Accessibility links

Breaking News

Cossacks Erect Bust Of Putin As A Roman Emperor


Cossacks pose next to a bust of Vladimir Putin in the guise of a ROman emperor.
Cossacks pose next to a bust of Vladimir Putin in the guise of a ROman emperor.

A group of supporters of Vladimir Putin have unveiled a bust of the Russian president depicting him in the heroic guise of a Roman emperor.

Andrei Polyakov, the head of a group of Cossacks near Saint Petersburg, said that the group "wanted to immortalize Vladimir Putin as a conqueror and statesman who returned Crimea to Russia."

Cossacks trace their origins back to horsemen who guarded Tsarist Russia's borders and are fiercely loyal to the Kremlin.

The imitation-bronze bust measuring about 50 centimeters, in which Putin is depicted in a breastplate and flowing toga, was created by sculptor Pavel Greshnikov using an artificial resin.

The bust stands on land owned by a Cossack association around 20 kilometers from Saint Petersburg.

Russia's annexation of Crimea in March 2014 was condemned by Kyiv and the West as an illegal land grab and sparked severe sanctions against Moscow.

Based on reporting by AFP and www.ndtv.com

RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.

If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.

To find out more, click here.

XS
SM
MD
LG