Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin’s year-end press conference took an unexpected turn, suddenly softening the mood. A young man took advantage of the live broadcast to confess his love to his girlfriend and propose to her, which was watched by the Kremlin chief and millions of people around the world.
This heart-touching act of love was done by 23 year old journalist Kirill Bazhanov. “My girlfriend is watching this,” said the young man, wearing a red bow tie and flowers in his buttonhole. After a pause, Bazhanov blushed and asked, “Olga, will you marry me? Please marry me… I propose to you.”
The audience echoed with thunderous applause
The audience, excited by the live proposal, burst into applause. The journalist invited the Kremlin chief to his wedding, saying, “Mr. President, we would be very glad to see you at our wedding ceremony.”
After the proposal, Kirill asked Putin about financial aid for young families. He told that he and his fiancée have been together for eight years, but cannot have children due to high mortgage payments. He complained that a mortgage on a one-bedroom apartment would be 50,000 rubles per month for 30 years. Putin acknowledged the complaint and advised the couple to move to an area where mortgage rates are around 2% instead of 6%.
‘Breaking news – she said yes!’
Putin continued his question-and-answer session after the proposal episode. While the Kremlin chief was addressing the nation, he was once again interrupted by a journalist who was interviewing him. “We’re getting breaking news. It’s very important to one of us here,” said the female journalist, who was clearly excited.
He added, “TASS is reporting that Kirill Bazhanov’s girlfriend has accepted his proposal.” Turning to the young man, the journalist told him, “She will marry you.”
The Kremlin chief welcomed the positive response from Kirill Bazanov’s girlfriend and clapped along with others. According to Russian media, Olga accepted the proposal, saying, “I was 12 years old when we met, and I never thought that we would have such a sweet and emotional love story. I love you very much, and my answer is, absolutely yes!”