seized the town.

According to different sources the French lost 2.000-8.000 dead, wounded and captured, Rus-sians some 3.000-5.000. From the tactical point of view Benningsen could be considered as the winner as he was able to repel the French attack. Lannes, saved from the defeat by general Daultanne in the last minute took the important strategic success. The battle of Pultusk is the notable event. Not because of some interesting tactical maneuver, set plan as at Austerlitz for example but of exceptionally unfavorable weather conditions, persistence of both struggling sides as well as uncertainty and mistakes of both commanders-in-chief of whom one was the luckier.

In case of interest for more press information, please contact Mrs. Katarzyna Jacobson (+48 606 823 148)

Contacts:
Production company Davay Communications, s. r. o.