GENEVA, October 7. /TASS/. A European art group has selected a very unusual way to send birthday greetings to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is 62 today, and at the same time to emphasize his outstanding role in peace-making efforts in the modern troubled world.

A group of Geneva peace activists made a three-metre tall statue of the Russian leader and used it to prop up the world-famous anti-war monument known as the Broken Chair - a symbol of protest against land mines and cluster bombs that leave millions of people limbless. Putin’s figure took the place of the crippled left front leg of the huge monumental sculpture in wood by the Swiss artist, Daniel Beret, constructed by carpenter Louis Geneve.

In this way the peace activists wished to show that Putin incessantly supports all those who need help and does his utmost to prevent the loss of human life whenever possible.

The twelve-meter tall monument stands in Geneva’s Square of Nations. The author of its concept is Paul Vermeulen, the director of a non-governmental organization extending assistance to refugees.

The monument is a reminder to all politicians visiting Geneva of the bitter price that has to be paid for military conflicts.

For the first time the Broken Chair monument was placed by Handicap International in front of the main entrance to the Palace of Nations in Geneva in August 1997, where it was intended to remain for three months, until the signing of the Ottawa Treaty in December 1997. However, the public at large liked the idea and its message so much that a decision was made to leave the sculpture in place.

The Broken Chair is associated with the work for peace and the cessation of all hostilities. These ideals are linked inseparably with Vladimir Putin’s policies, who repeatedly managed to preserve peace in the countries that needed it the most. Putin was the one who helped negotiate the recent ceasefire in the southeast of Ukraine, warded off the looming threat of war between Armenia and Azerbaijan by bringing their presidents to the negotiating table and also saved Syria from external military aggression.