battles that took place at the Berezina River

Actors dressed as German and Soviet troops recreate a 1943 World War Two battle that took place at the Berezina River. Go inside with this Facebook 360 video. More virtual reality video here: http://reut.rs/2gzNgAE

Berezina River

River in Belarus

The Berezina or Biarezina is a river in Belarus and a tributary of the Dnieper River. The Berezina Preserve by the river is on the UNESCO list of Biosphere Preserves. Wikipedia

Length: 613 km

Basin area: 24,500 km²

Berezina River
Berezina River in Belarus
Native name	Belarusian: Рака Бярэзіна
Country	Belarus
Basin
Main source	Belarus
River mouth	Dnieper
Basin size	24,500 km2 (9,500 sq mi)[1]
Physical characteristics
Length	561 km (349 mi)[1]

The Berezina or Biarezina (Belarusian: Бярэ́зіна; pronounced [bʲaˈrɛzʲinɐ]) is a river in Belarus and a tributary of the Dnieper River.

The Berezina Preserve by the river is on the UNESCO list of Biosphere Preserves.

Cities and towns on the Berezina[edit]

• Babruysk
• Barysau
• Svietlahorsk

Historical significance[edit]

• Napoleon Bonaparte's army suffered heavy losses (about 36,000) when crossing the Berezina in November 1812 during his retreat from Russia (see Battle of Berezina). Since then "Berezina" is used in French as a synonym of catastrophe. (See also Charles Joseph Minard for a visual graphic of the army's fate.)
• Charles XII of Sweden's army crossed the Berezina on June 25, 1708 during his campaign against Peter the Great of Russia in the Great Northern War. (see ISBN 0-306-80863-3 for details)
• Several armies in German Wehrmacht Army Group Centre were entrapped and prevented from crossing the Berezina in June, 1944, during the envelopment phases of the Bobruysk and Minsk Offensives, within the closing phases of Operation Bagration in World War II.
• See also Battle of Berezina (disambiguation).