The tsar has to show himself to his subjects, someone seems to have whispered in Vladimir Putin’s ear. The Kremlin boss, who otherwise practices self-isolation, made two public appearances within two days. At least they were as public as Putin was willing to dare.
Last Monday, the Russian ruler visited a place called Zavidovo. Not far from Moscow, a new river port is being built here, around which a large recreational area for tourists is to be built. The governor of the region, Igor Rudenya, proudly presented a model of the future facility. Construction has been going on since 2015, but so far nothing can be seen apart from the model.
Nonetheless, Putin listened intently as the governor fantasized about the future. When the complex is completed in 2025, it will welcome more than a million tourists every year. “We mainly build three- and four-star hotels so that the entire Russian people can vacation here. Not just a select few,” he said. An amused smile played around Putin’s lips at these words.
As a special treat, Rudenja saved a planned cable car factory. These would no longer be sold to Russia due to sanctions. So they should be fabricated in the middle of the recreation area. “We will provide all of Russia with cable cars,” the governor said.
But it wasn’t the cable car factory or the promised tourist paradise that attracted the public’s interest. It was the attire in which Putin listened to the governor’s report. In a jacket that bulged strangely in the middle of the body, Putin reminded some of a Michelin man. Mockery immediately rang out on social networks that a bulletproof vest was probably no longer enough for Putin. As is well known, the Kremlin boss always wears these under his outerwear.
The jacket itself also attracted attention. Putin presented one of his favorite models: a down jacket from the Italian luxury label Loro Piana for 1.45 million rubles. According to the current exchange rate, it is around 23,456 euros. He had already worn one of these in March of this year at an appearance on the anniversary of the annexation of Crimea.
During Putin’s next appearance, another detail of his wardrobe caught the eye. The head of the Kremlin raced to Moscow from Zavidiwo. Not to take part in a session of the Duma, but to see an exhibition on Red Square. Late on Tuesday evening, Putin strolled across the empty square in front of the Kremlin walls in the center of the Russian capital.
The general director and head of PR of the film studio “Voyenfilm” (“War Film”) took Putin through the open-air exhibition dedicated to the history of the defense of Moscow in World War II. Military exhibits, poems and songs from the war years, thematic installations and theatrical performances are designed to immerse visitors in the atmosphere of November 1941. Without being bothered by the usual crowds that usually fill Moscow’s main square, Putin patted war equipment and listened to the chorus singing the war anthem “The Holy War”.
“Arise great country! Arise for the agony. With dark fascist might”. Every child in Russia knows these lines. And it is these lines that have been ringing out all over Russia again in recent months. The purpose of the revived war anthem and exhibition in Red Square is clear: to evoke the spirit with which Russia once fought against Nazi Germany. Only today Russia is the aggressor – and not the defender. And so the Russians would rather discuss Putin’s shoes online than join in the singing of the choir.
One detail can be clearly seen in the video and photo footage released by the Kremlin: the heels of Putin’s shoes are higher than those of the PR chief who showed him around. It’s no secret that Putin tries to compensate for his short height with high heels. It’s even rumored that his shoes house a special hidden construction to give him a few extra inches. The fact that Putin’s heels, which rise up on a woman, now causes malicious mockery. The presentation doesn’t fit the image of the fighter for Russia’s “traditional values” at all.
