Zoran Stevanović
The memorials built to fallen Russian volunteers in the Serbian – Turkish War in 1876, in Aleksinac and its surroundings
In 1876, Serbia and Montenegro declared war on Turkey in order to
liberate the Serbian regions that were still under Ottoman rule.A large
number of volunteers came to help Serbia. They were from various
countries: Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Norway, Great Britain, France,
Greece, Montenegro, Italy, followed by Serbs from the former Aus-
tro-Hungarian Empire, but by far the largest number of volunteers
arrived from Russia.
The invitation, which was printed on the occasion of the conse-
cration of the monument to the Russian volunteers on Rujevica near
Aleksinac 1880, states:
“The main leader of Russian volunteers in 1876, Mihail Grigorijević
Černjajev, has the honor to humbly ask ................................ to
dignify the unveiling of the monument to his countrymen who have
fallen in battles for the independence of Serbia.
Three thousand volunteers, it is true, could not outweigh the scales
of victory in the war in 1876 on the side of their brethren; but in the
valleys of the Timok, Morava, Ibar and Drina and the peaks of Alek-
sinac and Đunis more than half of them testified with their blood the
sacrifice to the full commitment to the Serbian fraternal issues and
their love to the Serbs.
The monument was erected in the center of the difficult struggle
in Aleksinac.
The consecration of the monument and the memorial to fallen sol-
diers are going to be conducted by His Holiness Metropolitan with
hierarchs and higher priesthood on 8 November this year, at 9 o'clock
in the morning.
September, 1880,
In Aleksinac” (1)
This document, which was created less than three years from the
above mentioned event, shows that a large number of Russian volun-
teers sacrificed their lives in the struggle for freedom and independ-
ence of Serbia. Most of them died in the valley of the South Morava
River, in the vicinity of Aleksinac and in its surroundings because this
was the place where the greatest battles were fought in the First Serb-
ian-Turkish war in 1876. These battles include the battle of Šumatovac,
Gornji Adrovac and Đunis.
Among the casualties were Russian volunteers who died of the
gained wounds in Jagodina and Paracin hospitals. Their names are in-
scribed in church protocols of the deceased in Jagodina and Paracin
churches and they are published here for the first time. (2)
The protocol of the deceased at the church of Sv. Archangel Mi-
chael in Jagodina, no 13 and 14 ,which is kept in the Historical Archives
of Jagodina the following persons were listed:
1. Dimitrije Bogdanov, captain, Odesa, 35., 20.09.1876.
2. Belovecki Roman soldier, Odesa, 29, 09.29.1876.
3. Nikola Nijenovič, soldier, Pirpos, 10.22.1876.
4. Petar Moloc, soldier, Rid, 23, 22.10.1876.
5. Nikifor Suprinov, soldier, 32, 23.10.1876.
6. Jakov Tetirovski, soldier, village Šepiljče, ujezd Radomirskoja, Kiev,
19, 10.23.1876.
7. Jevrem Gubankov, soldier, Zagubljanje, 25, 26.10.1876.
8. Vertljevič Sakharov, lieutenant, 26/10/1876.
9. Mihail Jovančetič, soldier, 28.g. Grodoslavljanska governorate,
06.11.1876.
10. Simeon Petrovich, soldier, Vitevska governorate, 30, 11.06.1876.
11. Rivers Ivanov, soldier, 35, 13.11.18786.
12. Vasilije Parelenov, soldier, 38 g , 11.16.1876.
13. Nikola Rayevski, soldier, Nizhny Novgorod governorate,
23, 11.18.1876.
14. Aleksandar Averujnov, soldier, 26.11.1876.
15. Radovan Devjatski, Cossack, 47, 14.01.1877.
The protocol of the deceased at the St. Trinity Church in Paraćin, no. 12
held by the Municipal Assembly of Paracin lists the following persons:
1. Konstantin N. Bogdanov, captain, Kazan, 32, 08.22.1876.
2. Nikolaj Čirkunov, lieutenant, Odesa, 28, 21.09.1876.
3. Paul Nikolaevich Oryahovo, Captain, Moscow, 32, 05.10.1876.
4. N. Čerkunov, soldier, 30 21/09/1876.
5. Pavle Orekov soldier Moscow, 30, 04.10.1876.
6. Aleksandar Mantorov, soldier, 10.09.1876.
7. Ivan Banderenko, soldier, 10.19.1876.
8. Kemkin Petrov, soldier, 20.10.1876.
9. In addition to Petrov Veselov, soldier, Moscow, 11.07.1876.
At the end of a Serbian - Turkish wars many memorials were built in
their glory and in glory to all other Russian volunteers who were killed.
These memorials are the subject of this paper.
The monument to Russian volunteersat Majevica (Brdjanka) near
Aleksinac
The monument to Russian volunteers at higher Rujevica was unveiled
on 8 (20) November, 1880. Today, there is a park called Brdjanka sur-
rounding the monument. The monument was built in the redoubt
(trench) no. 4. It was named “Aleksinc redoubt”.
“This monument was built at the height Rujevica near Aleksinca of
beautiful stone that was found in Ozren near Aleksinac spa.The monu-
ment is a pyramid-shaped and it is 12 meters high, decorated on top
with crosses made of white marble on all four sides, and at the bottom
(the socle), there are four marble boards with inscriptions in Serbian
and Russian language.” (3)
The marble slabs on the socle are incripted with the following text
(the east in Serbian, and the west side in the Russian language):
“The monument to the fallen Russian volunteers
who came in 1876 to help the Serbs during their
unequal struggle against the Turkish Empire”
“No one has greater love than this one,
To lay their soul for friends”
There is following text on the marble slabs on the socle in the southern
and northern side “Built by their compatriots in 1880.” (the south side
is incripted in Serbian, and the north side in the Russian language.)
The monument was built on the basis of the project designed by en-
gineer František (Francis) dutting Heinrich (1828-1896),the Czech who
upon arrival to Serbia in 1878, received the Orthodox faith in 1891 and
he was given a new name – Radovan.
A large number of citizens from all over Serbia responded to the
invitation of General Chernyayev to attend the consecration of the
monument responded to Thousands of guests came to Aleksinac to
attend the consecration of the monument. The representative of His
Highness Prince was his adjutant, Major G. Aleksandar Simonovic
and the representative of His Majesty the Russian Emperor Aleksndar
was his minister resident in Belgrade, Mr Persiani with his secretary,
Mr Girs.
The representative of the government was Minister of Education,
Mr Stojan Novakovic, on behalf of the Armed Forces, the military
deputation led by General Belimarković and Colonel Bogicevic at-
tended the ceremony. The representative of the Serbian Learned Soci-
ety was Mr Milan Milicevic; the representative of the High School was
Mr Milan Kujundzic.
____________________
(1) Miodrag Spirić, The history of Aleksinac and its surroundings III,
Aleksinac 2006.p. 70.
(2) Ninoslav Stojanovic , a historian from Jagodina, delivered the information
about the deceased to the author
(3) The Celebration of monument consecration at Rujevica near Aleksinac on 8
November 1880 to the killed Russian volunteers in the Serbian-Turkish war
in 1876,Belgrade 1881III
Pages: [ 1 ] [ 2 ]
Коментари