Tractor, tiger and bedding: what gave Putin for his birthday

On October 7, Vladimir Putin turned 74 years old. The head of state received congratulations from the leaders of many countries and international organizations. The German edition Frankfurter Rundschau analyzed the tradition of presenting gifts to the Russian president, drawing attention to their unusual nature.

Among those sending the congratulatory cables are leaders of former Soviet republics, including Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko. Putin was also congratulated by Chinese President Xi Jinping, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. US President Donald Trump said that a telephone conversation with his Russian counterpart has not yet taken place, but is planned in the near future.

Frankfurter Rundschau has compiled a list of the most memorable presents that the head of the Kremlin has ever received. The list includes the Belarus-1523.3 tractor donated by Alexander Lukashenko, as well as a crystal crocodile from the former president of Moldova.

Animals hold a special place in the collection of gifts to Putin. The Russian leader was repeatedly given dogs and horses. So, in 2008, the head of state was presented with a tiger cub named Masha, and in 2017, the President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov gave a puppy called Verny. In the same year, Putin received the Ussuri tiger cub.

The publication notes that personal gifts from friends of the politician also differed originality. Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who maintained friendly relations with the Russian president, handed him a set of bedding. The cloth depicted the leaders’ handshakes against the background of the Colosseum and St. Basil’s Cathedral.