Tuva, Russia
Putin’s fall collection: The Kremlin released an album’s worth of photos of Russian President Vladimir Putin celebrating his 67th birthday in the wilds of southern Siberia this week. The collection shows Putin climbing a mountain, flying in a helicopter over rugged peaks, and picking flowers and mushrooms with defense chief Sergei Shoigu. It’s a tamer set of propaganda images than those released from previous vacations, which have shown Putin hunting or riding horseback shirtless. The Russian leader’s popularity at home has plummeted following his decision last year to hike the pension eligibility age: A new poll found only 43 percent of Russians would vote to re-elect Putin, his lowest rating since 2001.