▁as ▁doubt ful , ▁pointing ▁out ▁that ▁a ▁circum c ised ▁convert ▁should ▁be ▁per sec uted ▁or ▁even ▁put ▁to ▁death ▁in ▁Rus ', ▁so ▁if ▁Nik it in ▁had ▁indeed ▁become ▁a ▁Muslim , ▁he ▁would ▁have ▁avoided ▁returning ▁to ▁his ▁country , ▁while ▁in ▁fact ▁he ▁died ▁on ▁his ▁way ▁back ▁in ▁Lith u ania ▁not ▁far ▁from ▁the ▁Mus cov ite ▁border . ▁ ▁Nik it in ▁in ▁modern ▁memory ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 5 , ▁the ▁local ▁authorities ▁of ▁T ver ▁ere cted ▁a ▁bronze ▁monument ▁to ▁Af an asy ▁Nik it in ▁on ▁the ▁bank ▁of ▁the ▁Vol ga ▁River . ▁ ▁The ▁sculpt or ▁was ▁Serge i ▁Or lov . ▁ ▁There ▁is ▁a ▁folk ▁legend ▁that ▁this ▁statue ▁was ▁raised ▁because ▁Nik ita ▁K hr ush chev , ▁upon ▁visit ing ▁India , ▁told ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁J aw ah ar l al ▁Ne h ru ▁that ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁statue ▁of ▁Nik it in ▁in ▁Russia ▁when ▁in ▁fact ▁there ▁was ▁not ▁( Ne h ru ▁had ▁asked ▁if ▁the ▁Rus si ans ▁had ▁hon ored ▁the ▁first ▁Russian ▁to ▁visit ▁India ). ▁So ▁as ▁not ▁to ▁be ▁proven ▁a ▁li ar , ▁K hr ush chev ▁ph oned ▁back ▁to ▁Russia ▁demand ing ▁that ▁a ▁statue ▁of ▁Nik it in ▁be ▁built ▁immediately , ▁before ▁Ne h ru ' s ▁state ▁visit ▁to ▁Russia . ▁The ▁statue ▁was ▁featured ▁on ▁a ▁Russian ▁post age ▁stamp ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁comm