Russian Fans to March Through Warsaw

© RIA Novosti . Anton Denisov / Go to the mediabankRussian Fans to March Through Warsaw
Russian Fans to March Through Warsaw - Sputnik International
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Around 5,000 Russian fans are to march through Warsaw ahead of Tuesday’s Euro 2012 group stage match between Russia and Poland, Alexander Shprygin, head of the All-Russian Fans’ Union, told R-Sport on Tuesday.

Around 5,000 Russian fans are to march through Warsaw ahead of Tuesday’s Euro 2012 group stage match between Russia and Poland, Alexander Shprygin, head of the All-Russian Fans’ Union, told R-Sport on Tuesday.

The march has received support from the Warsaw mayor’s office, even though mayor Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz earlier said it could give rise to “unhealthy sentiments”, and there are fears it could prompt violence between supporters of two countries with frayed political ties.

Russia will play Poland in the city Tuesday, which doubles up as Russia Day, a holiday commemorating the end of the Soviet Union.

“The march will take place,” Shprygin said, adding that the city authorities estimated 5,000 Russians would attend. The fans will gather at 5.30 local time, 3 hours and 15 minutes before the match.

“The Warsaw mayor’s office supplied a corridor. The police will ensure the safety of the Russian fans.”

A group of Russian fans from Smolensk, where a Polish plane crashed in 2010 killing President Lech Kaczynski and 95 others, will not display a banner with the name of their city at the match out of respect for Polish feelings, Shprygin said.

“We just won’t even hang a Smolensk banner out of respect, for example, to this whole story,” he said.

“Obviously no one is going to joke in such a sacrilegious way.”

The group from Smolensk reportedly took the banner to Russia games at Euro 2004 and Euro 2008.

Russia Day marks the 1990 signing of the Declaration of State Sovereignty, which proclaimed Russia's sovereignty as the Soviet Union collapsed.

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