A Hierarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church took part in the annual ceremony at the Vladimir Chapel on the Vršič Pass

DECR Communication Service, 02.08.2025

On July 26, the annual commemorative ceremony was once again held at the Chapel of Saint Vladimir Equal-to-the-Apostles, located on the alpine Vršič Pass in Slovenia, in memory of Russian prisoners of war who tragically perished in 1916 during an avalanche while constructing a mountain road.

The outdoor memorial service (panikhida) at the chapel was conducted by Bishop Kirill of Buenos Aires and South-Central America, administrator of the Zagreb-Ljubljana Metropolis of the Serbian Orthodox Church, together with Priest Milan Jovanović of the Church of Saints Cyril and Methodius in Maribor, Slovenia.

Continuing a longstanding tradition, wreaths were laid at the monument marking the mass grave of Russian soldiers who fought for the freedom of Slavic peoples.

This year’s event, organized by the “Slovenia–Russia” Society, gathered over 400 guests and participants. Among them were: T.R. Eyvazov, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the Republic of Slovenia; S.E. Cheremin, Minister of the Moscow Government and Head of the Department for External Economic and International Relations; Bishop Stanislav Lipovšek (Emeritus, Roman Catholic Church in Slovenia); Zoran Janković, Mayor of Ljubljana; Milan Kučan, former President of Slovenia; Hanzi Zupan, Mayor of the Municipality of Kranjska Gora; as well as numerous representatives of the political, public, and cultural communities of both countries.

Photo credit: Embassy of the Russian Federation in Slovenia website

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A Hierarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church took part in the annual ceremony at the Vladimir Chapel on the Vršič Pass

Patriarch

Department Chairman

Sermons

Patriarch

Department Chairman

Sermons