This General Election in Russia was not only closely watched domestically, but even more so internationally!
The election process was too twisty and full of gimmicks.
Moreover, the candidate who appeared to be winning the election was Wang Ye, a young man of only 26, which sparked even more interest worldwide.
Although Russia has been a bit "down and out" these years, it is still a major power, and the prospect that a country like this might be steered by a young man in his twenties sounds a bit far-fetched...
Originally, Wang Ye was indeed well-known domestically within Russia, and quite famous throughout Eastern Europe, but globally, his influence was not that substantial.
After all, he had only served as Deputy Speaker of the Duma, with his work mostly limited to domestic or neighboring countries, so major foreign media rarely focused on politicians of his rank.