Suppose we turn from outside estimates of a man, to wonder, with keener interest, what is the report of his own consciousness about his doings or capacity: with what hindrances he is carrying on his daily labors; what fading of hopes, or what deeper fixity of self-delusion the years are marking off within him; and with what spirit he wrestles against universal pressure, which will one day be too heavy for him, and bring his heart to its final pause.
Previous outdoor snapshots of Putin on holiday, including images of him fishing and sunbathing shirtless, appear intended to demonstrate his robust physical health and vigor as he wrestles with the affairs of state.
The vote follows a gruelling nine-month process that has led to policy gridlock in one of the world's largest emerging markets even as it wrestles with soaring unemployment and growing public anger at its political classes.