Russian President Vladimir Putin, dressed in practically nothing but a pair of blue swimming trunks, immersed himself in the freezing water of a cross-shaped pool close to Moscow on Tuesday, observing an Orthodox Christian ritual to mark the feast of Epiphany.
Russian state tv broadcast footage of Putin, with the air temperature at minus 14 Celsius (6.8 Fahrenheit), removing a sheepskin coat to enter the icy waters and submerging himself 3 occasions beneath the surface, in front of an ice-sculpted cross.
Putin, 68, grew up below Communist rule exactly where open shows of religion have been frowned upon. As president, he has come to be a frequent attender of Russian Orthodox ceremonies, and has provided the church a big voice in society.
Each year on Epiphany, Orthodox believers immerse themselves in rivers and lakes to commemorate the baptism of Jesus Christ in the River Jordan.
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