Russia’s 2026 calendars of Vladimir Putin have been released, and they’re as weird as ever.
Each year, Russian media Komsomolskaya Pravda makes a calendar featuring photographs and the dictator’s most inspirational quotes.
2026 is no different. Putin is spotted on a snowmobile in a parka, lighting candles in church and hiking.
‘Russia’s border never ends,’ one page reads, showing Putin in the snowy Russian wilderness.
In February, the leader is seen flipping a partner during a judo session. That month’s quote?
‘I am a dove, but I have very powerful iron wings.’
The calendars are often found hanging in governmental offices, schools and other areas across the country, paying homage to the man who’s held an iron grip in Russia for more than 20 years.
This year is also a far cry from others, where he was pictured riding horseback in Siberia shirtless.
Perhaps age has caught up with the 73-year-old leader, though the Kremlin would never admit that.
Earlier this month, photographs of Putin’s hands sparked debate about the state of his health yet again.
Viewers noticed ‘bulging veins’ and a ‘swollen’ look on his fists, which he kept clenched in an odd position during a meeting with the chair of a Russian youth sports programme.
The skin on his hands also appeared considerably more wrinkled and discoloured than on other parts of his body.
Footage of the moment sparked speculation on social media, with some arguing it could be another sign of a neurological condition such as Parkinson’s.
Ukrainian TV host Dmytro Gordon said: ‘Putin clenches his hands into something resembling fists.
‘They look swollen and sore, with veins bulging prominently on one hand.’
The Kremlin has repeatedly dismissed any suggestions their leader is in anything other than perfect health as ‘hoaxes’.
Over the previous year, he has been spotted wobbling or swaying during public appearances and gripping onto things to steady himself.
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