You're reading: Depardieu declines offer to become Mordovia culture minister

MOSCOW - French actor, businessman and vineyard owner Gerard Depardieu, who now holds a Russian passport, has been offered the post of culture minister in Russia's internal republic of Mordovia, said chief of the Russian film archives Gosfilmofond, Nikolai Borodachyov. 

“They have a vacancy and they offered it to Depardieu. He thanked them, but said he is the culture minister of the world,” Borodachyov said on Russian News Service radio on Sunday.

He said the offer was made to Depardieu by local officials at the republic opera and ballet theater.

“He looked so pleased,” Borodachyov said, adding that the French actor has been granted permanent residence in Saransk, and that Mordovia head Vladimir Volkov wants to present Depardieu with an apartment and a private house.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Interfax earlier on Sunday that Russian President Vladimir Putin and French actor Gerard Depardieu met in Sochi and discussed Depardieu’s work plans.

“The president had a brief meeting with Gerard Depardieu, who is paying a private visit to Russia,” Peskov said.

Depardieu arrived in Saransk on Sunday, where he was greeted by a welcoming party with folk songs sung and blini’s served, and with Depardieu demonstrating his Russian passport.

The French actor went on a sight-seeing tour and visited the local history museum and the monument to the leader of an 18th century peasant revolt, Yemelyan Pugachev.