World: Reconstruction

Recently St. Petersburg hosted the sixth festival of military and historical reconstruction "First World." Fotoblogger Anton Agarkov not miss the opportunity to talk with re-enactors and make this interesting report.

17 photos via anton-agarkov

Late autumn is not only the first snow and frost, sad thoughts and anxieties. Gloomy weather of that period pushes to delve into the past, to consider in the best dramatic pages of our history. Maybe it's that when I was invited for the reconstruction of hostilities of World War I, held in St. Petersburg, I readily agreed. In the northern capital in the sixth festival of military and historical reconstruction "First World" enthusiasts have been fighting to recover in 1914 and 1917 in the eastern and western fronts.

1. Peter greeted me with cloudy weather and snow timid. A thin layer of snow covered the trees and alleys, gave Ekateringof park where the festival was to be held, a special cold charm. On the narrow alleys of the park, I noticed a few people with covers characteristic elongated shape - enactors with weapons and uniforms pulled up to the battlefield.





2. In the maze of lanes and canals of the park I immediately found a German camp, incidentally stumbled upon the camp of the Imperial Russian Army. Reenactors already dotting tables and melted samovars. From close-spaced loudspeakers came the military marches of the century.



3. As with the preparations had been completed, and it was time to run for the position, the German soldiers lined up in a column and marched to the beat of the drum through the park to the place of the total harvest. Commanders from both sides have begun to address organizational issues and simple reconstruction of the participants exchanged greetings and got blank ammunition cartridges.



4. Battlefield fenced striped ribbon passage for which the audience was not admitted



5. But the organizational issues are resolved, and both groups - Imperial Russian Army and the Germans go to their starting positions. Meanwhile, the leading festival told the audience that is now before them unfold the events in 1914 on the eastern front - enactors recreate in miniature the East Prussian operation, which resulted in was completely destroyed by the second army commanded by General Samsonov. The German and Austrian army troops dug in on the edge of the field, put heavy machine gun, took a favorable position and waited.



6. Instead of sand bags stuffed with fallen leaves



7. After a few minutes on the other side of the field seemed convoy troops Russian Imperial Army. After a few seconds sounded the first shots lurking in ambush German infantry. Taken by surprise, the Russian soldiers hastily regrouped and took up defensive positions.



8. Several times Russian soldiers tried to get up and go on the attack, but every time they attempt to cut short the German machine gun.



9. Commentator: & quot; ... But the German dastardly blow bayonet-knife in the back interrupts this breakthrough ... & quot;



10. In the end, with heavy losses Russian still managed to destroy the machine gunner and move into the German line of defense. of having met fierce resistance from the Germans, they retreated and went into a deep defense.



11. Cossack orderlies carry the wounded from the battlefield



12. At the first fight ended, and the audience took to the field to take pictures with the re-enactors and ask them about the fight and gear.



13. But a long talk with the audience re-enactors did not - in front of them waiting for a new battle, which still had to be ready.



14. According to the scenario in the upcoming battle had come together the combined forces of the second Russian expeditionary corps, the French, the British and American armies against the fifth Rorskogo assault battalion. These events occurred on the western front in 1917. At this time the fight was supposed to develop a different scenario - Allied troops who took the defense had to hold back the onslaught of the German columns of stormtroopers.



15. His attack German ground attack began with mortar fire positions allies



16. Over the field team swept «Gasen!» ...



17. ... And Allied soldiers disappeared in the dense smoke gas attack



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