A ceremony commencing the construction of a statue of the late President Ho Chi Minh was held in Russian Ulyanovsk city, the birthplace of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, on June 11.

The 5-metre bronze statue will be built on an area of more than 2,000 square metres, next to the Ho Chi Minh boulevard in Zasniazhsky district. The construction cost is covered by Vietnam while its technical consultancy and sculpture work are supported by the Russian side.

Speaking at the event, Le Ngoc Hoa, Vice Chairman of the Nghe An People’s Committee, said the work aims to be a place for the Vietnamese community in Russia to honnour their beloved president and to cement a close long-lasting ties between central Nghe An province and Ulyanovsk.

The Russian city’s representative expressed local delight and support towards the statue erection, while pledging to decorate and make the Ho Chi Minh boulevard one of the city’s best streets by September 2, Vietnam’s National Day.

The construction work is scheduled to finish within November.-VNA