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Putin grants Russian citizenship to Hollywood star Steven Seagal

The president has signed a corresponding decree

MOSCOW, November 3. /TASS/. President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree to grant Russian citizenship to Hollywood actor and martial artist Steven Seagal, the Kremlin said on its website on Thursday.

Seagal mentioned the possibility of obtaining a Russian passport during his visit to a film festival on the Far Eastern island of Sakhalin in September.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the actor was persistently seeking Russian citizenship and "is really known for his warm feelings towards Russia."

"He has never hidden it," Peskov said. "He is also a rather famous actor, which does establish grounds to grant him Russian citizenship."

Steven Seagal was born in 1952 in Michigan, the US. He has so far starred in more than 120 movies most of which are martial arts action films.

The actor has been frequently visiting Russia as of late. In September this year Seagal traveled to the island of Sakhalin in Russia's Far East where he visited a film festival. During that trip, the Hollywood star also went bear-watching in the Kronotsky Nature Reserve in the Kamchatka Peninsula