"Better late than never"

This is what President V.V. said in his speech. Putin at the opening of the monument to the heroes of the First World War on Poklonnaya Hill in Moscow on August 1, 2014, one of the main events in honor of the centenary of the First World War.

The decision to erect a monument to the heroes of the First World War in Moscow was made in April 2013. With the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation and the Russian Military Historical Society, an open competition was held for the best design of the monument. It was decided to install the monument on Poklonnaya Hill between Arc de Triomphe and the Museum of the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945

The competition began on April 15 and took place in several stages. At the first stage, 32 contestants took part. On July 12, the second stage of the competition began, in which 15 works took part. Online voting was held on the competition website until August 16 with the participation of about 200 thousand users. The exhibition of the finalist projects was held at the Central Museum of the Great Patriotic War on Poklonnaya Hill.

On September 18, the jury announced the winner of the competition. It turned out to be a project by sculptor Andrei Kovalchuk. According to the results of online voting, this project entered the top five,

The Russian Military Historical Society collected donations for the construction of the monument. They collected 97 million rubles . Another 74 million were allocated by the Moscow authorities .

The monument consists of two elements: a Russian soldier who went through the war, honestly fulfilled his duty and became a Knight of St. George, and a multi-figure composition representing the flag of Russia. At the opening of the monument, sculptor Andrei Kovalchuk spoke about his idea:

“The main soldier is definitely a collective image, and when creating him, I deliberately did not make young man, but I wanted to show a little deeper, to reveal the theme of defending the Motherland... This is the 20th century, Russo-Japanese War, the First World War, the Civil War and the Great Patriotic War, this is a Russian soldier who could actually go through all these wars. And such people are real heroes, heroes to whom tribute is paid today, because for many years, many decades in our country there was not a single monument dedicated to the First World War and these heroes.”

The bronze figure of a soldier, mounted on a high column, is made in a classical style. A roll of an overcoat and a three-ruler are thrown over his shoulder, and St. George's crosses adorn his chest. On the pedestal is the St. George Cross, covered with gold leaf.

Behind the soldier is a multi-figure composition: against the background of the Russian flag, the Russian tricolor, the officer raises the soldiers to attack. In the group of soldiers is the Cossack Kozma Kryuchkov, the first of the heroes awarded the St. George Cross in the First world war. Nearby, a nurse is saving a wounded man. In the image of a sister of mercy you can recognize Grand Duchess Elizaveta Fedorovna.

The location for the monument on Poklonnaya Hill between the Arc de Triomphe and the Museum of the Great Patriotic War was not chosen by chance. This has its own symbolism - it is a kind of historical bridge from the war of 1812 to the First and then the Second World War.

The opening ceremony of the monument was very solemn. The orchestra of the Presidential Regiment performed the march “Farewell of the Slav”. Honor guard companies marched in formation in front of the monument.

The President’s historic speech at this ceremony, as always vivid, imaginative and very modern given the tragic events taking place in the world today, simply needs to be fully included in this material so that people never forget the lessons of the past and appreciate peaceful life on earth.

Dear friends!

Exactly a century ago, Russia was forced to enter the First World War. And today we are opening a memorial to its heroes - Russian soldiers and officers. We open on Poklonnaya Hill, which preserves the grateful memory of the military glory of the Russian army, of all who at different stages of the history of our state defended its independence, dignity and freedom. The soldiers of the First World War, his comrades in arms, also took their rightful place here. Many of them had the opportunity to fight on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War. Seasoned veterans inspired young fighters to feats, passed on to them the traditions of military camaraderie, brotherhood, traditions military honor. And the great values ​​of the Russian army and the heroic experience of the generation of the First World War played a big role in the spiritual uplift of our people. It suffered not only the harsh trials of the First Global World War, but also a revolutionary turning point, the fratricidal Civil War, which split the fate of Russia.

