What's next for Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin? A guest appearance as a celebrity contestant on Dancing With the Stars? If so, there are sure to be plenty of adoring paparazzi-journos in the United States and Europe praising his macho ballroom prowess.

Ignoring Putin's grab for increased powers for the FSB (formerly the KGB) on July 9, much of the Western media uncritically retailed Putin's recent stunts, including his claim to have sung KGB songs with the Russian spies recently expelled from the United States.

The latest episodes are evidence of a continuation of the penchant of the major media organizations to bend over backward to present the Moscow-approved propaganda line on Russia's maximum leader. On a 2007 fishing excursion, Putin posed topless, which inspired tabloid-style headlines such as "Putin - the hunk" in the so-called mainstream U.S. press, mirroring the adulatory coverage in the Putin-controlled Russian media.

More recently, Putin has been filmed attending a no-holds-barred fight with his Hollywood tough-guy pal, Jean-Claude Van Damme; hugging and tagging a giant polar bear; patting and tagging a Beluga whale; and heroically shooting a huge Siberian tiger with a dart gun (thereby, allegedly, saving a TV crew from the beast's attack).

Over the past weekend Putin scored a couple more photo-op victories to burnish his strongman image, with his media-staged entrance to an international motorcycle rally in Ukraine and a press conference at which he claimed to have met with, and sung KGB songs with, the spies recently expelled from the U.S. Clad all in black — complete with black gloves and dark shades — and sitting astride a tricked out Harley Davidson three-wheel conversion, Putin roared into the biker convention on July 24 with a Russian motorcycle group known as the "Night Wolves," to roars of approval from throngs of bikers, many of whom, no doubt, were shills planted by the FSB. "I greet you brothers!" he told the gathering of motorcyclists, extolling the motorbike as "the most democratic means of transport." "It's the boldest, the quickest transport and gives the biker the sweet feeling of freedom," said Putin. "Without any exaggeration you can say that a bike is a symbol of freedom."

The following day, July 25, a jauntily attired Putin, in an open collar and sports coat, told reporters at a press conference in Ukraine that he had met with the 10 sleeper agents who had recently been sent back to Russia in a spy trade. "We talked about life. We sang. It was not karaoke but live music," Putin told reporters. "We sang 'From Where the Motherland Begins,'" he added. "I'm not joking, I'm serious. And other songs with a similar content," Putin said.

The song, "From Where the Motherland Begins," is not familiar to non-Russians, but it is well known among Russians as the unofficial anthem of the KGB.

As we noted in a 2007 cover story for The New American, "Putin's Russia," Vladimir Putin, himself a KGB/FSB careerist, has been rehabilitating the Soviet KGB's image, while simultaneously openly boosting the prominence and power of the KGB's successor organizations, the domestic FSB and the foreign SVR. Among the many significant moves Putin has taken in this regard is his restoration of important communist symbols, such as:
• the Red Star, as Russia's official military emblem;
• the Red Banner, as Russia's military flag;
• the music of the old Soviet anthem, albeit with new words;
• the bust of Feliks Dzerzhinsky, mass murderer and infamous founder of the KGB (known then as the Cheka) to a pedestal at the infamous Lubyanka headquarters of the KGB-FSB.

Unlike the other events described above, the Russian media has released no video, audio, or photos of Putin's alleged singing session with the returned Russia spies, leading some Putin critics to suggest that the incident never took place, but rather, that the reported KGB song fest was a fiction created by Putin and the KGB/FSB to play up Soviet nostalgia, Russian nationalism, and Putin's cult of personality. All of this is aimed at positioning Putin, say the critics, for a return as President of Russia in the 2012 elections. If the plan works, Putin can thank his fans in the Western press corps who give preference to recycling KGB/FSB propaganda glamorizing him rather than reporting on the many victims of his brutal police-state. (See, for instance, here, here, and here.)

Related content:

FBI Busts Russian Espionage Network

Spy Escape in Cyprus Highlights Russia's Growing Clout in Mediterranean

Why the Rush to Send Russian Agents Back?

