Putin’s annual calendars released, draw mixed reactions
MOSCOW (AP) — What will it be this year? Vladimir Putin without a shirt astride a horse? Putin posing for a selfie with two jubilant brides? Or Putin cuddled up with a baby leopard?
This year, Russians have been given a full range of choice in newly published annual calendars featuring the Russian leader. Some were delighted, others remained skeptical.
“It’s really lovely!” Anya said, inspecting the cover of one calendar emblazoned with Putin’s quote “I admire Russian Women!” “Oh, and there’s Vladimir Vladimirovich, my love!”
Anya, who was not comfortable giving her last name to a reporter, said she was from Crimea, which was annexed by Russia from Ukraine in 2014. She is happy that her home region is now part of Russia.
Danila Kamenchenko, a salesman at a central Moscow bookstore, picked his words carefully when describing the popularity of Putin’s image.
“In this series of calendars, our president is presented in various characters,” he said.
“We see him confident or positive. We feel safe in our country, we have confidence in the future,” he added.
The calendar, according to Kamenchenko, is wildly popular among tourists and Russian lawmakers.
Veteran kiosk seller, Valentina Lebedeva, however, has had enough of the calendars.
“I’m sick of them, I don’t want to sell them anymore,” she said. “Who likes (this president?)... Not ordinary people!”