Overview
- Russia has released 2026 Vladimir Putin calendars with monthly photos and new quotations, sold cheaply nationwide by multiple publishers.
- Images highlight judo throws, snowmobiling, piano playing and religious observance while avoiding direct depictions of the war in Ukraine.
- Quotations emphasize nationalism and sovereignty, including “Russia’s border never ends” and “I am a dove, but I have very powerful iron wings.”
- Analysts say the annual series operates as personality-cult merchandise that casts Putin as a dependable “man for every season.”
- This year drops the shirtless action poses as renewed scrutiny of Putin’s appearance fuels health speculation that the Kremlin dismisses as hoaxes.