Business Insider India has updated its Privacy and Cookie policy. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the better experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we\'ll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies on the Business Insider India website. However, you can change your cookie setting at any time by clicking on our Cookie Policy at any time. You can also see our Privacy Policy.
Russian president Vladimir Putin likes to recharge in nature. Photos released by the Kremlin on Monday, which is notorious for putting out propaganda on his behalf, attests to just that.
While in the past Putin's official photos have featured him doing manly things like hunting or riding horseback shirtless, this is the second year that he was captured wandering through woods and mountains in Siberia.
In a video that was released with the photos, The Telegraph reported it appeared he was limping. He turned 67 on October 7.
Here are some of the best, if not entirely candid, photos of the Russian leader celebrating his birthday.
Putin's love of nature is well-documented by the Russian media. So it made sense that he spent the weekend in the Taiga woods in Siberian mountains, before celebrating his 67th birthday.
Flowers in hand, Putin took a moment to look out wistfully over the mountainous region.
Compared to some of Putin's earlier vacation photo-spreads, where he shot at a gray whale with a crossbow, or collared a polar bear, this year's outing was a little less heroic.
To match the gentle pace of this trip, Putin was equipped with binoculars and walking poles.
Putin was also accompanied by his defense chief Sergey Shoigu. Here, the Russian leaders admire some mushrooms they found. The Moscow Times reported that recent speculation says Shoigu, who is from the region, could be Russia's next president.
Later the pair rested and had some tea. Last year, Putin celebrated his birthday with former Italian leader Silvio Berlusconi, and he celebrated another birthday with China's leader Xi Jinping, where they dined on sausages and vodka.
With Putin's ratings sitting at the lowest they've been since 2001, it looks to be a long walk home. Luckily, he took with him a pine cone to remember his iconic mountainside wander, while Shoigu took a cowberry bush he plans to plant at his country home.
