During their conversation, the Russian president confessed that when he comes to Petersburg, he feels as if a "weight has fallen off" his shoulders.
"You know, I somehow caught myself thinking: I fly from Moscow, and everything's fine, everything goes well. I feel good. The mood is good. And when I arrive in St. Petersburg, get into my car, drive off — I feel as if a weight has fallen off my shoulders. I feel relieved, spiritually, morally," Putin said.
"It seems like everything is fine, but it's even better. This is an unusual and very rare feeling, and very pleasant," the Russian leader continued.
St. Petersburg is the Russian leader's home city, where he spent most of his youth. Putin studied in a public high school and then at Saint Petersburg State University, graduating in 1975.