Third city by population. The largest cities in Russia. The city's economy consists of the main industries

or the largest cities in the world by area they occupy in square kilometers

What is a city?

The encyclopedic dictionary gives the following interpretation: « City- a populated area whose residents are usually employed outside Agriculture. The classification of a settlement as a “city” is formalized by law; At the same time, the criterion for the city's population varies - from 200 people in Iceland before 30 thousand people in Japan......In Russia, a city must have at least 12 thousand inhabitants and at least 85% of the population employed outside agriculture".

At the same time, from general rules always exist exceptions, in particular in Russia until now smallest in population and wherein with city status is a new city Innopolis, with a population at the time of receiving city status in 2012 of only 10 people, and as of January 1, 2016 with a population of 96 people.

What territory is included in the concept of “largest city”?

The main sources of data on the size of urban areas are statistical authorities, and for statistical purposes, each city is primarily an administrative unit (municipal entity).

In other words - territory controlled by the city administration and is called a city or urban district.

This is where situations arise when in 1st place among the most big cities world by territory is a Chinese city Chongqing, in which most of the territory is agricultural land, around the former city border. IN in this case the expansion of the administrative boundaries of the city is associated with the desire of the administration to urbanize rural areas, increasing population density.



Chongqing (China). Largest city in the world by area

Therefore, in the list of the largest cities in terms of the area occupied by the territory one can find very small cities with a population of 20,000 - 30,000 people, and at the same time the territory occupied by them is comparable to multimillion-dollar cities- the only difference is that in cities with a population of millions there is a high population density over the entire or most of the city’s territory, and in cities with a small population, this is usually the area around the main building with a low population density.

What is included in the city territory? Examples.

The largest cities in the world by area in square kilometers may include within their administrative boundaries, in addition to land territory, Also water area. This is most typical for cities on the water, in particular in the American New York, where the water area is more than 35% of the total area of ​​the city.



New York (USA). More than 35% of the city's territory is water

Also a frequent option for large cities, but with a small population, are cities with one main source of income (mining coal, ore and other minerals), when a relatively large mining area, where few people live, is included in administrative boundaries of the city.

A similar example is mountain ranges, territories of nature reserves, natural parks adjacent to the territory of the city, as well as cities in which residents live mainly in private houses and, accordingly, have a low population density, typical for cities Australia.



Brisbane (Australia). Most of the residents of this city of 2 million live in private houses

Scattered across different parts of a large country. Cities with a population of over a million are the center of attraction for millions of tourists from all over the world, migrants, students and workers. Population statistics are compiled from the annual population census by RosStat. It is worth noting that the population includes only citizens who permanently reside in the territory of a particular city. The following are the most populated cities in Russia.

1. Moscow

Moscow is the largest city in Russia both in terms of population and area. A population of 12,330,126 people inhabits both sides of the city’s waterway, the Moscow River. The capital of the state, Moscow, is the most multinational city in Russia: migrants, students, workers and tourists come here from all over the country.

Ten facts about Moscow:

  • large international center economics and trade;
  • a major industrial hub of the country;
  • one of the best and largest educational centers for Russian and foreign students;
  • a large number of research institutes are located in Moscow;
  • more than 50 directions in religion;
  • a large cultural and historical center of the European part of Russia;
  • the country's largest transport interchange: 3 river ports (Moscow in Soviet times was called the “port of 5 seas”), 9 railway stations, 5 airports with directions to all corners of the planet;
  • Moscow is the “zero kilometer”, all roads lead here;
  • tourist center of the country;
  • the capital is one of the top five cities in the world in terms of the number of dollar billionaires living there.

Petrograd, also known as Leningrad or St. Petersburg in short, is located along the sovereign course of the Neva River and its coastal granite. Many poems have been written about the beautiful city located between Ladoga and the Neva Bay of the Gulf of Finland, near the Baltic Sea. This big city is shrouded in secrets and legends. Walking along its streets, you walk along the streets of Dostoevsky, Gogol or Tsvetaeva. Populationis 5,225,690 people with a population density of 3,631 people. per square kilometer with a total area of ​​the city of 1439 km².

