What to expect from Putin’s hours-long annual Q&A with Russians

Each year, Russian president Vladimir Putin takes questions from citizens in an epic Q&A called “Direct Line.” The event is notable for the number of questions people submit (in the millions), the range of topics they cover (from Russian interference in the 2016 US election to the biggest fish Putin has ever caught), and its marathon length. It was also the first year regional governors were roped in to respond to questions, possibly in a bid by Putin to position himself as a mediator and “problem-solver-in-chief,” Russian political scientist Gleb Pavlovsky told the Moscow Times. An official website for the event reports that 2.7 million Russians tuned in to watch last year.