Russian chapel
Orthodox shrine at the Vršič pass
The road that connects Kranjska Gora and Bovec is most commonly known as the road over Vršič. During World War I, it was mainly constructed by Russian prisoners of war for the purpose of supplying the Isonzo Front. When designing the road, the locals warned the engineers to build avalanche barriers, but their warnings were ignored. In March 1916, an avalanche struck at the top of Vršič and buried several Russian prisoners of war. Later that summer, the surviving Russian prisoners built an Orthodox chapel in memory of their fallen comrades.
The chapel was initially built from bark and stands on stone foundations. It is dedicated to Saint Vladimir. Next to the chapel is a pyramid with the inscription 'To the sons of Russia,' and beneath it is an ossuary containing the remains of Russian soldiers.
Inside the chapel, the altar, iconostasis, and decorations, which are more than 100 years old, have been preserved. The cultural monument was restored in 2006.
Already in the first years after the end of World War I, Russian emigrants in our country would visit the chapel on the last Sunday of every month. This tradition of visiting has been preserved, with occasional interruptions, to this day.
After the independence of Slovenia, Slovenian-Russian meetings have been held at the chapel. These meetings have been attended by many high-ranking Russian officials, including the Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Prime Minister of Russia Dmitrij Medvedjev.
