Memorial to white soldiers in the Donskoy Monastery (Moscow)

Reburial in the Don Monastery of A. I. Denikin, I. A. Ilyin and their Families

On October 3, 2005, the ashes of General Anton Ivanovich Denikin ( 1872 - 1947 ) and his wife Ksenia Vasilievna ( 1892 - 1973 ), together with the remains of the Russian philosopher Ivan Alexandrovich Ilyin ( 1883 - 1954 ) and his wife Natalya Nikolaevna ( 1882 - 1963 ), were transferred to Moscow for burial in the Donskoy monastery ^[2] . For several years, new burials were undeveloped.

Reburial at the Don Monastery of V.O. Kappel

On December 14, 2006, the remains of General Kappel, who were taken out of Russia during the abandonment of Chita in the fall of 1920 and reburied in Harbin near the northern wall of the Iversky Church , were discovered by an initiative group consisting of Archpriest Dimitri Smirnov, Chinese historian Dmitry Nepara, forensic expert Sergei Nikitin, producer of Channel One Andrei Kirisenko and the head of the White Warriors news agency Alexander Alekaev ^[3] .

On January 13, 2007, the ashes of General Kappel were buried in the cemetery of the Donskoy Monastery - near its southern wall - between the graves of the families of Denikin and Ilyin. ^[four]

The stone monument on the grave of V.O. Kappel was unveiled on September 1, 2007 ^[3] and is an exact copy of the monument that was previously on the grave, destroyed in the 1950s. ^[five]

Building Initiative

The initiative to build the memorial belonged to the Prime Minister of Russia V.V. Putin . According to archimandrite Tikhon (Shevkunov) , told in an interview with reporters on May 24, 2009: ^[6]

A couple of months ago, Vladimir Putin saw photographs of the graves of Denikin, Ilyin and Shmelev, which were in very poor condition - with dilapidated, tilted wooden crosses, hastily made by tombstones. “This is not the case!” Said the prime minister and ordered to make new gravestones and personally, together with the patriarch, approved the new sketches.

Preparatory work

The construction of the memorial was personally supervised by the Prime Minister of Russia Vladimir Putin, the governor of the Sretensky Monastery, Archimandrite Tikhon (Shevkunov), was in charge of the Russian Orthodox Church . On May 6, 2009, a working meeting was held on the construction of the memorial under the leadership of the Minister of Culture of Russia Alexander Avdeev , and in two weeks almost everything was ready. ^[7]

Opening

The opening of the memorial took place on May 24, 2009 . Before the opening, the memorial was consecrated by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill . The opening ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin . The opening was broadcast by the central television channels of Russia ^[6] . Monuments on the graves of the Denikins, Kappel family and the Ilyins family were erected at the personal expense of V. V. Putin ^{[8] The} previously constructed stone monument at the grave of V. O. Kappel became the central part of the new memorial ^{[3] [5]} .

The memorial is a granite site with five tombstones located on it in a row (Denikin with his wife, Kappel, Ilyin with his wife). From the north side to the territory of the memorial there is an entrance from the side of the monastery, the south side goes to the south wall of the monastery. The memorial is surrounded by a symbolic marble fence 20 centimeters high with 18 marble symbolic rectangular pillars 30 centimeters high.

On May 24, 2009 at the memorial at the time of its opening, Prime Minister Vladimir V. Putin quoted the words of one of the leaders of the White Movement, General Denikin , that Ukraine is a small Russia , and the relationship between large and small Russia “has always been a thing Russia itself. ” The statement was widely commented in the world media , caused a lively discussion and was actively discussed by political scientists , historians , statesmen and the public in Ukraine, Russia and many foreign countries.

According to numerous reports, Putin, after talking with Archimandrite Tikhon at the monument to Denikin, went to the reporters and asked: “Have you read Denikin’s diaries?” Those answered that “it seems not”, but promised to read it. “Be sure to read! There he has discussions about the big and small Russia, Ukraine. He says that no one should be allowed to interfere in relations between us, this has always been a matter for Russia itself, ”Putin recalled. ^{[6] [9] [10] [11]}

• Russian Prime Minister V. Putin noted the beauty of tombstones at the memorial: ^[6]
• Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill expressed gratitude to the organizers of the monuments and said the following: ^[12]

It is remarkable that today the graves of people who have made such a huge contribution to the history of our Fatherland, through contact with which people learned the truth and wisdom of life, are worthily decorated with monuments. It is remarkable that over their tombs are beautiful monuments, tombstones, images of the Holy Cross as a warning to our contemporaries. May these graves also teach people, as their piercing word taught to those who rest in these graves. The kingdom of heaven and eternal rest to the departed servants of God

• The historians R. Gagkuev , V. Tsvetkov, the construction of this memorial was called a fact of important state significance. ^[13]
• The head of the Russian Line agency A. Alekaev said the following about the memorial: ^[7]

... the composition turned out to be very symbolic and harmonious. If you look at the crosses that pass through two flat blocks, as if piercing them, then on the cross above the grave of I.A. Ilyin we see the Crucifix, and on the tombstone of General A.I. Denikin - a crown of thorns - a symbol of the First Kuban (Icy ) hike . The crown of thorns - a symbol of the Siberian Ice Camp - was also placed on the tombstones of General V.O. Kappel. Golgotha ​​in the center holds, as it were, linking together the philosophy of Russian imperial statehood Ilyin with the sacrificial feat of the white warriors Kappel and Denikin.

• Don Cemetery
• Putin's remarks at the Donskoy Monastery memorial on May 24, 2009
• Reburial of the remains of Denikin and Ilyin in Russia

• Listvin G.V. Following the duty of honor. Chronicle of the Great Siberian Ice Campaign of the White Armies of Admiral Kolchak in the Krasnoyarsk and Kansky districts of the Yenisei Province (January 1920). - Zelenogorsk, 2010 .-- S. 77-83.

• Putin laid flowers at the tombstones of Denikin, Ilyin and Shmelev // Vesti.ru. Video report. May 24, 2009
• Vladimir Putin laid flowers at the graves of Denikin and Solzhenitsyn // Channel One. Video report. May 24, 2009
• The Patriarch consecrated the tombstones of A.I. Denikin, I.A. Ilyin, I.S. Shmelev at the cemetery of the Donskoy Monastery // Video portal of Soyuz TV channel (inaccessible link)
• A. Alekaev, V. Tsvetkov, R. Gagkuev. White movement: understanding and recognition. To the installation of a memorial to the white soldiers in the Donskoy Monastery // Russian line. June 29, 2009
• A. Alekaev: “These words were prophetic.” In Moscow, the legendary General V.O. Kappel was remembered. // Russian line. July 28, 2009
• G. Listvin. Commemorative Crosses. May 24 marks two years since the consecration of the memorial to white soldiers in the Donskoy Monastery by Patriarch Kirill // Russian Line. May 24, 2011
• Production of monuments to Denikin, Ilyin, Shmelev