Russian Chapel

Easy | 1 hr

At the picturesque wooden Orthodox chapel dedicated St. Vladimir by the road which leads across the highest Slovenian road pass, Vršič, one cannot but notice the inscription ‘To the Sons of Russia’ on the pyramid over the tomb. It is dedicated to Russian POWs who were captured on the Eastern Front and brought to the Julian Alps. In very difficult circumstances they had to construct, in a mere half of the year 1915, the urgently needed road connection from Kranjska Gora over the pass of Vršič (1,611 m) to Trenta. The road was essential for supplying Austro-Hungarian units on the Isonzo Front and for transporting the wounded away. Because of the huge masses of snow, an avalanche was triggered from the slopes of Mt. Mojstrovka early in 1916 and engulfed several hundreds of men. It was long believed that Russian POWs built the chapel in memory of their suffering and the many comrades who had died, but recent research shows that the chapel was built as early as late 1915 or early 1916, that is, before the fatal avalanche. Under the Second Hague Convention of 1899 and the Fourth Convention of 1907, the signatory states, including Austria-Hungary, were obligated to provide prisoners of war with adequate religious care. Perhaps it was precisely this fact, combined with the large number of POWs from the Russian Imperial Army, that led to the creation of this exceptional gem beneath Vršič.

Boštjan Burger 360° Surround Photography

Photos: (1) Tanja Gorjan, Fundacija Poti miru; (2, 3) Simon Kovačič, Fundacija Poti miru; (4) Turizem Kranjska Gora