MOSCOW, December 27. /ITAR-TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin will give an official gala New Year reception in the Kremlin on Friday.
Presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov told reporters that “leaders of the country, political parties, various media outlets and others have been invited to the reception.”
Head of the Presidential Property Management Department Vladimir Kozhin said that the guests of the State Kremlin Palace, according to tradition, would have not only dinner, but also an entertainment program. “I wanted to prepare something totally new. Although Russia is entering the Olympic year, we’ve decided not to raise the Olympics issue. The competition principle will be in other things: in the outgoing year, the country has had a lot of competitions, beautiful and exciting projects, many new talents appeared,” said the property management department head. However, he declined to disclose the secret, which Christmas surprises are in store for the Kremlin reception guests. Kozhin only confirmed that the participants in the Golos (The Voice) project on Russia’s TV Channel One were planned to perform.
The presidential press secretary stressed that the festive reception was not a corporate party, but an official reception.
In early December, Putin at a meeting with members of the All-Russian People’s Front (ONF) movement said he was against the so-called corporate New Year parties at the expense of the federal budget. “This question sounds strange — whether a lot of money is spent on a corporate party or not... Let them spend as much as they want. Only they should pool some money from their pockets and organize a corporate party,” the president said then. After that, many New Year celebrations have been cancelled or their concept has been revised. So, the presidential administration has decided to be modest and “cancelled its corporate party, which is usually arranged for the employees,” Peskov said. “There was not general corporate party, the employees partied privately in their own divisions, having pooled the money,” he said.
The government members did the same — gathered together for a dinner at their own expense.