Battles & Campaigns · 1812
Battle of Klyastitsy
Klyastitsy, near Polotsk, Belarus
What happened
Napoleon had sent Oudinot north toward Saint Petersburg. Wittgenstein's troops pushed the French back to the village of Klyastitsy, and the French set it alight and withdrew. A Russian grenadier battalion rushed across a burning bridge, and the Russians took the village.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It halted the French advance on Saint Petersburg, then Russia's capital. Wittgenstein was praised as its saviour.
What came next
Oudinot retreated to Polotsk, where the armies fought again in August. Wittgenstein received the Order of St. George.
Did you know?
The charge across the burning bridge was later painted by the artist Peter von Hess.
Timeline
- 30 July 1812Fighting begins near Yakubovo.
- 1 August 1812Fighting ends after the Russians cross the Drissa.
- 17–18 August 1812First Battle of Polotsk.