St. Petersburg celebrates 210th anniversary of Paris conquest
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On March 31, 1814, Russian forces were able to enter France and capture its capital, Paris, paving the way to Napoleon's fall.
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A Russian national flag is at half-mast over the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia, Sunday, March 24, 2024. (AP)
Soon after the start of the war between Russia and France in 1812, Russian troops stormed Paris and took control of the capital, devastating the French army and ending the Napoleonic era.
On March 31, 2024, the Russian city of St. Petersburg celebrated the 210th anniversary of the invasion of Paris. The Cossacks ignited celebrations at the sound of cannons firing from the historic Petropavlovsk fort, while a seminar was held soon after at the Military-Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineer and Signal Corps commemorating Tsarist Russia's triumphs in 1812.
The Battle of Borodino began when the Russian army intercepted Napoleon's attack on Moscow on September 7, 1812, and signified the beginning of the end of Napoleon's army, which suffered consistent, heavy losses over the following months, leading up to Russia's arrival in Paris on March 31, 1814.
Honoring the Russian forces' heroism against the French army, a historical seminar was held, during which historians discussed the national 1812-1814 war, led by General Mikhail Kutuzov and his army of 150,000 Russian soldiers, including the Cossack forces, against Napoleon's forces. Political, spiritual, and academic figures, as well as military students, were among those attending and participating.
The Vice Chairman of the Committee on Racial Relations and Immigration Policy Implementation of St. Petersburg highlighted the role Russia played in conquering Paris during that era, and detailed how their forces entered the French capital after France's Foreign Minister at the time, Talleyrand, willfully surrendered the keys of the city to Emperor Alexander I.
Despite being targeted by the citizens of France, at the request of their government, the Russian forces proved their proficiency and ability to protect and preserve the city's essence, and did not attack its population, contrary to what Western history claims.
On April 4, 1814, Napoleon Bonaparte was dethroned, just days after the arrival of the Russian forces in Paris.
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