You have probably seen the odd, and often shirtless, photo-ops staged by Russian President Vladimir Putin. While most world leaders content themselves with appearing at sober state functions or occasional political rally, Putin's official photocalls suggest a rich, Walter-Mitty-esque fantasy life. But even though we may think these photos are just Putin stroking his wild ego, there is actually a very rational political strategy behind them. Subscribe to our channel! http://goo.gl/0bsAjO Vox.com is a news website that helps you cut through the noise and understand what's really driving the events in the headlines. Check out http://www.vox.com to get up to speed on everything from Kurdistan to the Kim Kardashian app. Check out our full video catalog: http://goo.gl/IZONyE Follow Vox on Twitter: http://goo.gl/XFrZ5H Or on Facebook: http://goo.gl/U2g06o