Dear Mr. President... Putin's mailbox is full

President Vladimir Putin received 9,191 non-official letters in the period October 27-November 1, 2003. The president's press service gave this breakdown of their origin: 1,774 in foreign languages, 134 via Internet, and 654 brought in personally. The letters sent to the president, as has been the case in the past, concern politics, social services and housing matters.

One letter to Putin came from the administration of the Botlikhsky District of Dagestan, which in 1999 was attacked by illegal armed groups. The letter expresses gratitude for attending to the needs of the district: all those who suffered have been compensated, and community services have been restored.