India's Iron Lady had captured the hearts of many Russians. Indira Gandhi visited USSR several times, and it was she who signed the Indo-Soviet friendship Treaty in 1971, just before the Bangladesh War.
Indira Gandhi continues to be the inspiration for Russian women.
Moscow was the first international city to erect a monument in honour of Indira Gandhi. The statue was installed in 1987 at the Gandhi Square (next to Mahatma Gandhi's statue) at the intersection of Lomonosovsky and Michurinsky avenues near the Moscow State University and was a Soviet tribute to the leader in the wake of the assassination.
The statue was the work of Oleg Komov, a famous Soviet sculptor.
3. Jawahar Lal Nehru
Just like Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was loved by Russians, when he laid the foundation of a deepening relationship between India and the then Soviet Union.
Nehru has a square named after him in Moscow at the intersection of Vernadsky and Lomonosov Avenues. A monument to him was erected here in 1996.
This was the work of the sculptor D.B. Ryabichev. Nehru stressed to build ties with USSR.
His deep conviction that the Soviet experience could be useful for India in solving most of its socio-economic problems became an integral part of his policy as Independent India's first Prime Minister.
4. Manmohan Singh
Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh is an ardent believer in Indo-Russian friendship. Though there have been quite a few diplomatic glitches between India and Russia, especially over the delay and price hike of several Russian weapons to be delivered to India, relations between the two remain strong with India and Russia signing various agreements to increase defense, nuclear energy and space cooperation.
Singh has been to Moscow several times. The Prime Minister described India's partnership with Russia as “one of the fundamental foundations of India's foreign policy”.
