Eyewitnesses described what Putin looks like in person

A post on the social media platform Threads went viral, asking people who had personally seen Vladimir Putin to share their impressions. Users recalled encounters with the Russian president over the years.

Several accounts repeatedly mentioned Putin’s short stature. One user said he saw Putin in 2004 at an international exhibition in Poznań, Poland, and was surprised by his height. Another recalled a meeting in 1999 and also described Putin as short.

At the same time, the specific figures cited by social media users have not been officially confirmed. Open sources most often estimate Putin’s height at approximately 168–170 cm.

Other eyewitnesses described his appearance and demeanor. In particular, one user described a meeting at the Mariinsky Theatre in 2018, while another recounted a summit in Vladivostok in 2021, where, according to her, Putin was short and wore a noticeable layer of makeup.

Some of the comments were humorous or sarcastic, so such posts should be viewed as users’ personal impressions rather than confirmed facts.

As a reminder, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin visited Iturup Island in the Kuril Islands—which is the subject of a territorial dispute between Russia and Japan—for the first time. Tokyo has already reacted to the Russian leader’s trip and lodged a strong protest with Moscow.

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin claimed that Russians supposedly possess a “genetic code of a winner.” 

Tokyo plans to consider countermeasures following Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s visit to one of the Kuril Islands. Japan considers the archipelago its own territory, which Russia also claims.