The military square of the French foreign legion

This square includes a Monument to the memory of veteran officers of the French foreign legion 1914-1918 and 1939-1945. This monument includes a vertical nameplate featuring the seven-pointed grenade symbol of the legion. It was inaugurated on May 29, 1965 by Mr. Jean Sainteny, Minister for Veterans and Civil War Victims.

In this square lies the general Zinovi Alekseïevich Pechkoff, Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor. He was the adopted son of Gorky and older brother of Russian revolutionary and politician Yakov Sverdlov. In 1914, he enlisted at the Foreign Legion recruiting station in Nice as a Volunteer for the Duration of the War. He will end his brilliant military career as General of the Army Corps and French diplomat, elevated to the dignity of Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor, awarded by President Vincent Auriol on October 14, 1952.

Feeling his last hour approaching, he asked that Prince Nicolas Obolensky, a member of the Orthodox clergy of Paris and former member of the French foreign legion, who was collecting his last wishes : “I will need in my grave as many "legionnaires" as possible around my coffin. On my coffin I need a white kepi” and closes his eyes after his death on Monday November 27, 1966 at 2 p.m.

On November 30, the day of the burial, two members of the government lead the mourning: Mr. Couve de Murville, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Mr. Christian Fouchet, Minister of Education. After the religious ceremony in the Russian Cathedral on rue Daru, four senior officers of the Foreign Legion accompany him to his final resting place: General Andolenko, Colonel Vadot, Colonel Chenel and Colonel Lenoir, six legionnaires, surrounded by flags of the companies of the Foreign Legion, carried the body which is buried in the square of legionnaires.

On the tombstone, forgotten the honors, his rank of general, the dignity of ambassador of France, only remains the inscription of his last will: "Here lies the legionnaire Zinovi Pechkoff"

There are 9 tombs in this square numbered 5707 to 5709, 5723 to 5725 and 5739 to 5741.