The Russian chapel

The Russian chapel was built to honour the memory of those who died and to serve as a reminder of the follies of war. Russians prisoners built the neat little chapel between 1916 and 1917. The chapel has two small towers built in traditional Russian style. All around the chapel and along the roadside are the graves of Russian soldiers.

In the First World War Vrsic was a strategic point providing the Austrian troops a more accessible router to the Soča Front. The supply of arms was crucial and the road to Vršič had to be kept clear at all times, including during the winter months. Therefore, in winter, huge amounts of snow were cleared from the road by Russian prisoners of war under close supervision of the Austrian army. One day a huge avalanche buried the Russian prison camp, killing more than three hundred Russian prisoners and ten of their guards.