Vladimir Putin: Hello, everyone. I understand that the children can hear us and I would like to welcome them too. The last time we met it was at a meeting. It was about three months ago, I think.
Voices: Yes.
Vladimir Putin: I am glad that we have this opportunity to review a major stage in what was mainly your work. The main presidential website for adults was opened about a year and a half ago, and now we are about to open an Internet site for children. I think it is very useful, at least I hope it will be useful. We will see how the target audience will react. I think we will get the first reaction today. But I have a feeling that it will prove to be very useful work and we would like it to be interesting for our children. That is all I wanted to say for starters.
Perhaps we can go round the table or choose another format. I would like you to make comments and exchange impressions on the progress of the work and sum up the results of our joint efforts.
G.Oster: Sure enough. It is for them to say whether our project has been a success, but it involved a lot of complicated work. We succeeded on some points and were probably less successful on others, but we can improve things as we go along. I hope that the site will snowball. The developers promised me that they will include everything that we have discussed with you, even the things that are not yet included. And we will wait for the reaction.
А.Monastyryuk: I think it is a great success, the very fact that the site has seen the light of day. There are some historical sections out of which the site has actually grown. A lot of specialists – historians, linguists, medical professionals — have contributed to the sections and we have developed a special font that is easy to read. There are some interesting characters. In short I would like to congratulate everyone and to thank everyone, especially you, for launching this site. Let us hope that it will continue to grow on the basis of traditional Russian state symbol.
Vladimir Putin: Thank you. Would anyone else like to say something?
R.Trofimenko: I would say that Mr Putin, we would like to think of you as our colleague in the work on this site and its co-creator, and not only because you have answered numerous questions. We believe that you have made some serious corrections to some of the key sections of the site. The site is better because of them. We believe it has become more balanced. For instance, during one of our meetings a lot was said about the rights of children and the rights of citizens, but nothing was said about the duties. And now that this subject has been raised, we believe that it is very important that the site addresses it. It is just as important as the huge number of graphics and animation on the site and the amusing characters. We are very glad that you have made this correction.
Thank you very much.
Vladimir Putin: Thank you. I hope it was a useful contribution. Anyone else?
A.Davydov: For my part I would like to say that the site’s software is of a very high standard. I am responsible for that part, and we have tried to fill the site with a lot of animation to make it interesting for the kids, I think they will appreciate it. I would like school children to begin their acquaintance with the Internet by visiting this site because it has a lot to offer; it is interesting and beautiful. It is worth visiting in my opinion.
Vladimir Putin: Thank you.
I.Tyrdanov: I too think that our project is a success and that most school children will like it. And I would like to stress what contributed to this result. From the outset we followed two strategic principles. First, we proceeded from traditional moral values, such simple notions as love of one’s country, respect for the people around one and so on. And second, we used state-of-the-art achievements in the field of multimedia technology. This blend produced quite an interesting website. It is like nothing that exists on the Internet today.
Vladimir Putin: Let us ask the children. I understand that we have a chance to talk with them directly. Let us hear what they think. We will get the first reactions from the site users. Do you hear us in Yaroslavl?
Children: Yes.
Vladimir Putin: Hello, again.
Children: Good morning.
Vladimir Putin: You had a chance to look at this site. I understand that you have used it a bit.
Children: Yes.
Vladimir Putin: What are your impressions? What did you like and what did you not like? What did you like more and why? And what questions do you have to those who created the site? They are here with me at the Kremlin.
Children: It is an interesting and colourful site, just right for children.
Children: We liked the technical side.
Vladimir Putin: What sections did you like most of all?
CHILDREN (speaking all at once).
Vladimir Putin: Can you speak one at a time?
Children: “The Kremlin Riddles”.
Vladimir Putin: I see, “The Kremlin Riddles”.
Children: “The River of Time” was also interesting.
Vladimir Putin: You have played that game already?
Children: Yes. But we haven’t traveled all that far down the river yet.
Vladimir Putin: What questions do you have for us?
Question: Mr Putin, we are very happy to be able to talk to you. Has your family seen the site?
Vladimir Putin: Not yet, I think.
Question: Good morning, my name is Nastya. Could I ask you a personal question not connected with the website?
Vladimir Putin: Go ahead.
Question: What did you want to be when you were little?
Vladimir Putin: That was always changing as I was growing up. I wanted to be a pilot, a sailor and a lot of other things, and all that changed depending on how my life was shaping up and what I was doing.
By the way, I would like to say that the computer is a very convenient and modern informational medium and you have to know how to use it by all means. And yet the computer cannot replace a good book or a conversation with an interesting person, whether of your age or an older person. So I would like the computer and this website that you are using to help you live in society, communicate with people, make friends and help you to become real citizens of your country.
Question: I am very glad to see you, Mr Putin. I would like to ask you a question about your personal life and not about the site. At what age did you begin playing sports?
Vladimir Putin: Officially, from about the age of 12, first boxing and then wrestling.
Question: What if some of our answers in the questionnaire were not the same as yours. What does one make of it?
Vladimir Putin: That’s all right. There cannot be total unanimity on all issues; every person has his own opinion.
