Moskovsky Komsomolets: “Russians think up names for Putin’s new pup”
Russians have enthusiastically responded to their prime minister's request to think up a name for his new puppy. Vladimir Putin received over 1,000 letters in a few days, all containing very creative proposals.
As MK wrote earlier, Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov gave Putin a Bulgarian Karakachan puppy after sealing a gas deal in Sofia, an unexpected gift. The pup had originally been called Yorgo, which sounded odd to a Russian ear. Therefore, Putin asked Russians to help him think of a new name for the puppy.
The most popular idea was to have a name containing some reference to Bulgaria, the puppy's birthplace – Bratko, Shipko, Perets (Pepper), Teodor, or the most frequent one, Balkan. Some people suggested abbreviations hailing Russian-Bulgarian relations – BoRus (for Bulgaria-Russia) or Brin (for Bulgarian-Russian initiatives). Others suggested Russian-related names – Rus, Ros, Rossi, and even Nabur (an abbreviation of the Russian phrase Russia's prospects).
The people who sent the letters also remembered Putin's older pet, Koni, the Labrador: one of them suggested naming the Bulgarian pup Plevako because both names had belonged to well-known Russian lawyers. Others had apparently studied foreign language dictionaries before suggesting names like Svyat, which is Bulgarian for world, Kraft (strength in German), or Caro (darling in Italian). The prime minister has yet to announce his decision.
