Moscou (Ghent)

Moscou is a densely populated neighbourhood of the Belgian city of Ghent, which owes its peculiar name to the presence of the Russian army in 1814-1815.

On February 2, 1814, the French city administration of Ghent loyal to Napoleon Bonaparte fled the town for the approaching Russian army. On February 4, the Russian army, including Cossacks but also some Prussian hussars and commanded by colonel Novosinovits-Menshikov (who took up residence on the Ghent Kouter) entered the town as liberators.

Local enthusiasm turned into concern as 200-300 Russian troops camping just outside Ghent in the fields of Ledeberg (close to present-day Moscou) engaged in plundering from the local peasants. A town delegation went to Brussels to obtain the departure of the Cossacks on February 7, leaving only Prussians in charge of Ghent.

As French troops continued to resist the Coalition forces, on March 14, the 1st regiment of Don Cossacks, 250 men, commanded by the 80-year-old Colonel Bishalov (soon to be dubbed "Peetje Kozak" or "Grandpa Cossack" by the Ghent population) arrived in Ghent. Bishalov resided at the Kouter, but, because of their reputation, the soldiers were not welcome to settle anywhere within city walls and endlessly moved around before, on February 18, they left for the north to defeat a French army unit at Sas van Gent. After this battle, the entire Russian force left for Deinze in the south but Bishalov's Cossacks returned on March 9, again to defend the town against the resisting French. The Cossacks were now housed in tents and granaries in the fields of Ledeberg and Gentbrugge. On March 24, the Cossacks celebrated Emperor Alexander I's accession day, by organizing, amongst other things, a cavalcade in the centre of Ghent, turning the Kouter into a manege.

On March 26, after a fierce battle with French troops, Bishalov retreated to Melle, but four days later his troops fought their way back. As French resistance in western Flanders faltered, on April 2, Bishalov finally left Ghent for Mons. Well into the twentieth century, however, Ghent parents would frighten their children into obedience by threatening to get Grandpa Cossack to punish their mischief.

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Wikipedia