A 12-year-old’s dreams came true when she received a puppy as a New Year’s present from Russia’s president, after having sent him a letter.
In the true holiday spirit, Olga Maruchshenko, from a small town in Siberia, got the present of a lifetime from Vladimir Putin. He wasn’t there in person, but ordered the head of the Republic of Khakassia, where the girl lives with her family, to give Olga a husky puppy after reading the girl’s letter.
“My mom knows that I wrote to you, but she doesn’t believe that you will read my letter. Even so, I hope and I believe that you will read it,” Olga wrote.
The family recently moved to Siberia from Kazakhstan and live on a tight budget, renting a flat.
Olga explained that she dreamed of getting a blue-eyed husky, but that it was a gift that her parents could not afford.
“I promise to take good care of the puppy because it’s my big dream - to own a husky. And I promise to study hard,” the lucky girl wrote in the letter that touched the president’s heart.
Olga’s younger sister also received a present from Putin.
The Russian president is known for his appreciation for animals, in particular dogs. In 2013, he created a fund to save the endangered Siberian tiger. As of 2015, the population has increased to 480-540 animals.