Vladimir Putin's proposal will be partially financed by the Georgian diaspora in Moscow.
The scandalous demolition of the memorial to the heroes of the Great Patriotic War in Kutaisi may usher in a new stage in the relations between Russia and Georgia, which sharp-tongued political analysts are sure to dub "the war of the monuments."
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, addressing the meeting of the government presidium, accused the Georgian authorities of another attempt "to erase a common past from the historical memory of the peoples of the Soviet Union." He proposed a drastic and unorthodox response.
"I believe it is possible to recreate that monument in the capital of the once united state, Moscow," said the Russian prime minister. "Thank God, the creator of the Glory Memorial lives in Tbilisi, and our specialists can also help." Putin said he was sure that "Moscow authorities will find a worthy place for that monument" and that "there are enough people in our country who will donate to that monument, including representatives of the Georgian diaspora."
Georgians living in Moscow were the first to respond to the prime minister's call. The head of the Georgian community in Moscow, Mikhail Khabutia, said he was already negotiating with the sculptor who built the demolished monument, Merab Berdzenishvili, who had agreed to rebuild it. The issue now being decided is whether a replica of the blown-up monument will be built in Moscow or outside Moscow.
Khabutia also promised to put up a monument to Meliton Kantaria (the Soviet soldier who planted the victory banner over the Reichstag), but that monument will be built in Georgia. Whether Tbilisi's "monument fighters" will agree remains a question mark.
By Vladimir Voloshin