G.Oster: The site explains all of this.
Vladimir Putin: Yes, as my colleague on my left is prompting me, the site says all of this. That is absolutely normal and natural. That is the way it should be. As a result of the discussion of various points of view the best solutions can be found to any issue.
But what from what you have seen, what did you like most about this site?
Children: “The Kremlin Riddles”.
Children: And “The Kremlin Architect”.
Vladimir Putin: Yes, it is a very informative section. I myself looked at it with interest when the creators prepared it.
R.Trofimenko: The kids must have liked it. You see, Yaroslavl has its own Red Square and its own Kremlin. That’s why they all wanted to see “The Kremlin” and “Red Square”, because they have their own Red Square.
Vladimir Putin: They have something to compare it with.
G.Oster: Let’s ask the children if they looked at the main sections: “Questions About the President” and “The Presidential Class”.
Children: Yes, we looked at them.
G.Oster: So, you learnt whether the President has pets?
Children: Yes.
G.Oster: Did you find out who pays the President’s salary?
Children: Yes.
G.Oster: And now you know if the President ever loses his patience?
Children: Yes.
G.Oster: I hope the site will bring you new surprises every day and you will see a lot of interesting things.
Question: Did you answer the questions in the questionnaire yourself?
Vladimir Putin: Yes, of course.
Question: Really?
Vladimir Putin: Yes, of course, I answered them myself. Indeed during the year that we were preparing the site with the colleagues who are present here, we approached it very seriously and creatively and we argued a lot, and I also took part in these arguments. And I am very pleased to have a chance to thank them for taking into account my opinion on some matters.
As for the questions addressed directly to me, of course, I answered them myself.
Question: Good morning. I would like to know why the site does not have a section about your school years. I would like to look at your academic record and in general…
Children: We could scan your report card.
Vladimir Putin: I don’t think it is much of a secret, in fact, it is not a secret at all. It has long been uncovered. My report cards have been found and have been published in several places. They do not appear on the site because we didn’t think it was vital information.
In the early stages, we would like to fill the site with content on the main aspects of the life of our state, on the main problems connected with the structure of our state, and do it in a language that people your age can understand easily. And we wanted to do it in a way that would attract your attention. We would be pleased to know that we have succeeded. And we would like to hear your assessment. Do you believe that it works and that what you see in the sections, the titles of sections make you want to look at them because of how well they are presented? What do you think about the visual aspect of these sections, the technique?
Children: It is fine.
Vladimir Putin: Thank you. It means we can try to make it still better, we can go on working. I think we will be doing the right thing if we bring in more specialists to work on the site – scientists, historians, and people from other walks of life. Perhaps we could have something like a governing board for the children’s presidential site so that we could have feedback from the audience who is supposed to use the information.
Children: Let us set up a children’s presidential council.
Vladimir Putin: Right.
Question: Why doesn’t your photo album have pictures from the period when you were an intelligence officer?
Vladimir Putin: Could you repeat the question?
Question: Why doesn’t your photo album have pictures from the period when you were an intelligence officer?
Vladimir Putin: It may be because I was very seldom photographed during that period.
Children: You worked very well…
Vladimir Putin: But there are some photographs from the time that I worked with the security agency and they have been published. They can be put on the site.
I repeat, frankly, I don’t think that everything connected with my personal life should be given prominence on the site. It should give priority to the information about the state system, the rights and obligations of citizens, your rights and obligations. The aim of the site is to help the young citizens of our country to understand the state system in Russia and to help them pick their way in life and make the right choice in terms of their career and their position in society. This is the main goal, rather than building up the President.
R.Trofimenko: Mr President, we have historical sections which stress the importance of government. And the child, together with the Government, is confronted with the same problems that the Government had faced. The site explains to the children that the Government tackles important problems and the child tries to solve these problems together with the Government.
Vladimir Putin: They become immersed, and they become involved in the process, as it were.
R.Trofimenko: Yes. The child finds himself in the shoes of the ruler in the first century of Russian history who has to make decisions. We try to get across the idea that the Government is responsible before the people for the fate of the country. I think it can be very instructive for children and can teach them a lot and explain the structure of the state.
G.Oster: And it will certainly teach the children to respect the Government. The site, especially the “Presidential Class”, also has sections on how to try to fight the lust for power. That is also a serious question.
A.Monastyryuk: We liked the idea of creating a council which you have just mentioned. I think it should be a council of professionals, historians and linguists, and that would improve the site.
Vladimir Putin: I am sure we will continue this work. And you will be able to use the results soon. I would like to thank our audience in Yaroslavl. Thank you very much for being with us, children.
G.Oster: Articulate your thoughts and your proposals. We will try to take them into account.
A.Monastyryuk: And we will put them into practice.
Vladimir Putin: We will take them into account and put them into practice. I think you will be frequent users of the site.
Thank you very much. All the best to you. Good-bye.
G.Oster: We will now wait for the reaction, Mr Putin.
Vladimir Putin: Thank you. I am ready to continue our joint work. I think it was very interesting and certainly very useful. So when you reach the next stage and you feel that my participation is necessary, I am available. We shall meet and work together.
Voices: We will be very happy to.