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A collection of signatures will also take place in all veteran organizations of St Petersburg and Leningrad Region, and also in military colleges in the city on the [River] Neva.
Text of report by Russian news agency RIA Novosti
St Petersburg, 3 May: The Communists of Petersburg organization is suggesting that there should be a monument to Iosif Stalin in Leningrad Region.
As sources in the organization have told RIA-Novosti, a collection of signatures for a monument to be erected will begin on 9 May in Slantsevskiy District in Leningrad Region, where it is planned to have a monument next year, the 62nd anniversary of Victory [in World War II].
A collection of signatures will also take place in all veteran organizations of St Petersburg and Leningrad Region, and also in military colleges in the city on the [River] Neva. According to a representative of the Communists of Petersburg [organization], the question has also been considered of having a monument in the northern capital itself. "However, there is a very mixed attitude to the political figure of Stalin among the intelligentsia in St Petersburg, while there isn't such a negative attitude to him in the region," he said.
The Communists of Petersburg representative stressed that the monument will be dedicated to Stalin's services as a great military leader.
"We are not touching on political issues since the [political] figure of Stalin is very controversial. We wish to stress his role only as the supreme commander-in-chief who led the country to victory in the Great Fatherland War," he said.
A significant amount of money will not be required to put up a monument. "A monument can be taken from spare ones in museums," the agency's source said.
Credit: RIA Novosti, Moscow, in Russian 1149 3 May 06
RIA Novosti, Moscow, in Russian 1149 3 May 06/BBC Monitoring/(c)BBC
