Vladivostok Wants To Maintain Dying PF Eternal Light

05.10.2011 Vladivostok city administration is ready to take Pacific Fleet Battle Glory Memorial under municipal property; in the last week the memorial's eternal light was shut down due to the fleet's debts. However, the final decision as of the memorial takeover must be made by defense ministry, reports RIA Novosti referring to a spokesman for Vladivostok administration.

Russian president Dmitry Medvedev on Oct 4 tasked officials of Primorsky Krai to puzzle out the problem and punish those who are guilty of the eternal light's shutdown. The president ordered Primorsky Krai Governor to "get down to the problem and exemplarily punish those who did it".

On Oct 5 Primorsky Gaz company resumed gas supply to the memorial. The eternal light flared up again.

"The memorial is a property of Pacific Fleet and is financed by the military. Vladivostok Mayor Igor Pushkarev repeatedly said the city was ready to maintain the memorial and Eternal Light. But to re-assign it to municipal jurisdiction, defense ministry should make appropriate decision", said the interviewee.

As for him, Vladivostok administration has been expecting such decision for several years, but the military does not make it.

"Despite the fact that the memorial is on the fleet's balance, the city mayor could not be indifferent when the eternal light was shut down. He recently held a meeting in the city council in order to settle the problem. And the interaction between authorities responsible for the memorial was aligned", said the source.

He reminded that such interference was needed in 2010 when the city mayor undertook repair and gasification of the memorial.

Earlier on, a spokesman for Pacific Fleet Capt 1 rank Roman Martov declared that Primorsky Gaz cut off gas supply of eternal light despite the fleet command's promises to pay off a RUR 87,000 debt.

According to Yakov Kan, the chairman of local veterans' organization, it is not the first shutdown of the eternal light in Vladivostok. The recent incident happened last year on the eve of the Victory Day. The veteran says there is only one reason, i.e. defense ministry's financial department protracts money transfer from Moscow.