The history of Russy likely dates back to earlier times, but it was at the end of the 14th century that part of the Picot family settled in Gouberville (in the Val de Saire). Gilles' father was Guillaume Picot, Lord of Gouberville, Lieutenant of Waters and Forests for the Viscounty of Valognes; his mother was Jeanne du Fou, daughter of the Lord of Mesnil-au-Val, Captain of the Cherbourg castle. In 1542, Guillaume Picot entrusted the management of all his affairs to his eldest son, Gilles. Succeeding his father in 1543, he also received the position of Lieutenant of Waters and Forests. In 1544, after his father's death, Gilles himself became Lord of Gouberville and Mesnil-au-Val. It was in 1560 that he succeeded his uncle, Jean Picot, and became Lord of Russy. Gilles Picot, lord of Gouberville, Mesnil-au-Val, and Russy, died in March 1578. As a side note, the name of Gilles de Gouberville, like that of so many others of his kind, should have faded into oblivion. But he left behind an invaluable treasure: his journal, which has survived to this day, comprised of three large notebooks, the first from 1549, the second from 1553, and the third from 1557. These very old registers were discovered in the 19th century in the archives (a collection of documents formerly called charters) of Saint-Pierre-Église (Cotentin). They deal in particular with the management of property and the accounting practices of the time. "Mises," in 16th-century terminology, refers to household expenses; "receptes," or receipts—the meaning remains unchanged—refer to the sums received. This is an account book, a ledger. Gilles de Gouberville describes his life as he lived it day by day and as he saw it. He meticulously records every aspect of his life as a landed gentleman. A Norman, Gilles de Gouberville had a keen interest in apples, so much so that the first known distillation of cider (in 1554) is attributed to him. At that time, this brandy was not yet called "Calvados." In Russy, Gilles de Gouberville resided in the 16th-century manor house located at the eastern entrance to the Haras d'Etreham stud farm, on the Russy estate. Russy is also notable for several prestigious events and visits. Thus, King Baudouin I, King Albert II, and their elder sister, Princess Josephine-Charlotte of Belgium, sent by their father, King Leopold III, to escape the German invasion of Belgium, resided from May 11 to 23, 1940, at the Manoir du Marais in Russy, a property of the Dufour family. Baudouin was King of the Belgians from 1951 to 1993. Also during the war, in the aftermath of the Normandy landings, the BBC set up its first studio at the Manoir du Marais before moving to the Château de Creully. The manor also housed René Coty, who was President of the Republic from 1954 to 1959. The history of Russy and Etreham is linked by that of the Count of Houdetot and the stud farm. A niece of the Count of Houdetot became a member of the Viscount Foy family. It was a grandson who established a horse breeding station. The 4th Count Foy ceded the breeding station to his friend Hubert de Chambure in the 1940s. For a brief period, from 1828 to 1832, the communes of Etreham and Russy were united. A rural commune inland from the coast, Russy had 13 farms in 1965; today only 3 remain. Its 13th-century church, "Saint Eloi," whose chancel and bell tower date from the 13th century, has been listed as a historical monument since October 29, 1926. Despite the absence of a priest since the 1940s, the municipality decided to undertake restoration work, which is currently nearing completion. Besides numerous interesting curiosities, including marine graffiti, a lock dating from 1835, 14 Stations of the Cross from the 19th century, an 18th-century statue of the Virgin and Child, a 19th-century painting of the Holy Family, a stained-glass window in the bell tower dating from the same period, a black and gilded wrought-iron rood beam supporting a wooden Christ figure that is a copy of the one made for the high altar of Bayeux Cathedral in 1771 (itself a copy of the one in Notre Dame de Paris that disappeared during the Revolution), a high altar with a remarkable niche altarpiece, and a painting of the Crucifixion dating from the second half of the 18th or early 19th century, whose artist is unknown. In this oil on canvas, we see Mary Magdalene kneeling at the foot of the cross, wringing out a cloth over a basin. (Mary Magdalene, a disciple of Jesus, followed him until his last days and witnessed his resurrection). Near her, a man stands holding out a white cloth towards Christ. A yew tree has been protected as a listed site since 1936. For the Celts, the yew was a sacred tree, the emblem of both immortality and death. In cemeteries, it provided a link between the living and the dead, honoring the deceased. When it was listed in 1936, the forestry inspector described it as follows: "This tree, of considerable size—4.30 meters in circumference and 15 meters in height—appeared to us to be still very vigorous. Its planting dates back to the creation of the church in the 13th century. In 1936, the tree's circumference measured 4.30 meters; today, it measures 5.80 meters." Russy is also twinned with its Swiss namesake, "Russy." Our two towns signed their twinning agreement in September 2015 after nine years of close relations and friendly exchanges. Russy in Switzerland is a village of 220 inhabitants, located in French-speaking Switzerland in the Broye district and the canton of Fribourg, between the Jura Mountains and the Alps, not far from Lake Neuchâtel, at an altitude of 565 meters. As a French-speaking region of Switzerland, there is no language barrier between us. Marc PARIS. Compiled from documents provided by Gilbert TORCHEUX and Julie LAMY
