MOSCOW, June 12 /ITAR-TASS/. The issue of giving Russia’s southern city of Volgograd its former Soviet name of Stalingrad is not seen as a top-priority one by the residents on that city, according to acting governor of the Volgograd region Andrei Bocharov.

“The issue of renaming the city is at the bottom of the list of problems the city residents think as important,” Bocharov told the Russia-24 television channel on Wednesday, adding that people were most concerned over problems in the housing sector, transport infrastructure, healthcare and social problems.

“The governor must focus on top-priority problems,” he said. “We must let the people make their decision. When this issue arises, we will tackle it.”

At a meeting with Russian WWII veterans on June 6 in France, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he did not rule out Volgograd may be given its previous name of Stalingrad, but this should be decided by city dwellers. The idea was supported by Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin and leader of the Communist Party Gennady Zyuganov.

In a period from 1589 to 1925, Volgograd had the name of Tsaritsyn. It was Stalingrad from 1925 to 1961.