Unidentified vandals defiled a tomb of Russian literary giant Boris Pasternak in the Moscow suburb of Peredelkino.

The wreckers put the grave on fire using plastic wreaths they found at the cemetery, cemetary workers have said. Originally light colored gravestone was all covered with melted plastic and blackened by flames. The writer`s etched profile was partially obscured.

Pasternak is known for his poems and his novel “Doctor Zhivago,” the story of a Russian poet and his lover in the Russian revolution. It was published abroad to much acclaim in 1957 and banned by the Soviet government.

It is reported that a few other graves at the cemetery also were damaged in the attack, which took place last weekend. Nearby residents suspected the vandals may have been local youths.

Popularity: 2% [?]