Walking from Moscow to Vilnius... in wintertime, following the Grande Armée

A historical walk combined with wit and music, resulting in a book and a stage play.

Two musicians, also visual artists, are travelling through history while adopting a tremendously slow pace. For they will travel the distance between Moscow and Vilnius by means of their own legs. Exactly 200 years after the events, day by day, two men follow the trail that the severely mutilated army of Napoleon took when leaving Moscow in 1812, pursued by Kutuzov’s army. 

Their questions: are there any traces left between Moscow and Vilnius of the events that occurred in the early winter days of 1812 on Russian soil? The battles? the dead? The anger, the fear or the pride? Monuments, graves, songs? But these two men will go further than facts and stones. Dimi and Karsten, respective

ly from Belgium and the Netherlands, will be looking for food, shelter and warmth in a strange environment, walking about 1000 kilometres in cold and dark times. They will walk in the footsteps of the great French emperor, his ‘Grand army’ and the courageous Russian army that followed and attacked them.

When:
This march is to take place from 16th of October 2012. It will take 52 days to accomplish it, lasting until the 7th of December 2012.

Want more information? cheramiski@gmail.com


World's smallest Grande Armée is supported by
- National Museum of Lithuania
- Rijksarchief Bruges, Belgium
- Davidsfonds editions, Belgium
- Sylvester Productions, Belgium
- ... by you?

(photographs Tine Van de Vel)