Chapel Ceremony Brings Praise for Slovenia-Russia Cooperation
Sunday's ceremony at the Russian Chapel, devoted to the memory of Russian prisoners of war who died 92 years ago while constructing the Vrsic mountain pass, was marked by praise, both from Slovenian and Russian speakers, for the ever closer cooperation between the two countries, as well as among Slavic cultures in general.
"Ever since the Russia-Slovenia Friendship Association started organising this ceremony, relations between the two countries have experienced a tremendous expansion in all areas," former ambassador to Russia Dusan Snoj, who delivered a speech on behalf of President Danilo Tuerk, said today.
According to him, the connection between the two nations also became obvious in the framework of the Forum of Slavic Cultures and with Slovenia becoming the first Slavic member state to chair an EU-Russia summit.
First Deputy Speaker of Parliament Lyubov Sliska, who headed the Russian delegation, pointed out that this-year's EU presidency did not only establish Slovenia's reputation in the world. It was also an important contribution to the headway made in the dialogue between Russia and the EU and marked the beginning of talks on a new Russia-EU agreement.
We are happy that this great family of Slavic nations also has the Slovenians, who are capable of facing up to the most serious challenges of the global economy and international politics, Sliska also said.
While praising the work of the Forum of Slavic Cultures, based in Ljubljana, Sliska moreover expressed her conviction that Slovenia would also successfully take on its next challenge, the chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.
Snoj meanwhile welcomed the recently presented ideas of the new Russian president concerning the institutional debate on strengthening world peace.
"While the victims shall rest in peace, we who are still alive, should do all to preserve the memory of them and do so not only at ceremonies, but also through actions that can in fact contribute to bettering the world," Snoj added.
While addresses were moreover given today by Kranjska Gora Mayor Jure Zerjav and president of the Russia-Slovenia Friendship Association Saso Gerzina, Slovenia was also represented by Prime Minister Janez Jansa, several MPs and ambassador, as well as a special delegation of the Slovenian National Assembly.
The ceremony, whose honorary sponsor was Slovenian President Danilo Tuerk, was also accompanied by a number of side events, which featured Russian artists and delegations representing the Russian Orthodox Church and the Russian Army.
During World War I Kranjska Gora was an important military cross-roads. After Italy declared war on Austria in May 1915, the link to the front-line along the Soca river became strategically important, so a road was built from Kranjska Gora across the Vrsic pass (1,611m) into the Soca valley.
To build the road, the Austrian military command used over 10,000 Russian prisoners of war between 1915 in 1916. In March 1916 an avalanche buried over 300 Russian POWs and several Austrian guards. The exact number of victims was never established.
The surviving POWs built the Russian Chapel in 1917, while the remains of the dead were transported to the chapel in 1937. The tragic event has been commemorated at the chapel every year since 1992.
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