Putin unveils 'provocative' Moscow statue of St Vladimir

[Eugene]

Source: BBC

Putin unveils 'provocative' Moscow statue of St Vladimir

4 November 2016 Europe

Russian President Vladimir Putin has unveiled a controversial statue to his namesake - St Vladimir - in Moscow.

Also known as Vladimir the Great, the 10th Century prince was one of the rulers of the first eastern Slav proto-state, based in Kiev.

He is credited with the introduction of Orthodox Christianity.

But the figure is claimed by both Russia and Ukraine as a founding father, and critics have accused Moscow of a provocative gesture.

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Read more: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-37871793


[font size=1]The statue has caused outrage in Ukraine, which claims Prince Vladimir as one of its own, and where he adorns one of the country's banknotes[/font]

[DetlefK]

1. Belarus, Russia and Ukraine are the heartland of the russian people.

They have an old and strong cultural bond. That's why Russia totally freaked out when Ukraine turned their back on them. It was not just a political shock but also a major cultural shock for Russia. (Russia was so in shock that they cooked up this whole conspiracy-theory how this was the work of some evil-doers to find an explanation.) Imagine the New England-states seceding from the US and joining Canada.