MUMBAI: Ahead of the G8 summit in St Petersburg on 15 July, BBC World is dedicating a season of programmes about the host country Russian with news coverage, documentaries and factual programming, which will explore the new cultural climate of Putin's Russia in a season called Inside Russia.

BBC Presenter Bridget Kendall will be putting forward some of the 5000 questions received from the BBC and Russia's Yandex websites' audience worldwide, to President Vladmir Putin of Russia in an edition of the BBC's interactive multimedia programme Have Your Say on 9 July. Recorded at the Kremlin on 6 July, the full interview with the Russian President is available on bbcnews.com.

The BBC's Emma Simpson in Moscow will be reporting on the new oligarchs and their ambitions; the new business mood in Russia; doing business in Russia; and the flood of money into Europe and what it means for Western companies. On 15 July, the business team will preview the G8 meeting from Saint Petersburg, states an official release.

BBC will also showcase Crossing the Caucasus: The North Caucasus, which is one of the world's most ancient battlegrounds. From war-torn Chechnya to volatile Dagestan, today it is Russia's most explosive region. After 15 years of reporting from Russia, Steve Rosenberg sets off on a journey through the mountains to meet the people who live in the constant shadow of violence.

The other programme which is part of the line-up is The World Uncovered: Putin's Palace portrays the men and women who work for the Russian President, with unprecedented access to inside the Kremlin's walls, adds the release.