Jackson Death: How do you feel about it?

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Ukrainians seek to name village after Jackson

Posted Thu Jul 2, 2009 1:01pm AEST
Updated Thu Jul 2, 2009 1:00pm AEST

Residents of a Ukrainian village want to rename it after the late pop singer Michael Jackson.

Politician Oleg Kislitsyn says villagers in Oktyabrskoye, located in the Zaporizhia region in the country's south-east, have approached him with a proposal to rename the village "Jackson".

"There are many fans of Michael Jackson there. They want to immortalise him," said Mr Kislitsyn, adding that he was in favour of the proposal.

"They want to create a house museum and collect his records there.

"This is a depressed region, all the factories are closed. They hope this will attract tourists," he added.

Mr Kislitsyn's advisers met with villagers on Wednesday (local time) to discuss the proposal.

The village's municipal council is to consider the plan in August.

When asked what links existed between Oktyabrskoye and Jackson - whose death in Los Angeles last week has prompted a worldwide outpouring of grief - Mr Kislitsyn said the world was in the process of "globalisation".

He added: "I am not a fan but I respect his work. He had an iron-clad will for victory."

Oktyabrskoye is currently named after the October revolution of 1917, which swept the communists to power in Russia.

The name dates back to the Soviet era when Ukraine was under Moscow's control.

- AFP