21 Photos Of Vladimir Putin That Will Melt Your Heart
He has time for young fans ...
... greeting them in the street ...
... and enjoying tea with them.
He loves animals.
The two dogs here are an Akito-Inu called Yume (front), and a Bulgarian Shepherd called Buffy.
Buffy was a gift from Bulgaria's Prime Minister Boiko Borisov.
He loves creatures of all shapes and sizes ...
From elks ...
... to dolphins ...
... and tigers.
He's always joking.
He enjoys visiting schools ...
... and attending graduations.
In his spare time he likes to read ...
... socialize with friends ...
... go bowling ...
... and play piano.
The Kremlin has tried to portray something of a bromance between Putin and Dmitry Medvedev, Russia's former president and current prime minister.
Here they are fishing.
Many people believe these images are cynical photo opportunities.
Still it does seem somewhat genuine sometimes, like when he cried after winning re-election last year.
The other side of Putin...
Editor's note: This story was first published in 2013 and does not meet Insider's current editorial standards. For full transparency, we have decided not to take this article down. Please contact esb@insider.com if you would like to flag concerns about any of Insider's content.
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