Prime Minister Vladimir Putin took a day off on Monday and spent it in Tyva
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin arrived in Tyva after a busy working trip to Irkutsk, where he took a dive to the bottom of Lake Baikal in the Mir-1 deep-sea submarine, conducted a meeting on environmental protection, and met with writer Valentin Rasputin and Irkutsk Region Governor Dmitry Mezentsev.
Mr Putin spent Sunday evening and Monday in a tent camp on the banks of the rapid Khemchik River. He went down the river in an inflatable boat a number of times.
In Tyva, Putin met with Andrei Subbotin, senior research associate of the Institute of Environmental and Evolutionary Issues at the Russian Academy of Sciences. Mr Subbotin is working on a 2007 programme initiated by Mr Putin to study and save the snow leopard, or irbis. The scientist told the Prime Minister in detail about the implementation of this programme, and showed him recent pictures made from photo traps established in their habitat. It was previously believed that the snow leopard was extinct in Russia.
Mr Putin went down the Khemchik to its confluence with the Yenisei River. At one of the stops downstream, in an absolutely deserted area he saw a flock of sheep guided by a shepherd. Mr Putin approached the shepherd, who was quite stunned to see the Prime Minister there. Having greeted the shepherd, Mr Putin invited him for tea. Following the hospitality tradition, the shepherd invited Mr Putin home, and the Prime Minister readily accepted the invitation.
Before long, Mr Putin, the shepherd and his son mounted horses and rode to the shepherd's house.
Mr Putin was shown around the shepherd's modest house, and introduced himself to his two daughters.
The Tyvan shepherd easily found a common language with the Prime Minister, although he did not speak much Russian.
Before departing, Mr Putin presented the hospitable host with his hunter's knife as a memento of their meeting, and gave his son a watch.
In the evening, Mr Putin was joined by the head of the Government of the Republic of Tyva, Sholban Kara-ool.
