putin chocolate
Organizers of Russia's Festival of Chocolate said this year's event will feature life-sized chocolate sculptures of Vladimir Putin and his dog.

The festival, scheduled to begin Dec. 5 in St. Petersburg, will feature a 170-pound sculpture of the Russian president as well as a chocolate sculpture of his dog, Connie.

Organizers said the sculpture is not meant to make any political statements and was inspired by a life-sized sculpture of Pope Francis created from chocolate last year.

The sculptors said they plan to submit the Putin sculpture to Guinness World Records as the largest chocolate sculpture of a secular leader.