Putin cast as national savior ahead of Russia election

Long presented as the bare-chested, macho leader who defends Russia against the West, President Vladimir Putin now has a rather more mystical image in state media. With elections looming in March, leading state-controlled TV channels are roping in religion to cast him as a national savior who healed Russia’s historical divisions and rescued the nation from chaos. The main vehicle is a recent documentary on top national channel Rossiya 1 about a monastery widely thought to be Mr Putin’s favourite – Valaam, on a remote archipelago in northern Lake Ladoga. Closed under Soviet rule and almost completely ruined by years of neglect, Valaam has been rebuilt since the collapse of the USSR, with – as the film implies – vital support from Mr Putin.