Ten facts about St. Petersburg:

  • northern Venice is the second name of the northern capital due to the huge number of large and small rivers, tributaries and canals and the similarity with Venetian streets;
  • St. Petersburg is listed in the Red Book for the total length of tram tracks within the city - 600 kilometers;
  • the deepest metro in the world, the depth of some stations reaches 80 meters;
  • “White Nights” is one of the main attractions that attracts tourists to the cultural capital;
  • in St. Petersburg there is the tallest cathedral in Russia - the Peter and Paul Cathedral, whose spire height is 122.5 meters;
  • The Hermitage is a world-famous museum that attracts tourists from all over the world, its corridors are 20 kilometers long, and a tourist who wants to get acquainted with all the exhibits of the museum will need several years to complete this mission;
  • The question that every tourist in the city asks is what is the total number of bridges in St. Petersburg? 447, this is the number in the register of the Mostotrest company, which services the city’s bridges;
  • Peterhof is an engineering marvel. Fountain Park, which was laid out in the times of Peter the Great, but to this day none of the fountains has a pumping installation, but only a carefully designed pipeline;
  • Peter “chooses” residents for himself, and not the resident chooses him. Not every person can withstand the damp and humid climate of the city, which is at times very gray and foggy;
  • The architecture of St. Petersburg is similar to the architecture of neighboring countries of the European Union - Tallinn on the Estonian side and Helsinki on the Finnish side.

3. Novosibirsk

The city was awarded last place in the top three most populated cities in Russia. It is the center of Siberian industry and trade, research and educational activities, cultural, business and tourism spheres of the district. The Siberian capital is home to 1,584,138 people, while the city area is only 505 km².

Novosibirsk is a city with a very developed infrastructure and economy, and it is a point of attraction for those migrating from nearby cities, regions, republics and even neighboring states.

Five interesting facts about Novosibirsk:

  • Most long metro bridge located in the capital of the Siberian Federal District;
  • the Opera and Ballet Theater in Novosibirsk is a theatrical building that is the first largest in Russia and the second in the world;
  • Planning Street is both parallel and perpendicular to itself, forming 2 intersections;
  • the only museum of the Sun in Russia is located in the city;
  • Novosibirsk Akademgorodok is a large educational and research center in the Siberian Federal District.

4. Ekaterinburg

Ekaterinburg, formerly Sverdlovsk, ranks 4th among Russian cities with a population exceeding one million people (1,444,439 people with a total city area of ​​1,142 square kilometers). The Trans-Siberian Railway and six major highways pass through this huge transport and sorting center, which occupies a huge niche in Russian logistics. Yekaterinburg is an industrial city with developed industry in a variety of fields, from optical-mechanical to light and food industries.

5. Nizhny Novgorod

Gorky until 1990, or “Nizhny” in common parlance, was a million-plus city and an auto giant in the Volga Federal District. Founded during the time of Prince Yuri Vsevolodovich, Nizhny Novgorod, stretching on both sides of the Oka, today has a population of 1,266,871 people and is the fifth largest city in Russia. The city's area is only 410 km², but a large seaport, Russia's largest automobile manufacturing plant, a concern engaged in the manufacture and production of military equipment, an aircraft plant and a shipbuilding plant are concentrated here. In addition to its industrial development, Nizhny Novgorod is famous for its Kremlin and extraordinary architecture. This is a wonderful city for tourism. Even the most experienced traveler will be delighted with the beauty of Nizhny Novgorod.

The city has an area of ​​425 square kilometers with a population of 1,216,965 people and a population density of 2,863 people per square kilometer. The capital of Tatarstan has its own Kremlin and a fairly rich architectural heritage, which encourages tourism among Russians and foreign residents. Kazan is not just a beautiful and large city, but also a center of international trade and economics, education, tourism with an interesting historical past.

