Putin is the President of Armenians: Why a Journalist Appeared with a Sign at the Press Conference

During a press conference held by the President of Russia, the author of the sign reading "Putin is the President of Armenians" explained why she took such action. Journalist Maria Lakatush lives and works in Kislovodsk and was accredited to the press conference for the local newspaper "Nasha Voda." The sign caused a significant stir in the press alongside the actions of other journalists.

Regarding her sign, Lakatush stated that it did not bear any provocation or political subtext. “I just wanted to get the leader's attention to ask my question. My colleagues had the same aim. Some tried to attract attention with signs saying ‘Let me’ or ‘I want to talk to the Mayor,’ while others used their appearance. For instance, a journalist stood out with bright red lipstick and a red ribbon, another wore an orange vest and helmet, and my colleagues had fabric slippers,” she said in an interview with "Moskovskiy Komsomolets."

However, Maria was unable to ask her question. According to her, she had no previous experience attending such press conferences and suggested that this year a decision had been made to ignore journalists who were trying to grab attention at all costs. Speaking about the content of her sign, the journalist noted that there are fewer Armenians in Russia than in Armenia. “When I was making that sign, I was thinking specifically about the Armenians in Russia, for whom and for all Russian citizens, Vladimir Putin is the president,” Lakatush added.

It’s noteworthy that Putin's press conference lasted 4 hours and 18 minutes, longer than last year. He interacted with the press for 3 hours and 43 minutes. A total of 1,895 journalists were accredited for the press conference, during which the President answered more than 70 questions.