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Consul General Nikolai Konygin arrived with his team at the Second World War monument in the afternoon on Defender of the Fatherland Day, February 23.
The diplomat’s bouquet consisted of roses tied together with a ribbon in white, blue and red, the colors of the Russian flag.
On the photos posted on the Consulate General’s Telegram channel, the ceremonial part of the event at first sight looks all good.
A closer look at the three photos, however, reveals the shocking fact that the Russian diplomat or some of his staff had removed Navalny’s portrait.
Aleksei Navalny’s portrait is out of sight as the photographer captures the staged moment when Nikolai Konygin pays tribute to Russia’s war soldiers. Photo via Telegram / Russian Consulate General in Kirkenes
The Barents Observer has repeatedly tried to get a comment from the Consulate and Konygin, but phone calls remained unanswered, or cut off, all Friday.
When our reporters shortly before the arrival of the Russian diplomat visited the monument, the portrait of Navalny was there. Barents Observer was not present when the diplomats laid flowers and arranged the photo session.
The Barents Observer took this photo at the war memorial in Kirkenes earlier on Friday. Aleksei Navalny’s portrait in front of a candle light.
After the Consulate General held their ceremony, the Barents Observer again went to the memorial and could see that Navalny’s portrait was placed back again, but not in the same place.
The Russian diplomats placed back Navalny’s portrait after staging the photo session when laying flowers with the Russian tricolor ribbon. Photo: Barents Observer
Russia’s war against Ukraine has strongly affected Norwegian-Russian relations in the small border town.
Over many years, official representatives of both Norway and Russia have assembled by the local war monument to commemorate fallen Soviet soldiers. In 2019, Sergei Lavrov laid wreaths together with Norway’s then-foreign minister Ine Eriksen Søreide.
Such joint ceremonies have come to a definite stop.
Last Friday, after the death of Aleksei Navalny was announced, locals in Kirkenes gathered in a silent memorial across the street from Russia’s Consulate General where candle lights and Navalny portraits were placed.
Outside Russia’s Consulate General in Kirkenes. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
