by Connie Tabbert
Editor
COBDEN — When Mike Yolkowski got a thumbs up from Russian Ambassador Alexander Darchiev, he knew all was okay after several weeks of work.
Mr. Yolkowski, owner of Yolkowski Monuments in Cobden, recalls how he came to be in the presence of the Russian Ambassador.
In March, he received a phone call from a man named Artem Tcherkassov, but didn’t say where he was calling from.
But, Mr. Yolkowski knew it was from the Russian Embassy, because it was on the call display. When he saw where the call was coming from, he said he was a bit confused.
“I didn’t know what they really wanted,” he said.
However, the call was all about monuments, what they are made from, did the company make its own monuments, etc.
And that was the end of the conversation, he said.
However, a couple of weeks later, Mr. Yolkowski received another phone call from Mr. Tcherkassov.
“They invited me down to the Russian Embassy to discuss the monument they had in mind.”
At the meeting, Mr. Yolkowski was provided a photo and asked if he could create the monument in the photo and if it could be ready by May 1.
Mr. Yolkowski answered yes to both questions.
The monument was to include an etching of a well known military officer leading his men, he said.
“This monument was one to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the end of the second world war,” he said.
The shape of the monument was unique, as it was to represent a flame. To get this shape, some of the stone would have to be polished smooth while other areas would be left rough, to make it look rustic.
The biggest request was that the lettering had to be in gold leaf, he said.
The monument was to be in black granite, be three feet across, 10 inches wide and six feet high with an eight inch high base.
Mr. Yolkowski doesn’t know why his company was chosen and believes they just went looking on the internet for monument makers.
(whitewaternews.ca made several attempts to talk to Mr. Tcherkassov, but no phone calls were returned.)
On Yolkowski Monument website there is information about the company, workmanship, several photos of headstones/monuments created over the years and more information.
“Ours is a pretty complete website about the business,” Mr. Yolkowski said.
He noted the company has created monuments for well-known people and events, including Dr. Laurier LaPierre, a former Senator, author and broadcaster; Jan Zurakowski (Avro Arrow test pilot), the Almonte train disaster that occurred in 1942 (erecting the monument in 2000) as well as several war memorials, including the one at Cobden Veteran’s Park.
When completed, the Russian Embassy monument weighed three ton and the base weighed about the same.
To do the monument, Rick Kasaboski, who does the etching, was able to complete the work on site.
The shape of the monument was completed at the quarry and delivered to Yolkowski’s, where the rest of the monument was completed.
The monument was sandblasted out of the granite, and then a chisel was used to create the rustic look on the rock.
“You have to know exactly how much to tap, how hard, too little, deep enough, etc.,” Mr. Yolkowski explained.
Once it arrived at Yolkowski’s, it was too tall to be worked on standing up, he said.
“It was so large that we couldn’t stand it up in the back,” he recalled. “We did all the lettering lying down.”
It’s difficult to explain gold leaf, but he said it comes in what looks like a book. It’s then taken off the pages and painted by hand within the letters, he explained.
“It’s very intricate work,” Mr. Yolkowski said.
“Gold paint you just take an aerosol can and go back and forth,” he said. “Gold paint may last 10 to 20 years. Gold leaf, I’ve seen it last over 100. It’s actually gold.”
Translated into England, the words on the monument are a dedication to honour those who made the supreme sacrifice in the Second World War. We shall not forget them.
John Hannah created the drawing on the computer, which was all in Russian. It took Mr. Kasaboski about three days to etch and then to engrave took another three days.
And since, it was all in Russian, it all had to be verified that it was correct, he said.
The final thing to be done to the monument before it was ready for delivery was to put a small, metal tag on the back of it.
“We have small metal tags that say Yolkowski Monuments,” he said, adding, “so, I made sure I put one on the back of it.”
Prior to any of Mr. Yolkowski’s employees going to the embassy to erect the monument, all of them had to send identification to the embassy as well as the licence plates of any trucks that were to enter the grounds.
The employees actually crated the monument for travel, because of its unusual shape it was the only way to ensure it was standing up straight, he said.
The monument is right beside the front entrance to the embassy.
“There’s a security fence all around the embassy, but you can see the monument from the street,” Mr. Yolkowski said.
This is the only monument created by Mr. Yolkowski that is on Russian soil. He noted the grounds that any embassy are situated on, are that country’s grounds.
On May 9, there was an unveiling of the monument, and Mr. Yolkowski was one of the invited guests.
“They invited other diplomats and military attachés,” he said.
Mr. Yolkowski said the monument was to honour their veterans, and five of then were there.
“These gentlemen are now in their 90s and they are Canadian citizens,” he said. “They came here after the second world war. They were there in their decorations.
“The monument was to honour the end of the second world war 70 years ago and to honour the veterans.”
One veteran recounted his experiences in the second world war.
The ceremony was in Russian, English and French, he said. The ambassador can speak the three languages, and he also gave a speech.
There was a reception afterwards, which included a big buffet. Mr. Yolkowski said he didn’t know what he was eating, but it was “very, very tasty.”
There was also Russian entertainment, which was singing of traditional Russian songs, some by staff, a professional opera singer and a 94-year-old playing Russian tunes on his accordion.
This is the first time Mr. Yolkowski has created a monument for an embassy.
Yolkowski’s Monuments was founded in 1986. There are eight employees and to reach the company, call 613-646-2275.
A history buff, Mr. Yolkowski said the history of the building is unique. It was once owned by the son of former lumber baron J. R. Booth. For more history on the embassy, please go online to www.whitewaternews.ca
