A monument to the Swedes from the Russians

What? - A monument to the Swedes from the Russians

Description

Preparations for the celebration of the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Poltava included the identification of memorial sites on the historical field. The project of the monument to the Swedes from the Russians in the form of a granite pyramid topped with a granite cross was developed by O. Bilderling. A talented military teacher and practitioner, the author of a number of training manuals, he had a penchant for art, was fond of history and museum affairs.
The total height of the monument is about 9 meters. On the main facade there is a bronze plaque with inscriptions in Russian and Swedish: "Eternal memory of the brave Swedish soldiers who died in the battle of Poltava on June 27, 1709." The text was recommended by the Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities. The Russian translation was made by O. Bilderling, who knew Swedish.
The monument was erected near the road near the northern border of the city, that is, where the right flank of the Swedish army, including the guard, was located during the Battle of Poltava. Celebrations on the occasion of its opening began on June 25, 1909 with a procession from the Cathedral of the Assumption to the Swedish Grave. Poltava Bishop Ioann held a memorial service for the fallen Russian and Swedish soldiers, sprinkled the monument with holy water, after which delegations from various military units laid wreaths at the monument. The event was accompanied by a salute - four cannon shots. Guards Preobrazhenskyi and Semenivskyi regiments paid a special tribute to the fallen Swedes. The massive silver wreath from the people of Semenev had the inscription: "In memory of the steadfast and brave Swedish soldiers who proved their loyalty to the King", and the silver wreath from the Transfigurationists - "In memory of our teachers, whose glory is immortal!" After the celebrations, these and other wreaths were stored first in the chapel of St. Peter and Paul in the mass grave of the soldiers of the Moscow army, then in the museum of the Battle of Poltava, and after the Bolshevik coup of 1917, they were stolen. Today, the monument to the Swedes from the Russians is one of the dominant features of the historical field.

Speciality

The monument to the Swedes from the Russians is one of the dominant features of the historical field.