A ceremony of laying the foundation of a monument to saint Prince Vladimir in Astrakhan

A ceremony of laying the foundation of a monument  to saint Prince Vladimir before his temple was held in Astrakhan, September 12. Vice-president of the  Heydar Aliyev Foundation attended the ceremony.

First, sacred water was splashed on the place, where a monument to Prince Vladimir would be erected. Then the capsule was lowered to the foundation of the monument.

Delivering a speech, Governor of the Astrakhan region Alexander Jilkin said laying the foundation of a monument to one of the greatest heads of state – saint Prince Vladimir – once more testifies to very significant works done by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation in Russia. The date of this temple is interesting because it was built a little more than a hundred years ago for the donations made by representations of all nations living in Astrakhan. When, at the beginning of the last century, Bolsheviks planned to destroy this temple, just Tartars’ community opposed to ungovernable atheists  and prevented its destruction.

The Governor, thanking Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, who offered to erect this monument to be significant for the Slavic Orthodox culture, said this monument will become a symbol of eternal and unbreakable friendship between the Azerbaijani and Russian nations. Alexander Jilkin handed over the official appeal of the Government of Astrakhan addressed to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to lay a garden or a park in one of the corners of Baku city, and erecting there a symbol of our relations and friendship.

Deputy head of the Russian Federation’s  President’s Department for Interregional and Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries Sergey Chebotaryov thanked Azerbaijan for the initiative to create a monument, and its financing.

Delivering a speech at the ceremony, head of the Public and Political Affairs Department under  the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ali Hasanov said strengthening peace and security, agitation of humanism and sympathy, supporting dialogue among ethnos and confessions  is one of the priority directions of the activity of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and, personally, its President, First Lady of Azerbaijan, UNESCO and ISESCO Goodwill Ambassador Mehriban Aliyeva.

A decision to erect a monument to Prince Vladimir was made by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. Construction of the monument will be performed by support from the Heydar Aliyev Foundation. A model of the  14.5-meter high monument is being prepared. Azerbaijani and Russian architects will take part in the preparation of the model. A park will be laid around the monument and the surrounding territory improved.