The population of Chelyabinsk is 1,191,994 people per 530 square kilometers, which in terms of density is 2,379 people per square kilometer. “The Harsh City,” as it is jokingly called, has a lot of funny stories and facts: the meteorological Hyperion brick, Kaganovichgrad, the forest in the city center, the Chelyabinsk meteorite, Stalin in the Chelyabinsk prison... Are you interested? Then it's time to go to Chelyabinsk on an excursion!

An important and fairly large industrial and transport center, where a well-known oil refinery is located both in Russia and abroad. The significant city of Omsk is also for tourists: the Assumption Cathedral for foreigners is included in the list of “main attractions in the world”, and the Vatican includes the Okunevsky Sanctuary among the holy places of world significance. The population of the administrative center-capital of the Omsk region is 1,178,079, while the area of ​​Omsk is only 572.9,572 km².

The millionaire city, which previously had the name Kuibyshev, is known for its historically important places that have become tourist attractions: the Iversky Convent, the Lutheran Church, the Catholic Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Cathedral Square - now Kuibyshev Square - the first in size in Europe and the fifth in the world. Every year, hundreds of thousands of residents of the country come here to the Grushinsky Festival of Bard Song. A population of 1,170,910 people lives in the city, whose area is 382 sq. km.

10. Rostov-on-Don

Rostov, popularly called “Rostov-papa”, is a city of federal significance in the south of Russia. It is big, beautiful, noisy. The phrase “Rostov-papa, Odessa-mama” often hurts the ear - this is a historically established expression - both cities were criminal capitals competing with each other. With a rather small city area of ​​348 square kilometers, the population of Rostov is 1,119,875 people. and ranks 10th in the ranking of the largest cities in Russia by population.

Russia is large and multifaceted. The largest cities in Russia have always been its hearts, just as the village has been its soul. Even medieval travelers called Rus' “Gardarika” - “land of cities”.

The country, like the whole world, did not escape the process of urbanization, during which megacities appeared. Below is a list of the largest cities in Russia by population today.

Capital Russian Federation Moscow, which is typical for most countries, also tops the top 10 largest cities in Russia. Officially, the city's population is slightly higher than 12 million people, but experts believe that in practice this number is much higher.

With the exception of the period 1712-1918. Moscow has always been the capital of states located on the territory of present-day Russia. Over the years of its development, Moscow has turned into a metropolis. Even after many surrounding areas became part of Moscow, the capital is the most populous city in Russia. One Moscow district in terms of population exceeds any city in the Moscow region.

The capital is a center of historical monuments, the main one of which is the Kremlin. This is the sacred center of Russia, which has seen key moments in the country’s history.

The walls of the Novodevichy Convent will not be inferior to the ancient Kremlin. Moscow museums themselves deserve a visit to the city. The life and work of the greatest Russian cultural masters are connected with Moscow, and this also enhances the historical flavor of the city.

If all Russian million-plus cities want to be called some kind of capital, then St. Petersburg is recognized as the cultural capital almost officially. However, the city, located in the north-west of the country, was also the political capital of Russia, taking the palm away from Moscow for two centuries.

The founding date of St. Petersburg was 1703, when Peter the Great founded the Peter and Paul Fortress. St. Petersburg was built for many years according to a rather primitive, but existing plan, so it still amazes with the severity of its lines, despite the difficult terrain.

The concentration of historical and architectural monuments, among which the Winter Palace and the Hermitage located in it, St. Isaac's Cathedral and Peter-Pavel's Fortress, has no analogues in the world.

The world's northernmost million-plus city (population 5.2 million) also attracts tourists with museums, theaters and surrounding palace complexes.

St. Petersburg is not a frozen monument. It houses the authorities Northwestern district Russian Federation, heavy and light industry and more than a hundred universities.

The former Novo-Nikolaevsk is the youngest Russian city with a population of more than a million. It was founded in 1893, and received city status ten years later. The metropolis on the Ob River owes its existence and rapid development to the Great Siberian Route.

