Public image of Vladimir Putin#In popular culture

According to public opinion surveys conducted by NGO Levada Center, Putin's approval rating was 60% in July 2020.{{cite news|last=Center|first=Levada|date=29 July 2020|title=PUTIN'S RATING DROP|work=Levada: GOVERNMENT APPROVAL AND POLITICAL TRUST BY POPULATION|url=https://www.levada.ru/2020/07/29/odobrenie-organov-vlasti-i-doverie-politikam/|access-date=9 August 2020}} Putin's popularity rose from 31% in August 1999 to 80% in November 1999, never dropping below 65% during his first presidency.{{cite web|url=http://www.russiavotes.org/president/putin_performance_trends.php|title=Putin's performance in office — Trends|publisher=Russiavotes.org|date=31 October 2007|access-date=2 March 2010}} Observers see Putin's high approval ratings as a consequence of the significant improvements in living standards and Russia's reassertion of itself on the world scene that has occurred during his period of office.{{cite web |url=http://www.oprosy.info/news.php?extend.25 |title=Quarter of Russians Think Living Standards Improved During Putin's Rule |language=ru |publisher=Oprosy.info |access-date=22 June 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130731141629/http://www.oprosy.info/news.php?extend.25 |archive-date=31 July 2013 }}[https://web.archive.org/web/20100525073652/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article2994651.ece No wonder they like Putin] by Norman Stone, 4 December 2007, The Times. One analysis attributed Putin's popularity, in part, to state-owned or state-controlled television.

A joint poll by World Public Opinion in the US and Levada Center{{cite web|url=http://www.levada.ru/eng/opisanie.html |title=Levada-Center -Description |publisher=Levada.ru |access-date=2 March 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090924054328/http://www.levada.ru/eng/opisanie.html |archive-date=24 September 2009 }} in Russia around June–July 2006 stated that "neither the Russian nor the American publics are convinced Russia is headed in an anti-democratic direction" and "Russians generally support Putin's concentration of political power and strongly support the re-nationalization of Russia's oil and gas industry." Russians generally support the political course of Putin and his team.[http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/articles/breuropera/224.php?nid=&id=&pnt=224&lb=breu Russians Support Putin's Re-Nationalization of Oil, Control of Media, But See Democratic Future] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150528012557/http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/articles/breuropera/224.php?nid=&id=&pnt=224&lb=breu |date=28 May 2015 }} – World Public Opinion.org A 2005 survey showed that three times as many Russians felt the country was "more democratic" under Putin than it was during the Yeltsin or Gorbachev years, and the same proportion thought human rights were better under Putin than Yeltsin.[http://www.npetro.net/resources/opendemocracy.pdf Russia through the looking-glass] openDemocracy. "...while only about half of Russian households have a telephone line at home, well over 90% have access to the First Channel and Rossiya. And for a vast majority of Russians, they are virtually the only source of information about political events. Given that typically well over half of their news broadcasts consist of sympathetic coverage of Putin and members of the United Russia party, and oppositional figures are always presented in a negative or ironic light (if at all), it is unsurprising that the president is enjoying considerable popularity.". Retrieved 16 April 2008.

In January 2013, at the time of 2011–2013 Russian protests, Putin's approval rating fell to 62%, the lowest figure since 2000 and a ten-point drop over two years.{{cite news|last=Arkhipov |first=Ilya |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-01-24/putin-approval-rating-falls-to-lowest-since-2000-poll.html |title=Putin Approval Rating Falls to Lowest Since 2000: Poll |publisher=Bloomberg |date=24 January 2013 |access-date=22 June 2013}} By May 2014, following the annexation of Crimea, Putin's approval rating had rebounded to 85.9%, a six-year high.{{cite news|url=http://en.ria.ru/russia/20140515/189850984/Putins-Approval-Rating-Reaches-Six-Year-High--Poll.html |title=Putin's Approval Rating Reaches Six-Year High – Poll |agency=RIA Novosti |date=15 May 2014}}

After EU and U.S. sanctions against Russian officials as a result of the 2014 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Putin's approval rating reached 87 percent, according to a Levada Center survey published on 6 August 2014.{{cite web|url=http://www.levada.ru/06-08-2014/avgustovskie-reitingi-odobreniya|title=Августовские рейтинги одобрения – Левада-Центр|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808235142/http://www.levada.ru/06-08-2014/avgustovskie-reitingi-odobreniya|archive-date=8 August 2014}}{{cite news|url=http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/putin-s-approval-rating-soars-to-87-poll-says/504691.html|title=Putin's Approval Rating Soars to 87%, Poll Says |work=The Moscow Times|access-date=25 November 2015}} In February 2015, based on new domestic polling, Putin was ranked the world's most popular politician.{{cite news|title=The world's most popular politicians: Putin's approval rating hits 86%|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/chart-putins-popularity-reaches-86-but-how-does-it-compare-to-other-world-leaders-10075063.html|agency=Independent|date=27 February 2015}} In June 2015, Putin's approval rating climbed to 89%, an all-time high.{{cite news|title=Vladimir Putin's approval rating at record levels|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/datablog/2015/jul/23/vladimir-putins-approval-rating-at-record-levels|work=The Guardian|date=23 July 2015}}{{cite news|script-title=ru:Июльские рейтинги одобрения и доверия|url=http://www.levada.ru/old/23-07-2015/iyulskie-reitingi-odobreniya-i-doveriya|agency=Levada Centre|date=23 July 2015|language=ru|access-date=23 January 2019|archive-date=29 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170129233623/http://www.levada.ru/old/23-07-2015/iyulskie-reitingi-odobreniya-i-doveriya|url-status=dead}}{{cite news|title=Putin's approval ratings hit 89 percent, the highest they've ever been|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2015/06/24/putins-approval-ratings-hit-89-percent-the-highest-theyve-ever-been/|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=24 June 2015}} In 2016, the approval rating was 81%.{{cite web|url=http://www.gallup.com/poll/207491/economic-problems-corruption-fail-dent-putin-image.aspx|title=Economic Problems, Corruption Fail to Dent Putin's Image|first1=Julie |last1= Ray | first2= Neli |last2= Esipova |website=gallup.com| date=28 March 2017 |access-date=18 May 2017}}

