August 1, 2018, the anniversary of the First world war, in front of the Cathedral of St. Catherine in Tsarskoye Selo opened a monument “1914”, according to patriarhiei. The monument was consecrated by Bishop Markell of Tsarskoye Selo, assisted by the honorary Dean of the Pushkin district of St. Petersburg diocese, Archpriest Gennady Zverev.
In bronze, depicts the regimental priest blessing the Russian soldiers on a feat for the faith, Tsar and Fatherland. On the granite pedestal is an inscription in Roman numerals “MCMXIV” — 1914 , in niches, bronze bas-reliefs of St. George, the patron Saint of the Russian army, and the two-headed eagle — emblem of Russian Empire.
Vice-Governor Alexander Talkers at the opening ceremony of the monument noted that the year 1914 not only turned the country’s history, but also fundamentally changed the world, humanity: “Killed millions of people, military and civilian. The war was universal trouble, it kindled the fires of revolutions, provoked the collapse of four empires, gave rise to militarization around the world. There have been attempts to forget the war, its victims and consequences. But justice prevails, and in 2014, near the Vitebsk railway station was a monument to fallen soldiers. In Pushkin was opened by the Military chamber. Now there is another place of memory in Tsarskoye Selo was the chief of staff of Emperor Nicholas II, it housed hospitals, the dead are buried”.
“Regimental priests did not take up arms, but he shared the hardships of the war, helped the wounded, bury the dead. Many of them died themselves, said Alexander Talkers. — This monument is a reminder of how fragile the world is and how easy it is to destroy it, if not to hear each other, that it is unacceptable to suppress the freedom and rights of someone in the name of their interests and ambitions.”
“Prayer unites the invisible “I” and the invisible God, — the Lord told Markell. — It can be expressed in art, literature, sculpture, painting, and sculpture. Monument — a prayer for the dead”.
The Hierarch emphasized that the media provide a mixed picture of what is happening in the world, with an emphasis on the negative — disasters, diseases, catastrophes. “The problem of suffering is a deep mystery of God the mystery of life. Only through prayer we can touch the mystery, only through prayer we can understand many things, we can look beyond the visible horizon… God forbid we repeat past mistakes,” said the Archbishop.
Founder and President of group of companies “Etalon”, the President of Fund “Creative world” Vyacheslav Zarenkov said that the monument was planned to deliver in 2014, by which time he was executed by the sculptor, but only today managed to implement. “The Tsar’s Village — a special place, hence the soldiers went to the First world war, — he reminded. Here brought dead, wounded, they recover not only in hospitals but also in monasteries. Not only the priests who were at the forefront and lead educational work among the soldiers, and monks who treated the wounded, contributed to the victory”.
Vyacheslav Zarenkov said that the memory of the First world war after the revolution was deliberately erased, because there were a lot of mistakes, and people who are in power do not want them to be seen. “I hope that this monument symbolizes the Union of faith clergy and laity, recalled the courage of the soldiers,” said said V. Zarenkov, saying that his grandfather died from gas poisoning in the war.
They read the greeting of the Chairman of the Russian historical society, Director of the foreign intelligence service Sergei Naryshkin.
The rector of the St. Petersburg Academy of arts named after Ilya Repin Semyon Mikhailovsky noted that the successfully chosen place for the monument — in front of the reconstructed temple. Sculptor, academician of the Russian Academy of ARTS Vladimir Gorevoy added that this monument we pay tribute to those who went to war and who prayed for the fighting.
The ceremony was attended by representatives of the government of St. Petersburg, legislative Assembly of the city, the administration of the Pushkin district.
To the monument and laid flowers, marched in solemn March of the honor guard.
1 August (19 July Church calendar) — the day of Russia’s entry into the first world war in 1914. Tsarskoye Selo was the site of the quartering of regiments of the Imperial guard. During the great war, as it was then called the First world, the first guard joined in the battle at Causeni 6 August 1914. Since that time, guard units and participated in many battles and battles and suffered heavy losses. From the front for burial at Tsarskoye Selo brought the remains of the dead generals and officers; of the wounded soldiers — both officers and lower ranks — were sent to local hospitals. Just in Tsarskoye Selo during the war worked more than 60 hospitals. Tsarskoye Selo is the intention of the Emperor Nicholas II, had become a special place of remembrance of the First world war.