If you're at all familiar with
, you'll probably know how much of a fondness they have for
. Currently in his 13th year of presidency, the Russian statesman and ex-KGB member enjoys a fairly good approval rating from his citizens - even if he has introduced some rather weird and whacky policies in his time.
As well as his regular supporters, though, the 65-year-old leader also has a more extreme set of fans: people who pretty much live for the guy. They have pictures of him in their house, wear clothes adorned with his face, and create intricate works of art depicting their beloved president.
But some people want something a little more subtle than those things. Something discreet. Something tasteful. Fortunately, one eBay seller has just the thing for this demographic: a Vladimir Putin 2018 calendar. And wow, is it something to look at.
In a true display of manliness, the front cover is an image of Putin cozying up to a leopard (because what screams 'Russian' more than a dude manhandling a big cat) while clad in his smartest blue jeans and puffer jacket. As far as first impressions go, it's a pretty good one.
But it only gets better from there.
The eBay seller has also provided some previews of the pictures for some of the months throughout the year - some of which are true Putin classics, such as the 'shirtless while holding a gun' pose, whereas others show a softer side to the President (the 'Putin with small kitten' shot, for instance).
My personal favorite trio of images is the spring into summer months. To start with, you've got March, which features a rather charming shot of Putin absolutely battering a guy in karate. Then, once April rolls around, you'll be treated to a snap of Putin looking into the sun (with protective glasses, of course). Finally, in May, we have a more candid image of the President - though he's slightly obscured by someone saluting in the foreground.
Having said that, Mr. February also has a certain je
ne
sais quois
about him. Maybe it's the ice hockey helmet, or perhaps it's the debonair smile - but there's just something strangely sweet about the guy in this month's feature.
Certainly the best feature of this calendar, however, is that it's available in eight different languages - including English - so those of us who don't get to directly experience the extreme rule of post-communist Russia can still enjoy its imagery in our own homes.
Ok, so I might be being a little facetious about this whole thing, but - in the time it's taken me to write this - I've sort of found myself wanting a copy of this bizarre calendar. Yes, it's kinda creepy, and yeah, I definitely cringed at a few (pretty much all) of the pictures. But it's also one of those things that are just so weird you know it'll probably end up being worth a few bucks in the future.
So if you're a fan of mother Russia, or Putin, or just really bizarre calendars, go check it out on eBay.
