St Petersburg's flag to be planted down on Kilimanjaro

A team of Russian alpinists intends to set up St. Petersburg's flag on the highest African peak - the top of Kilimanjaro Mountain /5,895 meters high/ on the occasion of the city's 300th anniversary. The banner will be handed to them on Friday by the governor of the city Vladimir Yakovlev.

On the 20th of June the expedition will leave St. Petersburg for Amsterdam and then for Kilimanjaro, said 79-year-old member of the team Mikhail Bobrov. It will take about a week to get to the top of the mountain, he said.

The idea of raising a flag on the continents' highest peaks in the light of St. Petersburg's anniversary goes back to the year of 1999. Then this flag was raised in the North Pole, in 2000 - on America's highest mountain Akonkagua /6,960 meters/ and in 2001 - on Elborus (5,642m) - Europe's highest peak.

Mikhail Bobrov, a noble citizen of St Petersburg, has taken part in all those events. He took up alpinism during the Second World War. During the blockade he became a member of an alpinists team, who veiled golden domes and spires of the city cathedrals. Then Bobrov fought near Elborus and after the war he worked as a teacher at a special school that prepared professionals to conduct military operations in the mountains.

Mikhail Bobrov has always been faithful to alpinism: moreover, he celebrated his 78th birthday on the top of Elborus. He has made the total of 150 climbs.

The group that will head for Kilimanjaro will include another five alpinists from St. Petersburg.