Russian police seize painting of Putin in underwear

ST PETERSBURG - Reuters

A file picture taken on August 21, 2013, shows a visitor looking at an artwork by Russian artist Konstantin Altunin representing Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev in women's lingerie during the "Leaders" exhibition in the central St. Petersburg. AFP PHOTO/OLGA MALTSEVA

Police seized a painting of Russia’s president and prime minister in women’s underwear from a gallery in St Petersburg, saying the satirical display had broken unspecified laws.

The police service said it had taken paintings from the “Museum of Power” gallery - based in two rooms of a flat - late Aug. 26 after receiving reports they were illegal. It gave no further detail but Russia does have a law against insulting authorities - an offence that carries a maximum one-year prison term. One painting showed President Vladimir Putin wearing a tight-fitting slip and brushing the hair of Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, who is wearing knickers and a bra. St Petersburg deputy Vitaly Mironov, whose face was combined with the gay rights movement’s rainbow flag in one of the paintings, told Reuters the images were inappropriate and “of a distinctly pornographic character.”