In the run-up to 2026, Russian bookstores have begun selling calendars with images of Russian President Vladimir Putin as a New Year gift.

"Demand is very high," said Yelizaveta Sokovykh, a bookstore employee in Moscow. "They sold out very quickly. There are literally a few left. But we're expecting deliveries soon."

Residents in the Russian capital expressed mixed views about buying or giving such an item as a New Year’s gift.

Some say it is too formal and would be more appropriate to "hang up at work" while others admit they "prefer horses, bunnies, cats and dogs."

One reesident, Irina Fomichyova, said she already has a wall clock with Putin’s portrait and finds it more practical than a calendar.

"You know, when it expires, what would you do with it? Throw it away? Dispose? That's not good," she said.