Moscow mayor cuts his U.S. visit short

Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov, in the United States for the Moscow-Utah Youth Games, cut short his stay to fly home early Friday after a bomb exploded in a Moscow subway car.

The bomb, which President Vladimir Putin ascribed to terrorist Chechen rebels, killed 39 people and wounded more than 130, according to Russian officials.

Luzhkov was in New York City at the time the bomb went off, having flown there from Utah on Monday to meet with New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and conduct other business. He had planned to fly back to Utah Friday morning, but changed his plans after receiving news of the blast during the wee hours.

"It's sad how terrorists and terrorism have so disrupted normal life," said Rusty Butler, honorary consul general of the Russian Federation in Utah, who assisted Luzhkov during his stay here. "Who would have thought it, that a bomb could go off in a Moscow subway and immediately impact people a half a world away?"

A few of the Muscovite participants in the youth games live near the site of the explosion and were concerned about family or friends that may have been affected. The incident was noted in Friday's athletic competitions, and will be noted as well in the closing ceremonies through a moment of silence or other means.

"All the speeches have been submitted, but we called up (the producers of the closing ceremonies) and told them, 'Be flexible,' " said games co-chairman Dave Winder.

Moscow Deputy Mayor Mikhail Men will represent Luzhkov at the closing ceremonies and take his place at weekend functions, including a private dinner at the Governor's Mansion and a tour of the LDS Conference Center that Luzhkov was scheduled for.

Last summer Winder played a similar role, giving a speech at the closing ceremonies of the summer portion of the Moscow-Utah Youth Games and otherwise filling in for then-Gov. Mike Leavitt, who had left a few days earlier.

Terrorism in Russia has affected both the summer and winter portions of the games. Last July, Utah athletes were unable to enter Red Square and other common tourist venues because they had been closed due to a terrorist attack at a rock concert.

"In a way it's a big underscore on the value of the youth games," Winder said. "Living in a world of terrors, we should bring together the youth of these really vastly different cultures and help them understand each other."

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