Support The Moscow Times!

‘Crimean Bridge’ Tops Online Vote To Name Kremlin’s Mega-Project

Krymsky most / most.life

Online voters decided to name Russia’s multibillion-dollar bridge between the annexed Crimean peninsula and mainland Russia the “Crimean Bridge” Monday, leading the other candidates by a wide margin. 

Russia launched construction for the 19-kilometer $4-billion road and rail bridge after annexing Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. A company owned by President Vladimir Putin’s judo partner Arkady Rotenberg won the contract for the project, which is due to be completed by December 2018.

Before the vote, the unnamed bridge had been alternatively referred to as the “Kerch Strait Bridge” and “Crimean Bridge.” 

The online vote to give it an official name opened on Nov. 16. A month later, the results indicate that “Crimean Bridge” finished well ahead of its alternatives. 

Around 380,000 registered users took part in the vote, with 64 percent casting their ballots for the final name, Russia’s Transportation Ministry said on its website. 

“Big Russian Bridge,” “Black Sea Bridge” and “Unity Bridge” led the write-in options.

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

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 you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more