The Kremlin is on fire!

Part of Vereshchagin's 1812 Napoleon in Russia series, now in the Museum of the Patriotic War of 1812, 'The Kremlin is on Fire!' depicts one of the most dramatic episodes of the Napoleonic occupation of Moscow — the burning of the city that began on September 14, 1812, the night of Napoleon's entry. The fires, set either by Russian patriots or by accident, destroyed three-quarters of Moscow and left Napoleon's army without adequate shelter for the approaching winter. The burning of the Kremlin itself was attempted but largely failed. For Russian historical consciousness, the Moscow fire was a foundational traumatic and heroic event — a city sacrificed rather than surrendered. Vereshchagin's commitment to historical research for this series meant working from documents, memoirs, and visual records of the Napoleonic era.

Fire at night presents dramatic technical challenges: the intense local illumination of the flames against darkness, the way firelight transforms colors and casts long shadows, the atmospheric distortion of smoke. Vereshchagin's handling of nocturnal fire subjects draws on his training in light effects while adapting to the specific visual phenomena of a city burning.