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Russian President Vladimir Putin has gone shirtless again! This time he braved a bitter winter snap to cleanse his sins. Yes! You heard that right. Putin took the annual plunge into the icy water of Lake Seliger in a traditional ritual marking the baptism of Jesus. This isn't the first time when the Russian President has grabbed headlines for his shirtless avatar. Earlier, on a trip to Siberia, he has gone sunbathing, fishing and even horse-riding and that too shirtless. Here's are some snaps that show Putin's religious piety and bare-chested machismo.
Russian President Vladimir Putin takes a dip in the water during Orthodox Epiphany celebrations at lake Seliger, Tver region, Russia (Reuters) -
Russian President Vladimir Putin walks down into a hole in the ice before taking a dip in the freezing waters of Lake Seliger during Orthodox Epiphany celebrations in Tver region, Russia (AP image)
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Thousands of Russian Orthodox Church followers will plunge into icy rivers and ponds across the country to mark Epiphany, cleansing themselves with water deemed holy for the day. (AP image)
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Russian President Vladimir Putin bathes in ice-cold water on Epiphany neat St. Nilus Stolobensky Monastery on Lake Seliger in Svetlitsa village, Russia (AP image)
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Russian President Vladimir Putin crosses himself as he bathes in an ice-cold water on Epiphany neat St. Nilus Stolobensky Monastery on Lake Seliger in Svetlitsa village, Russia (AP image)
Russian President Vladimir Putin sunbathes during his vacation in the remote Tuva region in southern Siberia. The picture was taken between August 1 and 3, 2017. (AFP image) -
Russian President Putin was on a hunting and fishing expedition in 2017 in the Republic of Tyva in southern Siberia, on the Mongolian border, some 3,700 kilometres east of Moscow. (AFP image)
He took a fishing and mushroom-hunting trip to Siberia where shirts were optional attire during much of his visit. (AFP image) 
Vladimir Putin — who is also a keen practitioner of martial arts and ice hockey — went spear-fishing, swimming and sunbathing alongside Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu. (AFP image) -
The Russian President also rode a horse in shirtless avatar on holiday in Siberia in 2009. (Reuters)