However, their exploits, their sacrifice in the name of Russia fell into oblivion for many years. And the First World War itself, which the whole world calls the Great, was erased from national history, was simply called imperialist. Now we are reviving the historical truth about the First World War, and countless examples of personal courage and martial art, true patriotism of Russian soldiers and officers, total Russian society. The very role of Russia in that difficult, turning-point time for the world, especially in the pre-war period, is being revealed. It clearly reflects the defining character trait of our country, our people.

For many centuries, Russia has advocated strong and trusting relations between states. This was the case on the eve of the First World War, when Russia did everything to convince Europe to peacefully and bloodlessly resolve the conflict between Serbia and Austria-Hungary. But Russia was not heard, and she had to answer the call, defending fraternal Slavic people, protecting themselves and their citizens from external threats. Russia has fulfilled its allied duty. Her offensives in Prussia and Galicia thwarted the enemy’s plans, allowed the allies to hold the front and protect Paris, and forced the enemy to throw a significant part of their forces to the east, where the Russian regiments were desperately fighting. Russia was able to hold back this onslaught and then go on the offensive. And the whole world heard about the legendary Brusilov breakthrough. However, this victory was stolen from the country. Stolen by those who called for the defeat of their Fatherland, their army, sowed discord within Russia, strived for power, betraying national interests.

Today we are restoring the connection of times, the continuity of our history, and the First World War, its commanders, soldiers are finding a worthy place in it (as our people say, “better late than never”), and that sacred memory is being acquired in our hearts. what the soldiers of the First World War rightfully deserved. Justice triumphs on the pages of books and textbooks, in the media, in films and, of course, in the memorials that we are opening today. This must continue. Large-scale educational work, serious research in archives. They will allow us to find out exactly the reasons and the course of this war, make a name list of its participants so that new generations learn about the fate of their ancestors and create the history of their families.

It is fundamentally important to adequately perpetuate the memory of Russian soldiers, to find and arrange burial places of the First World War, of which there are many in Russia - hundreds of them. Warriors lie there different countries, but they are all forever connected by a common tragedy. It reminds us of what aggression and selfishness lead to, the exorbitant ambitions of state leaders and political elites that take precedence over common sense, and instead of preserving the most prosperous continent in the world - Europe - they expose it to danger. It would be good to remember this today.

There are so many examples in world history of what a terrible price comes from not wanting to hear each other, trampling on other people’s rights and freedoms, legitimate interests in favor of one’s own interests and ambitions. It would be nice to learn to look and count at least one step ahead. It is high time for humanity to understand and accept one most important truth: violence begets violence. And the path to peace and prosperity is made up of good will and dialogue and memory of the lessons of past wars, about who started them and why. The monument to the soldiers of the First World War is not only a tribute to great feats. This is a warning that the world is fragile, a reminder to all of us of this. And we must take care of the world, remember that the most valuable thing on earth is a peaceful, calm, stable life!

The opening ceremony of the monument was attended by Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, and Patriarch Kirill.

Veterans, participants of the Great Patriotic War,

It’s nice to know that among the guests were veterans from our Ochakovo-Matveevskoye district, war participants, the most honored people of our veterans’ organization - Mikhail Maksimovich Panyaev, Maria Fedorovna Smirnov, Margarita Mikhailovna Zaitseva.

Happy memory to the heroes of the First World War!

Glory to Russian weapons and our hero soldier!

Presidium of the Council of Veterans of the RSV "Ochakovo-Matveevskoe"

Monument to the First World War at the Fraternal Cemetery in Moscow

“The non-commissioned officer of the hussar regiment Shatalov sculpted this composition within an hour on the Apriken estate (1915), immediately after the Germans were expelled from there. When retreating, the hussars destroyed the group so that the Germans would not burn the neighboring Latvian manors out of revenge.

Granite monument-cross at the Tsarskoye Selo Fraternal Cemetery of heroes of the First World War of 1914-1918. in St. Petersburg, the city of Pushkin (Tsarskoye Selo) near the Kazan cemetery. Authors of the project: JSC 58 Central Design Institute and specialists from VOENMEMORIALPROREKT LLC.