Due to its short history, the third most populous (2016) settlement in the country cannot boast of an abundance of architectural and antique monuments. It is famous primarily as a transport, industrial and scientific center. Founded in 1957, Akademgorodok became scientific center of global significance.

There is a metro in the city, and the unique metro bridge across the Ob River is the longest in the world.

Novosibirsk is also famous for its opera and ballet theater, for which the largest building in Russia was built, and the zoo, where you can see species not preserved in nature.

The capital of the Urals stands out among cities with a population of one million for its compactness - only 15 km wide and 20 km long. Yekaterinburg was founded in 1723. Half a century later it became the most important point of communication between the European and Asian parts of Russia.

However, the Ural city of one and a half million people does not live by transport alone. After the revolution, Sverdlovsk became a powerful industrial base. Local factories produce a huge range of industrial products.

There are about 600 architectural monuments in Yekaterinburg, most of them are located in the Historical Center. Museums commemorate such historical milestones as the death of Russian Emperor Nicholas II and the beginning of the political career of the first Russian President B. Yeltsin.

Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan

Located at the confluence of the Oka and Volga, the city with a population of 1.27 million people, Nizhny Novgorod was founded back in 1221. From the walls of his Kremlin during the Great Troubles, the militia of Minin and Pozharsky left for Moscow.

After military affairs, Nizhny Novgorod residents moved on to partly peaceful affairs. Before the revolution, the local fair thundered throughout Europe, and the military factories built under the USSR made a great contribution to the Great Victory.

Now in Nizhny Novgorod there are the famous GAZ, an aircraft plant, a shipbuilding plant and large enterprises other industries. Developing in the spirit of the times modern technologies– there are branches of the largest IT companies in the city.

In addition to the Kremlin, historical attractions include the Art Museum, the A. M. Gorky House Museum and the A. Pushkin Museum. There are three academic theaters. An interesting attraction is the Chkalov Stairs. The descent, named after the pilot, is the longest in Russia and bypasses the Odessa Potemkin Stairs in terms of height difference.

Kazan divides its history almost in half into Tatar and imperial parts. Even before the conquest by Ivan the Terrible, Kazan was the capital, which is very uncharacteristic for Russian megacities. Accordingly, the appearance of Kazan combines the features of two cultures. The main attractions of Kazan, in addition to the Kremlin, are mosques and Christian churches.

Kazan is developing very dynamically. Behind last years Many interesting architectural and sports structures were built. These are the Millennium Bridge, the Pyramid entertainment complex, the Rubin stadium and a number of facilities built for the Universiade.

Chelyabinsk, Omsk

The eighth most populous Russian metropolis is located in the Urals, on the Miass River. Chelyabinsk has gone through approximately the same development path as Yekaterinburg: from a transport hub to a commercial and industrial center. By the end of the 19th century. it received the name “Gateway to Siberia”, becoming a powerful crossroads of trade routes.

The 20th century, despite the negative vicissitudes, continued the vector of development of the city. Not only new enterprises appeared here, but also scientific and cultural institutions. However, today's Chelyabinsk does not inspire reverence among tourists. The city looks unkempt and dirty even in the very center. Even local authorities acknowledge problems with landscaping.

Omsk is located at the confluence of the Ob and Irtysh in the place where the Trans-Siberian Railway crosses the Irtysh. This advantageous location attracted the attention of Russian explorers, but only in 1716 was a full-fledged settlement organized here.

However, the second of the largest cities in Siberia has not received such rapid development as other advantageously located settlements. It rather remained a military settlement interspersed with civilian enterprises. Industry began to appear only in the years Soviet power, and she later became the scourge of Omsk.

The largest oil refinery in Europe is located here, which does not add to the purity of the atmosphere, and a number of other polluting enterprises.

