The Russian Monument (german: Russen-Denkmal) is a small
memorial stone
A headstone, tombstone, or gravestone is a stele or marker, usually stone, that is placed over a grave. It is traditional for burials in the Christian, Jewish, and Muslim religions, among others. In most cases, it has the deceased's name, ...
in the hamlet of
Hinterschellenberg
Hinterschellenberg is a settlement in Schellenberg, Liechtenstein.
Geography
Hinterschellenberg is located in the town of Schellenberg
Schellenberg is a municipality in the lowland area of Liechtenstein, on the banks of the Rhine. , it has a pop ...
,
Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein (), officially the Principality of Liechtenstein (german: link=no, Fürstentum Liechtenstein), is a German-speaking microstate located in the Alps between Austria and Switzerland. Liechtenstein is a semi-constitutional monarchy ...
.
Overview
Translated into English, the inscription on the monument reads as follows:
''Here in Hinterschellenberg, on the night of 2 May 1945, the asylum-seeking remainder of the "
1st Russian National Army of the German Wehrmacht" under
Major General A. Holmston-Smyslowsky, with about 500 fully equipped men, crossed the border of the Greater German Reich into Liechtenstein. The first negotiations took place in the "Wirtschaft zum Löwen" tavern, which led to the granting of asylum by the Principality of Liechtenstein. It was the only country which resisted the Soviet Union's extradition demands. After two and a half years, the Russians were free to leave for a country of their choice. ''
The monument is marked on a map given out by the Liechtenstein tourist information service, available free in
Vaduz
Vaduz ( or , High Alemannic pronunciation: [])Hans Stricker, Toni Banzer, Herbert Hilbe: ''Liechtensteiner Namenbuch. Die Orts- und Flurnamen des Fürstentums Liechtenstein.'' Band 2: ''Die Namen der Gemeinden Triesenberg, Vaduz, Schaan.'' Hrsg. ...
. The Wirtschaft zum Löwen Tavern is a small bar directly behind the monument. The Austrian border is about one hundred metres beyond the memorial stone.
Notes
Coordinates are estimated from aerial photos near Wirtschaft zum Löwen. Monument is described as "between two small trees."
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