Russian City Wants to Rename Street After Donald Trump

The United States may have recently imposed sanctions on Russia — but that hasn’t stopped one former Soviet city from attempting to honor America’s incoming 45th president.

A petition is circulating in the Russian city of Ryazan, about 125 southeast of Moscow, to rename one of the city’s main drags after President-elect Donald Trump.

Three hundred people have so far signed the petition to strip “Godless Street” of its current moniker, and rename it “Donald Trump Street.” Its present name, Godless Street, is a remnant from the days of the Soviet Union, when the government looked down on religion.

Ryazan resident Sergey Bizyukin started the petition, and he says people are signing it for all sorts of reasons.

“Some saw it as a joke and signed because it was fun, some stood for normalization of U.S.-Russia ties, and some signed because they don’t like the name of Godless Street,” he told CNN.

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For Bizyukin himself, the renaming of the street in the city of about 500,000 residents has less to do with his own personal affinity for Trump and is more about Russian admiration for Trump in general — and a desire to strengthen U.S.-Russia ties.

Trump has come under fire for his vocal support of Russian President Vladimir Putin during his campaign and since his election, and for repeatedly expressing doubts about the role the Russian government played in the hacking of Democratic National Committee officials — despite evidence U.S. intelligence agencies deemed conclusive.

Meanwhile, back in Ryazan, some citizens are skeptical that the street name change would have much of an impact.

“It could be a sign of respect to Trump, that’s all,” one Ryazan resident told CNN. “But we shouldn’t do it now, maybe later. But it won’t make much difference, just to show respect.”

Regardless, supporters of the name change currently have an obstacle: Ryazan’s city council has a rule against naming streets after living figures.

But perhaps if the outcry is significant enough the council would reconsider.

With the slogan the petitioners have adopted — “Make Ryazan Great Again” — how could they not?