Reconstructing the Past

There are many ways Russians express their interest in the battles that are part of their country’s history. Some make live-action or animated films, others write books, still others open museums. And, of late, more and more Russians are getting involved in historic reenactments, attempting to recreate battles on the land where they originally occurred.

While such reenactments have been popular the world over for quite some time, they only took off in Russia in the 1990s. Since then, the number of clubs filled with people taking on the personas of historical figures has grown by leaps and bounds, recreating battles from across the historical timeline: from the middle ages through the twentieth century.

Canvas tents, flags with unusual coats of arms, people rushing hither and yon in flaxen attire from the Middle Ages...