Funeral Held For Former Moscow Mayor Luzhkov

The lying-in-state ceremony and the funeral service for former Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov, who led the Russian capital for almost two decades and oversaw its post-Soviet transformation, was held on December 12 at the Christ the Savior Cathedral in Moscow. Russian President Vladimir Putin, current Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, and some of the prominent members of Russia's political, business, and arts communities attended the ceremony. Luzhkov took over at Moscow City Hall in 1992 and held the post until being sacked in 2010 by the Kremlin, which said it had lost trust in him. Despite persistent accusations of kickbacks and corruption allegations, Luzhkov was very popular among Moscow residents.