MOSCOW, Oct 8: Supporters planted Vladimir Putin’s portrait on a mountain peak on Sunday as Russia marked his 60th birthday with adulation worthy of the Soviet era, but some mocking protesters portrayed him as a pensioner fit for retirement. A wave of satire including comparisons to Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev, whose 18-year rule until his death could be surpassed by Putin if he seeks and wins a fourth term in 2018, has hurt his macho image as he has faced the biggest opposition protests since he was first elected president in 2000. (agencies)
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