The cities of modern Moscow area in 1812: history and historiography

Abstract

The work is devoted to the events of the Patriotic
War of 1812 on the territory of Moscow Province. The
researcher analyzes the way the hostilities influenced the
condition and further destiny of the city settlements and their
inhabitants in Moscow region. The author tries not to follow
the habit of praising the 12th year only as a military exploit of
the warring parties. On the basis of a concrete historical data
the author makes an attempt to analyze the war events as
disastrous for the civilian residents and notes their destructive
effect not only during the military campaign but even after it.
Special attention is given to the peculiarities and traditions
of describing this problem in historiography. Besides,
the article stresses the recent evolution of views on the problem
of city and war.