Kars unveils sculptures for 110th anniversary of Sarıkamış Campaign

KARS

A team of seven sculptors has completed life-sized snow sculptures of Ottoman soldiers in the northeastern province of Kars' Sarıkamış district, as it prepares to host commemorative events for the 110th anniversary of the Sarıkamış Campaign, a tragic chapter of World War I.

Scheduled for Jan. 4-5, the events will honor the thousands of Ottoman soldiers who perished during the campaign in the freezing mountains of eastern Anatolia while attempting to reclaim Russian-occupied territories.

The sculptures are one of the highlights of the commemoration. Led by Muhammet Hanifi Zengin of Kafkas University, the sculptors worked for eight days in temperatures as low as minus 14 degrees Celsius to complete the pieces.

Nearly 200 truckloads of snow were transported to Sarıkamış Ski Center and the Kızılçubuk assembly area, where the sculptures will be displayed. The project was completed under the theme “This Land Bears the Mark of Sacrifice” and will be inaugurated in a ceremony on Jan. 4.

The Sarıkamış Campaign, launched on Dec. 22, 1914, and ending on Jan. 15, 1915, is remembered as one of the most tragic episodes in Ottoman history.

Harsh winter conditions, including the brutal cold of the Allahuekber and Soğanlı Mountains, led to the deaths of thousands of soldiers. To honor their sacrifice, events will also take place in Erzurum, where the campaign began, and other cities across Türkiye.

Local authorities in Sarıkamış are ensuring the streets and venues are ready for thousands of visitors expected to attend. Illuminated pathways have been set up along Cumhuriyet Street, which will host a torchlit march.

The two-day program includes a memorial meal for families of martyrs and veterans, prayers, ski shows and a large-scale walk to a ceremonial square, where military aerobatic teams will perform.