Russian diplomats and compatriots will participate in a ceremony to unveil a commemorative plaque at the grave of Vice Admiral Andrey Lazarev (1865–1924). The event will take place at the Mar Mitr Cemetery in Beirut.
According to the Russian diplomatic mission, Ambassador Alexander Rudakov will deliver remarks at the ceremony, and Archimandrite Philip (Vasilytsev), rector of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Metochion in Beirut, will hold a memorial service.
"The event is part of the Year of Defenders of the Fatherland, as proclaimed by President Vladimir Putin," the embassy stated. "Russia is systematically working on restoring and maintaining military graves abroad."
Vice Admiral Andrey Maksimovich Lazarev of the Imperial Russian Navy was the grandson of Vice Admiral Andrey Petrovich Lazarev (1787–1849), a renowned Arctic explorer. He fought in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–1905, earning the Order of St. George and a golden saber inscribed “For Bravery” for his defense of Port Arthur.
During World War I, from January 1916 to May 1918, Lazarev commanded the 1st Transport Flotilla of the Black Sea. During the Russian Civil War, he served with the White Volunteer Army before emigrating with his family to Lebanon.
The graves of White émigrés who settled in Lebanon after the revolution can be found in three cemeteries in Beirut: Mar Mitr (St. Dimitrios) in the Ashrafieh district, at the Dormition of the Mother of God Church in Hamra, and at the Church of St. John the Baptist in Msaytbeh.
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Photo: Xevi V/Creative Commons 2.0
Based on materials from TASS