In Irkutsk, for Easter they are again preparing to protect an unusual symbol of friendship with Japan, a huge egg on Kanazawa Street, which has been a target of vandals for 15 years. After last years attempt to deface the monument, it was even cut off and taken to a nearby street, but the monument was returned and reinforced. Now city services hope to protect it from new attacks, as Easter and the Day of the sister cities of Irkutsk and Kanazawa are ahead.
Today is Clean Thursday. Orthodox Christians usually clean and dye eggs on this day, eggs that are a symbol of Easter. But some enthusiasts find chicken eggs too small, so they look for bigger eggs. In Irkutsk, on Kanazawa Street, stands a symbol of friendship between Russia and Japan - a huge egg. The monument has stood there for 15 years, and all that time it has had no peace. Local vandals attack it almost every year, painting it in all the colors of the rainbow on the eve of Easter.At first, representatives of the City Landscaping Department simply scrubbed the monument with acetone, but last year it was decided to coat it with a thick layer of wax, to which paint does not stick.
The hooligans really failed to deface the monument, but they did manage to saw it off and roll it to a neighboring street.
The monument was then returned to its place and properly reinforced. But Easter is approaching...
The hooligans face no punishment for desecrating the monument - it does not have the right status; all that remains is to post a police guard to protect it.
On April 29, the world marks Sister Cities Day, which Irkutsk and Kanazawa are. It is very undesirable for this day to pass in Irkutsk without a symbol of friendship.