Despite high approval for Putin, confidence in the Russian economy is low, dropping to levels in 2016 that rivaled the recent lows in 2009 at the height of the global economic crisis. Just 14% of Russians in 2016 said their national economy was getting better, and 18% said this about their local economies.{{cite web|url=http://www.gallup.com/poll/207491/economic-problems-corruption-fail-dent-putin-image.aspx|title=Economic Problems, Corruption Fail to Dent Putin's Image|first1=Julie |last1= Ray | first2= Neli |last2= Esipova |website=gallup.com|date=28 March 2017|access-date=7 June 2017}} Putin's performance at reining in corruption is also unpopular among Russians. Newsweek reported in June 2017 that "An opinion poll by the Moscow-based Levada Center indicated that 67 percent held Putin personally responsible for high-level corruption".{{cite web|url=http://www.newsweek.com/2017/04/28/alexei-navalny-russia-vladimir-putin-donald-trump-corruption-protests-moscow-585004.html|title=Alexei Navalny: Is Russia's Anti-Corruption Crusader Vladimir Putin's Kryptonite?|website=Newsweek|date=17 April 2017|access-date=7 June 2017}}

In July 2018, Putin's approval rating fell to 63% and just 49% would vote for Putin if presidential elections were held.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jul/16/successful-world-cup-fails-to-halt-slide-in-vladimir-putins-popularity|title=Successful World Cup fails to halt slide in Vladimir Putin's popularity|date=16 July 2018|work=The Guardian}} Levada poll results published in September 2018 showed Putin's personal trustworthiness levels at 39% (decline from 59% in November 2017){{Cite news|url=https://themoscowtimes.com/news/trust-putin-drops-39-percent-russians-face-later-retirement-poll-says-63110|title=Trust in Putin Drops to 39% as Russians Face Later Retirement, Poll Says|access-date=10 October 2018|language=en}} with the main contributing factor being the presidential support of the unpopular pension reform and economic stagnation.{{Cite news|url=https://disinfoportal.org/disquiet-on-the-home-front-kremlin-propagandists-struggle-to-contain-the-fallout-from-pension-reform-and-local-elections/|title=Disquiet on the Home Front: Kremlin Propagandists Struggle to Contain the Fallout from Pension Reform and Local Elections - Disinfo Portal|date=1 October 2018|work=Disinfo Portal|access-date=10 October 2018|language=en-US}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.economist.com/europe/2018/09/29/things-are-going-wrong-for-vladimir-putin?fsrc=scn/tw/te/bl/ed/thingsaregoingwrongforvladimirputinaseaoftroubles|title=Things are going wrong for Vladimir Putin|newspaper=The Economist|access-date=10 October 2018|language=en}} In October 2018, two thirds of Russians surveyed in Levada poll agreed that "Putin bears full responsibility for the problems of the country", which has been attributed{{Cite web|url=https://www.znak.com/2018-11-22/levada_centr_dve_treti_rossiyan_schitayut_chto_v_problemah_strany_vinovat_putin|title="Левада-Центр": две трети россиян считают, что в проблемах страны виноват Путин|website=www.znak.com|access-date=22 November 2018|archive-date=11 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220311134320/https://www.znak.com/2018-11-22/levada_centr_dve_treti_rossiyan_schitayut_chto_v_problemah_strany_vinovat_putin|url-status=dead}} to decline of a popular belief in "good tsar and bad boyars", a traditional attitude towards justifying failures of the ruling hierarchy in Russia.{{Cite news|url=https://www.refworld.org/docid/54fdafd74.html|title=Refworld {{!}} 'Good Tsar, Bad Boyars': Popular Attitudes and Azerbaijan's Future|last=Refugees|first=United Nations High Commissioner for|work=Refworld|access-date=22 November 2018|language=en}}

In May 2020, Putin's approval rating dropped to a historic low of 59% in an April poll by the Levada Center.{{cite web|url=https://www.levada.ru/2020/05/06/odobrenie-institutov-vlasti-i-doverie-politikam/|title=ОДОБРЕНИЕ ИНСТИТУТОВ ВЛАСТИ И ДОВЕРИЕ ПОЛИТИКАМ|date=6 May 2020|website=Levada Center}} In December 2021, a Levada Center poll found that 65% approved of Putin personally, that jumped to 69% who had a positive view of Putin in January 2022, and 71% who approved of the Russian president in February 2022 (before the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine).{{Cite web|url=https://www.nottinghampost.com/news/uk-world-news/seven-10-russians-approve-putin-6742151|title = More than two thirds of Russians approve of Putin, says poll|date = 2 March 2022}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/world-news/seven-10-russians-approve-putin-23265162|title = Seven in 10 Russians approve of Putin, says latest poll|date = 2 March 2022}}

{{See also|Russophilia|Russophobia}}

According to a 2017 survey by the Worldwide Independent Network/Gallup International Association (WIN/GIA), Putin's international reputation increased significantly between 2015 and 2017 (43% favorable in 2017 compared with 33% in 2015). More recent international polling shows that approval for Putin declined to record lows following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.{{cite web|url=https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2022/06/22/ratings-for-russia-drop-to-record-lows/|title=Ratings for Russia drop to record lows|website=pewresearch.org|date=22 June 2022|access-date=6 August 2023}}

Some of these views have changed considerably over time ever since 2017. For instance, in Romania, in a 2022 poll, only 3% of Romanians had a positive opinion of Putin while 70% of Romanians had a negative one.{{cite news|url=https://www.rfi.ro/social-143799-sondaj-patriotism-romani-context-razboi|title=Sondaj: patriotismul românilor în context de război|first=Ovidiu|last=Nahoi|publisher=RFI România|date=24 March 2022|language=ro|access-date=27 March 2022|archive-date=27 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220327101445/https://www.rfi.ro/social-143799-sondaj-patriotism-romani-context-razboi|url-status=dead}} A 2023 poll by Pew Research Center in 24 countries around the world showed that 87% of respondents felt distrustful of Putin, with only 11% feeling confident in Putin. 82% of respondents have negative views of Russia.{{Cite web |last=Gubbala |first=Moira Fagan, Jacob Poushter and Sneha |date=2023-07-10 |title=Large Shares See Russia and Putin in Negative Light, While Views of Zelenskyy More Mixed |url=https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2023/07/10/large-shares-see-russia-and-putin-in-negative-light-while-views-of-zelensky-more-mixed/ |access-date=2024-04-27 |website=Pew Research Center |language=en-US}}

Putin was Time magazine's Person of the Year for 2007;Adi Ignatius. [https://web.archive.org/web/20071220201506/http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/personoftheyear/article/0,28804,1690753_1690757_1690766,00.html Person of the Year 2007], Time. these selections are based on the person or persons "who most affected the news and our lives, for good or ill".[https://time.com/3626016/person-of-the-year-faq/ "Everything You Wanted to Know About TIME’s Person of the Year"], Time Magazine, 9 December 2014 In April 2008, Putin was put on the Time 100 most influential people in the world list.Albright, Madeleine.[https://web.archive.org/web/20080505053957/http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1733748_1733757_1735578,00.html "Vladimir Putin"], Time. Retrieved 1 May 2008. Criticism of Putin has been widespread especially over the Runet.{{cite web|url=http://www.rp-online.de/digitales/internet/das-internet-praegt-russlands-wahlkampf-1.2715715|title=Das Internet prägt Russlands Wahlkampf|trans-title=The internet characterises Russia's campaign|publisher=RP online|date=17 February 2012|access-date=6 March 2012|language=de}} It is said that the Russian youth organisations finance a full "network" of pro-government bloggers.{{cite news|url=https://www.welt.de/politik/ausland/article13857923/Wie-die-Putin-Jugend-das-Internet-manipulierte.html|first=Julia|last=Smirnova|title=Wie die Putin-Jugend das Internet manipulierte|newspaper=Die Welt|date=8 February 2012|access-date=6 March 2012|language=de}}

On 4 December 2007, at Harvard University, former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev credited Putin with having "pulled Russia out of chaos" and said he was "assured a place in history", despite Gorbachev's claim that the news media have been suppressed and that election rules run counter to the democratic ideals he has promoted.Struck, Doug. [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/04/AR2007120402218.html "Gorbachev Applauds Putin's Achievements"], The Washington Post, 5 December 2007. In December 2011, amid the protests following the 2011 Russian elections Gorbachev criticized Putin for a decision to seek the third term in the presidential elections and advised Putin to leave politics.{{cite news|title=Gorbachev says Putin 'castrated' democracy in Russia|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-14580709|work=BBC News |access-date=18 August 2011|date=18 August 2011}}

In the U.S. embassy cables leaked in late 2010, Putin was called "alpha dog" and compared with Batman (while Dmitry Medvedev was compared with Batman's crime-fighting partner Robin). American diplomats said Putin's Russia had become "a corrupt, autocratic kleptocracy centred on the leadership of Putin, in which officials, oligarchs and organised crime are bound together to create a "virtual mafia state."{{cite book|author1=David Leigh|author2=Luke Harding|title=WikiLeaks: Inside Julian Assange's War on Secrecy|url=https://archive.org/details/wikileaksinsidej01leig|url-access=registration|year=2011|publisher=PublicAffairs|isbn=978-1-61039-062-0|page=[https://archive.org/details/wikileaksinsidej01leig/page/223 223]}}{{cite book|author=Marcel Van Herpen|title=Putinism: The Slow Rise of a Radical Right Regime in Russia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ri6uez6FGVsC&pg=PA161|date=25 January 2013|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|isbn=978-1-137-28280-4|page=161}}{{Dead link|date=June 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Putin called it "slanderous".Parfitt, Tom. [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/dec/01/wikileaks-row-putin-reaction-batman-robin "WikiLeaks row: Putin labels US embassy cables 'slanderous'"], The Guardian, 1 December 2010.

By western commentators and the Russian opposition, Putin has been described as a dictator.{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/russia/8787889/Fears-Vladimir-Putin-will-turn-Russia-into-outright-dictatorship.html|author=Andrew Osborn|title= Fears Vladimir Putin will turn Russia into outright dictatorship |work=The Daily Telegraph|date= 25 September 2011 |access-date= 25 September 2011 }}{{cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702303918204577448712747514378|author=William J. Dobson|title= What, Me a Dictator?

|work=The Wall Street Journal|date= 10 June 2012 |access-date= 10 June 2012 |author-link=William J. Dobson}} Putin biographer Masha Gessen has stated that "Putin is a dictator," comparing him to Alexander Lukashenko.{{cite news|url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/arts/books/putin-the-elected-dictator-is-doomed-biographer-claims/story-e6frg8nf-1226359371505|author= Stephen Romei |title= Putin the elected dictator is doomed, biographer claims |work=The Australian|date= 18 May 2012 |access-date= 18 May 2012 }}{{cite news|url=http://latitude.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/21/putin-really-is-a-dictator/|author=Masha Gessen|title= The Dictator |work=The New York Times|date= 21 May 2012 |access-date= 21 May 2012 |author-link=Masha Gessen}} Former UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband has described Putin as a "ruthless dictator" whose "days are numbered."{{cite news|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/03/04/ed-miliband-vladimir-putin-ruthless-dictator_n_1319204.html|title= David Miliband: Vladimir Putin Is A 'Ruthless Dictator' |work=Huffington Post|date= 4 March 2012 |access-date= 4 March 2012 }} U.S. presidential candidate Mitt Romney called Putin "a real threat to the stability and peace of the world.""[https://web.archive.org/web/20111223190917/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/us-election/8974912/Mitt-Romney-Vladimir-Putin-a-threat-to-global-peace.html Mitt Romney: Vladimir Putin 'a threat to global peace']". The Daily Telegraph. 23 December 2011.

File:Rally for right to vote in Moscow (2019-08-10) 144610.jpg candidates for the Moscow City Duma, 10 August 2019]]

In early September 2014 Patriarch Filaret, head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyivan Patriarchate, linked Putin with the biblical figure Cain because Filaret believed that although Putin claimed to be their “brother”, he was responsible for "shedding the brotherly blood" of Ukrainians during the War in Donbas. Filaret believed "Satan went into him, as into Judas Iscariot".[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/ukrainian-church-leader-likens-putin-to-cain-and-says-he-is-under-the-influence-of-satan-9716344.html Ukrainian Church leader likens Putin to Cain and says he is under the influence of Satan], The Independent (6 September 2014). The Dalai Lama criticized Putin's foreign policy practices, claiming it to be responsible for isolating Russia from the rest of the world.{{cite news|title=Dalai Lama: Putin wants to 'rebuild' the Berlin Wall|url=https://nypost.com/2014/09/07/dalai-lama-putin-wants-to-rebuild-the-berlin-wall/|date=7 September 2014|newspaper=New York Post|author=Golding}}{{cite news|title=Putin is 'self-centred', Dalai Lama says|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/Putin-is-self-centred-Dalai-Lama-says/articleshow/41957066.cms|date=7 September 2014|newspaper=Times of India}}{{cite news|title=Dalai Lama attacks 'self-centered' Vladimir Putin|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/vladimir-putin/11080133/Dalai-Lama-attacks-self-centred-Vladimir-Putin.html|newspaper=The Telegraph|author=Henderson|date=7 September 2014}} The Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project named Putin as the 2014 Person of the Year, recognizing "the person who does the most to enable and promote organized criminal activity."{{cite web |url= http://occrp.org/person-of-the-year/2014/ |title= Vladimir Putin Wins OCCRP's Person of Year for 2014 |publisher= Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project |date= 1 January 2015 }}{{cite news |url= http://www.rferl.org/content/putin-russia-corruption-person-of-the-year/26772361.html |title= Investigative Journalists Name Putin Corruption's 'Person Of The Year' |publisher= RFERL |date= 1 January 2015 }}

According to Denis Volkov from Moscow Levada Center, drawing any conclusions from Russian poll results or comparing them with Western polls is pointless as there's no real political competition in Russia. Unlike in democratic states, the Russian voters aren't offered any "credible alternatives" and the public opinion is formed primarily with state-controlled media which promotes the ruling party and discredits any alternative candidates.{{Cite web|title = Opinion: The truth about Putin's 86-percent approval rating. How people fail to understand survey data about support for the Kremlin|url = https://meduza.io/en/feature/2015/12/10/opinion-the-truth-about-putin-s-86-percent-approval-rating|website = Meduza|access-date = 10 December 2015|language = en-US |quote=It's wrong to compare directly the ratings of Russian and foreign politicians. In democratic countries, politics is based on competition and the constant contestation between different candidates and platforms. The Russian political system, on the other hand, is based on the absence of a credible alternative. Accordingly, public approval doesn't indicate the country's assessment of concrete political decisions, but a general acceptance of the course chosen by those in power.}} This kind of illusion of democracy, choice only between "A and A", is part of "Russian consciousness", according to a nationalist publicist Alexander Prokhanov, who considers the "elections between A and B" to be part of a "liberal" mindset.{{Cite news|title = Rebel-Backed Elections to Cement Status Quo in Ukraine|url = https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/03/world/europe/rebel-backed-elections-in-eastern-ukraine.html|newspaper = The New York Times|date = 2 November 2014|access-date = 10 December 2015|issn = 0362-4331|first = Andrew E.|last = Kramer}}

Putin's name and image are widely used in advertisements and product branding. Among Putin-branded products are Putinka vodka, the PuTin brand of canned food, Gorbusha Putina caviar, and a collection of T-shirts with his image.[http://www.gazeta.spb.ru/12122-0/ Как используется бренд "Путин": зажигалки, икра, футболки, консервированный перец] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402153600/http://www.gazeta.spb.ru/12122-0/ |date=2 April 2015 }} Gazeta 30 November 2007. In October 2016, the luxury company, Caviar, produced a limited series of iPhone 7s made from Damascus steel called Supremo Putin Damascus. It features a golden bas-relief portrait of Putin.{{cite web | url =https://ria.ru/society/20161005/1478545495.html |script-title=ru:Ко дню рождения Путина вышел смартфон с его барельефом|publisher=RIA Novosti| language=ru| access-date =16 October 2016|date=5 October 2016}} Putin Huylo (also spelled Putin Huilo) is a beer that is made by Pravda beer brewery in Lviv, Ukraine and also by several other breweries around the world.[https://www.pravda.beer/en/shop/putin-huilo-2/ "Putin Huilo"], Pravda brewery[https://garrison-brewing.myshopify.com/products/putin-huylo-single-650ml-btl "Putin Huylo - Brewing Up Resistance"], Garrison Brewing, 2023[https://patch.com/new-jersey/hillsborough/hillsborough-brewery-unveils-putin-huylo-beer-support-ukraine "Hillsborough Brewery Unveils 'Putin Huylo' Beer To Support Ukraine"], Patch, 21 April 2023[https://asiabrewersnetwork.com/news/putin-huylo-asias-breweries-rally-for-ukraine "Putin Huylo! Asia’s Breweries Rally For Ukraine"], Asia Brewers' Network, 21 March 2022[https://www.fox5dc.com/news/virginia-breweries-shame-russian-president-with-new-beer "Virginia breweries shame Russian president Vladimir Putin with new beer"], Fox5 Washington DC, 28 April 2022

File:Vladimir Putin with smile.jpg airshow, 2007]]

Putin has created a cult of personality for himself as an outdoorsy, sporty, tough guy public image, demonstrating his physical capabilities and taking part in unusual or dangerous acts, such as extreme sports and interaction with wild animals.{{cite web|last=Bass |first=Sadie |url=https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2009/08/putin-bolsters-tough-guy-image-with-shirtless-photos/ |title=Putin Bolsters Tough Guy Image With Shirtless Photos, Australian Broadcasting Corporation |publisher=Abcnews.go.com |date=5 August 2009 |access-date=22 June 2013}} For example, in 2007, the tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda published a huge photograph of a bare-chested Putin vacationing in the Siberian mountains under the headline: "Be Like Putin."{{cite news|agency=Associated Press|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/putin-gone-wild-russia-abuzz-over-pics-of-shirtless-leader-1.639179|title=Putin gone wild: Russia abuzz over pics of shirtless leader.|publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|date=22 August 2007|access-date=2 March 2010}} Such photo ops are part of a public relations approach that, according to Wired, "deliberately cultivates the macho, take-charge superhero image".{{cite news|last=Rawnsley|first=Adam|title=Pow! Zam! Nyet! 'Superputin' Battles Terrorists, Protesters in Online Comic|url=https://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/05/pow-zam-nyet-superputin-battles-terrorists-protesters-in-online-comic/|access-date=27 May 2011|newspaper=Wired|date=26 May 2011}} The British tabloid Daily Express has commented that this cultivated image runs counter to the reality of Putin's modest physical stature,{{Cite web | url=https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/563245/Putin-red-faced-Kremlin-photo-gaffe-exposes-small-height |title = Left a little short: Putin left red-faced as Kremlin photo gaffe exposes his small height|date = 11 March 2015}} his height being officially reported as {{convert|170|cm|ftin|abbr=on}},{{Cite web | url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2011/oct/18/world-leader-heights-tall |title = Statesmen and stature: How tall are our world leaders?|website = TheGuardian.com|date = 18 October 2011}} and some of the activities used to promote his virile prowess have been criticized for involving deception or being completely staged. Notable examples of Putin's macho adventures include:[http://www.cracked.com/article_19128_7-reasons-vladimir-putin-worlds-craziest-badass.html 7 Reasons Vladimir Putin Is the World's Craziest Badass] cracked.com

