President Vladimir Putin arrived in Sevastopol driving a car.
Photo: REUTERS
Vladimir Putin has a special relationship with Crimea. The last two times the president came to the peninsula unexpectedly for everyone, without any announcements or preparation. And every time they do not take him, but he himself gets behind the wheel.
In December 2022, Vladimir Vladimirovich drove a Mercedes across the Crimean bridge. The most damaged part after the terrorist attack had just finished restoring it. Today, on the occasion of the ninth anniversary of the annexation of Crimea, the Russian leader arrived in Sevastopol. He only this time behind the wheel of a Toyota.
The visit of the head of the country was a surprise even for the governor of the city, Mikhail Razvozzhaev:
“Our President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin knows how to surprise. In a good way. Today we were supposed to open a children’s art school in Chersonese. Everything was ready for a video conference and a report to the president through special communications. And Vladimir Vladimirovich took it and came. Myself. behind the wheel Because on such a historic day, the president is always with Sevastopol and the people of Sevastopol,” the Sevastopol chief wrote on his Telegram channel.
The Chairman of the Patriarchal Council for Culture, Metropolitan Tikhon (Shevkunov) of Pskov and Porkhov, showed the Chairman the new children’s art school and the Korsun children’s center. This is the first part of a large-scale project of the historical and archaeological park “Tauric Chersonesus”.
By the way, we must pay tribute, the ancient Chersonese, although it was founded 400 years before the birth of Jesus, really has close ties with the church. Already in the 1st century Christian preachers appeared here. Here the fourth Pope, Clement I, died. At that time, the church had not yet been divided. This saint is now revered by both Orthodox and Catholics.
It is likely that Chersonese is the place where Christians first appeared on the territory of modern Russia.
Putin did not wear a formal suit, instead arriving in jeans and a dark sweater. In the Crimea now about 10 degrees. Vladyka Tikhon during the tour showed griffins on the facade of the building and reminded that these mythical animals have been considered a symbol of Chersonese since ancient times.
– The architecture is beautiful, – said the head of the country, looking around the school.
“Great,” he concluded when the tour ended.
The day before the trip to the peninsula, Vladimir Vladimirovich held a meeting on the development of the Crimea. He spoke about the successful restoration of the bridge.
– Your recovery after the terrorist attack continues, and I am sure that this process, this work will be completed on time. So, road communication is already open, the repair of the railway tracks is underway, the Russian leader noted.
Putin also spoke about the gap between the income of the inhabitants of the peninsula and the rest of the country.
– Our people are not greedy when they come on vacation and willingly spend there, and this leads to higher prices. And the people who live there permanently, they are not on vacation, they do not spend money like that. Of course, this task is not one day, everything is clear, but we must constantly think about it and strive to eliminate these gaps, the Russian leader said.