Nevertheless, Omsk residents also find good features in their city. They see the sun more than 300 days a year, which is comparable to Cyprus and Spain. There are as many as 10 bridges across the Irtysh in the city. The main architectural monument, the Assumption Cathedral, is very beautiful in the evening illumination.

Samara - a pearl on the Volga

At the confluence of the Samara and the Volga there is a large industrial center with a population of just over a million people. The city, founded at the end of the 16th century, is the seventh largest city in Russia by population. At first it was a district, then a provincial center.

Before the revolution, Samara developed as a place of trade and a transport hub, and under Soviet rule it became a powerful industrial center. The city (then Kuibyshev) acquired such importance that in 1941 it became the reserve capital of the USSR. Modern Samara has overcome the decline of the end of the last century. The military-industrial complex and aerospace industry enterprises are gradually being revived.

The description of the sights of Samara is replete with the definition of “the most”. Samara Station is the highest in Europe. The embankment is the longest, and Kuibyshev Square is the largest.

Architectural researchers identify 5 stages of development in the city, from ancient city to "Cosmic Kuibyshev". Among the monuments, the Soyuz rocket memorial complex stands out. Yuri Gagarin went into space on this carrier, assembled in Samara.

Rostov-on-Don closes the list of the most populated cities in Russia. The decree establishing a customs house on the current site of Rostov was signed on December 15, 1749. The port, protected by a fortress, quickly gained trade momentum. Numerous settlers came here, whose descendants still give Rostov a unique flavor.

Modern Rostov is very beautiful. In addition to the architectural monuments, of which there are almost 500, the largest zoo in Europe, many beautiful parks and fountains have been created. Embankment named after Ushakova is considered a separate attraction. The Rostov Cathedral, the building of the City Duma and the house of A. Solzhenitsyn are considered architectural monuments.

Above are the largest cities in Russia by population. There is, however, an important caveat. The number of residents is only one of the criteria for assessing the size of a city.

The largest city in the Moscow region in terms of population, Balashikha, is three times smaller in area than Khimki.

So on general question, which is the largest city in Russia, anyone can confidently answer - Moscow. However, if you ask the average person to name the largest cities in Russia by area, then the top three, besides the usual Moscow and St. Petersburg, is unlikely to include Volgograd, which does not even fall into the top ten largest cities in Russia by population.

    According to the All-Russian Population Census, as of October 14, 2010, there were 1,287 urban-type settlements in Russia. Of these, 206 have a population of more than 10 thousand inhabitants. No. Urban settlement Region Population, thousand people (2002)… …Wikipedia

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List of cities in the world by population with a population of more than 4 million people as of January 2015. There are 3 cities with a population of more than 20 million people and 16 cities with a population of more than 10 million people. The largest cities are Shanghai (24,150,000 people), Karachi (23,500,000) and Beijing (21,150,000). Among the largest cities there are two Russian ones: Moscow (10th place) and St. Petersburg (43rd place). The table shows the population of cities excluding suburbs.

