Something ‘s Wrong About Putin's Epiphany Ice Hole Diving

Something went wrong.

Putin’s Epiphany diving into the ice hole for several years in a row was one of the main elements of Russian propaganda.

This action was filmed and shown on all television channels in the Russian Federation in order to convince Russians that their president was “in good health,” despite his advanced age.

In particular, this ceremony was actively presented to Russians on the eve of the previous presidential elections in the Russian Federation, held in 2018.

However, for the second year now, the Kremlin has not shown Putin’s diving at Epiphany. This year it looks even more surprising with the upcoming elections.

On Friday, January 19, the day when Christians of the Byzantine tradition living according to the Julian calendar celebrate Epiphany, Kremlin spokesman Peskov said that “this morning Putin traditionally plunged into the ice hole.”

However, no video evidence of this was provided, nor was there any clarification as to where the diving took place.

“This year, the 71-year-old president (Putin — edit.) is running in elections again, and, apparently, he will demonstrate in a different way that he is healthy,” writes the Agency, commenting on the lack of photos or videos of diving.