Elevate your local knowledge

Sign up for the iNFOnews newsletter today!

Select Region

Selecting your primary region ensures you get the stories that matter to you first.

Putin gets to fire cannon at Russian Christmas

Putin gets to fire cannon at Russian Christmas | iNFOnews.ca
Russian President Vladimir Putin, greets students from military schools at the Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg, Russia, Monday, Jan. 7, 2019. (Alexei Druzhinin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

MOSCOW – For Christmas, Vladimir Putin got to do something that many children dream of: fire a really big gun.

Under the Russian Orthodox liturgical calendar, Christmas is observed on Jan. 7. During a visit to his hometown of St. Petersburg on Monday, the Russian president visited the Petropavlovsky Fortress on the banks of the Neva River and pulled the lever on the howitzer that fires a daily noontime salute.

The midday shot has been a tradition since 1865.

Putin’s steely image was in full force for the event — bareheaded in the winter cold, he appeared to flinch only slightly when the cannon roared, then turned away with a thin smile.

News from © iNFOnews.ca, . All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Join the Conversation!

Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community?

Create a free account

Abbey Westbury

Related Articles