Russians in Karlovy Vary want statue of Peter the Great

Russian residents in the West Bohemian town of Karlovy Vary are petitioning for the erection of a life-sized statue of Peter the Great on the occasion of the three-hundredth anniversary of one of his visits to the spa centre. A Russian company has offered to fund the monument for 2.5 million crowns. The municipal government has so far rejected the idea however, saying they would not be opposed to a statue in the spa forests, where the 17th century tsar strolled during his stay. A deputy mayor told the residents they could build the state in the city centre, provided a statue of Czechoslovak president T.G. Masaryk was erected on Red Square first.