After a photo surfaced of two young women posing half naked in front of an eternal flame in Siberia, a strategically positioned snowboard lending the image its only glimmer of modesty, police in Kemerovo region are on the prowl.
The eternal flame is a deeply revered monument commemorating local fighters who perished during World War II.
In a statement released Saturday, area police announced that they were currently working to establish the women's identities, as well as that of the photographer who took the shot. They asked witnesses or anyone else with knowledge of the incident to come forward.
Local news agency FlashSiberia reported that the picture first appeared on a local group's page on popular social network VKontakte as an illustration for a poll about a nearby ski resort.
In 2013, the State Duma mulled an initiative that would criminalize offending the memory of the war. The bill proposed that those found guilty should face up to seven years in prison. The law was not passed by the parliament.
Kemerovo police did not specify which law the culprits would be investigated under should the authorities move forward with opening a case.
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