Moscow:
Twelve Russian women, Moscow State University students, have posed for an erotic calendar to congratulate Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on his 58th birthday, which he celebrates on Thursday. (
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Wearing only expensive-looking underwear, the young women, who are studying to become future journalists, congratulate Putin saying things like: "You put out the forest fires, but I'm still burning!", "You are the best!", "I love you!", "Will you take me as the second pilot?", and "You look better every year."
Fifty-thousand copies of the calendar costing 260 roubles (8.7 US dollars) each reportedly went on sale on Tuesday at one of Moscow's bigger hypermarkets, although two days later it was hard to find one.
Elena Vartanova, dean of the Faculty of Journalism at Moscow State University, was quick to dissociate the institution from the calendar, saying it was a private initiative and that the Faculty was not involved in it.
"I think this calendar is a rather frivolous production, although I don't see any crime in it. The girls and the company who produced that calendar decided that it was possible to formulate their congratulations to the top official in the country in this way, so it is down to their conscience and their taste," Vartanova said.
She said the students would not be punished as the calendar was made outside the university. But she pointed out that she didn't like the name of the Faculty of Journalism printed on the posters.
It is unclear who financed the project and whose idea it was.
Some rumours say the annual was organised by the pro-Kremlin youth movement Nashi. Vartanova could not confirm the rumours, but she did not deny them either.
The student models have refused to speak to the media about their controversial project.
Putin is highly popular among Russian women and regularly appears in the media himself engaged in manly physical pursuits such as fishing and horse riding, in what is perceived in Russia as evidence of his authority and masculinity.
The calendar provoked an outcry in Russia, where many saw it as a government-orchestrated move to boost Putin's popularity on his 58th birthday.
A group of fellow journalism students quickly created their own online calendar with pictures of themselves with their mouths plastered over to protest Putin's policies.
"Who killed Anna Politkovskaya?" asked one of them, referring to the investigative reporter shot four years ago to the day.