I just love Russia's "Man Of The Year" award. The family gathered round the TV, the thrill as debate heats up in the household: who deserves it most, who's the crowd favourite, who's taking bets this year?
And then that crushing realisation that some things are just doomed to happen again and again in a harrowing cycle of inevitability. Like a mad aunt who says "you've grown" every time she sees you, we all know that Vladimir Putin, probable tiger-wrestler and leader of men, will win Russia's "Man Of The Year" award every single year until the day he dies. Just like how he's been winning the award for the past decade.
Despite the country's current economic crisis, a poll conducted by Russian pollsters Public Opinion Foundation found that 68% of Russians believed that Putin was the man of the moment. Runner-up Vladimir Zhirinovsky amassed just 4% of the votes.
The landslide victory marks Putin's 15th consecutive victory in the annual poll. He has won Russia's "Man Of The Year" award every year since he became Prime Minister in 1999. The most depressing thing is that it's probably not even fixed.
This is Putin's second accolade in the end-of-year competitive stakes. Last month, The Advocate named Capo Vlad their "Person Of The Year" – albeit for his aggressive discrimination against Russian LGBT people.
