Photographs: www.premier.gov.ru
Not many prime ministers are known to flaunt their body; actually, not many are known for their physical fitness, either.
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is clearly in a minority of one.
The 56-year-old showed off his toned torso as he indulged in a few outdoor pursuits in southern Siberia on Monday.
Vladimir Putin bares it all in Siberia
A black belt in judo, Putin attributes his fitness to sports activities.
The former Russian Sercret Service officer sported a large cross on a chain as he rode bare-chested through the rugged countryside.
He also showed off an impressive butterfly stroke during a brisk swim in a nearby lake in the mountains of Siberia's Tyva region.Vladimir Putin bares it all in Siberia
During his short visit to Tuva, a remote region with its own language, Putin also found time to go white-water rafting.
He is said to have spent the last few days on vacation taking in a bit of horse-riding, some fishing, and has even been spotted climbing trees.Vladimir Putin bares it all in Siberia
Photographs: Ho New/Reuters
This is not the first time Putin has appeared topless in the press. He removed his shirt during a fishing expedition with Prince Albert of Monaco in the Siberian mountains two years ago.
Clearly believing in the credo 'if you have it, flaunt it', Putin -- then the Russian President -- had the images put up on his official web site as well, setting off debate if it was right for a head of state to show off his physical prowess.
Putin has always maintained an image of machismo. He has been shown on television driving a truck, on a submarine, co-piloting a fighter jet, and running a train.
Natural, perhaps, in a nation that adulates its Olympians and where sports is a byword for excellence. If only it was the same with India as well!
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