President Putin becomes 'living advertisement' for Top 7 popular products

vn.sputniknews.com July 13, 2019 12:02

The head of any country is constantly under the scrutiny of the press and the public. Often, the country's leader becomes a "living advertisement" for the goods he uses. President Vladimir Putin is no exception.

1. Lada Kalina car

In 2010, when Vladimir Putin was Prime Minister, he made a car run in a Lada Kalina on the Khabarovsk - Chita highway.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin (pictured) started his trip on the new Chita - Khabarovsk highway in a Lada Kalina. Photo: Sputnik

Mr. Putin drives a Lada Kalina Sport with a 1.6l engine and manual transmission. Prime Minister Putin's Kalina is equipped with GLONASS navigation equipment.

After the trip, Mr. Putin praised the car. “This car is great. Listen, I didn’t even expect it. I’m not exaggerating,” Mr. Putin admitted.

Fans of Putin and the domestic auto industry, who wanted to buy a car, immediately called the AvtoVAZ plant.

2. Soft drink “Vyatsky kvas”

In December 2014, during a press conference of Vladimir Putin, a reporter from Kirov, Vladimir Mamatov, asked the Russian president about the soft drink “Vyatsky kvas”. The reporter spoke about the problems facing the regional brand, “although in terms of taste and price, it can beat Coca-Cola”.

In response, the Russian president promised that the government would try to help Russian producers "reclaim the Russian national market."

Just a few minutes after the speech of journalist Vladimir Mamatov, “Vyatsky kvas” became popular on social networks and the production company began to receive many requests for cooperation.

3. Thermos cup

During a banquet for participants of the G20 Summit in Osaka this year, President Vladimir Putin drank tea from a thermos cup, which subsequently sold very well, with sales unexpectedly increasing.

This is not the first time Vladimir Putin has appeared at major events with his termo cup. The first time it happened was at a press conference in 2014. Then, the Russian president drank hot tea from a white cup printed with the Russian coat of arms.

President Putin uses a tea cup printed with the Russian coat of arms. Photo: Sputnik

Currently, this type of cup is selling very well in China. On the country's largest online trading platform Taobao, the "Putin cup" has broken sales records. The white thermos cup with the golden Russian emblem is sold for 50-200 yuan, that is, from 400 to 1800 rubles.

4. Judo

All Russians know that President Vladimir Putin is very fond of sports. At the age of 21, Putin became a master in Judo.

Russian President Vladimir Putin during a training session with members of the Russian national judo team. Photo: Sputnik

In 1999, the head of state's book was published in collaboration with Vasily Shestakov and Alexei Levitsky on practical exercises "Learning Judo with Vladimir Putin". There is also a film where the Russian President demonstrates the skills of this martial art.

Now in Russia, judo is very popular. In children's judo classes not only boys but also girls practice it. The great credit for this belongs to President Vladimir Putin.

5. Hockey

Vladimir Putin is a big sports fan, hockey is another hobby of his. The president has been involved in the sport for quite some time.

President Vladimir Putin plays hockey. Photo: Sputnik

According to the official portal of the head of state, in 2011 he promised the participants of the Student Olympics held in Türkiye to learn figure skating.

The promise was made, so Putin began to learn. Famous hockey player Alexei Kasatonov coached the Russian head of state for two months.

On April 15, 2011, Putin attended a training session of young hockey players before the final match of the "Golden Puck" tournament. At that time, Putin hit the puck into the opponent's net several times.

6. Clock

The president's watches have been the subject of media attention on several occasions. According to various media reports, Putin wears a Blancpain Leman Aqua Lung Large Date.

Putin's watch costs about $11,000. This watch was produced in a limited edition of 2,005 pieces.

During an official visit to Tula province in 2009, the head of state was shown factories that were ahead of the pace of economic development. After discussing important topics, a factory worker asked the president to give him something as a souvenir. Mr. Putin took off his watch and gave it to the worker. A year earlier, the president had given a similar watch to the son of a shepherd in the Republic of Tuva.

Of course, such expensive watches are unlikely to be popular among the Russian population. However, it has been noticed that a number of politicians and businessmen have followed the president's example and bought watches of the same brand as him.

7. Sochi

During Vladimir Putin's time in power, the city of Sochi has become famous as a resort and sports center of Russia.

In 2007, Sochi was chosen as the capital of the XXII Winter Olympic Games. On September 15, 2009, Sochi joined the International Olympic Cities Alliance.

January 3, 2013. Russian President Vladimir Putin (center, front row) during a visit to the Krasnaya Polyana ski resort in Sochi. The Russian head of state talks to skiers and looks at the tracks. Photo: Sputnik

Sochi became the first subtropical climate city to host the Winter Olympics - from February 7 to 23, 2014.

To host the Olympics, over the next 5-6 years a lot of sports facilities and infrastructure were built, located in two clusters along the coast and in the mountains.

In 2018, the city hosted World Cup matches.

In addition, President Putin himself also spends time resting and relaxing in Sochi. In 2011, Vladimir Putin performed several downhill skiing runs from the Olympic base in Krasnaya Polyana, Sochi.

In Sochi there is the official residence "Bocharov Ruchei" of the President, where he receives guests and is rumored to be his favorite place to rest.

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