Cities by population

# City Population (persons) City area (km 2) Population density (persons/km 2) A country
1 Shanghai 24,150,000 (with rural suburbs) 6 340,50 3 809 PRC PRC
2 Karachi 23 500 000 3 527,00 6 663 Pakistan Pakistan
3 Beijing 21,516,000 (with rural suburbs) 16 410,54 1 311 PRC PRC
4 Delhi 16 314 838 1 484,00 7 846 India India
5 Lagos 15 118 780 999,58 17 068 Nigeria Nigeria
6 Istanbul 13 854 740 5 461,00 6 467 Turkey Turkey
7 Guangzhou 13 080 500 3 843,43 3 305 PRC PRC
8 Mumbai 12 478 447 603,40 20 680 India India
9 Tokyo 13 370 198 622,99 14 562 Japan Japan
10 Moscow 12 197 596 2 561,50 4 814 Russia, Russia
11 Dhaka 12 043 977 815,80 14 763 Bangladesh Bangladesh
12 Cairo 11 922 949 3 085,10 3 864 Egypt Egypt
13 Sao Paulo 11 895 893 1 521,11 7 762 Brazil Brazil
14 Lahore 11 318 745 1 772,00 3 566 Pakistan Pakistan
15 Shenzhen 10 467 400 1 991,64 5 255 PRC PRC
16 Seoul 10 388 055 605,21 17 164 The Republic of Korea The Republic of Korea
17 Jakarta 9 988 329 664,12 15 040 Indonesia Indonesia
18 Kinshasa 9 735 000 1 117,62 8 710 Democratic Republic Congo Democratic Republic of the Congo
19 Tianjin 9 341 844 4 037,00 2 314 PRC PRC
20 Mexico City 8 874 724 1 485,49 5 974 Mexico Mexico
21 Lima 8 693 387 2 672,30 3 253 Peru Peru
22 Bangalore 8 425 970 709,50 11 876 India India
23 London 8 416 535 1 572,15 5 354 UK UK
24 NY 8 405 837 783,84 10 724 USA USA
25 Bangkok 8 280 925 1 568,74 5 280 Thailand Thailand
26 Dongguan 8 220 207 2 469,40 3 329 PRC PRC
27 Tehran 8 154 051 686,00 11 886 Iran Iran
28 Ahmedabad 8 029 975 475,00 11 727 India India
29 Bogota 7 776 845 859,11 9 052 Colombia Colombia
30 Ho Chi Minh City 7 681 700 2 095,60 3 667 Vietnam Vietnam
31 Hong Kong 7 219 700 1 104,43 6 537 PRC PRC
32 Baghdad 7 180 889 4 555,00 1 577 Iraq Iraq
33 Wuhan 6 886 253 1 327,61 5 187 PRC PRC
34 Hyderabad 6 809 970 621,48 10 958 India India
35 Hanoi 6 844 100 3 323,60 2 059 Vietnam Vietnam
36 Luanda 6 542 944 2 257,00 2 899 Angola Angola
37 Rio de Janeiro 6 429 923 1 200,27 5 357 Brazil Brazil
38 Foshan 6 151 622 2 034,62 3 023 PRC PRC
39 Santiago 5 743 719 1 249,90 4 595 Chile Chile
40 Riyadh 5 676 621 1 233,98 4 600 Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia
41 Singapore 5 399 200 712,40 7 579 Singapore Singapore
42 Shantou 5 391 028 2 064,42 2 611 PRC PRC
43 Saint Petersburg 5 225 690 1 439,00 3 631 Russia, Russia
44 Pune 5 049 968 450,69 6 913 India India
45 Ankara 5 045 083 1 910,92 2 282 Turkey Turkey
46 Chennai 4 792 949 426,51 21 057 India India
47 Abidjan 4 765 000 2 119,00 2 249 Cote d'Ivoire Cote d'Ivoire
48 Chengdu 4 741 929 421,00 11 260 PRC PRC
49 Yangon 4 714 000 598,75 7 873 Myanmar Myanmar
50 Alexandria 4 616 625 2 300,00 2 007 Egypt Egypt
51 Chongqing 4 513 137 1 435,07 3 145 PRC PRC
52 Calcutta 4 486 679 200,70 24 252 India India
53 Xi'an 4 467 837 832,17 5 388 China

Links

  • . geogoroda.ru. Retrieved July 14, 2016.

