Vladimir Putin Turns 62. Gets Hercules Tribute

Members of a pro-Putin Facebook group in Moscow’s “Red October” showspace (formerly the site of a chocolate factory by the same name) held an art exhibit on Monday to honor Russian President Vladimir Putin on the occasion of his 62nd birthday, October 7, 2014. The exhibit compares Putin to the Greek hero Hercules and is called “The 12 Labors of Putin.”

BBC anchor says #Putin enjoys more approval rating today than Hercules as this exhibition takes off. @PutinRF_Eng pic.twitter.com/dFaVa2LOGD

— Tarun Shukla (@shukla_tarun) October 7, 2014

New York Magazine has this translation of the message posted by the organizers on Facebook: “”Interestingly, the events of the ancient legends about the mythological hero Hercules can be relayed onto our days, when the three-headed dog Cerberus reminds us of the USA, annihilation of the Stymphalian Birds — of stopping the air raids in Syria and the cleaning of the Augean stables is fighting corruption.” They also have close-ups and descriptions of each of the “12 Labors”.

So far there is nothing about the Russian leader’s birthday or the art exhibit on the President of Russia website.