A parliamentary group has given Russian schoolchildren a leaflet that prays for the foes of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and his government partner, President Dmitry Medvedev, to be reduced to ashes.

Independent website fontanka.ru said the prayer leaflet, entitled Prayer for the President of Russia, featured a picture of Archangel Michael and began:

Lord God, Almighty Father, Eternal, send us, O Lord, your Archangel Michael to help your servants Dmitry and Vladimir and to protect them from enemies visible and invisible.

The prayer, a picture of which was printed on the website, asks God to make Putin and Medvedev's enemies as meek as sheep and reduce them to ashes in the wind.

Around 150 children who had won school competitions received the prayer along with books, sweets and toys at an event co-organized earlier this week by the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of the CIS, a grouping of former Soviet states.

(Writing by Michael Stott; Editing by Mark Heinrich)

Russia Dmitry Medvedev Vladimir putin