Thursday, June 22, 2017

Screaming skeletons of Russian soldiers are unearthed on scene of battle 150 years ago where they were killed for their cargo of 200,000 roubles

The remains were unearthed by archaeologists on the site of the Battle of Zyrzyn in eastern Poland
Experts believe that about eighty soldiers, presumed to be Russian, were buried in the mass grave
Nearly 200 Russian soldiers were killed by Polish forces during the battle in 1863, with 282 others captured

The Battle of Żyrzyn took place on August 8, 1863 in or near the village of Żyrzyn, Puławy County, Poland, between a small detachment of Russian troops and a force of Polish troops under the command of General Michal Heidenreich.

The Russian force of 500 soldiers and two cannon were escorting a load of 200,000 rubles for the Russian army, 140,000 of which was captured by the Polish forces, along with 282 prisoners of war. Of the remaining Russian troops, 181 were killed, and 87 men escaped along with the remaining 60,000 rubles. The embarrassing defeat was widely reported on by the European press, and throughout the January Uprisings the Polish insurgents counted the engagement, one of many similar small battles, as a "great victory"The screaming skeletons of dozens of Russian soldiers who were killed during a battle 150 years ago have been discovered in a mass grave in eastern Poland.

The remains were unearthed by archaeologists on the site of the Battle of Zyrzyn, off the S17 Lublin-Warsaw expressway in Zerdz, eastern Poland.

The Russian soldiers had been transporting cargo worth 200,000 roubles (£2,500) when they were killed by Polish forces in 1863.

Photographs show the skeleton's mouths wide open as they lie alongside one another at the site of the battlefield.

Archaeologists believe that about eighty soldiers, presumed to be Russian, were buried in the mass grave.

Nearly 200 Russian soldiers were killed during the battle, with 282 captured as prisoners of war. Around 90 of the 500 soldiers managed to escape when they encountered Polish troops.

The screaming skeletons of dozens of Russian soldiers who were killed during a battle 150 years ago have been discovered in a mass grave in eastern Poland

Pictured are the skulls of two skeletons found by archaeologists. The remains were unearthed on the site of the Battle of Zyrzyn, off the S17 Lublin-Warsaw expressway in Zerdz, eastern Poland

Archaeologists are seen working on the excavation site. Experts believe about eighty soldiers were buried in the mass grave

Pictured are the remains of four soldiers lying together in the mass grave. The Russian soldiers had been transporting a cargo worth 200,000 roubles (£2,500) when they were killed by Polish forces in 1863

Photographs from the excavation site show the mouths of the skeletons wide open. Nearly 200 Russian soldiers were killed during the battle

The skeletons can be seen lying in close proximity to one another. Those buried in the mass grave are presumed to be Russian

Archaeologists are seen examining the remains of half a dozen soldiers, who were discovered lying side by side

Nearly 200 Russian soldiers were killed during the battle, with 282 captured as prisoners of war. Around 90 of the 500 soldiers managed to escape when they encountered Polish troops.

After the victorious Battle of Zyrzyn (August 8, 1863), Heydenreich decided to break through a Russian cordon, which blocked the insurgents from Austrian Galicia. His forces camped in a small forest near Fajslawice, and on August 24, the insurgents were attacked by much stronger Russian detachment. Russian forces were divided into two groups, and their assault began with artillery barrage, in which 9 cannons were used.

Due to unknown circumstances, an insurgent infantry unit under Karol Krysinski had left the camp before the battle. The remaining Poles tried to break through Russian encirclement, but were unable to do so. Russian artillery and rifle fire resulted in heavy losses among the insurgents. Captured Poles (altogether app. 650 men) were taken to a prison in Lublin, while those killed were buried in a mass grave at a local cemetery. The grave was marked with a tall oak cross with the crown of thorns.

Polish defeat meant that the insurgents lost strategic initiative in the Lublin region, and the uprising lost its climax in the area. Heydenreich, who survived the battle, left Congress Poland and crossed the Galician border. Russian commandant Grigoriy Emanov was on November 16, 1863 awarded the Cross of St. George by the tsar, for his “courage and bravery while fighting Polish rebels on August 12, 1863”.