The Kremlin has reintroduced one of tsarist Russia's most elaborate and elitist traditions - the imperial races. At the weekend, Tsar President Vladimir Putin for the first time invited his regional governors and heads of former Soviet states to race for the Prize of the President of Russia, just as the tsar invited his subjects to offer horses to race for the Prize of the Emperor, which was last staged for Nicholas II in 1916. Twelve horses at the Hippodrome stadium in Moscow raced over the largely symbolic distance of 200 metres for the prize of 3m roubles (£56,000), the Interfax news agency said. In the crowds were well-connected Russians able to afford the 20,000-rouble tickets, as well as senior Kremlin officials, including Tsar Mr Putin.
They were joined by the heads of state over whom the Kremlin, apparently nostalgic over its Soviet-era status as a world power, again wants to extend its influence. Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliev cheered on his horse, Sweet Mistress, while Kazakhstan's Nursultan Nazarbayev, backed his thoroughbred, nicknamed Grantled, according to the Russian media. Halatenango, a horse from Chechnya, reportedly entertained crowds by refusing to get into the starting gates. The presidents of Georgia, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan and Armenia also entered. The dignatories watched from a "special guest tribune" where an informal summit for the heads of state was held. Women wore hats and men morning suits, according to the strict dress code, with the leaders placing bets. A Russian horse, Akbash, from the Krasnodar region, reportedly won the prize. A spokeswoman for the Hippodrome declined to comment on who won and foreign media were not allowed to attend.
Only President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus and President Saparmurat Niyazov of Turkmenistan, both of whom are in dispute with Moscow over various regional issues, declined to attend. Analysts said the event was akin to elaborate corporate hospitality, with the Russian state keen on domestic privatisation and drawing states it once ruled into binding business relationships. "Tsar Mr Putin does not see himself as a tsar of Russia, more its CEO," said Lilia Shevtsova, an analyst from the Carnegie Endowment thinktank.
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