Appeals to the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878 in times of military conflicts of the first half of the 20th century

This article examines the emergence of the memory of the Russo-Turkish war of 1877-1878 in Russia in the fi rst half of the twentieth century. It considers the three key, non-anniversary, and therefore in their true colours, mentions of the war - the Balkan wars, the First World War and the entrance of the Red army into the territory of Bulgaria in 1944. The difference between those moments is traced, the instrumental nature of historical memory is also high-lighted.