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President Vladimir Putin has surprised everyone with a cameo appearance in a popular Russian cartoon.
Prostokvashino's audience saw the president meeting and talking to a talking cat and dog as he delivered a New Year message.
In the now-viral clip, residents of Prostokvashino, the fictional village in the children's show, are stunned when the animated version of the Kremlin leader, alongside Sharik the dog and Matroskin the cat, greets Russians as the country welcomes the new year.
As reported by NBC News, the Prostokvashino theme park in Moscow saw the people excited about Putin's appearance in the cartoon.
Oksana Frolkova, a visitor, said children know who Putin is, and seeing him in a cartoon is "probably important and interesting to them".
She said it could also generate interest from viewers outside the country.
Putin's cameo was first hinted at last year by Yuliana Slashcheva, chair of Soyuzmultfilm, who said Russia already sells its cartoons to former communist and Middle Eastern countries and is looking forward to expand the children's shows in China.
The president's appearance in Prostokvashino would be a form of "soft power" that would help to promote Russia and its culture, she added.
