Lavish Fete Planned for Putin

March 28, 2012

The Kremlin plans to throw a luxurious party — featuring a 26 million ruble ($867,000) spread of delicacies — in honor of President-elect Vladimir Putin's inauguration in May.

According to a state tender published by the Office of Presidential Affairs on Zakupki.gov.ru, the 1,000 guests will enjoy such dishes as sturgeon with vegetables in champagne sauce, mini-ratatouille, eggplant lasagna and cocoa cappuccino, RIA-Novosti reported Wednesday.

Mysteriously, the menu disappeared from the tender Wednesday evening following the report.

"The menu has yet to be approved," Viktor Khrekov, the office spokesman, told RIA-Novosti. "The names of the dishes published on the website are no more than ideas."

The preliminary menu also included a fried kind of crab native to the Bering Sea, which is a frequent target of local poachers.

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