Fans of Vladimir Putin can now spend “the whole year with the Russian president” as a new 2016 limited edition calendar is released in Russia showing the country’s strongman leader in a variety of carefully-crafted poses.
Every month features an inspiring photograph of Russia’s popular leader — either fishing topless, going to church, lifting weights, or dressed in naval uniform. Each image is accompanied by a quotation from the man himself, on topics ranging from his love of dogs, Russian women and fishing to the country’s growing military power.
Dogs and Putin have “warm feelings” for one another, we learn in November. In March we are told that Russian women are the “most beautiful.”
The 2016 Putin calendar was published by a tabloid Russian newspaper, Zvezdi I Soveti (Stars and Advice), which says it printed 200,000 copies.
Unsurprisingly, in a country where Putin’s popularity ratings regularly top 80%, the calendars have been a big hit and are already selling out.
We bought the last copy at one Moscow newspaper kiosk, so take a look.