Thursday, February 16, 2012

Transmission

Picking Up The Pieces Of The Georgian War Memorial Tragedy

Only a pile of rubble exists where this war memorial once stood in Kutaisi.
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December 23, 2009

If the story of Georgia's destroyed Glory Memorial began as a tragedy, it is ending as farce.

Today, Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov picked up on Vladimir Putin's wily proposal that the Soviet-era Kutaisi monument -- razed, with tragic consequences, by order of Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili -- be rebuilt in a more appreciative city.

Like Moscow!

Luzkhov said the 46-meter concrete-and-bronze arch, which honors the 300,000 Georgian victims of World War II, will be replicated in the Russian capital's Poklonnaya Gora war memorial complex.

Georgian sculptor Merab Berdzenishvili, the 82-year-old creator of the Glory Memorial, says he has kept no sketches of his design, and has declined to comment on the Russian initiative.

But a little thing like missing sketches isn't likely to stand in the way of a mischievous Putin plan.

Georgia's anti-Saakashvili camp appears to have come on board as well, with opposition leader Zurab Noghaideli traveling today to Moscow for talks with Putin expected to touch on the monument issue.

All that remains is to build it.

Now, if only Luzkhov knew a good place to go for concrete...

-- Daisy Sindelar

Tags: kutaisi , Georgia , Russia

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by: George from: Newport News, Virginia
December 23, 2009 19:30
This is just ridiculous!
Saakashvili's irrational and stupid action allows the Russian Nazis to score another point against Georgia.
By the way, the mentioned "opposition leader", Noghaideli was a prime-minister under Saakashvili regime for years and was released from duty with lots of thanks from his boss. He has signed a number of deals selling strategically important Georgian property (energy distribution, trasportation companies, etc.) to Russian state-owned companies and illegally contributing to Saakashvili's National Movement's electoral campaigns.
by: dato from: tbilisi
December 24, 2009 00:24
everybody who collaborates with the enemy during a war (in which we still technically are with Russia) is a traitor to his country and should be treated like one.
to george from newport news: we georgians don't need a monument celebrating a victory of the communist empire that invaded our country. i strongly suggest you start a campaigne for building one somewhere in virginia, if you're so in love with russia/USSR. a stalin or lenin monument is also an option.
by: Shengelia from: London
December 24, 2009 08:17
I simply can’t believe it! To violently discredit the honour of so many lives lost during second world war, to show such disrespect to the names of our grandparents who bravely fought against Nazi Germany is truly a cowardly and barbaric act on the part of Georgian Government. In any civilised country, public cares and respects their heroes, and shows their gratitude for thing their ancestors have done and achieved, it appears not in Saakashvili’s Georgia through. Not only that, but by commissioning his crime against people, Georgian President has killed a child and a mother, the blood of innocent people in on Saakashvili’s hands!
by: Dmitry from: Korolev, Russia
December 24, 2009 08:34
the Soviet-era Kutaisi monument?

This is a monument to soldiers killed in the war against fascism.
The author does not see the difference?
by: CousenA
December 24, 2009 08:49
Russian Nazis? Why are you so stupid? It's the memorial to the georgian and russian people, which fight and died TOGETHER to save the world from fascism. FASCISM, can you understand that? 300 000 georgian people, 20 000 000 (!!!) russian people died to defeat fascism, and now Saakashvilli, who destroys the memory of georgian feat is a democratical hero, and Putin is a Nazi.
by: Anonymous
December 24, 2009 08:52
"He has signed a number of deals selling strategically important Georgian property (energy distribution, trasportation companies, etc.) to Russian state-owned companies and illegally contributing to Saakashvili's National" - it regular lies from Saakashvili
by: Chiragu from: Russia
December 24, 2009 09:18
This is not ridiculous. Saakashvili is product of American nazi education, and can't understand contribution of 300000 lost Georgians into defeat of nazism. I staggering by comments like above. Saakashvili blowed the Monument, but Russians are Nazis anyway? What about dinosaurs? Russians also?
by: Vitaliy from: Russia
December 24, 2009 09:43
This article and the previous comment are ridiculous.
You have no idea about history of relationship of Russia and Gorgia. The two folk fought and died shoulder by shoulder against the Nazi with no regard to political ideology. That is the reason of Putin's initiative. The better is to rebuild memorials than to kill people in North Osetia or Irak.
by: Tigran Vardanian from: Yerevan, Armenia
December 24, 2009 12:08
Mr. Saakashvili should be given special prize "For Most Stupid Detonation in 2009". This is really sad and typical story in South Caucasus where ordinary Georgians, Armenians and Azeris suffer from irrationality of their rulers...
by: Pavel from: Russia, Ramenskoye
December 24, 2009 12:16
Generally it is a monument to Georgians - to victims of fascism. For the countries of the former USSR this question always was very important, as in the USSR during 2nd world was lost 20 million persons. (Excuse for use of the automatic translator).
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Written by RFE/RL editors and correspondents, Transmission serves up news, comment, and the odd silly dictator story. While our primary concern is with foreign policy, Transmission is also a place for the ideas -- some serious, some irreverent -- that bubble up from our bureaus. The name recognizes RFE/RL's role as a surrogate broadcaster to places without free media. You can write us at transmission+rferl.org