The authorities of Hemer have announced a reward for information about the abductors of the Pushkin monument.

The authorities of the German city of Hemer have contacted law enforcement agencies in connection with the theft of a monument to the Russian poet Alexander Pushkin and announced a reward for information about those involved in the crime. This was announced on July 1 by the city administration.

"The authorities of Hemer have filed an application to institute criminal proceedings against unknown persons and are working closely with the police. In addition, a reward of up to €1,000 has been announced for information that will help detain the attackers," RIA Novosti quoted the city administration as saying.

According to local authorities, the sculpture was discovered missing from the city's Friedenspark last weekend. It is noted that the bronze figure of the poet disappeared from the pedestal between Friday morning and Saturday morning local time.

It is assumed that several people could have been involved in the theft. The attackers probably used special tools and vehicles to dismantle the nearly two-meter sculpture.

The authorities assess the damage as significant. The published photographs show that only metal fasteners in the upper part of the pedestal remained in place of the monument.

The bronze sculpture of Pushkin, about 1.8 m high, was created by Russian artist Grigory Potocki and donated to the city of Hemer by the Russian sister city of Shchelkovo. The monument was unveiled on September 24, 1994 as a symbol of friendship between Russia and Germany.

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The theft of the Pushkin monument was reported earlier in the day by the Russian Embassy in Germany. It was clarified that the Russian diplomatic missions in Germany have already established contact with the city authorities of Hemer and local law enforcement agencies to clarify the circumstances of the incident.