Depardieu Meets With Putin and Receives Passport

Jan. 7, 2013

French actor Gerard Depardieu has met with President Vladimir Putin and received his Russian passport, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Sunday.

Over dinner on Saturday, Putin and Depardieu discussed the upcoming feature film "Rasputin," in which Depardieu played the main role, Peskov said, Interfax reported.

The movie is a joint project between Rossia-1 and France Televisions and is scheduled for release later this year.

"Gerard, are you happy about that work?" Putin asked in footage of the meeting shown on Rossia-1.

"I am very happy about everything. Have you seen the movie? I sent it to you," Depardieu responded.

The Kremlin said in a brief statement Sunday that Depardieu was on a private visit.

Putin gave Depardieu Russian citizenship in a decree on Thursday. The actor has been protesting attempts by France's Socialist government to raise taxes on the rich, drawing gibes from some government ministers.

Related articles:

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue