ST. PETERSBURG, November 17. Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke about the role of Russian specialists in saving the Arc de Triomphe in Syrian Palmyra and why the word “Palmyra” itself is a symbol for Russians.
«The whole world was shocked by the news that the legendary ancient triumphal arch in Syrian Palmyra was destroyed by terrorists. And for us the very word “Palmyra” is also a symbol. I would like to draw your attention, well, the Russian part of the audience knows about this well, I’ll tell ours friends and guests from abroad, the fact is that the city in which we are located, St. Petersburg, is sometimes called Northern Palmyra,” he said, speaking at the St. Petersburg International Cultural Forum. Putin said that “during the Blockade, the Nazi barbarians and their satellites also tried to destroy our city.”
«In 2016, after the liberation of Syrian Palmyra, our specialists from the Institute of the History of Material Culture took urgent measures to save the monument. They examined the ruins, recorded every fragment, created a unique project for the restoration of this UNESCO World Heritage Site. And soon, together with their Syrian colleagues will begin to implement it,” said the President of Russia.