Slovenian leaders attend Russian chapel memorial at Vršič

During a summer gathering of the SDS party in Lepeni, Prime Minister Janez Janša and other senior politicians visited the Russian chapel under Vršič. The ceremony commemorated the approximately 300 Russian war prisoners who died while building the mountain road during World War I. Attendees, which included former President Milan Kučan, Ljubljana mayor Zoran Janković, clergy and representatives of civil society, laid wreaths, observed a minute of silence and participated in a Catholic Mass. The event, organised by the Slovenia‑Russia Society, was attended by more than 420 people and highlighted the chapel’s historic significance—it was built in 1916 by the prisoners, restored in 1991 and 2006, and serves as a symbol of humanity and peace.

Janša also used his remarks to discuss Slovenia’s demographic challenges, noting low birth rates, emigration of young educated citizens and the need to retain talent for the country’s future.