Anna Hartz
Putin’s Extreme Hobbies — A Carefully Crafted Image
Many world leaders choose quiet holidays or private retreats when they need to relax. Vladimir Putin is different. Or is he?
For years, the Russian president has preferred an active and often extreme kind of rest, writes Bulgarian news outlet Fakti in a non-critical article on Putin’s hobbies.
The article was written about an interview Putin had with Russian state-owned news agency TASS – a news agency accused of disinformation and propaganda.
Following comes a list of hobbies that TASS claims Putin enjoys in his free time.
Switching Activities
According to the interview, Putin has said he rarely has free time. When he does, he believes that the best way to rest is to switch activities.
Sometimes he even cooks. In 2018, he claimed he makes his own salad, and that his friends enjoy his cooking.
Outdoor Activities
Siberia is one of his favorite places to get away. Later trips included rafting, hiking, riding ATVs, and diving into mountain lakes.
He also enjoys fishing in Murmansk and the Volga delta. Occasionally he visits Valaam, often with Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko. Nature, he says, helps him recharge.
Active Late in Life
Sports play a major role in his routine. He has practiced judo since he was 11 and became a Master of Sports in the 1970s. Today, he combines judo with swimming and gym workouts.
Putin is also known for trying new challenges later in life, the article claims. He took up skiing and, at age 60, learned to skate.
With training, he now plays hockey and has even joined matches in Russia’s Night Hockey League. He says each game makes him lose almost two kilograms.
More Extreme Activities
Extreme adventures are part of his image as well. He has gone rafting, driven a Formula 1 car at 240 km/h, and dived into Lake Baikal.
He once piloted a motorized hang glider to guide endangered cranes. He has also flown military aircraft and submarines.
Books and Language
Books have shaped his passion for adventure. As a boy, he read Jack London, Jules Verne, and Hemingway.
Today, he still reads before bed, usually history, memoirs, or Russian classics. He also keeps up his foreign languages.
He practices German and English weekly, sometimes switching between them during talks with other leaders.
For Putin, rest is never about slowing down. It is about doing something different.
