Russian President Vladimir Putin has awarded a nationalist motorcycle club about 9 million rubles ($128,000) to put on children’s shows, the Kommersant newspaper reported Thursday.

The Night Wolves biker club was given the presidential grants to organize the New Year’s show at their club, according to the newspaper. It will “explain the historical and spiritual heritage of Russia and Russia’s challenges in a clear, fairytale manner for children,” the Night Wolves’ grant application said. The show is already sold out.

The Night Wolves was founded in Moscow in 1989 and hosts motorcycle festivals and rock band performances in the country, according to Putin’s office. The gang made headlines in May when they rode their bikes from Moscow to Berlin to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.

The group’s leader Alexander Zaldostanov is Putin’s old friend.

[Kommersant]

Get The Brief. Sign up to receive the top stories you need to know right now. Please enter a valid email address. Sign Up Now Check the box if you do not wish to receive promotional offers via email from TIME. You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Thank you! For your security, we've sent a confirmation email to the address you entered. Click the link to confirm your subscription and begin receiving our newsletters. If you don't get the confirmation within 10 minutes, please check your spam folder.

Contact us at letters@time.com.