Berezina

Berezina River
Berezina River in Belarus
Native name	Belarusian: Бярэзіна
Location
Country	Belarus
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	Belarus
Mouth	Dnieper
• coordinates	52°32′59″N 30°15′00″E / 52.54972°N 30.25000°E
Length	561 km (349 mi)[1]
Basin size	24,500 km2 (9,500 sq mi)[1]
Basin features
Progression	Dnieper→ Dnieper–Bug estuary→ Black Sea

The Berezina or Biarezina^[2] (Belarusian: Бярэ́зіна; pronounced [bʲaˈrɛzʲinɐ]) is a river in Belarus and a right tributary of the Dnieper. Its main tributaries are Bobr, Klyava, Ol'sa and Ala from the left and Hayna and Svislach from the right.^[3]

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

Cities and towns on the Berezina

• Babruysk
• Barysau
• Svietlahorsk

Historical significance

• Napoleon Bonaparte's army suffered heavy losses (about 36,000) when they were crossing the Berezina in November, 1812, during the retreat from Russia (see Battle of Berezina). Since then "Berezina" is used in French as a synonym for catastrophe.
• 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 were military actions between Germany and Russia at the Berezina River in 1917–1918.
• Several battles are named after the river.

See also

• Charles Joseph Minard § The map of Napoleon's Russian campaign for a visual graphic of the army's fate

References