In Gelibolu, a city in northwestern Turkey, a memorial complex was recently opened in memory of Russian soldiers who died and were buried in the 20s of the last century. The restoration of the memorial to the memory of Russians that used to exist here was made possible thanks to the well-coordinated and painstaking work of representatives of the Russian and Turkish official authorities, first of all, diplomatic departments, as well as public organizations and business circles.

In January 2009, Mikhail Shvydkiy, Special Representative of the Russian President for International Cultural Cooperation, paid a working visit to Turkey and held talks with Ertugrul Gunay, Minister of Culture and Tourism of Turkey. During the meeting, prospects for further development of Russian-Turkish humanitarian ties were discussed.

Moscow and Ankara confirmed their desire to consolidate the experience of joint cooperation. In this context, the special representative of the Russian President expressed interest in Russia's participation in the program "Istanbul-European Capital of Culture-2010". An agreement was also reached in principle to hold the conference in 2009-2010. In Russia and Turkey, there are evenings dedicated to the memory of Turkish poet Nazim Hikmet, who was officially granted Turkish citizenship earlier this year. One of the important items on the agenda of the talks was the inclusion of the memorial complex in memory of Russian soldiers in Gelibolu, opened in 2008 with the assistance of the Russian "Center of National Glory" (CNS), in the official register of historical and cultural monuments of Turkey in accordance with the norms of Turkish legislation. They realize that the Gallipoli monument is another common page in the history of Russia and Turkey, spiritually connecting our two peoples.

GALLIPOLI SEAT

...In early November 1920, General P. N. Wrangel's army was leaving Russia to evacuate Crimea to Constantinople. Together with the military, tens of thousands of subjects of tsarist Russia were sent into the unknown, who were destined to become so-called white emigrants.

Negotiations with the French occupation command continued for almost two weeks. As a result, it was allowed to place the army in three camps. The largest 1st Army Corps under the command of General A. P. Kutepov was stationed on the Gallipoli Peninsula. The camp was given a desolate deserted place 6 km from the city of Gallipoli. Once there was an English military camp. Because of the abundance of snakes and wild rose bushes, the soldiers called this place "The Valley of Roses and Death", and the Russians for its desolation and consonance with the name - "Bare Field".

Despite the enormous hardships and harsh conditions of deployment, corps commander A. P. Kutepov, an officer of the old Russian military school, who went through three wars and earned the nickname "the right man" from his subordinates, made incredible efforts to maintain the spirit of the army. In Gallipoli, military service was constantly conducted, parades were organized, six military schools, two officer schools and several courses operated, and military courts worked. Moreover, the soldiers built a narrow-gauge railway of small length. A special concern of all Gallipoli residents was the kindergarten and gymnasium named after General Wrangel, whose trustee was his wife Baroness Olga Mikhailovna. Cultural life was also rich - a theater was created, typewritten newspapers were published with many drawings and poems. With their own hands, the Gallipoli people created several marching churches in ordinary army tents.

Later, in February 1923, answering questions from the Belgrade newspaper Gallipoli, the famous Russian writer I. A. Bunin wrote: "Gallipoli is part of the truly great and sacred thing that Russia has shown during these terrible and shameful years, part of what was and is the only hope for its Resurrection and the only justification for the Russian people." the people, their redemption before the judgment of God and humanity."

In July 1921, when our compatriots were already preparing to leave the Gallipoli land and go further west, they erected a monument in the large "Russian cemetery" to those who did not survive the so-called "Gallipoli sitting".

"July 16. In the morning, the monument was consecrated, a parade was held, and the monument was placed under the protection of the Gallipoli city government. It was a pity that there were no cameramen ... and Soviet representatives. ...the huge mass of white gymnasts, aligned cadets, numerous choirs and orchestras, banners, trumpets, and the entire atmosphere of the solemn Russian parade were especially spectacular." This is how Captain N. A. Rayevsky, who published an Oral Newspaper in Gallipoli, described the opening ceremony of the monument in 1921.

On the pediment of the monument, designed by second lieutenant N. N. Akatiev, there was an inscription made in four (Russian, French, Greek and Turkish) languages: "God rest the souls of the departed. The 1st Corps of the Russian Army to its fellow soldiers, who in the struggle for the honor of the Motherland found eternal rest in a foreign land in 1920-21 and in 1854-55. And to the memory of their ancestors, the Zaporozhtzi, who died in Turkish captivity."

For more than 30 years, the monument was taken care of by the Turk Ismail Ihsan. All this time, according to the agreement of General A. P. Kutepov with the local authorities of Gelibolu, the monument remained under the jurisdiction of the municipality. However, in 1949, as a result of a strong earthquake, the monument was destroyed.

COMING TO TERMS WITH HISTORY

For the first time, the issue of restoring the monument to Russian soldiers appeared on the agenda of official Russian and Turkish organizations thanks to the initiative of the employee of the magazine "Around the World" V. V. Lobytsin, who was actively engaged in Russian cultural heritage abroad. So, for example, as a result of his research work in Buyukder, on the Bosphorus coast, on the territory of the summer residence of the Russian Consulate General in Istanbul in 1996, a memorial plaque was installed in memory of the sailors from the submarine "Morzh", which sank in 1917 at the entrance to the Bosphorus, and three mass graves were arranged.