COMBAT OPERATIONS IN THE AREA OF THE VILLAGE OF IVANISOVKA

On September 9, 1915, a battle took place for the village of Ivanisovka (now the Pinsk district of the Brest region of the Republic of Belarus). Having learned about the Germans’ advance towards the village, the Cossacks set out towards it, but they did not make it in time for the appointed time. In this regard, at 9 o’clock in the morning, General Stegelman gave the order for the 330th Zlatoust Infantry Regiment to advance there from the village of Stoshany through the Panteleevo swamp. The regiment's performance was assisted by artillery units.

Having crossed the swamp and advanced 8 km in 5 hours, the regiment approached the village of Ivanisovka at approximately 15:15. At this time, the Cossacks approached the settlement, but the German battalion began to push the dismounted Cossacks to the east. A battle ensued that lasted for several hours. Died during hostilities a large number of Russian officers and non-commissioned officers. However, Russian troops, despite huge losses, managed to take Ivanisovka.

After the funeral of the fallen soldiers, local residents erected a large oak cross. Also in the cemetery, in order to prevent comparison with the ground, a large number of oak trees were planted.

After the end of the First World War, on the territory of East Prussia, a memorial plaque was installed on the eastern wall of the parish church with the names of the dead parishioners who died in battles in 1914; today it is lost. Above it is a mosaic panel made in the smalt technique with an allegorical image of a sower sowing battlefields (canvas size - 3 x 2.3 m). The condition of the church is currently in disrepair; the wall with the panels has breaks and cracks. No repair or restoration work was carried out.

Nean, Kaliningrad region, until 1946. Ragnit. The monument was erected in the park near the church immediately after the end of the war, but was demolished after 1945. The chairman of the Kaliningrad regional organization “Neman-Plyon Friendship Society” R. Frangulyan discovered the damaged monument and restored it at his own expense. On a stepped base, a concrete slab measuring 2x2m with a bas-relief depicting three soldiers and a woman accompanying them is installed vertically. On the reverse side there is an inscription German: “Pruchte voller Manneskraft/ helle am Baum des Lebens/ fielen wir im sturm der Schlacht/ War die Saat vergebens?” (“Men full of strength and life/ Died in the fire of battle/ Was this sowing in vain?”). The territory of the monument is 6 sq.m. surrounded by a chain on concrete pillars

village SLAVSKOE (Kreuzburg), Kaliningrad region. The monument to the soldiers who died during the First World War was erected in the 20s of the twentieth century. No repair or restoration work was carried out. The monument was a sculpture of a warrior with a bowed head and a helmet in his hands, 2 m high, standing on a high stepped pedestal made of cut stone. By order of the district administration, the monument was demolished in 1972. Currently, a sculpture of a standing German warrior holding a helmet in his hands has been preserved. The head of the sculpture is lost. The monument is made of concrete, height – 2m.

In August-September 1914, in the Wehlau district, now Gvardeysky city, Kaliningrad region, he led fighting 3rd Army Corps of General N.A. Epanchin against the 17th Army Corps of General A. von Mackensen. . There were isolated military clashes. As a result of the fighting, more than 30 graves of Russian and German soldiers were formed on the current territory of the region. Their whereabouts have not been established at this time. The monument was erected in the first quarter of the twentieth century. not far from the parish church. On a concrete base with an area of ​​4 square meters there is a low two-stage pedestal, on which lie a soldier’s helmet from the times and an oak branch, sculpted from concrete. Summer 2011 this monument was put in order.

MONUMENT TO THE HEROES OF THREE WARS IN VORONEZH

The obelisk monument is dedicated to the memory of soldiers who died in the Patriotic War of 1812, the First World War and the Great Patriotic War of 1941 - 1945. It is a 7.5-meter stele lined with granite, which is framed on four sides memorial plaques made of bronze. Artists Yuriy Astapchenko and Alexander Melnichenko depicted the historical events of these wars on three of them, and on the fourth tablet there is the text: “Eternal memory of those who fell for the Fatherland on the battlefields.” The consecration of the monument to the fallen soldiers was carried out by Metropolitan Sergius of Voronezh and Borisoglebsk.

