The message reads, in part:

“It was here in the ancient Kaluga region that Russian forces thwarted the last attempt of the Napoleonic army to turn the tide of the war in its favour. Russian soldiers commanded by legendary generals Alexei Yermolov, Nikolai Rayevsky and Dmitry Dokhturov displayed true heroism, courage and fortitude during the bloody fighting.

“Today we pay tribute to the defenders of the Motherland, whose heroic feats and selfless love for their country serve as an example for the younger Russian generation.”