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New Russian Prez Digs Hard Rock, Putin

In Medvedev, quirky résumé masks loyal junior partner

By Zach Samalin,  Newser Staff

Posted Mar 4, 2008 12:20 PM CST

(Newser) – Trivia on Russian president-elect Dmitry Medvedev—that he is a swimmer, a yoga lover, and Deep Purple buff—merely masks a man wholly devoted to Vladimir Putin, New Yorker editor David Remnick writes. "Trivia domesticated even the worst Soviet-era résumés," he reminds us: Catherine the Great loved horses, Nicholas II photography, and Alexander III the French horn. Medvedev's pastimes are just as trivial.

What separates Putin and his protégé is style. "Medvedev is more soft-spoken, and, partly as a result, he has acquired a worldlier, more liberal image than some of his peers." Quoting a former aid to Boris Yeltsin, Remnick writes: “Medvedev has such a weak personality that he would be raped by lobbyists right on his table on the second day of his Presidency, and Putin knows this."

Vladimir Putin, left, and his hand-picked successor Dmitry Medvedev greet their supporters standing side-by-side at the stage during a concert to mark presidential election at the Moscow Red Square late Sunday, March 2, 2008. Medvedev scored a crushing victory in Russia's presidential elections Sunday, a result that nobody ever doubted...
Vladimir Putin, left, and his hand-picked successor Dmitry Medvedev greet their supporters standing side-by-side at the stage during a concert to mark presidential election at the Moscow Red Square late...   (Associated Press)
Dmitry Medvedev, the man Vladimir Putin hand-picked to be his successor, speaks to the media during his news conference in Moscow, early Monday, March 3, 2008. Medvedev scored a crushing victory in Russia's presidential elections Sunday, a result that nobody ever doubted but which still raises questions about who will...
Dmitry Medvedev, the man Vladimir Putin hand-picked to be his successor, speaks to the media during his news conference in Moscow, early Monday, March 3, 2008. Medvedev scored a crushing victory in Russia's...   (Associated Press)
Vladimir Putin, left, and his hand-picked successor Dmitry Medvedev wave to their supporters standing side-by-side at the stage during a concert to mark presidential election at the Moscow Red Square late Sunday, March 2, 2008. Medvedev was headed for an easy victory in Sunday's presidential election, according to an exit...
Vladimir Putin, left, and his hand-picked successor Dmitry Medvedev wave to their supporters standing side-by-side at the stage during a concert to mark presidential election at the Moscow Red Square...   (Associated Press)
Russian First Deputy Premier Dmitry Medvedev and his wife Svetlana walk in Medvedev's electional headquarters early Monday, March 3, 2008. Russia's President-elect Dmitry Medvedev appeared to send a strong signal Monday that he would continue his predecessor's tough stance toward neighboring states seeking closer ties with the West when the...
Russian First Deputy Premier Dmitry Medvedev and his wife Svetlana walk in Medvedev's electional headquarters early Monday, March 3, 2008. Russia's President-elect Dmitry Medvedev appeared to send a strong...   (Associated Press)
Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, looks on during a meeting with the president-elect, Putin's hand-picked successor Dmitry Medvedev, in the Kremlin, Moscow, Monday, March 3, 2008, hours after the presidential vote. Putin, set to retain power as Medvedev's Prime Minister, also suggested they work together on a Cabinet reshuffle. (AP...
Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, looks on during a meeting with the president-elect, Putin's hand-picked successor Dmitry Medvedev, in the Kremlin, Moscow, Monday, March 3, 2008, hours after the...   (Associated Press)
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