Russian police seize ‘Putin in women’s underwear’ painting

Russian police said on Wednesday they had raided an exhibition and confiscated a painting that portrayed President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev lounging together in women’s lingerie.

Police said they confiscated four paintings by artist Konstantin Altunin and closed down the exhibition of his work in Russia’s second city of Saint Petersburg, which is set to host world leaders for the G20 summit next month.

One of the paintings confiscated shows Putin playing with Medvedev’s hair. He is wearing a strappy nightie, while Medvedev has cleavage bursting out of a bra and is wearing skimpy knickers.

“We received information from a citizen that the images in the museum broke the law. Police confiscated four paintings and currently experts are examining them,” said police spokesman Vyacheslav Stepchenko.

The exhibition made explicit references to a controversial law recently passed by Putin banning promotion of homosexuality among minors, although police did not specify the legal grounds for its closure.