putin

Save The Sturgeon, Save Russia?

Filed under: Dining

The tug of war between the desire to protect the sturgeon population and the booming caviar business gets a little more interesting with a declaration from Russia's first Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov. Ivanov, a potential contender to succeed President Vladimir Putin in 2008 has said that he believes that black caviar might have to be taken off the menu for a while to let sturgeon stocks recover. Reuters quotes him as saying that the move could help "repair our national wealth in this time after we so rapaciously annihilated it." Ivanov has said he could survive without caviar. In the past, Russian agriculture officials have asked Putin to declare a state monopoly on the export of black caviar from Russia.

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Tags: caviar, expire-images:2008-9-24, ivanov, putin, russia, sturgeon

Putin's Plane

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wings, Celebrity Shopping

Russian President Vladimir Putin really knows how to fly. His Ilyushin 96-300 jet packs enough bling to put almost anyone else's wings to shame. Just about everything inside the plane is gold-plated, from the taps and shower in the bathroom to the table legs and the seatbelt clasps. And that bathroom, as you might suspect from the fact that it has a full shower, is far larger than any you'll find on an ordinary plane.

Putin's plane also boasts silk-covered walls, leather seats ("upholstered by the same company that Aston Martin uses"), and a full conference room. There are flat-screen entertainment systems and, so guests will really feel at home, a dishwasher, cooker and fridge/freezer.

The plane is valued at over $19 million.

Click past the jump for lots more pictures!

[via growabrain]

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Tags: gold, plane, putin

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