Vladimir Putin, Russia's diminutive ex-spy-cum-president-cum-prime-minister-cum-president has gone to great lengths, distances, and depths to cultivate his image as a swashbuckling man of action. Here are some of the Russian leader's most glaringly, er, robust photo ops over the years.
Vladimir Putin's Lessons In Machismo
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1
A shirtless Putin famously hunts in the foothills of the Sayan Mountains in the Republic of Tuva in August 2007.
2
Putin helps scientists tag a Siberian tiger in August 2008.
3
Putin swims the butterfly during a vacation outside the town of Kyzyl in southern Siberia in August 2009.
4
A shirtless Putin rides a horse during a vacation in the Republic of Tuva in August 2009.
5
Putin inside a submersible during a dive into the depths of Lake Baikal in August 2009.
6
Putin throws a Japanese judo expert during an exhibition in Tokyo in September 2000.
8
Putin inspects the cockpit of the new Sukhoi T-50 stealth fighter jet at Gromov Airfield in June 2010.
13
Putin hits the slopes at the Krasnaya Polyana ski center outside Sochi, venue of the 2014 Winter Olympics.