Super Putin: Do Russians Really Love Their President?
On a cold night in Moscow, in a downtown art gallery, Vladimir Putin is dressed in a red cape, shooting bullets from a gigantic weapon called the “Putin Blaster.” His target? Unclear. But there’s no mistaking his steely gaze, his grim determination. He is here to save us all.
The Russian president isn’t physically at the gallery. He’s the subject of it. Putin the caped crusader is one of 30 eye-catching portraits and sculptures at an exhibition in the Russian capital, all of which portray the former KGB man in heroic, iconic and some might say bizarre poses. There’s Putin winning an ice hockey championship and Putin cuddling a leopard. There’s Putin clad in medieval armor, a Russian flag in his hand, while riding a bear. There’s even Putin holding a portrait of Putin, holding a portrait of Putin, holding a portrait of Putin—and so on—like a Russian nesting doll.
The name of the exhibition? “Super Putin.” Its curator is Yulia Dyuzheva, 22, a model, activist and journalism student at Moscow State University. “Super Putin” opened on December 6, the day the Russian president officially announced he was running for re-election in March. It’s a contest he’s certain to win, thereby extending his time in power for another six years. Only Josef Stalin, the Soviet dictator, ruled Russia for longer. “Vladimir Putin is a strong leader who has demonstrated great results,” says Dyuzheva. “We should be grateful to him.”
Many Russians are grateful. For some people, especially the wealthier residents of Moscow and St. Petersburg, the country’s two biggest cities, life has never been better.. Russian life expectancy is now 71, a record high and an increase of six years since 2000, when Putin was first elected. Putin has also boosted spending on the military, restoring something of the Soviet Union’s global influence—a source of pride for millions of people here.
