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German officials have criticised the Russian military's plan to build a replica of Berlin's Parliament as a target for teenagers to attack, at a recently built patriotic theme park near Moscow.
- Russia says the replica would allow its Young Army to practice attacking a specific location
- Images of Soviet troops storming the Reichstag in 1945 are iconic
- Russia's defence ministry spokesman has accused critics of being Nazi sympathisers
Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, who made the announcement, said the replica of the Reichstag building at the Patriot Park just outside Moscow will be smaller than life size.
Mr Shoigu said the idea is for members of the Young Army, or Yunarmia, "to storm a specific location, not something abstract."
The Young Army was created in 2015 on Mr Shoigu's initiative to encourage patriotism among schoolchildren, provide physical training and teach them basic military skills.
German government spokeswoman Ulrike Demmer said the plan was "surprising and speaks for itself".
"We wouldn't build something like that for the education of German youth," added Foreign Ministry spokesman Martin Schaefer.
In Moscow, Defence Ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov lashed out at the German officials for their reaction and vigorously defended the ministry's plan, saying the Reichstag replica "will contribute to the patriotic education of young citizens and foreign guests".
Mr Konashenkov also referred to the 1933 Reichstag arson, which is seen as a pivotal moment in establishing Nazi Germany, and hinted that the Germans who are worried about Russia wanting to build a replica building could be Nazi sympathisers.
"Verbal attacks by certain German politicians are not only dismaying but they also make one wonder about how these people really feel about the creators of the Third Reich," he said.
First opened in 1894, the Reichstag was refurbished after German reunification and in 1999 became the home of the German parliament.
The images of Soviet Army soldiers hoisting the red flag over the Reichstag in May 1945 have been iconic in Russia.
The Kremlin has turned to World War II to encourage patriotic feelings, as the country's massive wartime suffering and enormous losses form a key element of Russia's national identity.
Victory Day has remained Russia's most important secular holiday, a rallying point for a nation deeply divided over its Soviet-era history.
AP
Topics: foreign-affairs, world-politics, russian-federation, germany
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