Prime Minister Vladimir Putin suggested Tuesday that a replica of a World War II monument demolished by the Georgian government last week be built in Moscow.
Putin said the 46-meter-high Soviet memorial honoring Georgian veterans had “artistic significance,” and its destruction “symbolizes an attempt to erase the common memory of heroism from the minds of the people of the former Soviet Union,” RIA-Novosti reported.
The deputy speaker of the Moscow City Duma, Andrei Metelsky, welcomed the idea of raising a replica in Moscow and said lawmakers would support it. United Russia, which Putin heads and Metelsky belongs to, controls 32 of the 35 seats in the City Duma after sweeping disputed October elections.
The concrete and bronze monument, erected in the 1980s by well-known Georgian sculptor Merab Berdzenishvili, was demolished Friday to clear space in Kutaisi, Georgia’s second-largest city, for the construction of a new national parliament building.
A mother and her 8-year-old daughter were killed by flying debris during the demolition, which was carried out by a private contractor.
The Russian Foreign Ministry and Federation Council Speaker Sergei Mironov have denounced the demolish as “sacrilege,” and the decision to level it came amid a series of confrontations between Russia and Georgia since the two sides fought a brief war in 2008 over an attempt by Georgian forces to retake the breakaway region of South Ossetia. The two sides severed diplomatic ties and air links after the war.
A private Georgian air company, meanwhile, has asked permission from Russia to carry out 10 charter flights between Moscow and Tbilisi during New Year’s holidays, Interfax reported Tuesday.
The Transportation Ministry is considering the request by Georgian Airways to carry out the flights from Dec. 26 to 30, and Jan. 6 and 10, the report said.
Russia previously severed air and postal links with Georgia in October 2006 following Tbilisi’s arrest and expulsion of four Russian military officers accused of spying. The flights resumed in March 2008.
Separately, the Investigative Committee said Tuesday that it has opened a criminal case into a Russian military officer who requested asylum in Georgia.
Warrant officer Vitaly Khripun, a border guard who left his unit stationed in the town of Singauri in South Ossetia while on duty Monday, faces charges of desertion and stealing weapons, the committee said in a statement.
Khripun told RIA-Novosti late Monday that he had fled his unit because of corruption and offensive statements that his superiors made about the Georgian and Ossetian people.
A handful of Russian soldiers have sought asylum in Georgia since the 2008 war. Georgian soldiers have also applied for asylum in Russia.
n A senior U.S. senator is urging President Barack Obama and European allies to consider rearming Georgia, an action that would inevitably upset Russia, The Associated Press reported.
The recommendation comes from Senator Richard Lugar, a Republican lawmaker who has long cultivated cooperation with Russia. Lugar has been a key ally for Obama on his pursuit of an arms control deal with Russia.
A report by Lugar’s staff, which was to released Tuesday, warns that Georgia’s military vulnerability could lead to further instability in the Caucasus amid continuing tensions between Georgia and Russia. It urges the administration to coordinate a strategy within NATO that strikes a balance between Georgia’s security needs and NATO’s relationship with Russia.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.