19.01.2026 13:21
Russian President Vladimir Putin's dive into icy water as part of the Orthodox Epiphany tradition has become a hot topic on social media. Thousands of users who shared the video commented that the 73-year-old Putin "doesn't look much older than 40."
Images of Russian President Vladimir Putin performing a traditional dive into icy water before the Orthodox Epiphany holiday have sparked widespread reactions on social media.
EVERYONE WHO WATCHED MADE THE SAME COMMENT
Despite being 73 years old, Putin's remarkably fit appearance drew attention, with everyone who watched the video commenting, "He doesn't look like he's past 40."
Putin's ritual was widely shared alongside the call from Russia's special envoy **Kirill Dmitriyev to "unite against evil." In a message published on social media, Dmitriyev emphasized that Russian society should be "united against evil" by sharing Putin's Epiphany dive.
REFERENCING THE "MORAL DECAY" OF THE WESTERN WORLD
In his statement, he used this phrase to defend Russia's traditional Christian values; it was interpreted as a message implying the "moral decay" of the Western world. While this call was positively received by some circles as a call for spiritual clarity, many commentators noted that it contained political propaganda and ideological messaging.
IT MEANS THE WASHING AWAY OF SINS
Putin's annual dive into icy water as part of the Epiphany celebrations holds great symbolic significance in the Russian Orthodox tradition as a ritual for the washing away of sins and spiritual purification.