Prime Minister Vladimir Putin arrived to the closing ceremony of a shift at the pro-Kremlin youth camp where he spoke frankly on many issues. The only thing that remained unclear after the meeting was the situation with the 2012 election.
Putin visited the Seliger youth forum. The president met with the forum participants several days earlier. Putin’s and Medvedev’s portraits were everywhere at the camp. The most curious thing, though, was a holographic stand where the two leaders’ portraits changed constantly, with a note reading: “They keep changing”.
On a huge scale in front of the entrance, the prime minister met 100 overweight youths participating in the “Run After Me” movement. The group is led by a young man named Nikita. In a video last year, head of the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs Vasily Yakemenko scolded him for “stealing food from Putin” by eating too much. He instantly became a hero in the RuNet community.
A year later, Nikita got the chance to pay his debt to the prime minister. He said that Yakemenko’s words were a revelation to him and he decided to eat less and get involved in sports. As a result he lost 37 kg.
The prime minister liked the ideas of the “Hryushi Protiv” (Piggies Are Against) movement, which aims to tackle the sale of expired products in stores.
The head of the movement told the prime minister about the movement’s idea to wear angry pig costumes when checking expiration dates in stores.
“Costumes made of …?” – asked the prime minister.
“Yeah, yeah, costumes of angry piggies”, the girl misheard Putin’s joke.
The participants of the “Your Film About War” project also met with the prime minister, wearing Great Patriotic War uniforms. Putin retold some of his father’s war stories. But he said that he was most impacted not by these stories, but by the story of his father’s return home.
His father came up to the porch and saw people carrying dead bodies.
Among them was his Maria, his future wife. His father rushed to her and saw that she was still alive. He insisted that the body-lifters leave the woman with him.
“Come on, she will die anyway, she won’t live to see the hospital”, the sanitary assistants retorted cynically.
But his father managed to keep her by his side and she survived.
…Later in the afternoon, the prime minister met with 4,000 people in a big open pavilion on the banks of Seliger. Young people were concerned with the forum’s future. Someone suggested going international to show the real Russia.
The prime minister answered with a joke about showing women instead.
“Seliger”, he continued, “has already become a big event and this is not about the fact that 20,000 people come here each season. This is about the way work is organised. I think it is interesting here. We will certainly help with money and will develop Seliger further”.
Replying to a question posed by a girl from South Ossetia about the possibilities of her republic joining Russia, the prime minister said that the “future depends on the Ossetian people”. In his earlier speeches, Putin mentioned that the Constitution does not forbid other states from becoming a part of Russia.
Then came the time for personal questions. A girl spoke about her father, a military man, and said that she would like to marry an officer.
“That’s a good thing to do”, the prime minister said.
Inspired by these words, the girl then asked about the future of such a union.
“A minimum of three kids”, the prime minister replied. “As the popular Russian rhyme goes, ‘I like the military man, handsome and grand”.
Another young man broached more serious issues. He said that he was studying journalism at Moscow State University and his fellow students in the opposition said that Putin created the all-Russian People's Front to ensure United Russia’s victory in the elections. After his question, the young man became rather pragmatic and asked if Putin would hire him to work in his press service.
“A very businesslike young man”, the prime minister said, a little taken aback by the young man’s promptness.
He agreed that the People's Front was created to attract new forces to United Russia, to renew the party considerably and to ensure its victory in the elections. He tried to avoid answering the second question, though. However, Fyodor Bondarchuk, a film director and a member of United Russia hosting the meeting, insisted.
The prime minister thought for a moment and replied: “You may come”.
The audience was raving.
It seemed like the questions would never stop. Putin continued to speak even after Bondarchuk announced the last question. However, the main question about whether Putin would return as president in 2012 remained unanswered.
“Do you like talking to me?” he asked the audience.
“Yeeaaah”, they raved.
“Then does it matter what position I hold?” he asked rhetorically.
Anastasia Novikova