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White Russians

The cemetery also contains the graves of 12 White Russian refugees who died in Cyprus in 1921-1922,

and whose graves are cared for by the Russian community in Cyprus.8 Several thousand White Russians
had fled to the Crimea after the Russian Revolution of 1917, and thence to Yugoslavia, France, Canada

and elsewhere, many transiting through Cyprus. Some 500 refugees were housed in Polemidia camp
between 1918 and 1920, during which time the British regiment was housed elsewhere.9 A list of these 12

Russian refugees is at the cemetery entrance, as well as being available on the Last Resting Place website.

There are two generals amongst these 12, namely General Alexander Morgoli who died in Cyprus in
1920 (or 7 January 1921, according to the list of Russian refugees posted at the cemetery entrance), and

Lieutenant General Mikhael Boutchik, previously aide to the Tsar, who died on 8 April 1922.

General Alexander Morgoli

8 The Russian Orthodox Community in Cyprus has raised over 15,000 euros in recent years to renovate the graves of the
White Russians in Polemidia. One grave, of General Alexander Morgoli, has purposely been left in its original simple condi-
tion to retain the historical symbolism. Natalia Zikova, of the Russian Orthodox Educational Centre, Larnaca, has recently

written two Russian books (a delightful children’s book, and a historical tribute to an 18th century Russian traveller in Cyprus
‘Pilgrimage to Orthodox Cyprus – tracing the steps of Vassili Grigorovich Barski’), the proceeds from which all go to the
continued care and renovation of the White Russian graves. Natalia is currently writing a biography of Lieutenant General

Mikhael Boutchik, previous aide to the Tsar, buried in Polemidia.
9 Bagshawe, H V (1925), ‘Cyprus’ Journal of the Royal Army Medical Corps Vol. 45, pp. 139 – 147.

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