From Deer Blood Baths to Taking in Quail Eggs

Rumors and speculation bordering Vladimir Putin’s wellness have swirled in recent weeks as Russia’s globally-condemned invasion of Ukraine carries on.

Russian news outlet Meduza has described that some of the Russian political elite are unhappy with the latest predicament but feel that “only a major overall health issue could travel the president from place of work.”

Concerning February 24 when the invasion begun and May perhaps 27 this year, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has killed 4,031 civilians in the region which include 92 women, 100 boys, and 69 children whose sex was not nonetheless recognised in accordance to the Office environment of the UN Substantial Commissioner for Human Rights.

When the Russian leader’s wellness is getting questioned now amid rumors of cancer or Parkinson’s sickness, media reviews in the past have presented a incredibly unique image of Putin—one of a nutritious president with a liking for sporting activities and a dislike of cigarette smoking.

Listed here are some factors about Putin’s lifestyle that have been described in current several years, while Newsweek could not independently verify them.

His ‘Simple’ Diet plan

Numerous studies exist about how Putin’s food plan is effective and what he eats. Back in 2014 Ben Judah, writer of Fragile Empire: How Russia Fell in and Out of Love with Vladimir Putin, wrote in a Newsweek short article based mostly on a number of interviews that the president tends to try to eat a late breakfast explained as “significant” that typically incorporates cottage cheese. Judah also described him as remaining fond of quails’ eggs.

Other studies are a lot more imprecise, like one particular from Pravda, a newspaper as soon as owned by the Soviet communist celebration, which stated that he prefers healthful meals and has a liking for fish, although this is tough to confirm.

Most lately, Russian point out-owned news company TASS mentioned in March 2021 that Putin enjoys food stuff explained as “uncomplicated” but avoids baked meals, citing an interview with Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov in the Argumenty i Fakty newspaper.

A Absence of Smoking and Ingesting

Yet another claim attributed to Peskov is that Putin does not approve of smoking cigarettes and that there usually are not numerous people who smoke in the president’s close circle.

According to TASS in 2019, Peskov explained to reporters: “The president has never accepted of using tobacco mainly because he advocates a nutritious life-style.”

As much as ingesting goes, Putin is not teetotal and has even mentioned himself that he would at times get bottles of German beer sent to him by Germany’s previous chancellor Angela Merkel.

“Angela sends me some bottles of Radeberger beer from time to time,” he stated in a 2018 marketing campaign video clip in accordance to EuroNews.

But he has been crucial of Russia’s consuming society and in 2010 put plans in area to slice liquor usage in Russia in 50 % inside a ten years. A Planet Health and fitness Firm report 9 a long time afterwards observed that Russia, which it stated “has lengthy been thought of one of the heaviest-drinking international locations in the earth,” noticed its liquor usage lower by 43 p.c from 2003 to 2016.

Sporty Picture

It has prolonged been known that Putin has a well-crafted macho and sporty persona. In excess of the years many shots of the chief have been produced by Russia’s presidential push services like snapshots of him hunting, flying on a motorized dangle glider, fishing shirtless, and participating in hockey.

“As Putin reaches his 60th birthday, it’s quite essential for him to portray the graphic of vigor, youth, health and fitness, dynamism,” Clifford Gaddy, a Brookings Institute economist specializing in Russia, advised Politico back in 2014. Putin is now 69.

Former U.S. president Barack Obama had a notable viewpoint on the way Putin was offered or presented himself a number of yrs back. “My feeling is which is section of his shtick again household politically as seeking to appear like the difficult male,” he explained to NBC News.

Deer Blood Assert

Before this yr, Russian investigative information outlet Proekt documented that Putin would at times bathe himself in blood received from deer antlers—an activity that is “torturous” for the animals but allegedly has wellbeing benefits in accordance to its advocates, nevertheless there is not conclusive proof for this.

The exercise was initially proposed to Putin by Sergei Shoigu, then-head of the Ministry of Crisis Scenarios in the mid-2000s and Putin has allegedly gone on to do it a number of moments.