The pink sandstone pyramid of Navarin

The Monument aux Morts des Armées de Champagne is located in the Marne department on the D 977 between Sommepy-Tahure and Souain-Perthes-lès-Hurlus, near the former Ferme de Navarin. It was inaugurated in 1924 to commemorate the sacrifice of soldiers who died during the war in Champagne. The site, also known as the Ossuaire de Navarin, serves as a final resting place for 10,000 soldiers, most of whom were killed anonymously during the fighting. The monument and ossuary were officially listed as historic monuments in 1994 and became a Nécropole Nationale by decree in 2019.

At the peak of the pink sandstone pyramid are three menacing statues of soldiers. The sculptor, Maxime Real del Sarte, used his own brother as a model for the soldier on the left, who fell at the Moulin de Laffaux while charging over a marker on the road to Châlons. Beside him is a figure of an American soldier, forming a sculpture that depicts an assault of two soldiers helped by an American soldier. The monument is the fruit of a Committee formed in May 1923, which had the mission of collecting subscriptions to erect a monument to the memory of the Dead of Champagne. It was inaugurated by General Gouraud in the presence of many notable figures.

The name Navarin has several origins. Some popular versions suggest it comes from a battle in which a former owner of the nearby farm may have participated. It is more likely that the farm, built before 1836, took its name from a battle, as was common for isolated farms in Champagne at that time. Today, the site covers five hectares and is managed by the state, while the Association du Souvenir aux Morts des Armées de Champagne continues to organize annual ceremonies and welcome the public.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons