PREVIEW: Putin to celebrate his birthday in office

MOSCOW, October 7. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin is celebrating his birthday today, turning 72. It will be the 21st time that he celebrates his personal holiday in the highest state office.
As in previous years, the head of state will celebrate his birthday at work. As a rule, Putin begins to receive congratulations from foreign leaders in the form of telegrams and telephone calls in the morning. In the first half of the day, a number of private working meetings are scheduled. In the evening, Putin will meet with the CIS heads of state, who are gathering in Moscow ahead of Tuesday’s summit.
 
Hard-working leader
 
According to Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov, the president cannot afford even one day of complete rest. Even within a day, the president does not have specific hours for work and rest – if necessary, he takes reports even at night. As a result, according to the spokesman, Putin is “virtually on duty around the clock.”
 
No lavish celebrations
 
··Putin never speaks publicly about his birthday and tries to avoid drawing unnecessary attention to the subject. “It’s my birthday, it’s not a national holiday. It seems to me immodest to exaggerate the importance of this event,” the head of state emphasized.·He prefers to celebrate October 7 with friends and relatives. Despite his busy schedule, the president tries to leave at least one evening for his family. However, meetings with the leaders of the CIS countries have already become a good tradition.
 
Notable gifts
 
Despite the fact that the head of the Russian state is shy about his holiday, it does not do without gifts. And the gifts received from foreign leaders are almost always with a national flavor.·For example, in 2022 – on his 70th birthday – his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko presented Putin with a Belarus tractor. In 2017, Putin received an Alabai puppy named Verny from Turkmenistan’s former President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov (it’s no secret that the Russian leader loves dogs, and it’s not the first time he’s been given such pets). Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi presented him with a hand-embroidered duvet cover depicting him and Putin standing together against the backdrop of the two countries’ landmarks.