Nicholas II: The Centennial, Art, Spectacle, and Historical Memory

In the summer of 1912, the Russian Ministry of War hosted a number of exhibitions and festivals in commemoration of the centennial of the Battle of Borodino. Preparations for these activities were begun in 1910, when the Ministry of War created the Joint Committee for the Preparation of the Centennial Jubilee, which was headed by General Vladimir Glazov, former head of General Staff Academy and Minister of Education since 1904. The Joint Committee helped found the Museum of 1812, which was built in Moscow to house an exhibition of paintings and artifacts related to the war. The new museum included a large panoramic painting of the Battle of Borodino by the artist Rubo. The panorama, commissioned by two Russian generals, was to be hung in a building designed by the military engineer Colonel P. A. Vorontsov-Veliaminov. Alongside their plans for Moscow, the Joint Committee prepared for a series of ceremonies that would be held at the Borodino battlefield—many of these would be attended by the Tsar and his family. The significance of these events was expressed in a press release issued by the Joint Committee: