French invasion of Russia subject of much discussion among historians. The campaign's sustained role in Russian culture may be seen in Tolstoy's "War and Peace", Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture", and the identification of it with the German invasion of 1941–45, which became known as the "Great Patriotic War" in the Soviet Union. French invasion of Russia The French invasion of Russia, known in Russia as the Patriotic War of 1812 () and in France as the Russian Campaign (), began on 24 June 1812 when Napoleon's crossed the Neman River in an attempt to engage and defeat the Russian army. Napoleon hoped to compel Tsar
Monument to Leo Tolstoy on Prechistenka Monument to Leo Tolstoy on Prechistenka The Monument to Leo Tolstoy on Prechistenka () was installed in Moscow in the courtyard of the State Museum of Leo Tolstoy (11, Prechistenka Street). Granite sculpture was made in 1913 by sculptor S. D. Merkurov. At the present place has been since 1972. In November 1910 the sculptor S. D. Merkurov removed the death mask from the face of Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy. After that, he began to create a monument to the writer, who ordered from him a Moscow patron N. A. Shakhov. In 1913, a sculpture carved from Finnish granite was ready.