In Moscow there is a monument to the heroes of Plevna, which is also called a monument to the grenadiers who died during the siege and storming of Plevna. What is this battle of Plevna and who are the grenadier heroes?
The decisive episode of the Russian-Turkish war
The Bulgarian city of Pleven, or Plevna in Russian, 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 “Turkish Gambit”, based on the novel of the same name by B. Akunin, and the novel by B. Vasiliev “There were and weren’t” are dedicated to this critical episode. The Turks defended heroically. On the part of the Russian-Romanian troops, 4 assaults were made on the city, which was turned into a fortress. And Osman Pasha, who settled in Plevna, made one more sortie. The siege of the city, which lasted four months, delayed the advance of the Russian troops and allowed the Turks to significantly strengthen Istanbul and Andrianopol.
The fate of Russian soldiers is to liberate other peoples
More than 31 thousand Russian soldiers died near Plevna, who, as always, showed miracles of courage on the battlefield. Monument to the heroes of Plevnait was originally planned to be erected on the site of their death, but Muscovites insisted that the chapel remain in Moscow.
But even in Russia, the beautiful chapel did not escape the 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 - this is a desecration of the memory of compatriot heroes who fell in battle, ordinary soldiers.
Grenadiers - elite troops
Among the tens of thousands of dead were grenadiers, who were considered the elite units of the infantry or cavalry. They got their name from the old name for hand grenades ("Grenadas", or "Grenadas"). These troops were intended for the assault or siege of enemy fortifications. They were the first to go and the first to die. The best, with good physical data and personal courage, were selected for these units. Therefore, in colloquial speech, a large and courageous man is called a grenadier.
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 realized after 10 years.
Creators of the monument
The author of the chapel is 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 the construction of the chapel, in addition to the eminent and talented V. I. Sherwood, who wasarchitect and sculptor, engineer-colonel A. I. Lyashkin took part. On the tenth anniversary - December 11, 1887 - a chapel was erected at the beginning of Ilyinsky Square. The monument was called "Grenadiers - Heroes of Plevna".
Grand opening
The opening was held with pomp: the city council was present in full force, the governor, Prince V. A. Dolgoruky, the former commander of the grenadier corps, P. S. In addition, there was a "consolidated battery with five choirs of music." The parade of units of the Grenadier Corps, four squadrons of the Moscow garrison was received by Field Marshal Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich the Elder himself, commander-in-chief of the Danube army. In a solemn atmosphere, the act of transferring the monument to Moscow was handed over to the mayor Alekseev. There is a version that initially it was planned to build a monument on this site only to General M. D. Skobelev, the hero of the Russian-Turkish war. Often in white clothes, always on a white horse, he appeared in the thick of battle, inspiring soldiers with personal courage. This idea was already raised money, but for some reason it was rejected.
People's Monument
The monument to the heroes of Plevna in Moscow, the surviving soldiers of the Grenadier Regiment, also built with their own money in memory of their fallen comrades. Requests for the future chapel were large, but the collected funds were not enough for everything, so the original sculptures were replaced by high reliefs (relief imageprotrudes above the plane by more than half), and laurel wreaths had to be abandoned altogether. Separate cast-iron parts of the monument were assembled with particular precision and scrupulousness: the seams are not visible at all. Four high reliefs decorating the chapel show the events of the Russian-Turkish war, the crimes of the Turks on Bulgarian soil and the exploits of the Russian soldiers-liberators.
Peculiar design
The octagonal monument to the heroes of Plevna in Moscow is a chapel-tent topped with an Orthodox cross and has a low pedestal. There are inscriptions and statements on the plates, announcing in honor of what event and to whom the monument was erected, the names of the dead grenadiers (18 officers and 542 soldiers) are listed, and the places of the main battles are indicated. On the cast-iron pedestals were supposed to be mugs for donations in favor of the crippled soldiers and their families. The interior of the chapel is decorated with polychrome tiles. Here in the interior on the walls are images of Orthodox saints, especially revered in Russia: Cyril and Methodius, Alexander Nevsky, Nicholas the Wonderworker, John the Warrior.
General tragedy of places of worship during the years of atheism
It is not clear why the monuments to ordinary residents of tsarist Russia were destroyed. How could the boards with the names of the dead be stolen and in what household could this be useful? Nevertheless, under Soviet rule, the monument was looted and desecrated. The question of its demolition, remelting of cast iron in order to make a monument to Kuibyshev from it was repeatedly raised. Fortunately, this did not happen. At the end of the forties of the last centurythe chapel was even put in some order - the inscriptions were gilded and the cross was restored. For many years the monument stood as a ghost and was destroyed. In the 1950s, it was covered with a preservative compound, which made it black. So he towered over the square like a black lifeless effigy until 1992, when the authorities handed him over to the Nikolo-Kuznetsk Church.
Resurrection
The monument-chapel to the heroes of Plevna began to revive especially actively since 1999, when Alexy II took the military shrine under his personal care. He established the Patriarchal Metochion with her, thus breathing new life into the chapel. From that moment to this day, funeral services have been regularly performed here. The illumination 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 those who were dissatisfied with the results of the work done, believing that excessive gilding spoiled the monument, turning it into a remake. The black one was better. It is clear that the beautiful chapel, which has such a rich history, is a landmark of Moscow. And books and films arouse the interest of both Muscovites and guests of the capital.
Location of the masterpiece
The monument to the heroes of Plevna in Moscow has the following address: Moscow, Lubyansky passage (metro station "Kitai-gorod"). The monument is included in all guidebooks around the capital,information about him is in the public domain.
This landmark is popularly nicknamed the bell, as its shape resembles a large cast-iron bell. One of the most beautiful pages in the general book of Russian victories is the monument to the heroes of Plevna in Moscow. How to get to this masterpiece of V. I. Sherwood? It has already been noted above that the nearest metro station, which connects all districts of Moscow, is Kitai-Gorod. From the name it is clear that 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 Tverskoy district, located between Staraya and Novaya squares, Lubyansky passage and Ilyinka. This street goes to the monument directly from the Spasskaya Tower. That is, within walking distance from the Kremlin there is a monument to the heroes of Plevna. How to get to it by ground public transport? Trolleybuses No. 25 and 45, bus H3, minibus 325M go to the Ilyinsky Gate stop. But they come from some 4-5 districts. The most convenient way to get anywhere in the center of the capital is by metro.