In 1995, Lobytsin agreed with one of the organizations of descendants of Russian White emigrants in France to finance the project, and also enlisted the support of local authorities on the allocation of municipal land near the site of the original installation of the monument.

To start work on the restoration of the monument, you need permission from the Turkish authorities. This question was first raised by the Russian Embassy in Ankara to the Turkish Foreign Ministry in 1996. At the same time, in Moscow, V. Lobytsin created an "Initiative Committee for the Restoration of the Gallipoli Monument"under the auspices of the Russian Institute of Cultural and Natural Heritage of the Ministry of Culture and the Russian Academy of Sciences, as well as the Russian Cultural Foundation.

The proposal to restore the monument was immediately approved by the City Hall of Gelibolu, which agreed to allocate a plot of land in the area of the former "Russian cemetery".

As a result of efforts made by Russian diplomats, in September 2003 the Turkish authorities granted official permission to restore the monument to Russian soldiers in Gelibolu. The Federal Agency for Culture and Cinematography of Russia expressed its readiness to participate in expert and historical and cultural support of the project, as well as in financing pre-project work within the framework of the action plan for the implementation of the federal target program "Culture of Russia".

Interest in the reconstruction of the memorial was also shown by various Russian charitable organizations. In March 2006, the Russian Embassy in Ankara sent a letter to the National Glory Center. This representative public organization, which is well-established in the implementation of historical and memorial projects, agreed to participate in the restoration of the Gallipoli monument.

In July 2007, at a meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Central Orthodox Church, which includes Vladimir Yakunin, President of Russian Railways, Chairman of the St. Andrew the First-Called Foundation, Sergey Lavrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia, Bishop Michael of Geneva and Western Europe, and Bishop Mark of Yegoryevsk, Deputy Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations,

General Director of JSC "Aeroflot" V. M. Okulov, General Director of LLC "Tyazhmashresurs" S. V. Luksha, General Director of VGTRK O. B. Dobrodeev, Director of the State Hermitage M. B. Piotrovsky and others, it was decided to participate in the restoration of the memorial. In November 2007, a contract was signed with the Turkish construction company Tes-Ish to perform the work.

On January 10, 2008, a solemn ceremony of laying the foundation stone of the monument was held. A capsule was also laid with an appeal to posterity. The ceremony was attended by the heads of the Central Nervous System, the Russian diplomatic mission in Turkey, representatives of the Turkish authorities, and the public of the two countries.

The message to posterity states that " after the unification of the two branches of the Russian Orthodox Church in 2007, the restoration of this monument will contribute to further healing the wounds inflicted on Russian society by the revolution and civil war; restoring the historical memory of our people and historical justice for those Russian citizens who, once in exile, remained faithful to their duty, to the oath of allegiance and to the Motherland." The message does not forget the authorities of the Republic of Turkey: they express "gratitude and appreciation for the opportunity to restore this memorial, where Russians can honor the memory of their compatriots."

The memorial was opened on May 17, 2008. A representative Russian delegation consisting of 173 people - cultural figures, writers, historians, descendants of the Gallipoli people-arrived in Gelibola. The orchestra of the Moscow Military Music School, which specially arrived in Turkey to participate in the celebrations, performed the national anthems of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Turkey.

In an exclusive interview with the magazine "Asia and Africa Today", Russian Ambassador to Turkey Vladimir Ivanovsky stressed that the opening of the monument marks a tribute to the memory of our compatriots who fell into the difficult maelstrom of history at the beginning of the XX century, and noted the significance of this event for the development of Russian-Turkish relations.

Turkish representatives - First Deputy.Minister of Culture and Tourism of Turkey I. Yilmaz, Governor of Canakkale Vilayet O. Kirli, Mayor of Gelibolu J. Bingel - they emphasized that the opening of the memorial complex confirms the partnership and friendly nature of relations between Russia and Turkey. Bishops of the Moscow Patriarchate and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia held a memorial service for our compatriots who found their last refuge here, and consecrated the memorial. A museum has been built on the territory of the memorial, the exposition of which is dedicated to the stay of General A. P. Kutepov's corps in Gallipoli. There are also marble slabs with the names of the deceased.

It is known that Russian officers, before leaving the Gallipoli coast, financed the maintenance of the monument. The local Turkish authorities have pledged to keep it properly maintained. It is symbolic that after the reconstruction of the Memorial, this honorable mission once again falls on the shoulders of the Russians and the municipality of Gelibolu. By this significant date, the Russian Embassy in Ankara has published a book about Russian compatriots in Turkey, which contains unique materials, including about the stay of Russians in Gelibolu ("Russian Compatriots in Turkey: History and Modernity". Istanbul, 2008).

Today, we can say with confidence that the construction of a new memorial to the memory of Russians in Gelibolu was made possible thanks to the dynamic development of Russian-Turkish relations in the format of advanced multi-faceted partnership, strengthening the political dialogue between Moscow and Ankara at the highest level.

According to all participants of the joint restoration of the monument, this significant event was a reminder to future generations of the importance of further strengthening good-neighborly relations between Russia and Turkey.

Gelibolu-Istanbul-Ankara

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