Translated material
FEOR is outraged by the proposed installation of a monument to Prince Svyatoslav in the Belgorod region
On November 21, the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia issued a statement regarding the proposed installation in the Belgorod region of a monument to Prince Svyatoslav by sculptor Vyacheslav Klykov: the prince on horseback tramples a Khazar warrior, on whose shield a large Star of David is depicted. The FEOR believes that this is a "provocative action that not only distorts history, but also has an extremely negative impact on the present."
“It is known,” the text of the statement reads, “that the Star of David has never been part of the state symbols of the Khazar Khaganate, and Judaism was not a religion professed by all the inhabitants of this state. Thus, a monument dedicated to a historical event grossly distorts its meaning. The explanation for this lies in modernity: the Star of David is the official symbol of Judaism and the emblem of the state of Israel.The author of the monument, Vyacheslav Klykov, is known for his anti-Semitic views, and therefore is ready to rewrite the history of Russia in a way that suits him and his supporters.Such methods to justify their actions were widely used by accomplices of all cannibalistic regimes of the past.
The Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia is perplexed by the connivance of this provocative action by the authorities of Belgorod and the Belgorod region. Apparently, they did not learn the necessary lessons either from the events of the Second World War, the origins of which also lie in the inattention to the actions of nationalists and xenophobes, nor from the events in Voronezh, where neo-Nazis remained unpunished until a tragedy occurred that had international resonance.
The Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia considers it necessary to conduct an examination of the actions of the Belgorod authorities related to the installation of this monument, and to give an appropriate legal and moral assessment of the fact that a monument was erected in Belgorod that offends the feelings of believers of one of the traditional Russian confessions. According to the Federation, the initiator of this action and his associates must be held accountable for their actions."
On November 19, the administration of the region issued a statement in which it emphasized that the information about the installation of the monument is not true, the sketch of the monument is under approval.
On November 28, the press center of the Belgorod governor issued a statement stating that the regional town-planning council "rejected the sketch of the monument, suggesting that the sculptor Vyacheslav Klykov remove the six-pointed star from the shield of the Khazar warrior and make adjustments to the image of the prince. Until it is completed decision of the Town Planning Council of the region, the monument cannot be erected." (See "Nationalism and xenophobia" for more details .)
Sources
- DOCUMENT: Statement by the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia in connection with the erection of a monument to Prince Svyatoslav of Kyiv in Belgorod // Portal-Credo.ru. 2005. November 21.
- Statement by the press center of the governor of the Belgorod region regarding the dissemination of information about the installation of a monument to Prince Svyatoslav // Website of the administration of the Belgorod region. 2005. November 19.