About 70,000 people will march on each other this Sunday until many of them are dead, or at least pretending to be dead, as history fans re-enact the battle of Borodino on the site of the mighty clash between Russian and French forces outside Moscow.
The re-enactment takes place to commemorate the 197th anniversary of the battle between the two armies led by Napoleon and General Mikhail Kutuzov.
The real battle, which involved more than 250,000 troops, was one of the bloodiest of the 19th century, and despite an apparent French victory it was pivotal to eventual Russian victory.
Volunteers will dress up in exact copies of military uniforms and follow precisely choreographed instructions as they re-enact the battle.
“I’ve decided to become a hussar,” said Timofei Leonov, who will take part Sunday, “It’s kind of extreme tourism. … You can even see Napoleon and Kutuzov hugging each other and posing for a photo. Where else is it possible to watch things like that? I can’t wait for this event every year.”
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