Izvestia: "Monument destroyed in Kutaisi to be restored in Moscow"
The monument to the victims of the Second World War recently demolished in Kutaisi, Georgia will be restored in Moscow. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin yesterday called on his fellow citizens to support the decision.
Next year Russia will celebrate the 65th anniversary of victory in the Second World War (the Great Patriotic War). Not surprisingly, the government is paying particular attention to supporting the veterans. Izvestia has already reported that they will have free use of all types of public transport except taxis for the duration of the celebrations. And the authorities have promised to provide every veteran with decent housing in time for Victory Day. Vladimir Putin yesterday signed a resolution to increase the funding of that programme by 5.6 billion roubles. War veterans will also be paid their pensions and holiday bonuses. The government will allocate the money for lump-sum payments to the veterans, Deputy Prime Minister Sergey Ivanov said yesterday. War invalids and veterans will get 5000 roubles each and wartime workers and inmates of concentration camps will get 1000 roubles each. Pensions for veterans and war participants next year will grow by more than 2000 roubles.
"This is only a small part of what we must do for our senior citizens," Vladimir Putin commented. "Unfortunately we see the reverse process in some former Soviet republics. A monument commemorating the victims of the Great Patriotic War was recently demolished in Kutaisi, and in fact, some people died during the demolition. That is another attempt to erase the past, including a heroic past from the historical memory of the former Soviet Union peoples."
The prime minister came up with an unusual suggestion on how to redress a historical injustice.
"I believe it is possible to recreate that monument in the capital of what was once a single state, Moscow," he said. "The Moscow authorities must find a proper place for that monument. I very much hope that this initiative will have the support of the public in Russia and in Georgia. I am sure there are enough people in this country who will contribute to restoring the monument to the Georgians who died during the Great Patriotic War defending our common motherland."
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A ban on fireworks
This year, Russians will not salute the New Year by setting off traditional fireworks from balconies and rooftops. The government yesterday imposed a ban on the use of pyrotechnics in unauthorized places. "This is directly linked to the recent tragedy in Perm and the conclusions that need to be drawn from it," Putin said. "I would like to renew my appeal to all the citizens of Russia. On the eve of the New Year when pyrotechnics are widely used, be very careful. Take care of yourselves and your relatives and all those who are nearby." The prime minister said that fire safety standards would be changed shortly and amendments would be introduced to the Criminal Code and the Code on Administrative Offenses. "I am sure they will give pause to those who today try to make quick money by literally playing with fire," Putin warned.
Anastasia Savinykh
