Putin launches campaign to venerate Russian historical, folklore figures

Russian President Vladimir Putin has emphasized the need to lionize national historical and folklore figures.

"The Russian government is to take measures to venerate Russian historical and folklore characters who meet traditional values, particularly in terms of using their images for the production of graphic, printed, souvenir and other replicable products and consumer goods," says a presidential order published on the Kremlin’s website on Tuesday.

Putin gave the cabinet time until May 15, 2023, to fulfill the order, putting Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin in charge of its implementation.

Political scientist Natalya Narochnitskaya raised the need to cherish national historical and folklore figures at the president’s meeting with historians and religious leaders on November 4. She complained of being unable to find T-shirts with pictures of Russian epic heroes and fairy tale characters for her grandchildren because retail stores offered "only Batman, Spiderman and various monsters."