Napoleon's Berezina Gold

The account

The Grande Armée crossed the Berezina in November 1812 a dying thing, and legend says the plunder of Moscow, too heavy for starving men, went into the river and the frozen marsh on either bank. Tens of thousands died at the crossing. Treasure hunters have probed the bogs of Barysaw for two centuries; the gold of the great retreat has never been raised.

Leads, where the trail points now

• Where the trail goes cold: Search has centred on the marshes around the Studyanka crossing near Barysaw; the riverbed keeps its secret. That is where any serious search begins.
• What you are chasing is The looted treasure of Moscow, lost in the ice. Work the documented record of Napoleon's Berezina Gold back to primary sources and separate what is attested from folklore.
• Confirm who owns and governs Berezina River crossing, near Barysaw, Belarus and get written permission before any search; treat protected or archaeological ground as off limits.