• Putin flew in a Sukhoi Su-27 fighter over Chechnya in 2000 and a Tu-160 supersonic heavy bomber on 16 August 2005 at MAKS Airshow.
• Martial arts – Putin demonstrated his martial art skills on a tatami at the Kodokan Institute in Tokyo on 5 September 2000 and has subsequently made further demonstrations. Putin currently holds a black belt in Judo.{{Cite web|last=Ma|first=Alexandra|title=8 over-the-top, macho Putin stunts that were nowhere near as impressive as they seemed|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/vladimir-putin-macho-stunts-that-arent-as-impressive-as-they-seem-2018-3|access-date=2021-04-03|website=Business Insider}} Putin had also been awarded an honorary 9th Dan belt in Taekwondo before it was rescinded in February 2022.{{Cite web|title=Official Announcement from World Taekwondo|url=http://www.worldtaekwondo.org/wtnews/view.html?nid=138702&mcd=C02|access-date=2022-03-18|website=World Taekwondo}}
• Adventures in the wild – On his trip to Tuva in August 2007, Putin was seen riding horses, rafting, fishing and swimming in a cold Siberian river (mostly bare-chested). In August 2009, Putin repeated the experience.[http://premier.gov.ru/visits/ru/6122/events/4678/index.html В.В.Путин взял в понедельник однодневный отпуск и провел его в Тыве] premier.gov.ru {{dead link|date=May 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} In 2008, Putin visited the Ussuri national park, where he sedated an Amur tiger with a tranquiliser gun and then helped measure its teeth and fit it with a tracker. Claims were made later that the tiger was actually from the Khabarovsk Zoo and that it died soon after the stunt, but the suspected tiger named by the Khabarovsk Zoo workers{{cite web|url=http://hab.mk.ru/news/2012/03/15/681826-habarovskie-ohotovedyi-podtverdili-putinu-tigritsu-podlozhili-izza-zooparka.html|title=Хабаровские охотоведы подтвердили: Путину тигрицу подложили из зоопарка|publisher=Hab.mk.ru|access-date=7 May 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120322161007/http://hab.mk.ru/news/2012/03/15/681826-habarovskie-ohotovedyi-podtverdili-putinu-tigritsu-podlozhili-izza-zooparka.html|archive-date=22 March 2012}} was found in late 2009 in Zelenogorsk,{{cite web|url=http://www.mk.ru/politics/article/2012/03/16/682472-tigritsa-putina-zhiva.html|title="Тигрица Путина" жива|date=16 March 2012 |publisher=MK.ru|access-date=16 March 2012}} while the claims of a stunt were denied by the scientists who organized the "safari".{{Cite web|url=https://www.newsru.com/russia/15mar2012/serga.html|title=Организаторы сафари для Путина объяснились по поводу "подставы с тигром": "Кому-то что-то показалось"|date=15 March 2012|website=www.newsru.com|accessdate=26 July 2022}} In April 2010, Putin traveled to Franz Josef Land in the Russian Arctic, where he tranquilized a polar bear and attached a satellite tag to it.[https://www.foxnews.com/world/putin-attaches-satellite-tag-to-tranquilized-polar-bear-in-russias-arctic/ Putin attaches satellite tag to tranquilized polar bear in Russia's Arctic] Fox News Channel In late August 2010, Putin shot darts from a crossbow at a gray whale off Kamchatka Peninsula coast as part of an eco-tracking effort, while balancing on a rubber boat in the sea.[https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna38851148 Using crossbow, Putin fires darts at whale] NBC News
• Descending in a deepwater submersible – On 1 August 2009, Putin descended 1395 m to the bottom of Lake Baikal, the world's deepest lake, on a MIR submersible accompanied by deepwater explorer Anatoly Sagalevich (who had been among the team which had reached the bottom at the North Pole in the Arktika 2007 expedition). From the bottom of Baikal Putin spoke to journalists via hydrophone.[http://premier.gov.ru/visits/ru/6120/events/4661/index.html В.В.Путин, находящийся с рабочей поездкой в Сибирском федеральном округе, совершил спуск на глубоководном аппарате «Мир» на дно озера Байкал] premier.gov.ru {{dead link|date=May 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}
• Riding a motorbike – In July 2010, Putin appeared at a bikers festival in Sevastopol riding a Harley-Davidson tricycle; the high council of Russian bikers movements unanimously voted him into a Hells Angel rank with the nickname of Abaddon.{{cite news|last=Polgueva|first=Ekaterina|title=Ангел Ада Абаддон|url=http://www.sovross.ru/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=58086|newspaper=Sovetskaya Rossiya|date=27 July 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150414002329/http://www.sovross.ru/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=58086|archive-date=14 April 2015}} Putin's associations with motorcycle gangs led to him being accidentally placed on a blacklist of banned people in Finland.{{cite news| url= http://www.3news.co.nz/Finland-accidentally-bans-Putin/tabid/417/articleID/293867/Default.aspx| work= 3 News NZ| title= Finland accidentally bans Putin| date= 11 April 2013| access-date= 21 October 2013| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131021212727/http://www.3news.co.nz/Finland-accidentally-bans-Putin/tabid/417/articleID/293867/Default.aspx| archive-date= 21 October 2013| url-status= dead}} In August 2011 a video showed Putin riding with the Night Wolves who were later sanctioned by the United States, EU, and Canada.
• Firefighting from the air – In August 2010, Russian TV broadcast a video of Putin co-piloting a firefighting plane Beriev Be-200 to dump water on a raging fire during the 2010 Russian wildfires.

File:Putin with F1 bolid 11.jpg, 2010 (see the video)]]

