Berezina River

Berezina River
Berezina River in Belarus
Native name Belarusian: Бярэзіна
Country Belarus
Physical characteristics
Main source Belarus
River mouth Dnieper
Length 561 km (349 mi)[1]
Basin features
Basin size 24,500 km2 (9,500 sq mi)[1]

The Berezina or Biarezina[2] (Belarusian: Бярэ́зіна; pronounced [bʲaˈrɛzʲinɐ]) is a river in Belarus and a tributary of the Dnieper River.

The Berezina Preserve by the river is on the UNESCO list of Biosphere Preserves.

Cities and towns on the Berezina

Historical significance

  • Napoleon Bonaparte's army suffered heavy losses (about 36,000) when crossing the Berezina in November 1812 during his retreat from Russia (see Battle of Berezina). Since then "Berezina" is used in French as a synonym of catastrophe. (See also Charles Joseph Minard for a visual graphic of the army's fate.)
  • Charles XII of Sweden's army crossed the Berezina on June 25, 1708 during his campaign against Peter the Great of Russia in the Great Northern War. (see ISBN 0-306-80863-3 for details)
  • Several armies in German Wehrmacht Army Group Centre were entrapped and prevented from crossing the Berezina in June, 1944, during the envelopment phases of the Bobruysk and Minsk Offensives, within the closing phases of Operation Bagration in World War II. There was war between Germany and Russia/USSR in the Beresina River in 1917-1918.
  • See also Battle of Berezina (disambiguation).

References

  1. 1 2 "Main Geographic Characteristics of the Republic of Belarus. Main characteristics of the largest rivers of Belarus". Land of Ancestors. Data of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Republic of Belarus. 2011. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  2. ↑ official transliteration

Coordinates: 52°32′59″N 30°15′00″E / 52.54972°N 30.25000°E / 52.54972; 30.25000


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