History buffs relive Napoleon's march

About 500 people dressed in the 19th century uniforms of the Napoleonic and Russian armies staged a theatrical battle near Lithuania's second largest city of Kaunas June 9 to commemorate the 190th anniversary of Napo-leon's march to Russia.

Some 250 actors, some of them on horseback, crossed part of the Nemunas River to meet their enemies for a one-hour battle. Some 10,000 people watched the re-enactment.

According to historians, the crossing of the River Nemunas was one of the most outstanding military operations involving a river crossing in the history of warfare. The French army - 600,000 soldiers with 1,400 guns - managed to cross the river without the loss of a single man or horse, wagon or gun, during the entire operation.

"It was the beginning of Napoleon's march to Russia, as the Nemunas at that time was a border between Poland, which was in Napoleon's sphere of influence, and Russia," said Evaldas Vaiciunas, one of the event's organizers.

Representatives from war history clubs in France, Belgium, Austria, Poland, Latvia, Russia and Ukraine took part in the event, organized by the Kaunas History Club and public organization Judres Parkas.

Lithuania's Defense Minster Linas Linkevicius observed the event and described the show as "impressive" and a potential tourist magnet.