A Russian leader is man of action who has no fear – to mark Epiphany, he takes an icy dip every year. Today, many Russian Orthodox believers do the same, that is the old tradition.
The taking a dip is one of the most famous religious traditions, that practice is said to relate to the symbolic baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan. But there is a huge difference between the climates where rivers Jordan and Moscow are. Vladimir Putin follows a Russian Orthodox Christian tradition, which tells to take a dip in freezing water. On January, 18, The Russian President did it at a monastery on the Feast of the Epiphany, Thursday was a really unforgettable working day!
According to the history of religion, the Epiphany Bath is celebrated on January 19, the day when the infant Jesus is believed to have been visited by the Three Wise Men, thus revealing Himself to humankind.
Vladimir Putin took an icy dip at -6C
On Thursday night when the Russian leader decided to take an icy dip to mark Epiphany, the air temperatures were around -6C. Despite this, Mr Putin marched onto the ice of frozen Lake Seliger, about 250 miles north of Moscow, dressed in a sheepskin coat and felt boots.
With his coat and boots removed, he then walked down a set of wooden steps into a hole in the ice, crossed himself, and dipped his head under the water before surfacing. The 65-year-old Putin has a track record of bearing his bare torso in public and indulging in photo opportunities that project a ‘man of action’ image. No need t say that Thursday’s Epiphany dip and following the tradition just strengthen the love of Russians in his leader, man of action.