MONUMENT TO THE PIlot - HERO P.N. NESTEROV IN NIZHNY NOVGOROD

Monument to Russian soldiers who died for France during the First World War, erected in the city of Mourmelon.

Monument to Russian soldiers, participants of the First World War. Installed in Belgrade, architect R.N. Verkhovsky.

Monument to Russian soldiers of the expeditionary force

in Paris

Monument to Russian soldiers who died on the battlefields of the First World War in Transnistria

Monument to Cossack heroes of the First World War in Novocherkassk

Memorial in memory of the Terek Cossacks - full knights of St. George

The famous journalist and writer Valery Krushelnitsky approached the city and district municipalities with a proposal to perpetuate the memory of our fellow countrymen. It was he, with the support of the historian-archivist, member of the Union of Writers of the Russian Federation Oleg Opryshko, who collected bits and pieces of information about the sons of the Koolknoye land who deserved the St. George Cross 1st degree. 20 Cossacks from the villages of Prokhladnaya, Soldatskaya, Ekaterinogradskaya and Priblizhnaya and a volunteer, a rider of the Kabardian cavalry regiment from the village of Tambievo (now the village of Altud of Prokhladnensky municipal district) were awarded this honor at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. Their names are inscribed in the history of our land, and now they will appear on a memorial stone in the city Memory Square.

Bust of the Cossack Kryuchkov Kozma Firsovich. Installed in September 2014 in the courtyard of school No. 19 in Novocherkassk

Monument to the Cossacks Army Russian Empire in Azov

Monument to the Cossacks in the First World War in Orenburg

The monument to the heroes of the First World War was erected in Moscow in 2014

At the opening ceremony of the monument to the heroes of the First World War on Poklonnaya Hill in Moscow On August 1, 2014, Russian President Vladimir Putin took part. The main figure of the hundred-ton monument was Russian soldier with St. George's crosses on his chest. The second element of the memorial is a multi-figure composition representing the Russian flag. "The monument to the soldiers of the First World War is not only a tribute to great feats. This is a warning that the world is fragile,” The President of Russia emphasized, concluding his solemn speech.

Monument to the heroes of the First World War in Kaliningrad

Monument to the heroes of the First World War in Lipetsk

Previously, on the site of the park there was the Moscow City Fraternal Cemetery for victims of the First World War, opened in 1915. IN Soviet time the cemetery was liquidated and a park was laid out in its place. IN last decades A number of memorials appeared in the park and a chapel was built in memory of the victims. The territory of the park is a cultural heritage site of regional significance.

MonumentHeroesFirst

In Pskov Work has been completed on the installation of a 7-meter stele, crowned with the symbol of the Russian Empire - a double-headed eagle. On the pedestal with the inscription “To the Heroes of the First World War” there is a figure of a soldier with a “three-ruler” in his hands. Behind the soldier’s back there is a bas-relief with the Pskov banner infantry regiment. The monument was located in a park not far from the railway station - the place where military units arrived. During the First World War, the front headquarters and military hospitals were located in Pskov, and the 23rd Pskov Infantry Division was stationed.

Monument to the Russian Guard in St. Petersburg

On August 1, 2014, the monument to the “Russian Guard” was opened Great War» opposite Vitebsky railway station in St. Petersburg . The composition depicting soldiers looking out of a train carriage, going to the front to defend the Fatherland, is folded into a large bronze cross. "This monument is very important for the younger generation. We must preserve the memory of the past, honor the traditions and great deeds of our ancestors "- said the mayor of St. Petersburg at the opening ceremony of the monument Georgy Poltavchenko .

On August 1, 2014, on the day of remembrance of the soldiers who died in the First World War, a monument appeared in the Moscow region: in the National Equestrian Park “Rus” (Leninsky district of the Moscow region) an official opening ceremony of the obelisk “To the Soldiers of the First World War” was held. The sculptural composition is made using innovative lighting design technologies, and its base is decorated with the image of the main military award Russian Empire - St. George's Cross.

