Putinomania

Putinomania gradually became an element of Russian life. New textbooks were introduced in the schools of Saint Petersburg, Putin’s hometown, that described the childhood of Uttle Volodya Putin. That meant something to people who had learned to read with books about the childhood of litde Volodya Ulyanov (Lenin).

The Putin cult is most visible in his native St. Petersburg. The city is in the vanguard of Putinomania. One local sculptor is preparing a bronze bust. […] The pompous celebrations in 2003 marking the 300th anniversaiy of the founding of the city threw oil on the flames of Putinomania.

Putinomania was stoked throughout the country, as state-owned media pictured Putin daily, meeting national and regional leaders and making an unprecedented number of foreign trips. Russia was once again a player on the international stage, to be respected and taken into account.