Russia's Premier alpha male

Tom Parfitt

 
Vladimir Putin in Ubsunur Hollow Biosphere Reserve in Tuva Republic recently.

Moscow: In one picture he stands with a fish in one hand and a dagger at his belt. In another he shoulders a rifle and braces his leg on a rock. And in a third he displays his tender side, rubbing his cheek on the snout of a horse. What can it be but the latest photo-shoot with Vladimir Putin? Aides to the Russian Prime Minister have released a series of images from his recent trip to a nature reserve in the central-southern Siberian region of Tuva, which borders Mongolia.

Dressed in a camouflage jacket and trousers and wearing his trademark sunglasses, Mr. Putin poses like a professional model in an outdoor clothes catalogue.

The pictures join a growing library of the Premier's action moments previously captured on camera: dropping a water bomb on a fire, fishing topless and steering a Harley Davidson tricycle.

Mr. Putin's office said the new images were from his visits to “specially protected nature territories”. Earlier reports suggested they were taken in the Ubsunur Hollow Biosphere Reserve, a habitat of the snow leopard. It was unclear why Mr. Putin was carrying a rifle with telescopic sights.

Political analysts believe Mr. Putin is keen to preserve his image as a man of deeds in case he returns to the presidency in 2012 — projecting himself as a champion of nature is an uncontroversial way of doing that. — © Guardian Newspapers Limited, 2010