MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 29th December, 2018) Only those captured weapons of Wehrmacht, Nazi Germany's armed forces, which represent no historical or military value and are being stored in the arsenals of the Russian military, are planned to be used for the construction of the Main Cathedral of the Russian Armed Forces, spokesman of the Russian Defense Ministry, Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov, said on Friday.
On December 24, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced that the steps of the Main Cathedral of the Russian Armed Forces will be made with the components of the German weapons, captured by the Russian army during World War II.
"Only parts of trophy Wehrmacht weapons, stored in the Armed Forces' arsenals, will be used for smelting individual components (steps and others) of the Main Cathedral of the Russian Armed Forces, devoted to the victory in the Great Patriotic War, which is being built with funding from voluntary donations," Konashenkov said.
According to Konashenkov, firearms, ammunition and individual elements of artillery and armored combat vehicles, which are of no historical or military value anymore, will be used in the construction of the cathedral.
Konashenkov added that the high number of captured weaponry from various countries was stored in the arsenals of the Russian Defense Ministry, including the weapons of the World War I period.
The spokesman went on by questioning the reasoning of those who demanded the preservation of Nazi weapons.
"Therefore, statements by the individuals speaking from the standpoint of 'guardians' of preserving and saving Nazi weapons so that they do not go to the main church of the Armed Forces, unfortunately, cause bewilderment," Konashenkov concluded.
In September, the foundation stone for the Main Cathedral of the Russian Armed Forces was laid in the Patriot military park in the Moscow Region. It is expected to be finished by 2020 for the 75th anniversary of the Russian victory in the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945).
The cathedral is designed in the Russian-Byzantine style and it will be 81.5 meters (267 feet) wide and 113.7 meters long. The cathedral is expected to become a spiritual place for the Russian military personnel, as well as a host site for the military priests' school and the sisters of mercy institute.
