Russians name President Putin as Man of the YearDecember 28, 2013 - 17:19 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Russians named President Vladimir Putin as the Man of the Year in 2013, according to a new survey, RIA Novosti reports. Twenty-six percent of respondents chose Putin and seven percent, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, the poll by the independent Levada Center found. Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and ex-U.S. security contractor Edward Snowden gained 4 percent each, and recently pardoned former Yukos oil company head Mikhail Khodorkovsky got 3 percent. Putin has been constantly chosen as the Man of the Year since 2008, when he received 40 percent of votes. The poll was conducted December 20-24, 2013 among 1,603 urban and rural residents aged 18 and older in 130 cities, towns and villages of 45 Russian regions. The statistical margin of error does not exceed 3.4 percent. A recent survey by the state-run Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VTsIOM) showed that Putin was the country’s most popular politician in 2013. Forty-four percent of respondents said Putin was the politician of the year. Related links: Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Cyprus parliament honors Armenian genocide victims Acting House President Zacharias Koulias noted that April 24 marks the “black anniversary” of the Armenian genocide. Armenia PM, France envoy discuss regional matters Issues related to the consistent development of Armenia-France cooperation were discussed. Azerbaijan razes historic Armenian church to ground Azerbaijan has demolished the historic Armenian Church of St. John the Baptist (known as Kanach Zham). Russia to begin assessing migrant workers' speaking skills Rosobrnadzor is planning to change the Russian language exam for migrant workers and include an assessment of speaking skills |