Research Article

Adaptive Reuse of Russian Military Heritage in Türkiye: The Case of the Oltu Alexander Nevsky Regiment Church

Volume: 11 Number: 2 September 30, 2026
TR EN

Adaptive Reuse of Russian Military Heritage in Türkiye: The Case of the Oltu Alexander Nevsky Regiment Church

Abstract

Turkey has hosted many civilizations due to its location. For this reason, it has various archaeological and cultural heritage values. Located in the northeast of Türkiye, Erzurum has become one of the most important cities in terms of cultural heritage wealth. The city has witnessed the struggle of different civilizations throughout history. In the city, where Armenians, Georgians and Russians have frequently fought for sovereignty, there are many religious places belonging to these communities. Today, many of these religious places have been restored and preserved. The Oltu Alexander Nevskiy Regiment Church, which is the example of the study, is a religious place built by the Russians for their soldiers during the occupation period. The restoration of the church was completed in 2022. However, the structure was left idle without any function. The study began by examining the development of the structure from the past to the present. A SWOT analysis was conducted on the current status of the structure. Then, a survey was conducted with 341 people living in the region as one of the qualitative research methods. As a result of the study, new function suggestions were made for the structure in the light of the data.

Keywords

References

  1. Ahunbay, Zeynep. Protection and Restoration in Historical Environments. Istanbul, 2009.
  2. Akkurt, Muazez. Religious Architecture of Russians in Erzurum and Kars, Master's Thesis. Van, 2019.
  3. Aydoğan, Erdal. Oltu Shura Government and Yasin Haşimoğlu's Memoirs. Erzurum, 2013.
  4. Çınar, İkram. “Monuments in Kars.” 2023.
  5. https://www.egitisim.gen.tr/karsta-anitlar-savasimi/
  6. Durmaz, Yunus Emre, A Study on the Urban Development of Oltu District of Erzurum Province (4th Century BC -1923), Master's Thesis. Edirne, 2020.
  7. Erzurum KTVKK. «Restoration of Oltu Russian Alexander Nevskiy Church.» Restoration Project, Erzurum, 2023.
  8. Gündoğdu, Hamza. “Some Cultural and Historical Remains in Oltu District Center.” Oltu Symposium from Past to Future,Atatürk University Oltu Vocational School, Erzurum,1998.

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Cultural Heritage Management (Incl. World Heritage), Heritage, Archive and Museum Studies (Other)

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

September 30, 2026

Submission Date

October 27, 2025

Acceptance Date

September 30, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 11 Number: 2

APA
Yavuz Pakih, E., & Kulak Torun, F. (2026). Adaptive Reuse of Russian Military Heritage in Türkiye: The Case of the Oltu Alexander Nevsky Regiment Church. Vakanüvis - Uluslararası Tarih Araştırmaları Dergisi, 11(2), 2129-2164. https://doi.org/10.24186/vakanuvis.1808648
AMA
1.Yavuz Pakih E, Kulak Torun F. Adaptive Reuse of Russian Military Heritage in Türkiye: The Case of the Oltu Alexander Nevsky Regiment Church. VAKANUVIS. 2026;11(2):2129-2164. doi:10.24186/vakanuvis.1808648
Chicago
Yavuz Pakih, Emine, and Firdevs Kulak Torun. 2026. “Adaptive Reuse of Russian Military Heritage in Türkiye: The Case of the Oltu Alexander Nevsky Regiment Church”. Vakanüvis - Uluslararası Tarih Araştırmaları Dergisi 11 (2): 2129-64. https://doi.org/10.24186/vakanuvis.1808648.
EndNote
Yavuz Pakih E, Kulak Torun F (September 1, 2026) Adaptive Reuse of Russian Military Heritage in Türkiye: The Case of the Oltu Alexander Nevsky Regiment Church. Vakanüvis - Uluslararası Tarih Araştırmaları Dergisi 11 2 2129–2164.
IEEE
[1]E. Yavuz Pakih and F. Kulak Torun, “Adaptive Reuse of Russian Military Heritage in Türkiye: The Case of the Oltu Alexander Nevsky Regiment Church”, VAKANUVIS, vol. 11, no. 2, pp. 2129–2164, Sept. 2026, doi: 10.24186/vakanuvis.1808648.
ISNAD
Yavuz Pakih, Emine - Kulak Torun, Firdevs. “Adaptive Reuse of Russian Military Heritage in Türkiye: The Case of the Oltu Alexander Nevsky Regiment Church”. Vakanüvis - Uluslararası Tarih Araştırmaları Dergisi 11/2 (September 1, 2026): 2129-2164. https://doi.org/10.24186/vakanuvis.1808648.
JAMA
1.Yavuz Pakih E, Kulak Torun F. Adaptive Reuse of Russian Military Heritage in Türkiye: The Case of the Oltu Alexander Nevsky Regiment Church. VAKANUVIS. 2026;11:2129–2164.
MLA
Yavuz Pakih, Emine, and Firdevs Kulak Torun. “Adaptive Reuse of Russian Military Heritage in Türkiye: The Case of the Oltu Alexander Nevsky Regiment Church”. Vakanüvis - Uluslararası Tarih Araştırmaları Dergisi, vol. 11, no. 2, Sept. 2026, pp. 2129-64, doi:10.24186/vakanuvis.1808648.
Vancouver
1.Emine Yavuz Pakih, Firdevs Kulak Torun. Adaptive Reuse of Russian Military Heritage in Türkiye: The Case of the Oltu Alexander Nevsky Regiment Church. VAKANUVIS. 2026 Sep. 1;11(2):2129-64. doi:10.24186/vakanuvis.1808648


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