The monument to the 17th Infantry Division of General Olsufiev was erected on the Utitsky Kurgan in 1912, to the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Borodino, according to the project of an unknown architect. It was a white-stone column that darkened over time, on a tetrahedral pyramidal base, with white marble memorial plates. The column is crowned with an Orthodox six-pointed cross. The monument was severely damaged during the October battles of 1941 with Nazi invaders moving from the Minsk highway to the Borodino railway station. On the column, numerous chips are visible from a direct hit of shells. At one time, apparently, there was a threat of destruction of the monument, so the column shaft in some places was covered (pulled together) by metal rings. Losses of the division on the day of the battle of Borodino amounted to: 246 people killed, 851 wounded and 540 missing. Subsequently, the 17th Infantry Division distinguished itself in the battles of Tarutin, Maloyaroslavets, Vyazma and Krasnoye, participated in foreign campaigns of 1813-1814. And she ended her military career by entering Paris in March 1814.
Translated by Google •
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