Historical story

The Siberian Russian monument that has been honored for 200 years in Greece

We are in Navarino, Messinia, where a Siberian-style Russian Church stands, next to the monument to the Russian Fallen.

The Russian Fallen Memorial is located on the small island of Sphakteria, off Pylos, in Messinia. It was placed there in 1872, on the 45th anniversary of the Battle of Navarino, and was funded by the Russian Navy.

In the center of the Monument to the Russian Fallen is a marble plaque on which is written:

"In memory of those lost in the naval battle of Navarino on October 8 (20) 1827 and buried nearby".

Around the plaque there are still the cypress trees planted in 1889 by the Russian sailors, who demanded honor from their compatriots.

The Russian war memorial is still visited today by the crews of the Russian warships during their trips to Greece paying their respects.

Near the Russian Fallen Memorial is the Church of the Resurrection of the Lord, where liturgies are held and the fallen are remembered. In 1960, a column was placed near the marble slab, depicting the anchor and the coat of arms of the Soviet Union. The inscription on the column reads that it was placed "...in honor of the Russian sailors who fell heroically in the naval battle of Navarino".