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When the puppet likeness of Russian President Boris Yeltsin was recently stolen along with ultranationalist leader Vladimir Zhrinovsky's fr...

When the puppet likeness of Russian President Boris Yeltsin was recently stolen along with ultranationalist leader Vladimir Zhrinovsky8217;s from the Mosfilm studio, the Kremlin administration didn8217;t pay any attention, taking it as an ordinary incident of theft. But now, it has launched a massive hunt to recover the puppet, describing it an affront to the President, as dollnappers are demanding an undisclosed amount in ransom for the puppet.

While the police is looking for the thieves, the producers of the weekly political satire programme, Kukli TV show, have to contend with the problem of running the popular show with a substitute puppet.

Ever since it first appeared three years ago on independent NTV8217;s regular Saturday evening programme, Kukli Puppets has been a smash hit and through better and worse, has done its best to keep Russians laughing.

Modelled after the British programme, Spitting Image, the Kukli has focused on the ironies and absurdities of the Russian political scene and the difficulties of life in Russia.

The producers of the show use puppets in the likenesses of Russia8217;s most famous leaders to comment on everything from the Chechen conflict to crime and the political spin doctors who threaten sometimes to send Russia whirling out of control.

Prominent among them are Yeltsin, Premier Viktor Chernomyrdin, retired general and former National Security Chief Alexander Lebed, Zhirinovsky, Communist leader Gennady Yuganov, former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev and liberal leader Grigory Yavlinsky. While the political leaders in the US and Europe usually overlook similar satires, Kukli8217;s hard-hitting style has attracted both praise and ire from many notable figures.

Soon after the programme was launched on NTV, even criminal charges were made against the station for insulting the presidency. Russia8217;s Prosecutor General threatened to file charges against the show8217;s producers and NTV for ridiculing prominent Kremlin and While House officials.

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He was obviously irritated at the broadcast of a programme in which Yeltsin and Chernomyrdin in their newsprint suits, were shown begging in a subway station, highlighting the increasing poverty in Russia, because of the market reforms.

But Russian politicians, especially Chernomyrdin, rallied in support of Kukli, and they have grown fond of their doubles, using them to boost their popularity.

The first puppets were imported from France. But frequent changes in the Government made that too expensive. So producers got them made in Moscow, spending several thousand dollars.

Chief producer Vasily Grigoryev in a newspaper interview expressed dissatisfaction at the lax security at Mosfilm studio, saying: 8220;We have no system of security here either for us, or the puppet.8221;

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But at least one person was happy at the theft. 8220;Every time there is political trouble at the top, I am glad. That means more work for me,8221; said Andrei Vlasov who builds puppets of prominent politicians. He is already building a new Yeltsin8217; in his Moscow apartment.