A potholed road in the Ural Mountains now bears a sign identifying it as “Putin Strasse,” an attempt by local activists' to goad authorities into repairing the road, news reports said.
The name of Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared on the freshly painted sign at the side of a country road leading from a cemetery to a railroad crossing outside the city of Nizhny Tagil, Ekho Moskvy radio station reported Thursday.
The road sign also gives the throughway’s alternative name, in Russian — “Heaven Road” — beneath “Putin Strasse,” written in Latin script, according to photographs published online.
The sign was an attention-seeking ploy to draw attention to the road's “lamentable” condition and force local authorities to carry out repairs, local activist Vladimir Chukavin was cited by Mstrok.ru news portal as saying.
Chukavin considered naming the road after a local administration official, but decided that would be “somewhat small-scale,” Mstrok.ru reported.
“Why not aim at the top boss, so to speak, of the country, at Russian President Vladimir Putin,” Chukavin said, Mstrok.ru reported.
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