New fragrance inspired by Putin goes on sale


A new perfume inspired by the President Vladimir Putin went on sale in Moscow at the end of December. The fragrance, called "Leaders Number One" comes in a black-glass bottle featuring profile of the Russian leader and is sold in Moscow's luxury GUM department store or online for the price of 6500 roubles (USD 95/Euro 85). The scent which contained hints of lemon, blackcurrant and fir cones, was created by the Belarussian-born perfumer Vladislav Rekunov. "The composition that we created was made to be warm and well-rounded and I would call it "uniting". So it's not an aggressive scent, rather it's attractive, matter-of-fact and natural," said Rekunov. He said the creation of the scent was inspired by videos of the Russian president. Despite "warm" and "uniting" qualities of the Putin-inspired perfume, most of the shoppers rejected the offer to test the new fragrance for free. Two men on the Moscow street who agreed to try the Putin-themed perfume were not happy with what they've smelt. "To be honest it smells like a cheap perfume," said one man after smelling his hand sprayed with the fragrance. The new perfume was the latest addition to a large Putin-themed collection of items on sale, which included T-shirts, mugs, badges, posters, postcards and books aimed at strengthening at cult of personality of the Russian leader. Russian media reported that Rekunov hopes one day to be able to present Putin with his perfume.