Putin made a mistake in history class, the student corrected him VIDEO / PHOTO

Putin made a mistake in history class, the student corrected him VIDEO / PHOTO

"Peter the Great (1675-1725) did not fight in the Seven Years' War, but in the Great Northern War, which lasted 21 years," the boy told Putin.

After Putin finished speaking, Nikanor Tolstykh corrected the president — he recalled that Russia fought Sweden in the Great Northern War, a conflict that lasted for 21 years (from 1700–1721). Putin acknowledged his mistake and thanked Tolstykh for the “small correction.”

Though Putin seemed unbothered by the exchange, the school principal warned the student that he should be humble, attributing his behavior to his youth, which, she said, implies “a certain arrogance”, media reported. Media criticizing the Kremlin and opposition politicians praised the student's zeal.

Kira Jarmusch, a spokeswoman for the imprisoned dissident Alexei Navalny, criticized the principal, who, according to her, believes that the school should not teach facts, but "obedience and servility".

This event, on the first school day after the summer holidays in Russia, caused an echo in the country and led Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov to announce himself.

"It was not insolent. We do not agree with the school principal at all," he said, adding that he "hopes that the student will not be punished later."