MOSCOW, December 3 (Itar-Tass) — Sergei Neverov, Secretary of the General Council of the United Russia party, has rejected as "inadmissible" the idea suggested by Volgograd local officials who suggested a competition so as to replace the world renowned Volgograd city symbol featuring a Mother calling to defend the Motherland in WWII.
"If any of the them do not realize that, their senior bosses then should think about filling corresponding vacancies in the administration, rather than holding a competition," Neverov warned. “Before planning such competitions the city officials should recollect what the present city symbol of the Mother Motherland, means to millions of Russian people, including those who have been to WWII fronts and who lost their fathers and grandfathers in that war. This symbol is a reminder of a heroic exploit of the people of Stalingrad who liberated the city during the war,” Neverov said.
Irina Yarovaya, a coordinator of the United Russia political platform, declared that the initiative suggested by the city administration has proved their utter professional incompetence."They are not only discrediting the tasks and goals of bodies of state power, they are actually also insulting Volgograd and the whole Russia. The city symbol -"Mother Motherland, is a symbol of valor and patriotism to the whole of Russia," Yarovaya stressed. Irina Yarovaya heads the State Duma Committee on Security.
She reminded of a recent conversation with the Volgograd regional governor, Sergei Bozhenov. "We agreed then that Volgograd should particularly intensively advance patriotic projects of importance to the whole country. One cannot take in earnest the silliest thing suggested by certain officials. I think that that all those who sided with the initiative should abandon their posts," Yarovaya said. Besides, all these officials should make a public apology to the war veterans, the people of Volgograd and all citizens of Russia," Yarovaya stressed.
Mikhail Moiseyev, Deputy Chairman of the Duma Committee on Labor and Social Policy, said he was surprised to learn about the plan suggested by the Volgograd city administration to replace the present symbol of Volgograd with a different one. Any talk about the sculpture of the Mother Motherland is a surprise to me," Moiseyev said. He reminded of an important historical anniversary since the Stalingrad battle which Russia would celebrate on February 2, 2013.
It has been recently announced that the Volgograd city authorities have announced a competition for the best "brand" of Volgograd. The organizers suggested creating a new symbol of the city which "should position Volgograd and the Volgograd region as a single territorial body," the organizers said.