Sylvie Claire / April 9, 2021
Russian President Vladimir Putin, photographed shirtless during a horseback ride or a fishing trip, has been elected the sexiest man in the country following a survey conducted among 2,000 Russian men and women.
The 68-year-old is the only man to reach double digits in the poll conducted by job board SuperJob. When asked who is the most attractive man in the country, 18 percent of men and 17 percent of women voted for Putin.
But that number is down one percent in each group from the previous year.
Russians still consider Vladimir Putin the most attractive of the country's famous men, says the site. In this field, neither actors, athletes nor other politicians can compete with him today.
Putin has been photographed shirtless - sometimes fishing, holding an amusement or riding a horse - while on vacation in the past. He insisted in 2018 that he was not embarrassed by topless photos and said he saw no need to hide behind the bushes while on vacation.
The photos were widely seen as an attempt to cultivate the powerful image of a man of action. And it seems to have worked, if the latest poll is any indication.
The leader maintained a comfortable lead over his closest competitors, actors Dmitry Nagiyev, Danila Kozlovsky and Konstantin Khabensky, with only 2-3% of respondents finding them most attractive.
The survey was conducted by interviewing 1,000 men and 1,000 women in over 300 cities in Russia between March 22 and 31.
The results were released just days after lawmakers passed a law allowing Putin to remain in power as president until 2036. Spread over a week because of the coronavirus pandemic, the vote, the outcome of which was not in doubt, officially concluded with a yes vote of 77.92% and a turnout of 65%, according to official figures .