President Vladimir Putin appeared on the cover of Time this week as the magazine's "Person of the Year," the first Russian to hold the title since Mikhail Gorbachev was nominated twice (1987, 1989), at a time when the idea that the Soviet Union could collapse was practically unthinkable.
Featuring an icy photo of Putin seated in an armchair and staring at the camera, the piece began by stating that "No one is born with a stare like Vladimir Putin's. It's a gaze that says, I'm in charge."
The article called Russia a nation "that had fallen off our mental map," but was led by one "steely and determined man."
The magazine has been naming a Person of the Year since 1927, but explains that making the cover is not necessarily an honor, but a "clear-eyed recognition of the world as it is and of the most powerful individuals and forces shaping that world."
Time's choice underscores the importance that Russia has gained on the international stage since Putin came to power, as well as the many things that are still left to be done.
As managing editor Richard Stengel explained in an accompanying article, "If Russia fails, all bets are off for the 21st century. And if Russia succeeds as a nation-state in the family of nations, it will owe much of that success to one man, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin."
An in-depth profile by Adi Ignatius, who stinted as a correspondent in Russia for several years, described Putin as an intense, complex and intelligent ruler with just a hint of the unknown. "He is clear about Russia's role in the world. He is passionate in his belief that the dissolution of the Soviet Union was a tragedy, particularly since overnight it stranded 25 million ethnic Russians in ‘foreign' lands. But he says he has no intention of trying to rebuild the U.S.S.R. or re-establish military or political blocs."
The interview, conducted on Dec. 12, came just a little over a week after the latest parliamentary elections, in which the Putin-backed United Russia won in a landslide, and just days after Putin endorsed Dmitry Medvedev as a potential "successor" in the March 2 presidential elections.
Medvedev himself reportedly praised Time's choice.
"Vladimir Vladimirovich is doing a lot for our country, and since his rule Russia's authority on the international arena has established itself considerably," RIA Novosti quoted the presidential candidate as saying. "If an authoritative magazine gives such an assessment, I agree with it," he added.
When asked in the Time interview if he would like to "correct any American misconceptions," the Russian president reportedly said,
"I don't believe these are misconceptions. I think this is a purposeful attempt by some to create an image of Russia based on which one could influence our internal and foreign policies."
Analysts described Putin's statements at the interview as an outline of his mission as Putin sees it. "It's a declaration of his mission to serve Russia," the Vedomosti business daily quoted political expert Dmitri Badovsky as saying.
By Anna Arutunyan
