Young Russian women dance to the music of Soojin on the pedestrian of Nikolskaya street near Red Square and the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, July 18, 2024. Seo Soo-jin, better known mononymously as Soojin, is a South Korean singer, dancer, and rapper, who has many fans in Russia. (Photo by Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP Photo)

“Exactly one year before the long awaited Sochi Olympics, Vladimir Putin went to Sochi personally to see how the construction is going. After receiving a report saying the ski jumps that were supposed to be ready in 2011, are not completed still, while their price has sky-rocketed from 1.2 billion to 8 billion roubles, he commented, “Good for you. Good job”, and then fired the vice president of the Olympic committee. Russian artist Vasily Slonov painted his view of the upcoming games, giving a new interpretation to the adored Russian mascot Cheburashka, and combining officially endorsed stereotypes of Russia with grimmer and less accepted ones”. – Ruskie.info. (Photo by Vasily Slonov)

Pro-Russian activists attack policemen guarding the burned trade union building in the southern Ukrainian city of Odessa on May 3, 2014. More than 30 people were killed in a “criminal” blaze in Ukraine's southern city of Odessa, as violence spread across the country during the bloodiest day since Kiev's Western-backed government took power. Ukraine's interior ministry said at least 31 people had died in the fire Friday, with local media reporting that pro-Russian militants were believed to have been in the burning building at the time. (Photo by Anatolii Stepanov/AFP Photo)

Russian Police academy female cadets march during a rehearsal for the Victory Day military parade at Dvortsovaya (Palace) Square in St Petersburg, Russia, Wednesday, May 7, 2014. Victory Day, marking the defeat of Nazi Germany, is Russia's most important secular holiday celebrated on May 9. (Photo by Dmitry Lovetsky/AP Photo)

In this Saturday, July 4, 2015 photo, Israeli and Russian members of knight clubs cook their breakfast before the reenactment of the Battle of Hattin in Lavi Forest, northern Israel. About a third of the participants arrived with their elaborate gear from Russia. The project is supported by the Lower Galilee Regional Council. (Photo by Oded Balilty/AP Photo)

A man carries a blood stained stretcher in a site hit by what activists said were airstrikes carried out by the Russian air force in the town of Douma, eastern Ghouta in Damascus, Syria January 10, 2016. (Photo by Bassam Khabieh/Reuters)

An instructor guides a student from the General Yermolov Cadet School as she aims with a gun during a field exercise outside the south Russian city of Stavropol January 24, 2015. The General Yermolov Cadet School in Stavropol is a state-run institution that teaches military and patriotic classes in addition to a normal syllabus. (Photo by Eduard Korniyenko/Reuters)

A girl with Russian national flags painted on her cheeks takes part in celebrations marking the first anniversary of Russia's annexation of Crimea, in central Simferopol March 16, 2015. Russia marks one year anniversary of annexation of Ukraine's Crimea peninsula this week. (Photo by Maxim Shemetov/Reuters)