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#PutinShirtlessChallenge: When the Russian president inspired people to shed clothes
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s shirtless photos enjoying the sun in the Siberian region of Tyva have inspired men, women and children the world over to imitate Putin and flaunt their topless torsos.
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s shirtless photos enjoying the sun in the Siberian region of Tyva have inspired ‘alpha’ males the world over.
Pavel Durov, the founder of social networking sites VKontakte and Telegram, kickstarted the #PutinShirtlessChallenge, prompting men, women and children to imitate Putin and flaunt their topless torsos.
There are only two rules, Pavel wrote on an Instagram post with a picture of himself: “no photoshop, no pumping. Otherwise you’re not an alpha”.
People around the world took the opportunity to show off their torsos and #PutinShirtlessChallenge already has over 2.5K posts.
Some posted their pictures next to that of the president for others to draw a comparison:
Women and children decided to follow President Putin’s footsteps:
Putin has appeared shirtless on a holiday on many occasions. From swimming butterfly in the Siberian sea, spear-fishing in a camouflage wetsuit to riding a horse bare-chested, his press team has released photos of his summer jaunts all as part of the efforts “to cultivate an image of a man fit and ready to lead Russia”, as The Guardian reported.
Putinspiration, a parody account on Instagram with over 25K followers, couples motivational lines with pictures of the President engaging in physical activities.
