Troparion of the Holy Cross ("God Preserve Thy People"): Opens the piece with a somber religious tone.
If you are looking for academic papers or supporting documents to download ( skachat ):
: The piece tells the story of the Patriotic War of 1812 , specifically the Battle of Borodino and the subsequent French retreat from Moscow.
The overture is unique because it weaves together several competing melodies to represent the conflict between Russia and France: :
God Save the Tsar! : The Imperial Russian anthem that thunders through the finale during the victory sequence. :
: Written in 1880 by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky to mark the consecration of the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow.