Vladimir Putin’s hilarious propaganda pictures as the Russian leader turns 69

Russians celebrated the birthday of their strongman leader overnight, which means only one thing — hilarious propaganda pictures.

Some Russians will have raised a glass of vodka overnight to the strongman leader who knows how to pose for a photo like nobody else — Vladimir Putin.

The President of Russia turned 69 yesterday and to mark the occasion, the nation’s government put out a hilarious picture message to mark the occasion.

It shows the no-nonsense leader strutting his stuff through a meadow alongside a imposing-looking bear that’s stood upright on its hind legs.

Despite the desolate rural scene, President Putin is dressed to kill in a suave suit and tie, as if he’s just stepped out of a Giorgio Armani store in Moscow.

It is unclear where President Putin and the bear are headed.

News.com.au cannot be 100 per cent certain, but it appears the image has been photoshopped — no doubt President Putin would be able to handle himself with his bare knuckles if the bear turned on him.

“He inspires films, books, poems, news, even myths & legends!” the incredible caption to the image on social media reads.

“One of the most popular world leaders, President of Russia in 2000-2008 and since 2012 – Vladimir #Putin is celebrating his birthday today! #KeepCalm #Putin69”

The image is the latest on a series of hilarious pictures of the Russian leader over the years that seek to represent him as the world’s toughest dude.

Here are some of the best propaganda images of the big man.

The Russian leader in a totally natural pose for his birthday in 2019. Picture: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Putin stops to take in the scenery after shooting an eagle out of the sky with one clean shot. Picture: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

He’s clearly a man of many talents. Picture: Mikhail Klimentyev / Sputnik / AFP

He reportedly scored 39 goals in the game with no help from his teammates. Picture: Mikhail Klimentyev / SPUTNIK / AFP

They call him the Lionel Messi of the ice hockey world. Picture: Alexey Nikolsky / SPUTNIK / AFP

Some people like to go on beach holidays. Putin goes bare-chested into the Siberian wilderness. Picture: AFP

What a man. What a man. What a mighty good man.

His birthday last year wasn’t quite as exciting. Picture: AFP

In case you were wondering how he got his rig. Picture: AFP

Cooling down after a hard day of breaking rocks with his bare hands. Picture: Sputnik via AFP

The grim side of Putin’s birthday

All jokes aside, Presidents Putin’s birthday also marks a grim moment in Russia’s history.

At the same time they marked their leader’s birthday overnight, Russians commemorated the killing of investigative journalist Anna Politkovskaya 15 years ago, while her newspaper warned time had run out to punish the masterminds of the murder.

Ms Politkovskaya, a fierce critic of Putin and the Kremlin’s wars in Chechnya, was shot dead on October 7, 2006, in the entrance hall of her apartment block in central Moscow. She was 48 years old.

Falling on Putin’s birthday, the killing of a top investigative reporter — who worked for Russia’s leading independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta and contributed to Western publications including The Guardian — sent shockwaves around the world.

Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya was killed on President Putin’s birthday 15 years ago. Picture: Natalia Kolesnikova / AFP

But 15 years on, investigators have yet to say who was behind the apparent contract killing.

“Neither I nor Novaya Gazeta have a final understanding of who ordered” the hit, her son Ilya Politkovsky, 42, told AFP on Thursday.

Novaya Gazeta editors say the authorities have no real interest in pursuing the investigation any further for political reasons, and on Thursday the statute of limitations on the crime expired.

– with AFP

Originally published as Vladimir Putin’s hilarious propaganda pictures as the Russian leader turns 69