Shirtless Vladimir Putin is back, on his official 2022 calendar Photographs of a shirtless Vladimir Putin had generated memes and jokes back in 2017. The Russian President had defended the picture by categorically stating that he has "no reason to hide". MONEYCONTROL NEWS DECEMBER 23, 2021 / 09:12 AM IST

 

Vladimir Putin's 2022 calendar comes in eight languages. (Image credit: www.putin-calendar.com)

Russian President Vladimir Putin had grabbed eyeballs four years ago with his shirtless photograph, showing him relaxing after a fishing trip. That was 2017. Ever since, his annual calendars are an eagerly-awaited product.

His official calendar for 2022 features the Russian leader in 12 photographs, including a shirtless Putin holding a rifle.

The wall calendar comes in eight languages: English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Chinese, Japanese and Russian. It costs €17.99 (Rs. 1,538.96) online.

Other photographs in the 2022 edition captures Vladimir Putin, 69, in various moments; work and play. Photos include that of him playing with his two dogs and him petting a leopard cub. He is seen in the ice hockey rink in another photo.

Photographs of the shirtless Russian leader had generated memes and jokes back in 2017. Putin remained unfazed and had defended the picture by categorically stating that he has "no reason to hide".

Another viral image from 2017, released by Kremlin, was of him riding a horse, half-naked.

In a report published by the Business Insider, Putin’s interview with the Austrian reporter, Armin Wolf is quoted where he says that he finds no reason to hide behind the bushes when he is on a vacation and there is nothing wrong with that.

Wolf had asked Putin about the background on his half-naked photos, stating, “There are many photos of you half-naked, which is rather unusual for a head of state. These photos were not taken by paparazzi or tourists. They were published by the Kremlin. What is the story behind these photos?”

Putin calmly replied, “You said 'half-naked' not 'naked,' thank God. When I am on vacation I see no need to hide behind the bushes, and there is nothing wrong with that.”