MOSCOW, January 12. /TASS/. Remains of about 60 soldiers who died during Napoleon’s retreat in November 1812 near Smolensk discovered during the Russian-French archeological dig in 2019 are planned to be reburied in Vyazma on February 13, the Foundation for the Development of Russian-French Historical Initiatives told TASS on Tuesday.
"This project is dedicated to the reburial of French soldiers killed in 1812 whose remains were found near Vyazma during the dig. The preparation process is underway, the details are being worked out, anthropologists haven’t finished their work yet. On February 13 in Vyazma, it is planned to rebury the remains of more than 60 people," the foundation said.
As it was reported earlier, the archeological project in the Smolensk Region was conducted since May 2019 under the auspices of the Trianon Dialogue French-Russian forum founded at the initiative of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron. The expedition was organized by the Foundation for the Development of Russian-French Historical Initiatives, the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Russian Military-Historical Society.
Within the framework of the project dedicated to the events of the war of 1812 a number of battlefields in the Smolensk Region were explored. For instance, the remains of Napoleon’s close friend, general Charles-Etienne Gudin, were unearthed. During the battle of Valutino he lost both legs and was evacuated to Smolensk where he soon died, his burial site was considered lost.