Is That Vladimir Putin in a 1988 Photo with Ronald Reagan?

[Tx4obama]

Is That Vladimir Putin in a 1988 Photo with Ronald Reagan?

With Vladimir Putin back in the news so prominently, now may be a good time to look back at a photo that got some attention in 2009: a photo of Ronald Reagan in Russia, a photo taken by the man who currently fills the same official role for President Obama, and a photo that appears to feature Putin himself dressed up like a tourist.

Pete Souza is the White House photographer for President Obama, but he also worked in the same capacity under Reagan, and he snapped that photo in 1988 of Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev greeting tourists. And Souza claimed back in 2009 (and said this information was confirmed to him) that the man on the very left, the tourist-y looking fellow with the camera around his neck, is in fact Vladimir Putin, who was a KGB agent at the time and was undercover.

-snip-

Full post here: http://www.mediaite.com/online/is-that-vladimir-putin-in-a-1988-photo-with-ronald-reagan/

[freshwest]

1. Looks as if Souza got it right from the link:

Souza claimed back in 2009 (and said this information was confirmed to him) that the man on the very left, the tourist-y looking fellow with the camera around his neck, is in fact Vladimir Putin, who was a KGB agent at the time and was undercover.

From the embedded link at the article:

Souza recounts a story from a trip to Russia with Reagan. He shot photos of Reagan as the president toured Moscow's Red Square with then-Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. Gorbachev introduced Reagan to various tourists, who asked the American president pointed questions about subjects such as human rights in the United States. Souza says he remembers turning to one of the Secret Service agents standing nearby.

"I can't believe these tourists in the Soviet Union are asking these pointed questions." The agent replied, "Oh, these are all KGB families."

Souza also shared that story with Obama in 2005, when the then-senator was visiting Red Square. Souza says Obama loves a good story, and this was a firsthand account of history...

http://www.npr.org/2009/01/15/99353598/a-front-row-view-of-obamas-white-house

Looks like Putin and the behavior would match an agent. Souza was there, and his story makes sense. The KGB would be undercover to protect their leader and Putin would have to play a role. After reading the NPR piece, I wonder if the boy Reagan is greeting there is Putin's son?

IOW, I think it's Putin.

[jberryhill]

2. That doesn't make it Putin, though

I'm sure that Putin wasn't the only blond Caucasian in the KGB.

[freshwest]

4. I'm going by the body type, height, eyes, nose, lips and chin. I've seen many videos of him talking.

And Souza's information that he recieved from the Secret Service makes sense to me...

[jberryhill]

13. I believe his hair started thinning out early, though

[freshwest]

17. That ain't much hair there, either, IMO. Blondes I know don't all have thick hair to begin with.

[JI7]

6. Putin doesn't have any sons , he has 2 daughters

but i agree that the height and body type does seem to point to putin. but hard to say for sure.

[Tx4obama]

9. Maybe the young boy belongs to someone out of view in the leftside of the photo

[JI7]

11. or nephew or some other relative

the news has reported on a putin nephew in his 30s and that would fit with the age of the boy in that pic during that year.

[BlueStreak]

3. That's not Putin. He has a shirt on.

[JI7]

5. this must be from the 70s

[2banon]

7. where did you find that image?

[JI7]

8. i was looking for info on the pic in the op

and this pic showed up during one of the google searches

[2banon]

10. interesting, thanks

[Democracyinkind]

12. Intuitively, I'd say too much hair. But it might be the angle.

[freshwest]

19. The picture was taken around 26 years ago. n/t

[Democracyinkind]

22. I know. nt

[hrmjustin]

14. I can't tell.

[Boom Sound 416]

15. This pic has been floating around for a couple years now

Probably everyone who is not American or Gorbachev is KGB (including the boy).


Look at the cameras around Putin's neck. Just screams tourist a little to loudly. But in reality, I doubt very much a citizen would have been able to get that close to two presidents with metal boxes around their neck.

[justiceischeap]

16. I don't think that's him

the nose is too pointy....



And this is what his hair looked like in 1988:

[freshwest]

21. Time takes a toll on hair and faces. And noses get wider according to expression and age.

And the hair is similiar in your 1988 image except with less sun lightening as the picture. Here's a picture of Vlad with his nose more pointed and his expression is rather odd:



I have a series of photos of an actor whose nose and chin appears broad most of time, but in the same period other pictures had his nose thin and pointed, along with his chin. It's expression, relaxation and in this case, I'd say youth. The image in the OP is 26 years ago. My own nose was more pointed when I was younger.

[Brickbat]

18. Doubtful.

[LittleBlue]

20. Or maybe it was time traveling Evgeni Plushenko

Blond guy in "some Slavic looking dude must be Putin" shocker