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RIA Novosti
The Federation Council speaker Valentina Matviyenko and Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia Kirill awarded the title of honorary citizens of St. Petersburg. This was announced by the speaker of the legislative Assembly of the city Vyacheslav Makarov, reports TASS on Wednesday, may 24.
According to him, the vote was secret. Both candidates received 45 votes of deputies of the city Parliament (in the legislative Assembly of 50 — approx. “Of the tape.ru”). “This is a record result,” — said Makarov.
For obtaining honorary titles this year were nominated by nine people, including film Director Alexander Sokurov and singer Edita Piekha. The candidature of Valentina Matvienko has proposed to the city public organisation “Inhabitants of blockade Leningrad”, the Patriarch — public organization “Council of rectors of St. Petersburg”.
On April 24 the local branch “Fair Russia” addressed to the speaker of the Federation Council and the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church with a request to withdraw their candidacy from the contest. SRS indicated that their merits before St. Petersburg indisputable, “however, largely determine the results of the vote of the city Parliament in their favor.”
They also recalled that the list of candidates for the thirteenth time, entered Edita, “from early youth living in Saint-Petersburg and devoted all his work” the city.
The honorary title is awarded for contribution to culture, science and economy of the city since 1993. It can be obtained only by those who have lived in the Northern capital of not less than ten years. In particular, his owners were academicians Dmitry Likhachov and Zhores Alferov, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and actress Alisa Freundlich. According to regional law, the status gives the right of legislative initiative, in addition, owners shall immediately make the Governor.