Russian mayor wants Eiffel Tower replica removed
A smaller version of the Eiffel Tower installed in a town in Russia’s Kursk Region, which borders Ukraine, should be demolished as a symbol representing an “enemy state,” the local mayor has suggested.
Kiev launched a large-scale incursion into Kursk Region in August. The Russian military has been conducting counteroffensive operations and has regained control of multiple towns and villages. According to the latest estimates by the Defense Ministry in Moscow, Ukraine has lost more than 40,000 troops during the invasion, but is still holding its ground in some areas. On Thursday, Russian marines recaptured fortified positions used by Ukrainian forces in the border area of the region.
Мэр Железногорска призвал снести в городе копию Эйфелевой башни как «символ страны-агрессора»На встрече с жителями курского Железногорска мэр Александр Михайлов заявил, что надо решить вопрос о сносе местной 15-метровой «Эйфелевой башни» у кафе «Cafe Si de Paris». Глава города… pic.twitter.com/wP8hKjdTXc
— SOTA (@Sota_Vision) December 13, 2024
France is among the countries supplying weapons to Kiev and recently authorized the use of its missiles for strikes deep into Russia.
“[The copy of the Eiffel Tower] represents enemy states that are committing acts of aggression against our country,” Zheleznogorsk mayor Aleksandr Mikhailov said during a meeting with residents on Thursday.
The official also pointed out that the 15-meter-high model was welded from hollow pipes and is beginning to “rust [and] rot” and “could collapse tomorrow.”
The construction was erected in 2007 outside a café named after the French capital by the establishment’s owners. According to the media, the tower has become a local landmark and is featured in guidebooks.
If local residents want to keep the tower, they could pay for its maintenance, the mayor suggested.