Dangerous Connections: NBA and the KGB

Russia, China Spies Belie "End of the Cold War"

Girlfriend of Accused: "With a Russian Spy"

Microsoft Plugged Into Russian Espionage

Photo of Vladimir Putin: AP Images

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lee Gonzales said:

Litvinenko's murder by a radioactive poison "As Alexander Litvinenko lay dying under tight police protection at London's University College hospital, he pointed an accusing finger at the man he believed responsible for ordering his assassination: Russian President Vladimir Putin. The dying man had good cause for suspecting Putin. Abundant evidence, including a radioactive trail of polonium-210, the substance used to poison him, leads right back to Putin's operatives in Moscow. In addition, the Kremlin's heavy-handed tactics to thwart the efforts of British police detectives sent to Russia to investigate the poisoning do little for the credibility of Putin's protestations of innocence and his pledges to do everything possible to help solve the crime." http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Putin,+poison,+and+murder:+the+recent+murder-by-poison+of+Russian...-a0158387716

July 27, 2010 | url

Babeouf said:

Putin As anyone could have said of this fan of Rock and Roll 'Vlad To The Bone'

July 27, 2010

kedr said:

... The song, "From Where the Motherland Begins," is not familiar to non-Russians, but it is well known among Russians as the unofficial anthem of the KGB. I'm Russian and this is a first time I hear that "From Where the Motherland Begins" is an anthem of KGB. It is just a beautiful song.

July 28, 2010

Ruslan said:

mr. I'm not "KGB"_man, but I like the song "From Where the Motherland Begins", when I was a boy ( in USSSR - that it's my Motherland ). the Red Banner - it's the very old symbol from XIII - XIV centuries yet. It's our the History. This article is a result of many "troubles" in the mind of the author.

July 28, 2010

Alex Povolotsky said:

So much fun... William Jasper has good chance on winning the "Least Knowledge of Russia" contest.

July 28, 2010

Kolyvan said:

What horror What horror, I also did not know that when we with friends sing this song at all employees of KGB the hiccups begins.) now it is necessary to go on Lubjanku, to ask for mercy from a monument Dzerzhinsky) The author of article, simply troll, which that does not know neither about history of Russia nor about its traditions, about its culture. Not clearly as this article in general has got to the press.

July 28, 2010

Moscow, Russia said:

Delirium "The song, "From Where the Motherland Begins," is not familiar to non-Russians, but it is well known among Russians as the unofficial anthem of the KGB." - Are you nuts?

July 28, 2010 | url

gorillaz: said:

... Автор статьи решил посоревноваться в идиотзме с Fox News? Надо отдать должное - местами ему это удалось...

July 28, 2010

Serge said:

Who is this WILLIAM F. JASPER? Dear WILLIAM F. JASPER, The sentences and conclusions more stupid than those invented by you in this article can be found only in Fox News, and similar moronic media... My condolences to you.

July 28, 2010

Leo said:

... "Putin roared into the biker convention on July 24 with a Russian motorcycle group known as the "Night Wolves," to roars of approval from throngs of bikers, many of whom, no doubt, were shills planted by the FSB" - some of them were from USA and Europe, btw

July 28, 2010

Zizu said:

terrrrrible Puutin Is Putin killed honest expert David Kelly? Is Putin every day is killing patriots of Iraq?

July 28, 2010

Sergei said:

2Readers: I would like to clarify some things. I'm Russian too. I've known a lot of things about my country from this article, "thank you". I am sure, that the author is Russophob, but for all other readers I would like to clarify some things. > • the Red Star, as Russia's official military emblem; This emblem was not canceled at all. It is used during several tens of years as, for example, the emblem of USAF. > • the Red Banner, as Russia's military flag; Wow! I didn't know about that. Is it true? Why we know nothing about this fact here in the Russia?..

July 29, 2010

Ian said:

Contact info. for Editor of T.N.A. magazine wanted Dear Sirs, Would you please post somewhere on the website (or page) the e-mail address for the author of this article or the magazine's editor so that questions can be asked to them directly. Thank you very much and keep up the good work! £££££££££££££££££££££££££££

July 30, 2010

Skazo4nik_zlodey said:

Congradulation! William F. Jasper is Winner! The song, "From Where the Motherland Begins," is not familiar to non-Russians, but it is well known among Russians as the unofficial anthem of the KGB. Thank you William We so long time living and does not know that is song the unofficial anthem of the KGB. You opened our eyes and stay the winner between all mass madia in knowlage of Russian culture and tradition. We think that winner was Fox News but you William stayed by more strong leader in our list!!!

July 31, 2010

jackson said:

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August 03, 2010 | url