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When Vladimir Putin is away from the Kremlin his spin doctors like to show him riding horseback topless or putting in the odd in man-of-the-match performances in an all-star ice hockey contest. But previously unseen footage published by Finland’s national broadcaster paints a different portrait of the former KGB spy turned autocratic leader. In amateur footage, shot in the early 1990s, a young Putin is seen dressed in a vest, blue Adidas shell suit, his hair unkempt and slightly overweight. The rare holiday footage was taken on a May Day visit to neighbouring Finland shortly after he entered politics as an adviser to Anatoly Sobchak, the mayor of St Petersburg. The president appears camera-shy, quiet and nervous in the videos obtained by YLE from an anonymous source. #russia #ukraine #finland Subscribe to The Telegraph with our special offer: just £1 for 3 months. Start your free trial now:
