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Surprise! Putin Diving 'Discoveries' Were Fake

Press secretary sees no cause for 'malicious joy'

By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff

Posted Oct 5, 2011 1:58 PM CDT

(Newser) – You were right, Internet. Vladimir Putin isn’t really a deep sea archaeologist. The once-and-future Russian president’s press secretary has admitted that the video of Putin finding a collection of ancient Greek jugs at the bottom of a Black Sea bay was a setup, the New York Times reports. The artifacts had actually been found “several weeks or days before,” and then planted in water that was all of six feet deep so Putin could “discover” them.

“Naturally, they either left them there, or they put them there,” the press secretary said. “This is completely normal. It is totally not a pretext for malicious joy and so forth.” He also revealed that Putin does not rely on image consultants or PR professionals to dream up his various displays of personal prowess. "Most of the time, he does it himself."

Vladimir Putin is seen following his, er, historic dive.
Vladimir Putin is seen following his, er, historic dive.   (AP Photo/RIA Novosti, Alexei Druzhinin, Pool)
Vladimir Putin brandishes his 'discoveries.'
Vladimir Putin brandishes his 'discoveries.'   (AP Photo/RIA Novosti, Alexei Druzhinin, Pool)
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Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin scuba dives at the site of a Greek ruin on the southern Black Sea coast.   (Reuters)

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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 12 comments
plain_speaking
Oct 5, 2011 6:03 PM CDT
Putin to camera man...OK, now get a shot of me as a cowboy..and then can I be a firemen?
finkster
Oct 5, 2011 5:30 PM CDT
"Surprise! Putin Diving 'Discoveries' Were Fake" You mean Putin is a phony like every other politician in the world?......shocking!!!.....absolutely shocking!!!!
JackNelsonSteward
Oct 5, 2011 4:05 PM CDT
Vlad seems to be working on some kind of cult status ...
 

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