Ramzan Kadyrov: removal of memorial to victims of repressions is reasonable

President of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov has approved the decision of the city administration of Grozny on removal of the complex in memory of victims of the 1944 deportation from the central part of city to a suburb and stated that the monument to the victims of repressions should be grandiose.

"From the very beginning, the complex was built in an unsuitable place - in the road crossing, where there is no place even to park a car, if one wants to visit the complex, or administer religious rites on the memory day of genocide victims. It was impossible even to hold excursions," Ramzan Kadyrov stated on May 31 during his meeting with Mayor of Grozny Khuchiev.

Mr Kadyrov has instructed Mayor of Grozny to activate the works of building a new memorial complex, to install the required illumination facilities and build a car park, Chechen President's official site reports.

"It is a tragic date for the entire Chechen nation (the deportation in 1944, - the "Caucasian Knot" comment), and our new generations should know about its past. Therefore, the complex should be grandiose, with all the facilities for ceremonies, excursions and other actions," Ramzan Kadyrov has added.

The decision of the Mayoralty of Grozny to remove the Memorial to victims of Stalin deportation built in 1992 was supported by the authorities, but the public and a number of NGOs voiced their sharp criticism of this decision, finding the dismantle of the memorial complex to be an insult of the historical memory.