Memory of the world: The monument to Russian soldiers who died during the world wars to be open in Slovenia

In Slovenia in 2016 in the framework of events dedicated to the centenary of the symbol of friendship between the two peoples - Russian chapel under Vršič pass - will be erected a monument to Russian soldiers who fell in the two world wars, as well as promoted the release of a joint Russian-Slovenian postal stamps depicting Russian chapel under Vršič pass.

The Russian chapel under Vršič pass - a memorial built in 1916 - dedicated to the memory of Russian soldiers who died in these places during the First World War. In 1995, the chapel was granted the status of a cultural monument protected by the state. In 2005, the area adjacent to the chapel converted into a memorial park and transferred to the Ministry of Culture of Slovenia.

As part of the events in 2016 in Slovenia is supposed to erect a monument to Russian soldiers who died in the two world wars. In the near future in Moscow and Ljubljana will be planned joint meeting of the working groups to define the concept of the monument, a place of its installation and project financing.

Events to mark the centenary of the Russian chapel under Vršič pass, were discussed after the XI meeting of the Intergovernmental Russian-Slovenian Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation of the Ministry of Communications of Russia Nikolai Nikiforov and the Minister of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities of the Republic Slovenia Anna Kopacz-Mrak.

The initiative to erect a monument to Russian soldiers was discussed during the Russian-Slovenian talks at the highest level in March 2011 in Ljubljana and in November 2012 in Moscow. The question was also raised in December 2013 Dduring the meeting the Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev and the Prime Minister of Slovenia Alenka Bratušek. The initiative has received the full support of the parties. 

The agreement between the Government of the Russian federation and the Government of the Republic of Slovenia on military graves, which allows providing the proper care for existing Russian military cemeteries, monuments and memorial structures on the territory of the Republic of Slovenia as well as the interaction of two countries in the search of new burials and their arrangements, entered into force on January 23, 2014.