Putin’s supporters turn up idolatry for 60th

Kremlin officials like to insist Russian President Vladimir Putin does not care for big birthday bashes and that he was to spend his 60th yesterday quietly celebrating with close friends and family in his home city, St Petersburg.

However, the president’s supporters don’t appear to have received the memo, and so the day saw an unprecedented exhibition of Putin-idolatry.

Much of it, like the fawning, up-close-and-personal profile on Kremlin- friendly television channel NTV, looked like propaganda.