The Russian Chapel and the grave of an unknown prisoner of war. Between myth and truth

Abstract

The contribution discusses the problem of the Russian Chapel and the grave of an unknown Russian prisoner of war on the Vršič Pass, which are at the centre of many historically unfounded assertions, especially those concerning the date and the reason for the construction of the chapel and the number of graves in its vicinity. The interwar period even witnessed the institution of a commemoration dedicated to the grave of an unknown prisoner of war, whose identity is now no longer a mystery. Based on newspaper sources and archival materials, the article points to discrepancies between the misapprehension and erroneous interpretation of the above-mentioned vestiges of the First World War and their actual historical context.