Putin’s colourful past: Footage emerges of Russian President on holiday in the 90s

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: