Russian President Vladimir Putin has been portrayed as Santa in an anti-Western propaganda video launched on the nation’s social media.
The movie – made by a manufacturing firm referred to as Sign – depicts ‘Santa Putin’ swapping {a photograph} of a kid’s same-sex dad and mom for one in every of a mom and father, and gifting the boy being raised as a lady a soccer, toy automobiles and a drum package.
The video feeds into Russian prejudices about Europe and america which have been fuelled by pro-Kremlin propagandists through the warfare in Ukraine to border the battle as a conflict of values between Russia and Ukraine’s western allies.
The clip has been surging on social media in Russia because it was posted, offering a propaganda boon for the Russian chief because it was embarrassingly revealed China’s Xi Jinping demanded a written clarification from Putin on when he plans to finish his warfare in Ukraine, and as his warfare stretched previous its three hundredth day.
Pictured: Russian President Vladimir Putin is portrayed as Santa in an anti-Western propaganda video launched within the nation
The clip exhibits a boy within the West writing and drawing an image for Santa, wishing for conventional male toys in addition to a mom and father. Within the drawing, the kid within the fiction has drawn himself holding fingers with a lady and a person.
Photos on the mantelpiece within the kid’s house present he at the moment has ‘Dad or mum 1’ and ‘Dad or mum 2’ – who’re each proven to be male.
The boy baulks at seemingly being made to decorate like a lady, sad a couple of necklace and hair band, which he discards on the mantle in disgust.
The storyline has the boy being raised towards his will as a lady.
The digicam lingers on books within the kid’s comfy house, exhibiting fictional titles like ‘Straight into Homosexual’, ‘Render me, Gender me’ and ‘Rising up Homosexual’.
It additionally exhibits that the room the boy is in has restricted Christmas decorations. There’s a Christmas tree within the nook, but it surely has no lights on.
The propaganda video depicts a boy (pictured) being raised as a lady in a same-sex family, feeding into Russian prejudices about Europe and america which have been fuelled by pro-Kremlin propagandists
Photos on the mantelpiece within the kid’s house (pictured) earlier than ‘Putin Santa’ arrives present he at the moment has ‘Dad or mum 1’ and ‘Dad or mum 2’ – who’re each proven to be male
The digicam lingers on books within the kid’s comfy house, exhibiting fictional titles like ‘Straight into Homosexual’, ‘Render me, Gender me’ and ‘Rising up Homosexual’ (pictured)
The boy is seen penning a drawing for Santa, wishing for conventional male toys in addition to a mom and father. Within the drawing, the kid within the fiction has drawn himself holding fingers with a lady and a person
After penning the letter to Santa and inserting it in his stocking over the fireside, the kid – carrying pink pyjamas – falls asleep on the couch.
Because the boy is nodding off, a white-bearded Father Christmas seems with a face intently resembling Putin’s. As he arrives, Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s ‘Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy’ – from The Nutcracker ballet – begins to play.
Carrying a purple stocking, ‘Santa Putin’ is then proven busying himself across the room, altering decorations and changing gadgets deemed to be girly with presents that the makers of the video think about to be extra appropriate for a boy.
The digicam pans across the room, exhibiting presents positioned all through. These embody boy’s sneakers and different male clothes, a soccer, a miniature drum package, in addition to a statue of Jesus on the cross nailed to the wall.
That is probably a nod to Russian propagandists usually discussing a perceived erosion of Christian values within the west. The boy was additionally proven praying earlier within the clip.
The presents have changed all of the ‘girly’ gadgets, such because the clothes, that had been scattered across the room earlier than Putin Santa arrives. In the meantime, there are much more Christmas decorations, with dozens of lights seen flashing within the room.
Because the boy (bottom-right) is nodding off, a white-bearded Father Christmas (top-left_ seems with a face intently resembling Putin’s. As he arrives, Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s ‘Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy’ – from The Nutcracker ballet – begins to play
Carrying a purple stocking, ‘Santa Putin’ (pictured) is proven busying himself across the room, altering decorations and changing gadgets deemed to be girly with presents that the makers of the video think about to be extra appropriate for a boy
The images of ‘Dad or mum 1’ and ‘Dad or mum 2’ are proven to have been modified, now depicting a lady labelled because the ‘Mom’ and a person because the boy’s ‘Father’
Pictured: Santa Putin is seen placing up Christmas ornament’s within the boy’s house
Pictured: Putin Santa lowers his beard as he departs the house, so there isn’t a doubt at his supposed id. He winks and smiles, earlier than strolling off into the night time
Putin has sought to painting the West as searching for to impose its ‘alien’ values on Russia, a message this video seeks to use. Pictured: Putin takes a baby’s request pinned in written kind to a fir tree throughout an occasion held as a part of the ‘Fir Tree of Needs’ charity marketing campaign, in Moscow on Thursday
What’s extra, the photographs of ‘Dad or mum 1’ and ‘Dad or mum 2’ have modified, exhibiting a lady labelled because the ‘mom’ and a person because the boy’s ‘father’.
As he walks in entrance of the mirror over the mantelpiece, Santa’s face turns into extra clear, exhibiting a transparent likeness to the Russian President. He glances on the digicam, earlier than subsequent being proven exterior to look at because the boy discover his presents.
The boy wakes up smiling to search out his new soccer and a transformer toy, and appears out the window to the place Santa is watching from.
The Putin Santa lowers his beard as he departs so there isn’t a doubt at his supposed id. He winks and smiles, earlier than strolling off into the night time.
A message then seems on the display, which says: ‘Expensive Santa – Thanks and Merry Christmas! From all youngsters of the world.’
Putin has sought to painting the West as searching for to impose its ‘alien’ values on Russia, a message this video seeks to use.
