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First stone laid in base of Leningrad siege monument in Jerusalem

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First stone laid in base of Leningrad siege monument in Jerusalem


13.11.2019

Photo credit: mockup of the memorial 

The first stone at the construction site of Candle of Remembrance monument was laid in Jerusalem, RIA Novosti reports. A capsule with soil from the Piskaryov cemetery was also laid at the base of the monument. The monument is dedicated to the feat of the inhabitants of the besieged Leningrad and its defenders.

The monument will decorate the park located near the parliament building and the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. According to the head of the Russian Embassy Anatoly Viktorov, Russia would like to hope that residents of Jerusalem and other Israelian cities, as well as tourists and official delegations will often visit the site.

The diplomat called the installment of the monument an important milestone in the development of relations between the two countries. He has no doubt that the project will help preserve the memory of the heroism and tragedy of World War II.

Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Leon is convinced that the monument symbolizes the relationship between the peoples of Russia and Israel. The main burden of the struggle against Nazism was borne by the Russian people and the Red Army, he recalled. The Jewish people and the state of Israel would never forget the fundamental role they played in the defeat of Nazism, the mayor emphasized.

Russian businessman Viktor Vekselberg allocated funds for the erection of the monument together with the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress. He notes that many things get erased from memory over time.  “Not to forget and remind everyone about events of the past, such as the Leningrad siege, is our common task to prevent their recurrence,” the entrepreneur said.

An eight meters high bronze stele will be crowned with a cast part, which symbolizes the flame of a candle. The monument will contain a text about the Leningrad siege in Russian, English and Hebrew. The design of the monument was created by Israelian architects and masters from Saint-Petersburg. It is planned that the monument will be opened early next year in Jerusalem. 

The Day of the lifting of the blockade and the Day of Remembrance of the Holocaust are celebrated in January. The honored guest of the ceremony will be Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Israeli leadership.

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