During World War I, the heaviest battles in the Carpathian Mountains involving soldiers of the Polish Legions took place at Rokitna (in 1915) and at Rarańcza (in 1915 and 1918), but they were also fought in other places. The names of 3 legionaries killed in 1915 in Chernivtsi are known (given by the "Polish Pantheon" of 1928), but the documents do not indicate where they were buried.
In Chernivtsi, there are graves of Polish legionaries in the cemetery on today's Ruska Street. They were buried in 28 graves. In 1937, a monument by Karol Moskaliuk was erected among them.
The monument has the form of a massive cross standing on a low plinth. At the intersection of the cross's arms, a cross of legionaries with Marshal Józef Piłsudski's initials 'JP' in the middle is placed in a diagonal panel. The horizontal arms bear the dates 1914 and 1918, and the vertical arms bear the letters 'L' and 'P' denoting the Polish Legions. A bas-relief of a legion eagle is carved on the front face of the plinth. Below this is the text of the inscription: "TO THE FAITHFUL SONS OF OUR COUNTRY / OFIARIOUS AND BOHATHERLY / LEGIONISTS POLEGISTS / WALKING FOR INDEPENDENCE / OF POLAND", below on the right side the caption: "RODACY NA BUKOWINIE", and on the third step of the base: "Made in 1937 through the efforts of the Union of former Polish Army Volunteers in Romania". The grave field (measuring 7x4 m) is delimited by 14 posts connected by a steel tube, the interior of the grave field is overgrown with grass.
The symbolism of the monument: the dates 1914-1918 and the initials "JP" [Jozef Pilsudski] and "L" "P" [Polish Legions], indicates that the monument was dedicated to the soldiers of the Polish Legions, however, in the absence of relevant archival material, it cannot be ruled out that this is a monument in honour of the Polish Army soldiers killed in the Polish-Soviet War, especially as this is often the colloquial name for the Polish Army soldiers killed in this war.
The monument has been preserved to the present day, having been renovated in 2024. The work was carried out by the Foundation Aid to Poles in the East, as part of a task co-financed from the programme of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage 'Places of National Remembrance Abroad'.

Compiled by T. Zachara / MKiDN, IX 2025