Komsomolskaya Pravda: "Putin unveils monument to Rostropovich"
A monument to the renowned Russian musician Mstislav Rostropovich was unveiled near his apartment building in Moscow’s Bryusov Pereulok.
A light veil was lifted off the pedestal to reveal the monument to the sound of Rostropovich’s rendition of Dvorak’s “Concerto for Cello and Orchestra.” One of the greatest cellists of all time, he would have celebrated his 85th birthday on March 27.
Apart from Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, a number of social figures attended the event, including the cellist’s widow Galina Vishnevskaya, pop singer Iosif Kobzon, Minister of Culture Alexander Avdeyev, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, and Naina Yeltsina and Tatiana Yumasheva, the widow and daughter of Russia’s first pPresident Boris Yeltsin.
“I am proud of the fact that I was acquainted with Rostropovich,” Putin said. “I cannot say that we were friends, but we maintained a rather warm relationship. He was not just a wonderful musician, but also an outstanding humanitarian and simply a wonderful person. He always felt compassion for others. That is why he was so actively involved in charitable projects and fully devoted himself to his students and colleagues.”