Monument to the Heroes of the First World War is a monument opened in Moscow on Poklonnaya Hill on August 1, 2014 in honor of the centenary of the First World War. The authors of the monument are sculptors A. Kovalchuk, P. Lyubimov, V. Yusupov, architects M. Corsi, S. Shlenkina.

The decision to erect a monument to the heroes of the First World War in Moscow was made in April 2013. The initiator of the installation of the monument and the organizer of the competition was the Russian Military Historical Society. It was decided to install the monument on Poklonnaya Hill between the Triumphal Arch and the Museum of the Great Patriotic War. The competition began on April 15 and took place in several stages. 32 contestants took part in the first stage. On July 12, the second stage of the competition began, in which 15 works took part. Online voting was held on the competition website until August 16, in which about 200 thousand users took part. The exhibition of the finalist projects was held at the Central Museum of the Great Patriotic War. On September 18, the jury announced the winner of the competition. It turned out to be a project by sculptor Andrei Kovalchuk. According to the results of online voting, this project entered the top five, gaining about 6% of the votes. The Russian Military Historical Society collected donations for the construction of the monument. They collected 97 million rubles. Another 74 million were allocated by the Moscow authorities.

Opening

On August 1, 2014, the opening ceremony of the monument took place. This was one of the main events dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Russia's entry into the First World War. Russian President Vladimir Putin took part in the ceremony. Among the guests were Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, and Patriarch Kirill. At the opening of the monument, the President gave a speech. “Exactly a century ago, Russia was forced to enter the First World War. And today we are opening a memorial to its heroes - Russian soldiers and officers. We open on Poklonnaya Hill, which preserves the grateful memory of the military glory of the Russian army. About everyone who, at different stages of the history of the Russian state, defended its independence, dignity and freedom,” said Vladimir Putin.

Description

According to sculptor Andrei Kovalchuk, the monument consists “of two elements: a Russian soldier who went through the war, honestly fulfilled his duty and became a Knight of St. George, and a multi-figure composition representing the flag of Russia.” At the opening of the monument, the sculptor spoke about his idea: “The main soldier is definitely a collective image, and when creating him, I deliberately did not make a young man, but wanted to show a little deeper, to reveal this theme of defending the Motherland. And here is a Russian soldier, the 20th century, this is the Russo-Japanese War, the First World War, the Civil War and the Great Patriotic War, and this person could actually go through all these wars. And these people are real heroes, heroes to whom today we pay tribute, because for many years, many decades, we did not have a single monument in our country...

A monument to the heroes of the First World War was unveiled on Poklonnaya Hill in Moscow. The ceremony was attended by President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, Defense Minister Sergei Kuzhugetovich Shoigu, Minister of Culture VladimirRostislavovichMedinsky, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus', representatives of other religious denominations, politicians, members of military history clubs, townspeople.

A company of honor guard marched in front of the monument, and soldiers in World War I uniforms stood near the monument.

Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin noted that it was no coincidence that the monument took its place on Poklonnaya Hill, a memorial complex dedicated to the Great Patriotic War. After all, some veterans of the First World War also fought in the Second, setting an example for young soldiers.

The idea to erect a monument in honor of the 100th anniversary of the entry of the Russian Empire into the First World War belongs to the Russian Military Historical Society. The design competition was won by sculptor Andrei Nikolaevich Kovalchuk.

The monument consists of two parts - it is a soldier on a high pedestal, on which the St. George Cross is depicted. Behind the soldier is a multi-figure composition: against the background of the Russian flag, the officer raises the soldiers to attack. In the group of soldiers, Cossack Kozma Kryuchkov was the first to be awarded the St. George Cross in the First World War. Nearby, a nurse is saving a wounded man. In the image of a sister of mercy you can recognize Grand Duchess Elizaveta Feodorovna.

The monument was created with public money, and foreign patrons also made their contribution. Thus, in France, on the initiative of the chairman of the Society for the Memory of the Imperial Guard, Prince Alexander Alexandrovich Trubetskoy held a charity concert-action “Symphony of Peace”, as a result of which €22 thousand were collected.

Charity events were held in Moscow to support the construction of the monument. Moscow Art Theater named after A.P. Chekhov showed the play “The White Guard” based on the novel by Mikhail Bulgakov, the Bolshoi Theater gave the opera “Tosca” by Puccini.

