OT: Well, the Russian parliamentary elections are over. Everybody lost.

But then you knew that. What you prolly DIDN'T know was how Moscow kids age 4-10 look at their leadership. I thought you'd never ask...

How Moscow Kids See President Medvedev: A Sampler

--> Who is Medvedev and what is he famous for? / Кто такой Медведев и чем знаменит?

ALISA, age 6: He is our president now. And then he won't be. And then he will be again.

IGOR, 7: Medvedev is the president and he's famous for the fact that they frequently show him on television.

SONYA, 6: Medvedev -- he runs the whole country. He is not Putin's assistant. No, Putin is his assistant. Medvedev keeps track of the whole planet. He has this huge camera so he sees e-e-e-e-e-everything. And if somebody somewhere does something against the rules, he tells Putin about it right away-- and Putin tells somebody else. But nobody hears this because he says it this way [very quiet voice]: "Hi there: do this." But he should say it loudly.

FEDYA, 4: It's a kind of bear.

ANTON, 10: He likes to travel around the country in an airplane and communicate [общаться] with different officials. It's pointless. Everybody knows he's a useless official. I learned that from you, good parents. I think he's color-blind because all the officials go around in black jackets, but he wears a dark blue one.

SERYOZHA, 6: He's Putin.

[From "Мамой клянусь", Большой Город, No. 20 (286) 16 Nov 11, p.18]