DiCaprio wins Siberian Oscar 

The actor's admirers in Russia's coldest region are melting their own gold and silver jewellery to ensure Leonardo DiCaprio is honoured for his latest blockbuster 'The Revenant'.

The metal will be cast as a man holding a Choron - a three-legged goblet 'symbolising peace and expressing people's love for the actor' in the Sakha Republic, traditionally known as Yakutia, the country's diamond region.

More than 100 fans have already handed over their precious jewellery for the accolade to DiCaprio, regardless of the result when the Academy Awards are announced on 28 February.

Gold will be melted down for the Choron, while silver is used for the figure holding it. Here, silver is a sacred metal to the people who see it as holding powers to purify and protect its owner.

The actor has Russian roots. His maternal babushka - grandmother - was born here, in the Urals city of Perm. 'My grandmother was Russian - [Yelena] Smirnova - and for me she was the embodiment of inner strength and integrity,' he said in a 2012 interview. 

Still more fans are coming with their offerings for the award in Yakutsk, the republic's capital. 'Many people are still bringing silver, showing they are ready to unite for a common purpose and make it real. This inspires us,' said Tatiana Yegorova, an organiser of this Siberian Oscar, in an interview with TASS.

'Yakutia praises high-quality cinema and considers DiCaprio to be an actor who can inspire and delight his audiences. In two weeks, a statuette in national Yakutia style will be cast, created by those fascinated with DiCaprio's work.'

Its size? At least 30 centimetres tall but it will depend on the quantity of metal donated by his fans. But his devotees have waited a long time for this moment.

'This idea came to us about ten years ago, but we did not have the courage to implement it,' she said. 'The film 'The Revenant' touched all of us very much, and we finally decided. We Yakutians know first hand about life and survival in the Far North.'

The movie may be have its roots in Montana and South Dakota, half a world away, but its frontiersman and fur trapper themes echo in Siberia. 'In this regard, we decided to mark this role and raise the people's forces around the action 'Oscar for Leo'.

'Every day we receive various proposals. We created a group in Whatsapp and on Facebook. Among us are people of different professions, social groups and ages.'

She said: 'We just want to sincerely convey our ardent greetings to this beloved actor on behalf of his fans from faraway Yakutia.' The 'Oscar for Leo' supporters hope to present the award in person if the actor flies to Yakutsk, perhaps in the summer.

Sculptor Nikolay Chochchasov is already working on the model. Jeweller Prokopy Protopopov will cast the statuette. 'The Revenant' tops the Academy Awards list with 12 nominations, including citations for Best Picture and Best Actor.