July 10 - Day of military glory!

A truly great, unforgettable Day of military glory is coming, dedicated to the valiant and difficult victory of Russian weapons in the Battle of Poltava on July 10, 1709. That was a long time ago. A.S. Pushkin dedicated one of his best poems to the battle, which became a turning point for the whole future history of our country. For nine years, the exhausting Northern War for domination of the Baltic Sea continued. For six years, there was a "window to Europe" cut through in 1703, St. Petersburg. The strongest at that time in the world, the army of Charles XII, temporarily stuck in the conquered Poland, would not let the city blossom on the Neva: the Swedes lost Yamburg, Koporye, Tartu, and Narva during this year. It was from what rage and crave revenge. And the young Russian tsar gradually transferred military operations to the territory of Poland (Rzeczpospolita), that step by step and led to a great battle for the primordially Russian, enemy-captured territory. Let's remember that both Karelia and Izhorskie lands have always belonged to Russia. In addition, there was a treacherous ripeness in Little Russia: hetman Mazepa made an alliance with the Swedish king, further strengthening Karl's army with the war-loving Cossacks. However, the Cossacks were not deceived for long, returning to the banner of the Russian Tsar. And now the battle is over.

The general forces of the Swedish army consisted of 11,000 units of cavalry and 15,000 infantrymen, 41 artillery pieces turned towards the Russian troops, and only a couple of thousands of Cossacks left on Karl's side took part in the Poltava battle. But in the ranks of the Russian army 87 infantry battalions (37 thousand fighters), 23,700 cavalry men, 8 thousand Cossacks fought! And 102 guns sent death to enemy ranks. A genius who managed to organize a battle unprecedented in his contemporaries and who gave the Day of Russia's military glory to you.

Peter I, called the Great, having won the Battle of Poltava, did everything to ensure that Sweden ceased to be a great power, yielding this honor to Russia.

The Swedes started the battle at 2 am. Nervous. We decided to take unawares. They seized the first two redoubts out of ten, while the Russians woke up and rebuilt. That's when the fun began. Day of military glory is not formed just so, his birth is expensive. More than 9 thousand slain Swedes, more than 3 thousand captured. The Russians have less, but also a lot, and it is inexpressibly a pity that almost one and a half thousand fellows lose lost and more than three thousand wounded.

After repeated nightly attempts to master all the longitudinal redoubts of the Russians in order to save the infantry from the fatal cannon fire, at 9 o'clock in the morning the Swedes built up the remnants of their troops for a decisive blow. The Russians were built opposite. The wall on the wall. First there was a gunfight, then hand-to-hand combat. Swedes fought their last efforts, stubbornly and defiantly. Even broke our left flank. King Peter noticed this in time and ahead of the battalion of the Novgorod regiment rushed to the very thick of the battle. How is it possible not to win in such circumstances ?! The king was not only brave, but also cunning. The division of grinded, experienced soldiers in the form of young soldiers. At that time, it was possible to tell the entire undercover of a completely unfamiliar person by clothes. And Charles XII was particularly well versed in the types of uniforms of the opposing side. I was glad when I saw the recruits of the fledgling people, I threw people into a breakthrough, and it was not there. The Swedes began to crush more and more and flank them. Yes, and the kernel flew directly into the cart of the Swedish king. The army was demoralized, the Zaporozhye Cossacks once again betrayed - they all camped and left in an unknown direction. Karl, wounded, ordered to raise himself on crossed peaks, the army appeared, tried to collect it together. But it was too late. The Swedish army was exsanguinated, and in Russia another Day of military glory appeared.

In the early twentieth century on the site of the Battle of Poltava, a museum-reserve was established. Nowadays it is the National Museum-Reserve "The Field of the Battle of Poltava", a worker of the living memory of generations. Days of military glory are held annually, for visitors on the territory of the reserve there is a museum, monuments to Peter I, Russian and Swedish soldiers, the place where Peter I camped, and many other things. In honor of the bicentenary of the Battle of Poltava, a commemorative medal was established. The day of the Battle of Poltava is remembered not only on the Day of Military Glory and not only in Russia. In addition to the beautiful lines of Pushkin in the poem "Poltava", there is a very readable novel of the contemporary nonconformist from Ukraine O. Kudrin, although the story in his novel is submitted quite alternatively. About this time, numerous films have been created, the opera Mazepa, and the Swedish heavy metal band Sabaton sings a song about the Battle of Poltava.