Russia's best-known children's cartoon characters ask: "Uncle Volodya, when do the cartoons start?"
State TV reporter in the room at Moscow's Gostiny Dvor says the jumbotron there is showing a video highlighting Russia's achievements over the past year, particularly in the social sphere -- a good indication of the direction Putin's speech will take.
- By Carl Schreck
Russian television moderators are lauding the "multimedianess" of the president's address, which started last year when he showed several videos of high-tech new weapons. We are also told that there is a "small orchestra" in the hall to play the fanfare when Putin arrives and the national anthem at the end of the speech.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has entered the hall to applause, standing alone at a white podium with 10 Russian flags on the stage behind him.
Today's speech will focus on internal economic and social development, Putin says, especially the progress on the so-called national projects in education, housing, agriculture, and health care.
"We are obligated to move only forward, picking up speed," Putin says.
He says the Russian people are extremely sensitive to a lack of respect and hypocrisy from the authorities. Says we can't repeat the mistakes of the past and have to work now to make circumstances better.
Says that the national projects are not government projects or federal projects, but "national" projects and everyone has to play their role.