• Driving a race car – Putin tested a modified Prost AP04 F1 race car with a Renault livery on 7 November 2010 in Saint Petersburg, reaching a reported maximum speed of 240 km per hour (149 mph).{{cite web|url=http://www.rg.ru/2010/11/08/bolid.html |title=Премьер-гонка: Владимир Путин протестировал болид "Формулы-1" |publisher=Rg.ru |date=17 March 2012 |access-date=7 May 2012}}{{Cite web |date=2021-05-07 |title=Vladimir Putin tiene la limusina que querría cualquier rapero y un coche soviético muy torpe |url=https://www.revistagq.com/la-buena-vida/articulo/coches-vladimir-putin-mercedes-renault |access-date=2024-01-25 |website=GQ España |language=es-ES}}
• Scuba diving – Putin took part in scuba diving at the archaeological site of the ancient Greek colony of Phanagoria in the Taman Bay on 11 August 2011.[http://www.tetis.ru/?p=divenews&id=1578 Путин погрузился с аквалангом на дно Таманского залива] tetis.ru During the dive, he "discovered" two amphorae and emerged from the sea exclaiming to television cameras "Treasure!". In October 2011, spokesman Dmitry Peskov told media: "Putin did not find the amphorae on the sea bed that had been lying there for thousands of years [...] They were found during an [archaeological] expedition several weeks or days beforehand. Of course they were then left there [for him to find] or placed there. It is a completely normal thing to do."[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/russia/8808689/Vladimir-Putin-diving-discovery-was-staged-spokesman-admits.html Vladimir Putin diving discovery was staged, spokesman admits], The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 16 March 2012. The New Republic called it an example of Putin Jumping the shark.{{Cite magazine|last=Ioffe|first=Julia|date=2012-09-06|title=Putin Flies with Birds, Jumps the Shark|magazine=The New Republic|url=https://newrepublic.com/article/106969/putin-flies-birds-jumps-shark|access-date=2021-04-03|issn=0028-6583}}
• In September 2012, Putin flew in a motorized hang glider alongside endangered Siberian white cranes to "guide them on their migration to Asia."{{Cite news|last=Kramer|first=Andrew E.|date=2012-09-05|title=Putin Pulls Off Latest Feat: Flying With the Birds|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/06/world/europe/putin-pulls-off-his-latest-feat-flying-with-migratory-birds.html|access-date=2021-04-03|issn=0362-4331}}
• Fishing – In July 2013, Putin was pictured in Tuva, Siberia, holding up a large pike that he 'caught' and which the Kremlin claimed weighed {{convert|21|kg|lb|abbr=on}}, a very large amount for that species. Many media outlets and internet users questioned whether the fish could have weighed that much.{{cite news | url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/oukoe-uk-russia-putin-fish-idUKBRE96S0CY20130729 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160101205944/http://uk.reuters.com/article/oukoe-uk-russia-putin-fish-idUKBRE96S0CY20130729 | url-status=dead | archive-date=1 January 2016 | title=Russians smell something fishy in Putin's latest stunt | work=Reuters | access-date=12 August 2013}} Some bloggers also pointed out that Putin's fishing trip wasn't on the official schedule and that he was photographed wearing clothing identical to that worn during a previous trip to the region.{{cite news | url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-07-29/putin-s-big-fish-story-leaves-russians-in-doubt.html | title=Putin's Big Fish Story Leaves Russians in Doubt | newspaper=Bloomberg | date=29 July 2013 | access-date=12 August 2013}}
• In a 2014 art exhibition organised by Putin Supporters group on Facebook, and labelled "bizarre" by BBC News,{{Cite news | url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-29513589 |title = In pictures: The 12 Labours of... Putin|work = BBC News|date = 7 October 2014|last1 = Rosenberg|first1 = Steve}} the Russian leader was depicted in the guise of the all-conquering Ancient Greek hero Heracles. The series of images associated each of twelve various military and political feats performed by Putin with one of the mythological figure's famous Twelve Labors.
• In August 2015, Putin used a submersible to explore a Byzantine shipwreck off the coast of Crimea. "83 metres is a pretty substantial depth," he said in televised comments after the dive. "It was interesting."[https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-08-19/vladimir-putin-dives-in-mini-sub-to-shipwreck-off-crimea/6707214 Russian president Vladimir Putin dives in mini-sub to shipwreck off Crimea], ABC News
• In May 2019, Putin scored 8 goals in an amateur hockey league all-star game and was reportedly provided with plenty of scoring opportunities by his linemates and was met with little resistance by the opposing team's defence.{{Cite news|author=|date=2019-05-10|title=Russia's Putin scores eight goals in all-star hockey game|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-putin-hockey-idUSKCN1SG1ZQ|access-date=2021-04-03}}
• In April 2021, Putin was named Russia's "most handsome man" in a poll of two thousand conducted by Superjob.ru, a Russian job board site. People from three hundred cities were surveyed. Complex described the selection process as "highly questionable" and emphasized the disproportionate results of the survey.{{Cite web|title=Vladimir Putin Named Russia's Sexiest Man Alive|url=https://www.complex.com/life/vladimir-putin-sexiest-man-alive-russian-poll|access-date=2021-04-03|website=Complex|language=en}}
• On 1 September 2022, in Kaliningrad, Putin was appearing to struggle with control of his legs during a conference with Russian school pupils.{{cite news |last1=Paxton |first1=Leia |title='Restless leg syndrome' Putin sparks health row over twitching legs |url=https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1663708/Putin-health-concerns-speech-restless-leg-Russi-invasion-war-Kremlin-vn |access-date=27 February 2023 |work=Express.co.uk |date=2 September 2022 |language=en}}{{cite news |title=Watch: Vladimir Putin's legs seen shaking in fresh footage as speculation mounts about his health |url=https://www.scotsman.com/news/world/vladimir-putins-legs-seen-shaking-and-twitching-in-footage-as-speculation-mounts-about-his-health-3834068 |access-date=27 February 2023 |work=The Scotsman}}{{cite web |title=Ukraine war: Five key developments to know about today |url=https://www.euronews.com/2022/09/01/ukraine-war-nuclear-safety-putin-in-kaliningrad-and-russian-tourist-visas |website=euronews |access-date=27 February 2023 |language=en |date=1 September 2022}}{{cite web |title=announcement 69237 |url=https://en.kremlin.ru/press/announcements/69237 |website=en.kremlin.ru |access-date=27 February 2023 |archive-date=28 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230328014617/http://en.kremlin.ru/press/announcements/69237 |url-status=dead }}{{cite news |last1=Stewart |first1=Will |last2=Davis |first2=Katie |title=Russian president Vladimir Putin's feet seen twitching uncontrollably during speech There are more concerns about Vladimir Putin's health after his feet were seen twitching uncontrollably during a speech. |url=https://www.news.com.au/technology/innovation/military/russian-president-vladimir-putins-feet-seen-twitching-uncontrollably-during-speech/news-story/5aabdaca0d9e200a9a2c23c202a90e5b |access-date=27 February 2023 |date=September 6, 2022}}{{cite news |last1=Arun |first1=Thanmay |title=Vladimir Putin's legs appear to shake uncontrollably in new videos, sparking health concern |url=https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/vladimir-putins-legs-appear-shake-uncontrollably-new-videos-sparking-health-concern-1713015 |work=International Business Times UK |date=19 February 2023 |language=en}}

File:Vladimir Putin singing Blueberry Hill.ogv at a charity concert]]

