A statue of Peter the Great in Deptford, south London, donated by Vladimir Putin's government to the UK in 2003, was damaged in an attempted theft in April, resulting in a diplomatically tricky bill of several thousand of books.
Made by Mihail Chemiakin, one of Putin's favorite artists, the statue of the tsar needs to be repaired but Russia and the United Kingdom pass the buck over who will pay.
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Millenium Quay, owner of the subdivision where the statue is located, has indeed suggested that the Russian Embassy should take charge of the repair:
“We can have it restored if we find out who it belongs to.
As a last resort, I'll call the Russians.
As it is a gift from the Russian people, we can see if the Russian Embassy is ready to pay,”
said a company representative.
Contacted by
The
Guardian
, the embassy declined to comment on the matter.
Greenwich City Council meanwhile said the statue was the responsibility of the developer, Fairview Homes, which owns the section of Thames Road where the statue stands.
He also declined to comment further.
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A Russian national hero
The statue recalls an episode in the life of Pierre Romanov.
During a long trip to the West, the 26-year-old Tsar stopped in Deptford in 1698 to study English shipbuilding.
The pretext was all found for Vladimir Putin who erected Peter the Great as a national hero, saluting his efforts which brought Russia to the forefront of the European scene in the 18th century.
A bronze statue of the Russian leader sits above the ceremonial office of the Russian president in his cabinet.
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While the defacement of the statue does not appear to be politically motivated, the incident comes as
"the UK's relationship with Russia and its leader has deteriorated sharply since Putin sailed down the Thames in 2003 to visit the statue”
, explains the
Guardian
.
Since the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, the statue was decorated with a Ukrainian flag and ribbons in the colors of Ukraine.
A local resident even threatened to paint it blue and yellow, according to Millennium Quay property manager Joel Coleman.
