Russian Troops in France and the Balkans (1916-1918) in the Historical Memory of the 20th - early 21st Centuries

Abstract

This article examines efforts to preserve the historical memory of Russian soldiers who fell in France, the Balkans and Africa during the Great War. Based on a wide range of sources, it discusses various aspects memory preservation, including research, the installation of monuments, the main military necropolises in France and the Balkans, relevant associations, as well as producing historical documentaries and museum exhibitions. The author discusses the monuments in Saint-Hilaire-Le-Grand, Laval and at the Holy Cross hospital near Toulon, as well as more recent memorials in Courcy, Brest, and Marseilles. He devotes special attention to the grave of the Russian Legion’s padre. The article Ralso addresses three documentary films about the Russian expeditionary corps: “20 Thousand Useless Men”, “They Fought in France”, and “The Stolen Victory”. At the same time, it considers efforts to preserve the memory of the Russian troops who fought in the Balkans, which already began in 1917, when the commander of the 2nd Special Infantry Brigade organised a team to preserve the graves of the soldiers who fell there in battle. Meanwhile, Russian diplomats helped to build monuments in Greece and Macedonia.