Larisa Kaftan
A 9-year-old girl asked the Prime Minister for a dress during the Q&A session
Yesterday Prime Minister Putin received the Varfolomeyevs from Buryatia in his residence at Novo-Ogaryovo. Mr Putin invited the family to Moscow after 9-year-old Dasha called the Prime Minister during the Q&A session on December 4 and asked for a Cinderella dress.
The Prime Minister's residence was bedecked in a New Year's manner. A fir-tree with white decorations was erected in the hall. The fir-tree was embellished with both traditional spherical icicles and wing-shaped decorations (presumably, angels), covered with swan down. There was a Father Frost near the fir-tree. In a white robe, wearing glasses and a curly beard, he resembled Doctor Aibolit - a character from a popular Russian poem for children.
While Putin held a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Kozak, who promised to cut Sochi 2014 Olympics expenses by 1.5 times), Dasha gazed at Father Frost. The girl assumed that he used curlers on his beard.
"A dog came to us," Dasha told me. "It buried its nose in Anya's leg." (Anya is Dasha's elder sister.)
Presidential Plenipotentiary Representative Ilya Klebanov entered the hall where we admired the fir-tree with Dasha and cast a look at the small Snow Maiden in surprise (obviously, he did not expect to see a small girl in the official institution). After a slight hesitation, he congratulated everyone on the forthcoming New Year and headed to the Prime Minister's office.
The table for Mr Putin's little guests was laid in a small sitting room on the second floor. Waiting for the Prime Minister, Dasha's mother, Natalia, confessed that she felt nervous.
"You have nothing to fear," journalists tried to calm her down.
"I know," she replied smiling. "But I am nervous all the same."
Mr Putin wore casual clothes. Instead of a suit and tie, he had a soft pullover on.
"Did you enjoy your trip?" the Prime Minister asked and touched Dasha's bow. "What have you seen in Moscow?"
The girl looked puzzled.
"Can you speak?" Mr Putin asked laughing and took the family to some large boxes.
"Well, let's have a look at what is here."
Mr Putin and his small guest took a beautiful Cinderella dress decorated with bows and pelerines from the biggest box.
"You are going to have a celebration at school, aren't you?" Mr Putin said. There was a doll for Dasha in the same box, and a dress for Dasha's sister, 14-year-old Anya, in the other box.
"Wow!" Anya exclaimed.
"It is really beautiful, I like it too," Mr Putin said.
He added that he had presents for the girls' grandmother and the other members of the family.
When they sat at the table, the guests told the Prime Minister what sights they managed to visit in Moscow.
"Red Square," Dasha squeaked.
"What else?" Mr Putin wondered.
"The skating rink was the most impressive," the mother replied.
"I will have a photo album for you to remember this trip," the Prime Minister promised.
Then a heart-to-heart talk began. Natalia told Prime Minister Putin that it is difficult to get a worthy job in their village: after a local open-cast mine was closed, people began fleeing the village.
"I discussed it with local authorities. We will see what can be done for your village."
In addition, Mr Putin said that Dasha and Anya's schoolmates will receive presents - a computer classroom.
While the mother talked with Mr Putin, Dasha stared at her cake. But Mr Putin was going to get the girl talking by all possible means.
"Dasha! Look at me!" he said in a strict voice. "Can you speak? They are too noisy," the Prime Minister said pointing at the journalists. "Now they are going to leave so that we can have a heart-to-heart conversation.
The conversation went on without the press.