More than 700,000 people have submitted questions for President Vladimir Putin's annual call-in show scheduled for Thursday, the event's call center said.
Between noon Sunday and midday Tuesday, the show's call center received roughly 563,350 calls and 99,700 text messages, while 63,800 questions were registered on the show's website, the call center told RIA-Novosti on Tuesday.
The call center takes more than 2,500 phone calls every minute, 73 percent of which come from mobile phones, the report said, adding that 57 percent of calls were made by women.
The questions that Russians want to ask the president range from issues related to housing, utilities, public welfare and health care to protection of rights.
The call center's employees say "economic, construction and transportation questions are much more frequent than political and social ones."
Most questions come from the Central and Volga federal districts, followed by the Northwest, Southern and Siberian federal districts.
Many calls are also being received from C.I.S. countries as well as the United States, Canada, Israel, France and Germany, according to the call center's employees.
The call center will continue to accept questions for the president until the end of the show.
Three federal TV channels — Channel One, Rossia 1 and Rossia 24 — will provide live coverage of the show starting at noon Thursday.
The call-in show has been one of Putin's favorite methods of communicating with people since its inception in 2001. However, it has not been held since December 2011.
Related articles:
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.