Mayor of Moscow Sergei Sobjanin and Vladimir Yakunin, CEO of Russian Railways, will not be attending the official inauguration of the monument of Russian patriarch Alexy II in September in Tallinn, writes Eeti Päevaleht.
While Sobjanin’s refusal to attend the ceremony is a blow to Edgar Savisaar, mayor of Tallinn, the decision of Yakunin to stay away is more understandable.
Yakunin was namely involved in the scandal at the end of 2010 when the Estonian national security agency KAPO claimed that Edgar Savisaar had asked him for millions of euros in donation, reportedly for supporting the construction of the Russian Orthodox Church in Lasnamäe.
KAPO says that it managed to derail the plan, but Yakunin found such accusations insulting and has since then stayed away. He also refused to attend the opening of the Koidula border checkpoint with Russia last year.
The opening of the monument has been seen as the start of Savisaar’s election campaign for next year’s local elections.
Toomas Hõbemägi
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