In comments at a meeting with theatre workers in the city of Pskov, Mr Putin suggested improved arts education could help prevent such incidents.

"A new generation of spectators with good artistic taste should be brought up - capable of understanding and appreciating theatrical, dramatic and musical arts," he said.

"Had we been doing this properly, maybe there would have been no tragedies similar to today's tragedy in Moscow."

We'd have less gunfights if we had more show tunes? Putin really is the campest homophobe the world has ever seen.