On 11 December 2010, at a concert organized for a children's charity in Saint Petersburg, Putin sang Blueberry Hill with Maceo Parker's jazz band and played a little piano of it and of the Russian patriotic song С чего начинается Родина from his favourite spy movie The Shield and the Sword. After that he took part in singing of a Russian song about cosmonauts, Grass by the Home. The concert was attended by various Hollywood and European stars such as Kevin Costner, Sharon Stone, Alain Delon, and Gérard Depardieu.[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngwH6Zy5vb8 "Russia's Got Talent: Extra video of Putin singing & playing piano for charity"] a Russia Today TV YouTube video, with commentary (retrieved 14 December 2015).{{cite web|url=http://www.dp.ru/a/2010/12/11/Vladimir_Putin_sigral_na/ |title=Владимир Путин сыграл на рояле "С чего начинается родина" |publisher=Dp.ru |access-date=7 May 2012}} Putin also played or sang "С чего начинается Родина" on a number of other occasions,{{cite web|url=http://www.ntv.ru/novosti/239319/video/ |title=Актеры, занятые в спектаклях столичного Театра наций, сегодня пили чай с Владимиром Путиным и просили у него денег. 1624 |publisher=Ntv.ru |date=15 September 2011 |access-date=7 May 2012}} such as a meeting with the Russian spies deported from the U.S., including Anna Chapman.[http://www.vedomosti.ru/politics/news/2010/07/26/1067751 WSJ: Путин поет вместе с депортированными агентами] Vedomosti

Another melody which Putin is known to play on the piano is the Anthem of Saint Petersburg, his native city.{{cite web |url=http://www.mk.ru/politics/article/2012/04/10/691484-putin-ispolnil-na-pianino-gimn-peterburga.html |title=Putin played the Anthem of Saint Petersburg on the piano |publisher=Mk.ru |access-date=7 May 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120516182046/http://www.mk.ru/politics/article/2012/04/10/691484-putin-ispolnil-na-pianino-gimn-peterburga.html |archive-date=16 May 2012 }}

Putin's painting "Узор на заиндевевшем окне" (A Pattern on a Hoarfrost-Encrusted Window), which he had painted during the Christmas Fair on 26 December 2008, became the top lot at the charity auction in Saint Petersburg and sold for 37 million rubles.[http://ria.ru/society/20090117/159499680.html Картина Путина стала самым дорогим лотом на аукционе в Петербурге] RIAN The picture was made for a series of other paintings by famous Russians. The painters were required to illustrate one of the letters of the Russian alphabet with a subject connected to Nikolay Gogol's novel Christmas Eve (the 200th anniversary from Gogol's birth was celebrated in 2008). Putin's picture depicted a hoarfrost pattern (Russian: Узор, illustrating the Cyrillic letter У) on a window with curtains sewn with traditional Ukrainian ornaments. The creation of the painting coincided with the 2009 Russia–Ukraine gas dispute, which left a number of European states without Russian gas and amid January frosts.[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7240462.stm Q&A: Russia-Ukraine gas row], BBC News (20 January 2009).

{{Clear}}

File:Part of Superputin strip 3 by Sergei Kalenik.png

A Russian movie called A Kiss not for Press premiered in 2008 on DVD. The movie is said to be based on the biography of Vladimir Putin and his wife Lyudmila.[http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/russian/entertainment/newsid_7228000/7228535.stm Фильм о любви человека, похожего на Путина] BBC Dobby, a house elf from Harry Potter film series, has been found to look like Putin,[https://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/02/weekinreview/putin-dobby-and-the-axis-of-weirdness.html Putin, Dobby And the Axis Of Weirdness] The New York Times and so was also Daniel Craig in his role of James Bond (he was the first blond actor to play James Bond).[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/3562009/Daniel-Craig-Quantum-of-Solace.html Daniel Craig: Quantum of Solace] The Daily Telegraph There are a large number of songs about Putin.{{cite web |author=@openspace_ru |url=http://www.openspace.ru/music_modern/projects/112/details/593/ |title=Песни про Путина |publisher=Openspace.ru |date=14 March 2008 |access-date=7 May 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090918192949/http://www.openspace.ru/music_modern/projects/112/details/593 |archive-date=18 September 2009 }} These include:

• Такого, как Путин – "[I Want] A Man Like Putin" by Singing Together{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OFOPd6pgjI |title=Такого, как Путин |publisher=YouTube |date=23 February 2008 |access-date=7 May 2012}}
• Гороскоп (Путин, не ссы!) – "Horoscope (Putin, Don't Pee Pee!)" by Uma2rman{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbuYSVfktck |title=Гороскоп (Путин, не ссы!) |publisher=YouTube |date=2 February 2012 |access-date=7 May 2012}}
• ВВП – "VVP" by a Tajik singer Tolibjon Kurbankhanov (Толибджон Курбанханов){{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130225103946/https://www.youtube.com/ |archive-date=2013-02-25 |title=YouTube|date=25 February 2013|accessdate=26 July 2022}}[http://articles.businessinsider.com/2012-02-13/europe/31054031_1_prime-minister-putin-vladimir-vladimirovich-putin-vvp WATCH: No One In Russia Can Work Out If This Pro-Putin Dance-Pop Song Is Sincere — Or Satire] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130207181430/http://articles.businessinsider.com/2012-02-13/europe/31054031_1_prime-minister-putin-vladimir-vladimirovich-putin-vvp |date=7 February 2013 }} businessinsider.com
• Our Madhouse is Voting for Putin by Rabfak. (Рабфак).
• Vladimir - a song by a Polish bard Maleńczuk. The singer said that he planned to release it before the Sochi Olympics, but the Russian annexation of Crimea contributed greatly to the promotion of the song.{{Cite web|url=https://dziennikzachodni.pl/maciej-malenczuk-vladimir-piosenka-o-putinie-i-teledysk-zobacz-wideo/ar/3368281|title=Maciej Maleńczuk Vladimir. Piosenka o Putinie i teledysk [ZOBACZ WIDEO]|date=17 March 2014|website=dziennikzachodni.pl|language=PL|accessdate=26 July 2022}}
• Putin khuylo!, a song originated in Ukraine in 2014 having grown from a football chant{{cite news|url=http://life.pravda.com.ua/society/2014/05/19/168875/|script-title=ru:Украинские ультрас: глобальное перемирие|language=ru|publisher=Українська правда. Життя|date=May 19, 2014|access-date=June 21, 2014|archive-date=August 28, 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140828213653/http://life.pravda.com.ua/society/2014/05/19/168875/}}
• Putin - a song released in 2022{{Citation |title=Cypis - Putin | date=25 February 2022 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBqBJ6C5Mkw |language=en |access-date=2023-01-02}} by Polish singer and producer Cypis{{Cite web |date=2021-07-05 |title=O fanach mówi, że są "zjeb*ni", ale i tak sprzedaje tysiące biletów. Kim jest patoraper Cypis? |url=https://noizz.pl/muzyka/cypis-nagral-piosenke-ze-zbigniewem-stonoga-oto-kim-jest-piosenkarz/bkpjvbd |access-date=2023-01-02 |website=Noizz |language=pl}}{{Cite web |last=4FUN.TV |title=CYPIS - kim jest producent najbardziej viralowych polskich piosenek? |url=https://4fun.tv/news/cypis-jbc-pis-piosenka-fame-mma-kim-jest-wiek-instagram |access-date=2023-01-02 |website=4FUN.TV - Pierwsza muzyczna telewizja społecznościowa|date=29 September 2020 }} denouncing the tragedies of the war after Russia's invasion, gaining tens of millions of views on various social media{{Cite web |last=archywordys |date=2022-03-16 |title=Cypis' Putin is an international hit. Ukrainian SOLDIERS dance and challenge the criminal |url=https://www.archyworldys.com/cypis-putin-is-an-international-hit-ukrainian-soldiers-dance-and-challenge-the-criminal/ |access-date=2023-01-02 |website=Archyworldys |language=en-US}} and trending in many Western and Eastern European countries, including Ukraine.{{Cite web |title="Bayraktar" und "F*ck Putin": Auch die Musiker der Ukraine ziehen in den Krieg |url=https://www.stern.de/kultur/film/ukraine--auch-die-musiker-ziehen-in-den-krieg-31770158.html |access-date=2023-01-02 |website=stern.de |date=10 April 2022 |language=de}}