An excerpt characterizing the List of cities in the world by population

Napoleon enters Moscow after a brilliant victory de la Moskowa; there can be no doubt about victory, since the battlefield remains with the French. The Russians retreat and give up the capital. Moscow, filled with provisions, weapons, shells and untold riches, is in the hands of Napoleon. The Russian army, twice as weak as the French, did not make a single attack attempt for a month. Napoleon's position is most brilliant. In order to fall with double forces on the remnants of the Russian army and destroy it, in order to negotiate an advantageous peace or, in case of refusal, to make a threatening move towards St. Petersburg, in order to even, in case of failure, return to Smolensk or Vilna , or stay in Moscow - in order, in a word, to maintain the brilliant position in which the French army was at that time, it would seem that no special genius is needed. To do this, it was necessary to do the simplest and easiest thing: to prevent the troops from looting, to prepare winter clothes, which would be enough in Moscow for the entire army, and to properly collect the provisions that were in Moscow for more than six months (according to French historians) for the entire army. Napoleon, this most brilliant of geniuses and who had the power to control the army, as historians say, did nothing of this.
Not only did he not do any of this, but, on the contrary, he used his power to choose from all the paths of activity that were presented to him that which was the stupidest and most destructive of all. Of all the things that Napoleon could do: winter in Moscow, go to St. Petersburg, go to Nizhny Novgorod, go back, north or south, the way that Kutuzov later went - well, whatever he could come up with, was stupider and more destructive than what he did Napoleon, that is, to remain in Moscow until October, leaving the troops to plunder the city, then, hesitating, to leave or not to leave the garrison, to leave Moscow, to approach Kutuzov, not to start a battle, to go to the right, to reach Maly Yaroslavets, again without experiencing the chance of breaking through , to go not along the road that Kutuzov took, but to go back to Mozhaisk and along the devastated Smolensk road - nothing more stupid than this, nothing more destructive for the army could be imagined, as the consequences showed. Let the most skillful strategists come up with, imagining that Napoleon’s goal was to destroy his army, come up with another series of actions that would, with the same certainty and independence from everything that the Russian troops did, would destroy the entire French army, like what Napoleon did.
The genius Napoleon did it. But to say that Napoleon destroyed his army because he wanted it, or because he was very stupid, would be just as unfair as to say that Napoleon brought his troops to Moscow because he wanted it, and because that he was very smart and brilliant.
In both cases, his personal activity, which had no more power than the personal activity of each soldier, only coincided with the laws according to which the phenomenon took place.
It is completely false (only because the consequences did not justify Napoleon’s activities) that historians present to us Napoleon’s forces as weakened in Moscow. He, just as before and after, in the 13th year, used all his skill and strength to do the best for himself and his army. Napoleon's activities during this time were no less amazing than in Egypt, Italy, Austria and Prussia. We do not know truly the extent to which Napoleon’s genius was real in Egypt, where forty centuries they looked at his greatness, because all these great exploits were described to us only by the French. We cannot correctly judge his genius in Austria and Prussia, since information about his activities there must be drawn from French and German sources; and the incomprehensible surrender of corps without battles and fortresses without siege should incline the Germans to recognize genius as the only explanation for the war that was waged in Germany. But, thank God, there is no reason for us to recognize his genius in order to hide our shame. We paid for the right to look at the matter simply and directly, and we will not give up this right.
His work in Moscow is as amazing and ingenious as everywhere else. Orders after orders and plans after plans emanate from him from the time he entered Moscow until he left it. The absence of residents and deputations and the very fire of Moscow do not bother him. He does not lose sight of the welfare of his army, nor the actions of the enemy, nor the welfare of the peoples of Russia, nor the administration of the valleys of Paris, nor diplomatic considerations about the upcoming conditions of peace.

In military terms, immediately upon entering Moscow, Napoleon strictly orders General Sebastiani to monitor the movements of the Russian army, sends corps along different roads and orders Murat to find Kutuzov. Then he diligently gives orders to strengthen the Kremlin; then he makes an ingenious plan for a future campaign across the entire map of Russia. In terms of diplomacy, Napoleon calls to himself the robbed and ragged captain Yakovlev, who does not know how to get out of Moscow, sets out to him in detail all his policies and his generosity and, writing a letter to Emperor Alexander, in which he considers it his duty to inform his friend and brother that Rastopchin made bad decisions in Moscow, he sends Yakovlev to St. Petersburg. Having outlined his views and generosity in the same detail to Tutolmin, he sends this old man to St. Petersburg for negotiations.

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