SEOUL, November 13 (RIA Novosti) – The Russian president expressed hope Wednesday that Seoul’s first monument to a Russian author would inspire people to learn more about Russia and its culture.
Vladimir Putin said he couldn’t imagine “a better way to warm a Russian’s heart” than with a monument to Alexander Pushkin, one of the country’s greatest poets who is often described as the father of modern Russian literature.
“The unveiling of this monument to Pushkin is further recognition of Russian culture’s tremendous contribution to the global cultural heritage,” Putin said at the official unveiling ceremony, according to an English-language transcript released by the Kremlin.
“I hope that this monument will inspire Koreans and visitors to Seoul to study the Russian language, Russian culture and Russian literature,” the president said.
The monument was erected in front of Lotte Hotel in downtown Seoul at the initiative of South Korea’s society to promote Russian culture and language, Pushkin House. The statue was made in Russia by sculptor Nikolai Kuznetsov-Muromsky and delivered to South Korea in July.
