Black belt, pilot, muscles: Putin uses his masculine athlete image with tactics

In the West, adjectives for Vladimir Putin are often dictator, genocidal, autocrat, especially after the invasion of Ukraine. But in Russia, the government’s propaganda machine uses sports to keep the president’s popularity high.

The so-called “esportokratura” is an expression coined by the Frenchman Lukas Aubin, a specialist in Russian geopolitics and sports at the University of Paris-Nanterre, mixing the words “sport” and “kratos” (from Greek mythology, power). ) and “nomenklatura” (the phrase referring to the Soviet elite).

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The goal, as Aubin explains, is to create a political, economic and sporting system to “organize the population, promote patriotism, maintain the exercise of power, and allow the country to positively or simply exist on the international stage.” In an interview. To the newspaper O Globo in 2021.

And to create this system, the Russian president abuses photos in which he shows his masculinity, masculinity and expertise in some sports.

In the summer of 2010, he flew a fire helicopter to fight the fires that threatened Moscow. He was then photographed preparing a barbecue, showing off with a pistol at the shooting range, and posing in gym clothes while training his pectoral muscles at the gym.

In addition, Putin has already shown that:

• Knock down opponents on the mat in judo fights.
• Studying a Polar Bear’s Teeth in the Arctic
• Study a tiger in Siberia (both under anesthesia)
• submarine pilot
• pilot boat
• Fly some kind of motor glider
• Rifle in hand (and shirtless) while hunting in Siberia
• Riding and fishing bareback.

became a meme

One of the most classic scenes is the shirtless, horse-riding photo of the Russian leader who has become a meme several times. What is not missing is the montage from this scene.

These are the images that bring the idea of ​​a strong president.

“This is an image study designed and run by the Kremlin. And because the internet is still free in Russia, if something gets out of control and becomes offensive or displeasing, the Russian government punishes,” Clark professor Valerie Sperling told the BBC. said. University in News Brazil.Massachusetts and author of Sex, Politics and Putin.

black belt in judo

One example of Vladimir Putin’s use of sport in this way as political propaganda is to showcase his skill in judo. The president of Russia graduated in the eighth dance of martial art, which gave the black belt judoka the right to wear the so-called coral belt of red and white colors.

He graduated from the International Judo Federation (IFJ) in 2012 at the age of 60. The eighth dan is one of the highest in the sport, second only to the new and tenth dan.

Years ago, in 2008, Putin released a DVD called “Learn Judo with Vladimir Putin”.

He is also the co-author of a book describing the history, theory, and practice of martial arts.

Because of his involvement with sports, Putin was awarded the title of honorary president and ambassador of the IJF. However, the titles were revoked with the outbreak of the War in Ukraine.

In a brief memo issued by the organization, “Given the ongoing war conflict in Ukraine, the International Judo Federation announces the suspension of conferring the titles Honorary President of the International Judo Federation and Ambassador of the International Judo Federation to Mr. Vladimir Putin.”