Speaker Mironov again appeals to leave Avrora in the Navy

25.11.2010 During the meeting of President Medvedev with party leaders, speaker of the Federation Council [Russian parliament's upper chamber] Sergei Mironov asked to leave cruiser Avrora in Russian Navy and not to hand her over to the Ministry of Culture.

Press-service of Russian defense ministry reported it had been decided to replace military crew of Avrora with civilian staff from the Central Naval Museum. According to the ministry's press release, Avrora would preserve unofficial status of Russian Navy's No. 1 ship.

"Undoubtedly, Avrora is a number-one ship. I asked them not to write off Avrora to museum, otherwise this cruiser would lose her functional and historical significance. I'm going to address to the President with the request to leave Avrora in the current state, so familiar to all of us", said Mironov at the after-meeting press conference.

In his opinion, this issue needs an appropriate decree.