'Gnome' sign removed from Russian theatre before 5ft-4ins tall Dmitry Medvedev visits

By Mail Foreign Service
Last updated at 4:13 PM on 19th February 2010

A 'gnome' sign was removed from a Russian theatre ahead of Dmitry Medvedev's visit to Omsk

Theatre posters proclaiming 'We await you, merry gnome' were taken down from a Russian town shortly before a visit by the country's diminutive president, according to a local website.

The advertisements were for a children's theatre show, but were removed from a street that Dmitry Medvedev's convoy was due to use on his visit to Omsk on February 12.

It was unclear exactly why the poster might have been removed, although the Novy Region website suggested that officials may have been afraid of offending Mr Medvedev, whose height has been estimated in the media at 5ft 4in.

The poster depicted a child fairy but was one of a number of sudden renovation projects that took place ahead of the Medvedev's visit, the website reported.

Mr Medvedev is eight centimetres shorter than Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, and is often the target of jokes about his height.

Publicist Vladimir Varfolomyev said that removing the sign was 'preemptive diligence'. 

But radio broadcaster Echo Moskvy criticised the fact that the people of Omsk had to worry so much about a preceived slight.

The times in Russia 'are unfortunately this way', he said.

Dmitry Medvedev, left, and Barack Obama: The Russian President is reported to be 5ft 4in

According to the website, security officials also prevented pedestrians from crossing a street for 40 minutes in punishingly cold weather while waiting for Medvedev's motorcade to pass.

Businesses located along the roads that Medvedev was to travel on were also ordered to remove all pavement advertisement stands as well as piles of dirty snow and ice, it said.

In some places, the pavements were covered with fresh, clean snow brought in from outside the city, the report said.

Print this article

Read later

Email to a friend

Share this article: