Officials in the city of Arkhangelsk are rolling out the figurative red carpet for Vladimir Putin, ahead of the president’s upcoming visit, planned for March 30. Literally, it’s not a red carpet but a hardwood walkway, temporarily erected over the city’s muddy, snowy sidewalks.
Yekaterina Zhukova, a local woman, shared photos of the new walkways online, writing, “Arkhangelsk is getting ready to host some high-level guests.”
According to the local news agency Ekho Severa, the wooden pathway begins at the city’s main train station and ends at the entrance to Lomonosov Northern (Arctic) Federal University, where Putin will participate in the 4th International Arctic Forum.
City officials told the tabloid Life that the walkway will lead to an exhibition organized as part of the forum. “People will come [to Arkhangels], and we’re giving it some local color: they’ll cross over a hardwood walkway,” an official told Life, noting that new asphalt is planned for the city’s sidewalks this summer.
