Armenian Square Renamed After Ukrainian Opposition Leader

SPITAK, Armenia -- A town in central Armenia has renamed one of its squares after pro-Russian Ukrainian politician Viktor Yanukovych.

Yanukovych, the leader of Ukraine's main opposition party, helped with the reconstruction of the Armenian city of Spitak after the catastrophic 1988 earthquake.

Yanukovych and Armenian officials inaugurated the renamed square on December 5, the 20th anniversary of the earthquake that killed some 25,000 people and left hundreds of thousands of others homeless.

Yanukovych told RFE/RL's Armenian Service that he has come to Armenia to "bow to this long-suffering land and the Armenian people."

Yanukovych-leads the pro-Russian Party of Regions, which is the largest faction in Ukraine’s parliament and is expected to do well in the upcoming general election.