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Gay Russians claim bare-chested Putin as one of their own

When Vladimir Putin stripped down to the waist for the cameras, his muscled torso made headlines around the world.

And one week on, the ripples are still being felt in Russia, where he has become a sex symbol, the inspiration for men to start pumping iron, and the new darling of the gay lobby.

Few could have predicted the explosion of gossip and speculation that followed the publication of the pictures, taken while the president holidayed with Prince Albert II of Monaco in the Siberian mountains.

Yesterday, the Russian mass-market newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda published a huge colour photo of the barechested president, under the headline "Be Like Putin".

The picture illustrated a guide to the exercises needed to build up a torso like that of the Russian leader.

The paper reported that women who visited its website posted comments on Putin's "vigorous torso" and said they "were screaming with delight and showering him with compliments."

Russian gay chatrooms and blogs were particularly intrigued by the photos.

Some claimed that Putin, by stripping to his waist, was pleading for more tolerance of homosexuality in Russia - where gays and lesbians are for the most part forced to remain closeted.

One satirical photo circulating on the internet jokingly compared the fishing and riding adventure to the movie Brokeback Mountain, a love story about gay cowboys.

The 54-year- old leader, who is married with two daughters, has long cultivated an image of machismo.

Well-known as a downhill skier and black belt in judo, he has appeared on national television driving a truck, operating a train, sailing on a submarine and co-piloting a fighter jet.

In contrast to his predecessor Boris Yeltsin, notorious for his drunken antics, Putin has established an image as energetic, sober and sharp-witted.

Political commentators have been trying to guess what kind of message these latest pictures might send, given that he has insisted he plans to step down at the end of his second presidential term next year - as required by the constitution.

One Russian radio talk show host speculated that the photos were meant to enhance Putin's personal appeal to voters - a strong signal that he does not plan to relinquish power.

But Stanislav Belkovsky, head of the country's National Strategy Institute think-tank, said the images were nothing more than an effort to reassure Russians that their leader can relax, and really is preparing for retirement.

Yevgeny Volk, who heads the Heritage Foundation's Moscow office, said the political elite increasingly views Mr Putin as a lame-duck leader and that half-naked photos only strengthen the impression that he should not be taken seriously.

Is PM Putin Abba's Biggest Fan?



Russia's Prime Minister has sought to burnish his credentials as the hard man of world politics in recent years.

Mr Putin has saved a TV crew from a pouncing tiger in Russia's Far East. He has also shown off his muscles, posing bare chested for photographers on a fishing trip in 2007.

But the former KGB agent - who is a black belt in judo - has now revealed a softer side.

It has emerged that he has a secret liking for kitsch pop.

Mr Putin recently enjoyed a performance from the Abba tribute band, Bjorn Again, at the resort of Lake Valdai, about 200 miles north of Moscow.

The ersatz pop stars thumped out Abba's greatest hits, including Waterloo, Money, Money, Money, Dancing Queen and Mamma Mia.

Mr Putin allegedly even got up and threw some shapes to the anthemic Super Trouper.

Bjorn Again's manager, Rod Stephens, told Sky News : "It was bizarre, out of the ordinary. It doesn't normally happen that such a famous person would call on Bjorn Again to do a gig."

According to Mr Stephens, when the performers arrived they were ushered towards a small stage.

It had a gauze curtain around it so the performers found it difficult to see and interact with the audience.

But he went on to say that the band could distinctly make out Vladimir Putin through the material.

"Putin was wearing a suit and a bow tie. There was a lady there who we are calling Lady X, she wasn't a hefty old woman. There was plenty of speculation about whether it was his wife or not."

Last year the Kremlin denied allegations that Mr Putin had divorced his 52-year-old wife, Lyudmila, and was engaged to the beautiful Russian gymnast Alina Kabaeva. She is a mere 25.

Mr Stephens added: "The interaction was quite interesting. We invite people to dance along and to the delight of the band we could see Putin dancing along. He was even heard shouting out 'Bravo' after a number of songs. It appeared he had a great time."

The band says they were paid £20,000 for the hour-long performance. It was held amid tight security.

Mr Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov has denied Bjorn Again's claims. Mr Peskov insisted that his boss did not attend any such concert.

The former president is not the only music fan in the Kremlin - his hand-picked successor, Dmitry Medvedev, has confessed to being a fan of British heavy metal bands including Black Sabbath.

And, going one step further, deputy chief of staff Vladislav Surkov - said to be the Kremlin's chief ideologist - has written several songs for veteran Russian rock band Agata Kristi.

taken while the president holidayed with Prince Albert II of Monaco in the Siberian mountains.