Party-loyal apparatchiks at propaganda New Year’s speech
Putin surrounds himself with extras instead of soldiers for the New Year’s speech
For the first time, Putin did not hold his New Year’s speech in the Kremlin, but in front of soldiers. It’s just stupid that the heroes Putin surrounds himself with seem to be pro-party extras and apparatchiks instead of soldiers – who are often seen next to Putin.
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A picture that looks like a hero painting.
Daniel KestenholzEditor night duty
Russia’s war president Vladimir Putin (70) broke with a longstanding tradition and held his New Year’s speech from a military headquarters. Otherwise, Putin always shows up in the Kremlin courtyard at the end of the year. At this year’s speech, Putin has soldiers posing in the background, staring gravely and heroically at the camera.
According to Kremlin propaganda, they are all deserving soldiers. Putin still awarded medals. On extras, it seems. Because the whole show has a catch. Various soldiers appear to be actors, apparatchiks and functionaries. The same faces have been seen at various Putin events.
Internet sleuths have meticulously analyzed photos. A middle-aged woman with blond hair is particularly striking. She stands right behind Putin and, like everyone else posing, is wearing a uniform. Instead, she arguably has more stage than combat experience. The mysterious blonde has appeared in various Putin propaganda videos.
Propaganda like in Soviet times
The woman with the light hair likes to stand next to purely male colleagues, either as a sailor or as a churchgoer. She has been spotted on a ship with Putin alongside three men who also appear regularly in Russian propaganda. They are said to have been present both on the boat and at the service, where the blonde was standing right behind Putin.
The woman is apparently Serguhina Larissa Borisovna (57), a deputy from Novgorod near St. Petersburg. Borisovna is a member of the Regional Duma of the Legislative Supervision Commission.
Putin vassals loyal to the regime and paid actors probably look better in front of the camera than worn-out, hungry, poorly equipped soldiers, of whom Putin doesn’t seem to have enough at the front – which the Kremlin general still hasn’t dared to go to after more than ten years months of war.