Putin Has Siberian Birthday as Russians Show Their Love
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President Vladimir Putin’s 62nd birthday today prompted public displays of reverence for the Russian leader.
While Putin took a rare day off and disappeared from the public eye to celebrate in the Siberian wilderness, shoppers thronged to buy iPhone cases and sweatshirts bearing his portrait, often with military headgear, at the GUM department store on Moscow’s Red Square. Artists Anna Trifonova and Ivan Yershov, who opened a pop-up outlet at the store for Oct. 6-8, drew inspiration from Andy Warhol and “iconic” images of Che Guevara and James Bond, according to a GUM statement.