Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Russian Depository Chapel of the Old Castle Cemetery in Menton was built in the 1880s, during the 4th quarter of the 19th century. It is part of a Russian square built in 1880 for the Russian colony, installed in Menton since the 1840s-1850s. This place served as a mausoleum for the princes Troubetskoi and hosted the burials of white Russians after 1917. The chapel, of quadrangular shape and surmounted by a dome, recalls Orthodox architecture, especially that of the Cathedral of Saint Nicholas of Nice.

The Old Castle Cemetery, created after the decree of 1804 prohibiting intramural burials, replaced the former Saint Michael Cemetery. In 1807 the municipality acquired the old ruined castle, owned by the Grimaldi, to build the new cemetery. The work lasted until 1902, with successive enlargements in 1875 and 1885. The site, on the terrace, overlooks Garavan Bay and houses several remarkable burials, including Admiral Grigorovich, whose ashes were transferred to St. Petersburg in 2005.

The Russian colony developed in Menton thanks to the wintering of the European aristocracy and the presence of sanatoriums, such as The Russian House, run by the Russian Charitable Society. This company organized the funeral of the Russian sick in this cemetery. The chapel, designed by architect Sylvain Jauffret, was listed at the Historic Monuments in April 2022. It symbolizes the historical link between Menton and the Russian community, marked by figures such as the princes Troubetskoi or Admiral Grigorovich.

The cemetery houses other notable burials, such as those of Polish princess Janina Jelowickich Lawandowska or William Webb Ellis, alleged inventor of rugby. These tombs reflect the cultural diversity of Menton, a cosmopolitan city that has attracted European personalities since the 19th century. The Russian chapel, with its distinctive architecture, remains a unique testimony of this time and Slavic influence on the French Riviera.

External links