Photo credit: © Russian Embassy in Greece
A monument to Russian sailors who took part in the peacekeeping mission at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries is installed on Crete at the city cemetery of Rethymnon, RIA Novosti reports.
The names of Russians and their families are stamped on the monument. The initiative was taken by Costas Paduvas, a scientist from Greece. He is studying the Russian presence in Crete. The author of the monument project was the Cretan architect Emmanuel Birikakis. Stela was made with the assistance of Russian businessman Vitaly Borisov.
The opening ceremony was attended by Russian diplomats, representatives of the authorities and clergy of Crete.
Russian ambassador to Greece Andrei Maslov recalled that more than a century ago, Russia helped transport Greek refugees from Crete to Milos. The actions of the Russian authorities contributed to the protection of Christians living on the island from the persecution of the Ottoman Empire, and to preserve peace in the region. Russia helped restore the infrastructure and achieved interreligious peace among the locals. In addition, the Ottoman army was withdrawn from Crete, and the island was granted autonomy. As a result, Crete became part of Greece few years later, the diplomat noted.
Crete did not forget about the help that Russia provided. Chania and Rethymnon cities have the streets named after Russians. The map of Crete depicts the names of Rear Admiral Skrydlov, who commanded a separate detachment of ships in the Mediterranean, and Colonel Shostak, who first headed the Russian mission in Crete.
The Ambassador thanked the regional, municipal and church authorities of Crete for their attention to the historical ties between Russia and Greece in the region.
Russkiy Mir
