Political Pinups: Putin vs. Sarkozy

LONDON, Aug. 23, 2007 — -- In an age when male presidential candidates are pilloried for paying too much attention to appearance, it is perhaps surprising that bare-chested pictures of Russian President Vladimir Putin on holiday have drawn so much comment — largely positive — from the Russian media, public and blogosphere.

Wednesday, the Russian tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda even published a "how to get a body like Putin" exercise guide, accompanied by a huge color photograph of him.

According to reporters at the paper, female visitors to its Web site had posted comments full of admiration for the Russian leader's "vigorous torso." They "were screaming with delight and showering [him] with compliments," the paper reported.

And the approving cheers are apparently not limited to women. Russian gay chat rooms and blogs also expressed appreciation for the photographs, with some bloggers speculating that, by stripping off his shirt, the president was somehow asking for greater tolerance of homosexuality in Russia.

The Kremlin, which has prominently displayed the images of a bare-chested Putin on its official Web site, has not commented on such conjecture, but that hasn't stopped the Russian media or the public from paying rapt attention to these pictures.

When ABC News spoke to Moscovites about the photographs, all the women, regardless of age or background, seemed to agree on one thing: The Russian president is looking good.

Elena, a 20-something secretary, looked at the pictures and said, "I think it's great. I think he's attractive."

An elegantly dressed older woman was a touch more forthcoming about her reaction to the photographs: "If I were 10 years younger …"

And, according to radio journalist Lyuda, "All the 20- and 30-something girls in my office thought the president looked very sexy."

Even men acknowledged a grudging admiration for their athletic leader. Sergei, a security guard working in Moscow, said, "This is a good photo. It shows how sportive he is."