Four hours, three million questions, one Russian president. Vladimir Putin has again fronted the cameras for his annual marathon call-in TV show.

Some of the inquiries were serious - regarding Mr Putin's relationship with America, the Ukraine crisis and his imminent political plans - but others were seriously off-the-wall.

We've rounded up a few of the more obscure questions posed to a leader better known for tackling tigers than an inquisitive public - you can read the full story of the call-in here.

"Did you invite any leaders of other countries to a Russian banya [sauna]? Maybe it can have a better affect on negotiations?"

Mr Putin did not know if sweating in confinement with other world leaders would further relations, but he did tell a cracking yarn about the time German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder dropped in for a sauna session.

"There was a fire there and he was having some beer," Putin said. "I told him we had to leave urgently because the sauna was on fire."

"He said, 'Let me finish my beer first.' I said, 'You're crazy! The building is on fire!' But he did finish his beer first. He's this kind of man ... and it burned to the ground."

"Do you want to be cloned? There are no other officials who the nation trusts."

Blunt as ever, Mr Putin wasn't too thrilled by this query.

"No. Next question."

"Is it hard being president? How many hours do you sleep a night? Because actually I do love to sleep."

This was from a four-year-old child who was curious about the President's sleeping patterns.

"You'll manage," Mr Putin said. "And if you like to sleep, you'll make a healthy president."

"Can you convince my friend's husband to let her have a dog?"

So, Elena was keen to buy her friend a dog, but the friend's husband, Boris, was adamant there would be never be a canine in his house. What was Elena to do? Why not ask the most powerful man in the country if he could convince Boris to reconsider?

After proposing that Boris could instead buy his wife a fur coat, Mr Putin offered a suggestion, noting that he could not order a man to take a dog into his home.

"Boris, please, be kind," were Mr Putin's words to Boris. "Let your wife buy a dog. It's a good deed and will strengthen your family."

Enjoy your new dog, Boris.

"I can't get a loan, interest rates are too high. Do you trust statistics that people provide you?"

A British-born Russian farmer by the name of 'John', who owns 700 cows, told Mr Putin he could not get a loan because his business was not making enough money. When it was the President's turn to speak, he amused the crowd turning the question back on John.

"How did you end up here in Russia," Mr Putin asked. "Is it because of 'cherchez la femme'?"

Unfortunately, John didn't speak French. Mr Putin rescued the joke by informing him it's a proverbial French phrase meaning "to chase women".