Why Was This Image Of Vladimir Putin Banned In Russia?

New Delhi: A 2017 picture depicting Russian President Vladimir Putin in drag in full makeup has resurfaced on social media four years later.

The photo was shared by a group called All Star Boxing Media.

This is what the Tweet says: Hey, so does anyone remember that art piece from 2017 that pissed Putin off so much that it was literally banned in Russia? I think we should make it viral again. 😁 Go Fuck Yourself Putin!

The picture is cited on the Russian justice ministry’s long list (4,074 entries) of banned “extremist” materials. No 4,071 states that the poster, depicting Putin with painted eyes and lips, implies “the supposed nonstandard sexual orientation of the president of the Russian Federation,” according to a report in The Guardian.

The image is believed to be similar to the one used on signs during protests against Russia’s anti-gay laws. Photoshopping makeup on images of Putin became common since Russia passed a law banning gay ‘propaganda’ in 2013.

The ban was a result of a verdict by a regional court in May 2016. A man named AV Tsvetkov uploaded the image alongside others that portrayed Putin and the prime minister, Dmitry Medvedev, in Nazi uniforms. Court documents say he also shared racist images. The court banned about a dozen of the pictures he uploaded between June 2013 and October 2014, The Guardian reported quoting Moscow Times.

A quick search of the Russian social media site shows some users are sharing similar images of Putin despite the ban. On Twitter, users were similarly amused.