The Moscow Philharmonic hosted concerts by Yuri Bashmet, Boris Berezovsky and the symphony orchestra " New Russia" Moscow State Conservatory named after P.I. Tchaikovsky organized a charity concert “For the Heroes of the First World War,” in which the laureates of the “Nutcracker” competition for young musicians and pianist Ekaterina Mechetina took part.

74 million rubles were allocated from the Moscow Mayor's reserve fund. The total cost of work to create the memorial was about 180 million rubles.

“Exactly a century ago, Russia was forced to enter the First World War. And today we are opening a memorial to its heroes - Russian soldiers and officers. We open on Poklonnaya Hill, which preserves the grateful memory of the military glory of the Russian army. About everyone who, at different stages of the history of the Russian state, defended its independence, dignity and freedom,” said Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin at the opening ceremony of the monument.

Annotation. The article describes the history of the creation of one of the first memorial monuments in Russia to the heroes of the First World War, erected in the city of Vyazma, Smolensk province in 1916.

Summary . The article describes the history of creation of one of the first Russiamemorial monuments to heroes of the First World War, set in theity of Vyazma (Smolensk province) in 1916.

KOMAROV Dmitry Evgenievich- Deputy Director of the branch of the Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education "Moscow State University technologies and management named after K.G. Razumovsky (First Cossack University)", Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor

(Vyazma; E-mail: [email protected]).

"THE FIRST MONUMENT TO THE HEROES OF THE FIRST WORLD..."

Few modern residents of the city of Vyazma, Smolensk region, know that one of the first Russian monuments dedicated to the exploits of the heroes of the First World War was erected on its territory a hundred years ago. At the end of 1915, the Vyazma City Duma decided to open this monument and begin collecting public donations for its creation. At the beginning of June 1916, a local Duma deputation visited the Sovereign Emperor Nicholas II with information about the completion of the memorial, asking permission to place on the obelisk the personalized monograms of the Tsar himself and the heir to the throne, Tsarevich Alexei, as holders of the Order of St. George. The corresponding permission was received immediately1.

On June 16, 1916, the grand opening of the “Monument to the Heroes of the Second Patriotic War” (the official name of the monument) took place. It was a tall hexagonal obelisk, assembled from sheet iron, painted to resemble light marble. The obelisk was crowned with the coat of arms of Vyazma; the monograms of the emperor, the heir to the throne and St. George's crosses were placed on the sides. Also on the monument were the names of the St. George cavaliers: generals M.V. Alekseeva, A.E. Everta, V.V. Smirnova, sister of mercy Rimma Ivanova2. The authors of the project envisaged the subsequent application of the names of all St. George cavaliers - natives of Vyazma (at that time there were about 80 of them).

The planned event had a truly all-Russian scale. At the solemn ceremony, in addition to representatives of the city and provincial government, zemstvo, soldiers of the Vyazma garrison, and local residents, there were present the Commander-in-Chief of the Western Front, Adjutant General Alexey Ermolaevich Evert, and the Chief of Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, Adjutant General Mikhail Vasilyevich Alekseev. This event was recorded by newsreels, rare for that time.

According to Smolensk archival documents, the presentation of the monument was accompanied by a number of ceremonies. Thus, according to the invitation card with a list of all planned events3, on the same day the opening of the Boulevard of the Second Patriotic War took place; naming the recently opened bridge in the Station Highway area after the Chief of Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, General M.V. Alekseeva; layout of the park named after the hero of the Sevastopol defense Admiral P.S. Nakhimov.

