12 November 2018 in the exhibition hall “Tolstoy” Russian house of science and culture in Berlin hosted the presentation of the exhibition “Mercy in the First world war”, reports the website of the Fund Gregory the theologian.
The exposition of photos and documents 1914-1918, dedicated to the charity during the First world war, from the collection of the State archive of the Russian Federation, Russian state military historical archive, the Central State archive of the city of Moscow, State Central Museum of contemporary history of Russia, Elisabeth-sergievskoe educational society (Russia).
The exposition also includes postcards of the era of war from the collections of the Russian state library of arts, the Publishing house “Krepostnoy”, Philatelic Studio of Igor Pugachev, St.-Petersburg club of fans of history of postcards and private collections of K. A. Ladyzhenskaya, A. S. Medyakova, A. A. and V. G. Melitonyan Palagnyuk.
The attendees were addressed by the head of mission Rossotrudnichestvo in Germany Pavel Izvolsky, the head of the Royal House of Prussia, Prince Georg Friedrich of Prussia, the Manager of the Berlin-a German diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church, Archbishop Tikhon of Podolsk, exhibition curator, head of the international Department of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Publishing house I. Lapshin, head of Department for cooperation with religious organisations office of the President of the Russian Federation Evgeny Eremin, Archbishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Russia Dietrich Brauer, representative of the Supreme Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Germany Dr. Martin Illert, President of the Union deltiology Russia Arsen Melitonyan and Professor of modern history, Moscow state University. M. V. Lomonosov Alexander Coppers.
Archbishop Tikhon of Podolsk, addressing the ceremony participants, shared their impressions of the exhibition “Mercy in the First world war”: “It was a time, when opened a large field for works of charity, care for the wounded, rescue the dying. But in the eyes of those who see in these pictures, with their silent lips addressed to us the message in which they call for us to do all that more war is not repeated.”
The Archbishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Russia Dietrich Brauer in his speech said: “the First world is the tragedy in Russia is a shadow of another tragic event – the revolution of 1917. Therefore, it is important that such exhibitions are, “Requiem”, ascended to God the prayers because God is not dead – for God all are alive. When we realize this, we maintain a culture of memory, we learn from the mistakes of history, we go along the path of God’s children – keepers of the world. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” (Matt. 5, 9)”.
Further, the word took the chief of Department on interaction with religious organizations in the office of the President of the Russian Federation Evgeny Eremin. “We poor students from its history, he said. – If humanity has learned the lessons of the First world war, perhaps there would not be subsequent battles and casualties. In this exhibition, the organizers presented a card issued with a circulation of 40 million copies, with the Kaiser Wilhelm and his words: “I don’t know no more parties, I know only Germans.” It was a call for civil unity. The same unity, as experts say, it was in Russia, in France and in other belligerent countries. But what is the purpose of this unity? They banded together for war. Let’s think – is it right. The consequences of such a unity – blood, tears, sorrow and devastation. We don’t need such unity. Now, we – the representatives of different countries, peoples and religions must unite for the sake of eternal peace in Europe and on earth.”
Representative of the Supreme Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Germany Dr. Martin Illert stressed that the images he saw at the exhibition, penetrate to the heart and with common sense: “blessed are the merciful.” At the exhibition, he was impressed with such compositions in which one army soldier carries a wounded soldier to another army. “It’s as if he was carrying Christ,” said Dr. M. Illert.
The President of the Union deltiology Russia Arsen Melitonyan recalled in his comments that the academician Dmitry Likhachev called postcards business cards time. “Postcards illustrated all aspects of human life. Almost all the events of the First world war is reflected on the postcards. For the soldiers at the front and their loved ones in the rear, it was important that if a soldier is wounded, he will assist. So we see on postcards not only battles, but also nurses, and hospitals, and sanitary trains” – drew the attention of the collector.
The event was presented the album is the four-volume “the First world war in postcards” issued by the Publishing house “Krepostnoy” in 2015. Authors – candidate of historical Sciences, associate Professor of modern history, Moscow state University. M. V. Lomonosov Alexander Coppers and collector-deltiologist Valery Krepostnov.
Edition new reveals the role of picture postcards in reflection of the events of the First world war and public opinion in the countries-participants of the conflict. The core of the publication is one of the largest collections in the world (more than 50 thousand cards) devoted to the era of the First world war. The publication has no analogues in the world practice, differing from other publications on the First world war as a number (more than 5.5 thousand) and a variety of subjects, and active use of texts placed on postcards.
The event was organized by the Charity Fund named after Saint Gregory the theologian to the 100th anniversary of the First world war with the support of the Embassy of Russia in Germany, the Russian house of science and culture in Berlin of the Evangelical Church in Germany, the Department for external Church relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, Publishers of the Moscow Patriarchate, the Union of deltiology Russia, OOO “Gazprom dobycha Urengoy”.