The Black Virgin of Smolensk

At the battle of Borodino, the Russian clergy travelled around the Russian columns displaying the icon below. Many officers and soldiers who served in the Russian defence against Napoleon in 1812 recall this episode in their memoirs and accounts. The anniversary of the battle is next month and I will be posting in detail about the significance of the biggest battle in Europe before the First World War. And that's including Crimea and the Franco-Prussian war.