The action carried out had important socio-political significance and contributed to the rise of Russian national-patriotic consciousness, which had been shaken during the unsuccessful front-line operations of 1915. The jingoistic emotions of the beginning of the war faded not only in the trenches, but also among the civilian population. On the eve of the offensive spring-summer campaign of 1916, the spiritual unity of the army and the rear was needed more than ever. Heroes were needed who could motivate troops and civilians to continue the merciless fight against the enemy. In this regard, the figure of the commander-in-chief of the Western Front, Adjutant General A.E. Everta (whose troops carried out active offensive operations in Belarus in May) was almost ideal. Previous military service Alexei Ermolaevich was closely connected with the Smolensk province. In 1908-1912 With the rank of lieutenant general, he commanded the 13th Army Corps, stationed on its territory, and at the same time was the head of the Smolensk garrison. On the twentieth of May 1916, the formations of the Southwestern Front entrusted to Evert began a large-scale operation against the Austro-Hungarian troops, which went down in history as the “Brusilovsky breakthrough.” The first success has already begun in this sector - the 8th Army of General A.M. Kaledina occupied Lutsk on June 7, and by June 15 she completely defeated the 4th Austro-Hungarian Army. Within a few days, all of Russia learned about this victory, the huge number of captured prisoners and trophies4. Therefore, the presence of one of the heroes of the “Brusilovsky breakthrough” at the opening of the monument caused unprecedented enthusiasm among the townspeople.

With the same delight, the residents of Vyazma welcomed the arrival of their fellow countryman, the de facto commander of the Russian army of that period, M.V., to the solemn event. Alekseeva. According to the credits of the documentary newsreels, which talk about naming the bridge after the general, it was noted “... whose name is associated with the city of Vyazma”5.

Opened on June 16, 1916, the monument was truly popular. Funds for its creation were collected “from the whole world”: local residents and military personnel of the garrison. Vyazma at that time was not considered a front-line city, but it really felt the breath of a protracted bloody war. On its territory there were several military hospitals and infirmaries, as well as reserve and training military units. Reinforcements and armaments went in trains through the railway junction, and trains with refugees followed in the opposite direction.

Thousands of Vyazmichi (mostly peasants) were drafted into the active army. Thus, during the war years, 21.4 percent of Smolensk villages left for the front. of the entire male population of the province or 43.9 percent. the entire male working population6. Many of them went to war as volunteers. To this day, city residents keep the memory of the brave pilot Arkady Lyutov, a representative of a rich and ancient Vyazma merchant family. In 1915, Arkady Lyutov graduated from pilot school, purchased a light airplane with his own funds, and took part in combat missions on it. During one of the reconnaissance flights, the airplane of a Smolensk aviator was shot down by the enemy. The dead hero All of Vyazma was buried. And there were many such examples. Therefore, the residents of Vyazmich considered it a sacred duty to convey the memory of their fellow countrymen, who died heroically on the battlefields, to future generations.

The first monument to the heroes of the First World War (on the territory modern Russia), unfortunately, has not survived to this day. During the revolution and civil war the monument was destroyed. Until the 60s of the last century, the pedestal of the obelisk still remained. But the urban planning plans of the local Soviet leadership did not spare this last reminder of the “forgotten” war. I would like to hope that through the joint efforts of the residents of Vyazmich, the authorities different levels, public organizations and all those who value historical memory, the monument to the heroes of the First World War in the City of Military Glory Vyazma will be restored.

NOTES

2 Ivanova Rimma Mikhailovna - hero of the First World War, a native of Stavropol. Before the start of the war, she worked as a teacher in a zemstvo school. After graduating from the Sisters of Mercy course, in January 1915 she volunteered for the front. She died in September 1915, raising her company to attack. The only woman in Russia awarded the Military Order of St. George, 4th degree.

3 State Archives Smolensk region. F. 113. Op. 1. D. 397. L. 68 vol.

5 Unfortunately, it has not yet been possible to establish this connection precisely. In some books and publications on the Internet there is information that Mikhail Vasilyevich Alekseev was born in the city of Vyazma. The author of the article studied the registry books of 16 city parishes for 1857, but there is no information confirming the fact of Alekseev’s birth in Vyazma. According to the Central Museum Armed Forces, V track record General from 1907 in the column “Origin” it is listed “from the nobles of the Tver province.” Research into this issue is ongoing.

6 Russia in the First World War 1914-1918 (in numbers). M.: Central Statistical Office. Department of Military Statistics, 1925. P. 21.