Vladimir Putin turns 74 today, 7 October 2026. However, the Kremlin has said the president’s birthday “will not be a day devoted solely to celebrations.” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced that a series of international phone calls is planned for the day, “first and foremost, as is obvious, on the occasion of the anniversary.” “We will keep you updated,” he told reporters, according to TASS.

Peskov also stressed that, despite the official commitments, one aspect of the birthday remains particularly important for Putin: the greetings from family and those closest to him. “A birthday is always a very personal occasion,” the spokesman said, adding that, for the president as for anyone, wishes from family and close friends are the most significant.

Today marks Putin’s 22nd birthday as head of state when counting his non-consecutive terms. According to Vedomosti, last year the Kremlin chief also received dozens of calls and messages of congratulation from foreign leaders.

From the crystal crocodile to the tractor: the most curious gifts

Putin’s birthdays over the years have been notable for several unusually symbolic gifts. Russian media recall first a crystal crocodile given in 2002 for his 50th birthday by then-Moldovan president Vladimir Voronin. The choice was reportedly deliberate: the crocodile was associated with an animal that, because of its build, cannot move backward.

Even more striking was the gift two decades later. For his 70th birthday in 2022, Alexander Lukashenko presented Putin with a Belarus-1523.3 tractor, accompanied by a certificate for a specially prepared unit. The gift was handed over during a meeting of leaders from several former Soviet states.

Leaders from Central Asia contributed a more agricultural offering: melons and several tons of watermelons.

Berlusconi’s gift: a duvet cover with a handshake

Among the more curious presents was one from Silvio Berlusconi. In 2017 the former Italian prime minister gave Putin a duvet cover depicting the two leaders shaking hands, with the Colosseum and St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow in the background. The item was brought to Russia to mark the president’s birthday.

Berlusconi and Putin had a long-standing personal friendship, and in 2017 Putin is said to have invited Berlusconi to Russia to celebrate his 65th birthday together.

Ancient water and a 54-centimeter pony

The list of unusual gifts also includes a vial of water from Lake Vostok in Antarctica. Russian reports say the sample was taken after drilling through kilometers of ice and that the water is believed to be more than a million years old.

In 2005 Putin received a tiny Falabella pony named Vadik; at the time of the gift, FederalPress reported, the animal measured just 54 centimeters at the withers.

Over the years he has also received live animals. An RBC biography notes, among other gifts, a tiger cub in 2008, dogs from various foreign leaders, and in 2024 two Pungsan hunting dogs given by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.