San Javier

About

San Javier was founded in 1913 by 300 Russian families searching for Religious freedom. They found it for a while, but under the Uruguayan military dictatorship, they were seen as possible communist sympathizers, so the residents of San Javier burnt their books and traditional costumes and stopped speaking their native tongue. Even these efforts didn’t assuage suspicion, and San Javier became famous across the country in 1984 when the military tortured and executed Vladimir Roslik, the town’s medical doctor. When democracy returned to the country in 1989, the residents of San Javier were able to return to their roots. Today, visitors are greeted by giant Russian dolls, and at the small Museo de los Inmigrantes, the history of the Russian community is preserved. If you get hungry, you can stop for some borscht or piroshky, and if you’re lucky, see a traditional dance performance at the cultural center.