Maloyaroslavets

Maloyaroslavets stands above the Luzha on the road south-west from Moscow. The town was known as Yaroslavl in the lands of Prince Vladimir Andreyevich of Serpukhov, who left it to his son Yaroslav in his will at the beginning of the fifteenth century. The name Maloyaroslavets distinguished it from the larger Yaroslavl on the Volga.

Its position on the road to Kaluga brought the town into the path of Napoleon’s retreat from Moscow. On 24 October 1812 French troops crossed the Luzha and seized it, but Russian forces counterattacked. Fierce fighting moved through the streets and the town changed hands repeatedly. Although the French held the crossing after the battle, the Russian army remained in their path to the south. Napoleon turned back toward the devastated Smolensk road, leaving Maloyaroslavets badly damaged by the struggle.