(Adnkronos) – Russian President Vladimir Putin turns 72 today, the 21st time he will celebrate his birthday while holding the highest office in the state. As in previous years, Tass writes, the head of state will celebrate his birthday at work. Putin usually begins receiving congratulations from foreign leaders in the form of telegrams and phone calls in the morning. Several private work meetings are scheduled for the first half of the day. In the evening, Putin will meet with the heads of state of the CIS, who will gather in Moscow ahead of tomorrow’s summit.
Putin never talks publicly about his birthday, the Russian agency points out, and tries to avoid drawing unnecessary attention to the subject. “It’s my birthday, it’s not a national holiday. It seems immodest to me to exaggerate the importance of this event,” the head of state explained. He prefers to celebrate October 7 with friends and family. Despite his busy schedule, the president tries to allow himself at least one evening for his family.
