Left a little short: Putin left red-faced as Kremlin photo gaffe exposes his small height
VLADIMIR Putin has been left red-faced after a photo gaffe at the Kremlin showed him looking several inches shorter than some of his female guests.
The Russian president was hosting a group women at the presidential palace in Moscow to celebrate International Woman’s Day.
However, Putin’s aides forgot to tell the invited group not to wear high-heels, leaving several of the guests towering over the Russian leader – who is famously self-conscious about his height.
A Kremlin insider said strict rules dictate no one can be taller than the president – who is believed to be between 5ft 2” and 5ft 5” – in official photos.
In line with Kremlin rules, no one can be taller than he is to avoid causing embarrassment in pictures and video
"That’s why his bodyguards are always shorter then he is, to give the impression Putin is a tall person," the source revealed.
However that diktat appears to have been ignored in the most recent images of Putin, which show a handful of the 14 invited women dressed smartly but with accompanying high heels.
According to the insider, the women were told to bend down during the photo call to make Putin appear slightly taller.
“They were told to try and squat down a little bit during the official photo session,” the source said.
They added: “Fourteen women were selected and invited to the Kremlin to take part in the official meeting with [the] president.
“In line with Kremlin rules, no one can be taller than he is to avoid causing embarrassment in pictures and video.”
Putin was featured being licked by a bear on the cover of a Russian magazine to celebrate last Sunday’s International Woman’s Day.
The state-owned publication pictured the president next to a bunch of flowers and a bear sporting a pink flower tucked behind its ear.
The accompanying caption reads: “Happy March 8, girls!”
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The Russian president has been keen to show off his sporting prowess in the past, with photos showing a shirtless Putin riding a horse.
However, in a recent line-up of G-20 leaders, Putin was found to be the third shortest, beating only Germany’s Angela Merkel and South Africa’s Jacob Zuma.
By contrast, David Cameron is believed to measure in at 6ft 1”, the same height as US president Barack Obama, while Canada’s Stephen Harper took the top spot at 6ft 2”.
