A man in the Tyumen region is facing up to three years in prison for carving a love message into a site of regional significance in a bid to impress his girlfriend, a news report said.
Police in the town of Tobolsk opened a criminal case after the words "Milaya Yana," or "Dearest Yana," appeared on the side of a ridge overlooking the scene of an important 16th-century battleground, regional investigators said, Interfax reported Monday.
A 29-year-old man was later detained by police and admitted to etching the word "Milaya" into the hill — known as Chuvashsky Mys, or Chuvash Cape— in a bid to impress his girlfriend.
The unidentified man, however, said he did not know who had added the name " Yana" to his message, adding his girlfriend's name was Lyudmila.
The man, who also spread flower seeds in the cuts, defended his actions by saying the tribute was intended not just for his own girlfriend but for the entire town of Tobolsk, local police were quoted as saying by Interfax.
Police were not impressed, however — a criminal case has been opened against the man on charges of damaging a natural monument, which is punishable by a fine of up to 3 million rubles ($87,500), or up to three years in prison.
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