In Moscow there is a monument to the heroes of Plevna, which is also called the monument to the grenadiers who died during the siege and the assault of Plevna. What is the battle of Pleven and who are the grenadier heroes?
The decisive episode of the Russian-Turkish war
The Bulgarian city of Pleven, or in Russian Pleven, located in the northern part of the country, went down in history as one of the most important events of the war of 1877-1878 between Russia and Turkey. The film “The Turkish Gambit”, based on the novel of the same name by B. Akunin, and the novel by B. Vasilyev, “There Were and None,” is dedicated to this turning point. Turks heroically defended. From the side of the Russian-Romanian forces, 4 assaults of the city, turned into a fortress, were undertaken. And Osman Pasha, who sat in Plevna, made another sortie. The siege of the city, which lasted four months, delayed the advance of Russian troops and allowed the Turks to significantly strengthen Istanbul and Andrianopol.
The fate of the Russian soldiers - to liberate other peoples
Near Plevna, more than 31 thousand Russian soldiers died, who, on the battlefield, showed, as always, miracles of courage. The monument to the heroes of Plevna was originally planned to be erected at the place of their death, but Muscovites insisted that the chapel remain in Moscow.
But in Russia, the beautiful chapel did not escape a sad fate. During the years of unbelief, the monument to the heroes of Plevna was not only looted - it was turned into a public toilet. This is not cynicism - it is an abuse of the memory of fallen heroes-compatriots, ordinary soldiers.
Grenadiers - Elite Troops
Among the tens of thousands of dead were the grenadiers, who were considered selective units of infantry or cavalry. They got their name from the old name for hand grenades ("grenadas", or "grenadas"). These troops were intended to assault or siege enemy fortifications. They walked first and died first. The best, with good physical characteristics and personal courage, were selected to these units. Therefore, in colloquial speech, the grenadier is called a large and brave man.
After the war, the surviving soldiers of this corps at their own expense decided to erect a monument to the heroes of Plevna. Their idea was implemented in 10 years.
The creators of the monument
The chapel was written by Vladimir Iosifovich Sherwood (1832-1897), a famous Russian artist, sculptor and architect. He is the creator of the famous monument to N. I. Pirogov, he owns the project of the Historical
Museum on Red Square in Moscow, many portraits of famous people of Russia. In addition to the eminent and talented V.I.Sherwood, who was an architect and sculptor, colonel engineer A.I. Lyashkin took part in the construction of the chapel. On the tenth anniversary of December 11, 1887, a chapel was erected at the beginning of
Ilyinsky Square . The monument was called "Grenadiers - Heroes of Pleven."
Grand opening
The opening was pompous: the city duma, the governor Prince V. A. Dolgoruky, the former commander of the grenadier corps P. S. Ganetsky and the participant of the Pleven battle, General M. P. Danilov, were present. In addition, there was a "combined battery at five choirs of music." The parade of units of the Grenadier Corps, four squadrons of the Moscow garrison was hosted by Field Marshal Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolayevich the Elder, Commander-in-Chief of the Danube Army. In a festive atmosphere, the act on the transfer of the monument to Moscow was presented to the mayor Alekseev. There is a version that initially it was planned to build a monument only to General M. D. Skobelev, the hero of the Russian-Turkish war. Often in white robes, always on a white horse, he appeared in the thick of the battle, inspiring the soldiers with personal courage. Money has already been raised for this idea, but for some reason it was rejected.
National monument
The monument to the heroes of Plevna in Moscow, the surviving soldiers of the Grenadier Regiment also built on their own money in memory of the dead comrades. Requests for the future chapel were large, but the funds raised were not enough for everything, so the original sculptures were replaced with high reliefs (the relief image protrudes more than half above the plane), and we had to abandon the laurel wreaths altogether. Separate cast-iron details of the monument were assembled with particular accuracy and scrupulousness: no seams are visible at all. The four high reliefs adorning the chapel show the events of the Russian-Turkish war, the crimes of the Turks on Bulgarian soil and the exploits of the Russian liberators are captured.
Peculiar design
The octagonal monument to the heroes of Plevna in Moscow is a chapel-tent, crowned with an Orthodox cross, and has a low pedestal. On the plates there are inscriptions and statements informing in honor of which event and to whom the monument was erected, the names of the dead grenadiers (18 officers and 542 soldiers) are listed, the places of the main battles are indicated. On cast-iron pedestals there should have been circles for donations to maimed soldiers and their families. The inside of the chapel is decorated with polychrome tiles. Here in the interior along the walls are images of Orthodox saints, especially revered in Russia: Cyril and Methodius, Alexander Nevsky, Nicholas the Wonderworker, John the Warrior.
The general tragedy of religious buildings during the years of atheism
It is not clear why the monuments to ordinary inhabitants of Tsarist Russia were destroyed. How could stole blackboards with the names of the dead, and in what household could this come in handy? Nevertheless, under Soviet rule, the monument was looted and desecrated. The question arose repeatedly about its demolition, the smelting of cast iron in order to make a monument to Kuibyshev from it. Fortunately, this did not happen. At the end of the forties of the last century, the chapel was even put in some order - the inscriptions were gilded and the cross was restored. For many years, the monument stood a ghost and collapsed. In the 50s it was coated with a preservative compound, which is why it turned black. And he towered over the square with a black lifeless scarecrow until 1992, when the authorities transferred it to the St. Nicholas-Kuznetsk church.
Resurrection
The chapel monument to the heroes of Plevna began to revive especially actively in 1999, when Alexy II took the military shrine under his personal care. He established the Patriarchal Compound with her, thus breathing new life into the chapel. From that moment to this day, funeral services have regularly been held here. Coverage of the restored shrine took place on March 1, 1998. Restored with the money of the Russian Orthodox Church, the monument is very beautiful and unusual. The Society of Zealots of Orthodox Culture was engaged in its restoration. The restoration was led by Professor D.I. Zarudin. As always, there were dissatisfied with the results of the work done, who believed that excessive gilding ruined the monument, turning it into a remake. Black he was better. It is clear that the beautiful chapel, which has such a rich history, is a landmark in Moscow. And books and films arouse the interest of both Muscovites and guests of the capital.
The location of the masterpiece
The monument to the heroes of Plevna in Moscow has the following address: Moscow, Lubyansky passage (metro station Kitay-Gorod). The monument is included in all guides in the capital, information about it is widely available.
This attraction is popularly called a bell, because the outlines resemble a large cast-iron bell. One of the most beautiful pages in the general book of Russian victories is a monument to the heroes of Plevna in Moscow. How to get to this masterpiece by V. I. Sherwood? It was already noted above that the nearest metro station, which connects all the districts of Moscow, is Kitai Gorod. From the name it is clear that the Ilyinsky Gate Square, on which the chapel is located, is located in the very heart of Moscow and is one of the central ones.
It belongs to the Tver district, located between the Old and New
Squares, Lubyansky passage and Ilyinka. This street goes to the monument directly from the Spasskaya Tower. That is, within walking distance from the Kremlin is a monument to the heroes of Plevna. How to get to it by public transport? Trolleybuses number 25 and 45, bus N3, minibus 325 go to the stop "Ilyinsky Gates". But they come from some 4-5 districts. It is most convenient to get to anywhere in the center of the capital by metro.