 A notable Niva buyer in May 2009 was Russia's then-Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.He flaunted his camouflage-painted Opel-engined offroader in the Russian media, allegedly to support domestic car producers despite the financial crisis.Serbian football player Aleksandar Kolarov received a certificate for a Lada 4×4/Niva, as a reward for scoring a goal in his team's match against Costa Rica, during the Russia 2018 World Cup.