Living History Unit

"Preobrazhensky Life Guards", 1709
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Festival in Oreshek (Schusselburg), May 15, 2005.

For information about fortress Oreshek and our first visit to it - see our report from October 2004. 

The festival was planned as am opening event for GNW reenactment in the season of 2005. It was attended by units from St.Petersburg (Preobrazhensky, Grenadier du Bois, Velikiye Louki (Velikoloutsky) regiment, from Narva (2nd company of Preobrazhensky), Petrozavodsk (Olonetz regiment) and Smolensk (Smolensk regiment). Total 20 equipped men.

We had drill session according to manual from 1698. Then we performed formation evolutions per Regulation from 1702. Doubling ranks was especially impressing when 6 ranks deep open order formation transformed into close-order 3 ranks deep formation ready to deliver volley. All in all, we need to have a lot of training to act like well-disciplined infantry of Tsar Peter in Poltava period. Two battle episodes were played after which food was cooked in the camp for the excited soldiers.

This was a good starter for the season!

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Drill
	"shoulder arms"
"present arms"	"lay musket on the ground"
"Listen! ..."	"Half-files..."
"double ranks to the left!"	"Rear ranks close up!"
Attack on an enemy entrenched camp	grenadiers throw grenades
in the "Swedish camp"	our losses
Charge!
Assault on the gates
Participants

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