Russia’s President Vladimir Putin turned 62 today. To celebrate the occasion, an art exhibition in Moscow decided to portray Putin as the demigod–Hercules. The 12 labours of Hercules may have been tough, but what Putin has to fight is unimaginable. However, we don’t quite remember Hercules strangling an Islamic militant or protecting Russia from EU sanctions with his shield. But, Putin did it! Dubbed “The 12 Labors of Vladimir Putin,” it’s a one-day-only exhibit in Moscow in which the Russian overlord is depicted as for-really-real Hercules. The exhibit portrayed Putin performing 12 Labours of Hercules, beginning with the slaying of the Nemean lion – in this case, Putin strangling a bearded suicide bomber representing terrorism – and ending with the capture of the three-headed dog Cerberus, which symbolised the struggle with the United States and its “unipolar world”. There is even a jab at Ukraine–this portrait shows that. The conflict between the two countries reignited Cold War tensions between Russia and the West. In this picture, Putin holds a globe with only Russia, the Baltics, Ukraine, and Belarus. The muscular Putin is riding the fearsome Crimean ox here. Putin is guiding the ox with a ribbon decorated with Russia’s colors. What does it mean? The peninsula’s breakaway from Ukraine Russia’s annexation of the Crimea. AFP And just in case you didn’t know, here’s Putin the man, not the greek god.
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