Monument to the Russian Expeditionary Force in France
The Russian Expeditionary Force
In 1916, Russia sent an expeditionary force comprising four independent brigades to France in response to an Allied plea for help. Each brigade had two regiments. In all, the Russian Expeditionary Force numbered 750 officers and 45,000 soldiers.
The First Brigade landed April 26, 1916 in Marseilles, and the Second, Third, and Fourth Brigades landed in Brest. The First and Third Brigades were sent to Champagne, France, while the Second and Fourth Brigades were deployed in Macedonia.
The more than 20,000 Russian officers and soldiers deployed in France fought alongside French forces in the Champagne-Ardennes region until the February 1917 Russian Revolution. Russian units particularly distinguished themselves in intense and protracted fighting near Fort de la Pompelle not far from Reims. Over 5,000 Russian officers, warrant officers, and soldiers were killed in action.
After the February 1917 Revolution and Russia's withdrawal from the war, the Expeditionary Force regiments were disbanded and converted into military labour service companies. The French government subsequently allowed the creation of a Russian Legion on a voluntary basis.
The Russian Legion displayed incredible bravery during fighting on the Somme River in April 1918 and during combat operations near Soissons in May and September 1918. The Russian Expeditionary Force prevented the capture of Reims by German forces. The city was of vital symbolic importance as home to the Notre-Dame de Reims (Our Lady of Reims) Roman Catholic cathedral
where the kings of France were crowned since the 12th century. In September 2010, a memorial dedicated to Russian officers and soldiers was unveiled in Reims.
French Marshal Ferdinand Foch once said that France was not erased from the map of Europe due largely to the courage of these Russian soldiers over the course of the war.
History of the Monument
On November 27, 2009, at a meeting of the Russian-French Intergovernmental Commission in Rambouillet, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and French Prime Minister Francois Fillon approved the idea of establishing a memorial dedicated to the officers and soldiers of the Russian Expeditionary Force, which fought together with Allied armies on the Western Front in France in 1916-1918.
Under the agreements, the French Ministry of Culture and Communication organised an international competition. Models prepared by the Grekov Studio of Military Artists, as well as by sculptors Georgy Frangulyan and Vladimir Surovtsev, were contributed. French sculptors also took part in the competition. Merited Artist of the Russian Federation Vladimir Surovtsev was selected as the winner.
On September 28, 2010, the Council of Paris decided to designate a plot for the monument in central Paris on the Seine embankment near the well-known Grand Palais Exhibition Centre and the Pont Alexandre III.
On October 7, 2010, the French Ministry of Culture and Communication hosted a meeting attended by representatives of the Paris City Hall. The French side pledged to finance landscape improvement and the assembly of the monument. The Russian side pledged to finance the monument's construction and its delivery to Paris.
When interviewed by the Voice of Russia radio station, Vladimir Surovtsev said the following:
"The monument's complete name is the "Memorial to Officers and Soldiers of the Russian Expeditionary Force Who Fought Alongside Allied Forces in 1915-1918." The Expeditionary Force was established in 1915 but reached France in 1916. Both Russia and France have largely forgotten this chapter of the war's history.
I should probably start by saying that the project is supported by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and French Prime Minister Francois Fillon. Here is one small detail: the French Prime Minister's New Year's message prioritises our project. Vladimir Putin's message also mentioned it. In effect, we can imagine the sort of significance Russia and France attach to this project.
I depicted an ordinary Russian soldier standing calmly and peacefully near a horse drinking water. The French have repeatedly noted that I have made 17 monuments in 15 countries, that they know my work very well, and that each of my sculptures has a message. They wanted to know what this one's message was.
It didn't come for a long time. One night, I had a revelation, just like the famous Dmitry Mendeleyev, and I decided to call this work "The Spring (Rodnik)." This implies the theme of the homeland (rodina) and of national memory – that is, of a horse drinking water.
[...] Everything still lies ahead. They have just arrived in France. Loyal to the alliance, to their oaths of allegiance and their military duty, they will go into battle some time later. Meanwhile, they take a moment to pause in this peaceful scene. In other words, we did not want to place an attacking soldier in central Paris, rifle or grenade in hand.
"This amazing location was given to us by the Paris City Hall. It was shown to Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. In effect, it is not far from a small Russian Quarter near the Pont Alexandre III. The famous Grand Palais is located nearby. This is an extremely popular tourist attraction. The Presidential Palace is also located not far away. Of course, our monument has been given a very serious status even now."