Putin also is a subject of Russian jokes and chastushki, such as "[Before Putin] There Was No Orgasm" featured in the comedy film The Day of Elections.{{cite web|url=http://www.sergeysv.net/songs/?id=ne-bylo-orgazma |title=Частушки (Не было оргазма) |publisher=Sergeysv.net |access-date=7 May 2012}} There is a meta-joke that, since the coming of Putin to power, all the classic jokes about a smart yet rude boy called Вовочка (Vovochka, diminutive from Vladimir) have suddenly become political jokes.

Various humorists and anti-Putinists have latched onto the initialism "KhPP" ({{langx |ru| ХПП}}), interpretted as standing for "a cunning Putin plan" ({{langx |ru| хитрый план Путина}}).

For example:

{{cite book

|last1 = Кунгуров

|first1 = Алексей

|date = 15 May 2022

|title = V. V. Putin. Rol' v istorii

|script-title = ru:В.В. Путин. Роль в истории

|trans-title = V. V. Putin: His role in history

|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=InoqDgAAQBAJ

|language = ru

|publisher = Litres

|page =

|isbn = 9785457904064

|access-date = 14 September 2024

}}

Putin features in the coloring-book for children Vova and Dima (presented on his 59th birthday),[http://www.lenta.ru/photo/2011/10/06/vovaanddima/ Вова и Дима] Lenta.ru where he and Dmitry Medvedev are drawn as well-behaved little boys, and in the Superputin online comics series, where Putin and Medvedev are portrayed first as superheroes, and then as a troll and an orc in the World of Warcraft.{{cite web|url=http://www.superputin.ru/ |title=Superputin official site |publisher=Superputin.ru |access-date=22 June 2013}}

Putin was portrayed by internet personality Nice Peter in his YouTube series Epic Rap Battles of History, in Season 2's finale episode, "Rasputin vs. Stalin" (aired on 22 April 2013).[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZT2z0nrsQ8o] Epic Rap Battles of History Stalin vs. Rasputin.

In the wake of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, leaders at the 48th G7 summit ridiculed Putin's photo ops—particularly his manly, bare-chested photographs with airbrushed muscles—including Boris Johnson.{{Cite web |last=Guardian staff with agencies |date=2022-06-27 |title='Show them our pecs': G7 leaders mock Putin's bare-chested horse-riding |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jun/27/show-them-our-pecs-g7-leaders-mock-putins-bare-chested-horse-riding |access-date=2022-06-27 |website=The Guardian |language=en}}

Documentary films about Putin include the television series The Putin Interviews (2017),{{cite news |last1=Poniewozik |first1=James |date=9 June 2017 |title=Oliver Stone's 'Putin Interviews': Flattery, but Little Skepticism |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/09/arts/television/review-the-putin-interviews-showtime-oliver-stone.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Ftelevision&_r=1 |work=The New York Times}}

Putin's Witnesses (2018) and Putin's Palace (2021), while films include Patryk Vega's Putin (2024).

{{Distinguish|Putinism}}

{{main|Vladimir Putin's language}}

File:Putin talk 2011-12-15 09888-09940 Идите ко мне, бандерлоги.ogv's python Kaa, Putin addresses the Russian non-systemic opposition, who, according to him, work for foreign interests: Come to me, Bandar-logs!{{cite web |url=http://themoscownews.com/russian_tongue/20120116/189372068.html |title=Come to me, blogger-logi! |publisher=Themoscownews.com |date=16 January 2012 |access-date=7 May 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120511070843/http://themoscownews.com/russian_tongue/20120116/189372068.html |archive-date=11 May 2012 }}]]

Putin has produced a large number of popular aphorisms and catch-phrases, known as putinisms.[http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/russian/russia/newsid_3535000/3535811.stm Путинизмы – "продуманный личный эпатаж"?] BBC {{in lang|ru}} Many of them were first made during his annual Q&A conferences, where Putin answered questions from journalists and other people in the studio, as well as from Russians throughout the country, who either phoned in or spoke from studios and outdoor sites across Russia. Putin is known for his often tough and sharp language.

• Allegations of genocide of Ukrainians in the Russo-Ukrainian War
• Anti-Russian sentiment
• Attacks on civilians in the Russian invasion of Ukraine
• Corruption in Russia
• Death of Alexander Litvinenko
• Death of Alexei Navalny
• Death of Anna Politkovskaya
• Death of Boris Nemtsov
• Gerasimov doctrine
• Human rights in Russia
• Kleptocracy
• Putinism
• Putin's Palace (film)
• Red lines in the Russo-Ukrainian War
• Russia under Vladimir Putin
• Sexual violence in the Russian invasion of Ukraine
• The Man Without a Face: The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin
• Uncle Vova, we are with you!

{{Reflist|2}}

{{Vladimir Putin}}

Category:Articles containing video clips

Category:Cults of personality

Category:Cultural depictions of Vladimir Putin

Putin, Vladimir

Category:Vladimir Putin