However, he refused to admit that he was great
Vladimir Putin celebrated Tatyana's Day together with students of Chuvash State University in Cheboksary yesterday. During the tea party, the prime minister was reasonably frank in admitting that the Kremlin had impressed him the most, but modestly refused to admit that he was a "living saint." He also refused to discuss his courting techniques, saying that the subject was too intimate.
The frozen city of Cheboksary gave Vladimir Putin a warm welcome. There were loud celebrations at the Ulyanov Chuvash State University. The prime minister was welcomed with songs and dances, buns and tea. The welcoming students knew about Vladimir Putin's musical preferences and sang a song by his favourite musical band. As for his food preferences, the prime minister said that he liked green tea without sugar.
Vladimir Putin enjoyed the emotional welcome and thanked the students. There were 27 students sitting at the table, with foreign students accounting for about a third. Apart from serious questions, for example, about educational approaches and the lack of a Russian embassy in Haiti, the students asked personal questions. A girl asked the prime minister what building had impressed him the most. "The Kremlin," Vladimir Putin replied immediately, either demonstrating his patriotism or hinting at his plans for 2012. Another girl complained that young people often forgot to be romantic when dating girls. She asked the prime minister what was the most romantic thing he had ever done for a girl so that modern-day young people could follow his example. "You want me to tell you about everything right here," the prime minister said bashfully. "But that's such an intimate subject, and I think that it's best not to discuss it in public." Chuvash Governor Nikolai Fyodorov, being an experienced politician, demonstrated how delicate he could be. "Let every gentleman invent his own way of courting," he replied, coming to Vladimir Putin's aid.
However, Vladimir Putin was perhaps insincere about the Russian automotive industry. Speaking about his impressions of his new Niva car, he said that the car was "pretty good." However, he did not have time to drive it anywhere outside Sochi yet. He added that the International Olympic Committee's top managers liked the car as well. A student from India decided to answer questions instead of asking them. "When you became president, world-famous politicians and journalists asked: 'Who is Putin?'" he said. "Now everyone understands that you are great." The prime minister interrupted the student: "You know, since you are a foreigner I can imagine that you do not have as rich a vocabulary as a Russian person, and I can give you some leeway for using this definition. However, I'm still alive, thank God, and it is a little early for me to think of myself as a living saint."
Vladimir Putin could not resist the temptation to continue his old pet theme of "the galley slave": "We must work every day like St. Francis on the plot of land allotted to us by the Lord." Speaking about what helped him accomplish so much, he said patriotically: "Love for my country." He then added humbly: "If there really are any achievements to speak of."
Inga Vorobyova