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The 9 Best Faces Vladimir Putin Made At The Sochi Olympic Opening Ceremony

Let's face it: Russian President Vladimir Putin is an international man of mystery. Known for his steely gaze and stone-faced demeanor, Putin is probably the last guy to get an Olympics party started. But at Friday's Winter Olympic opening ceremony, that's exactly what he was called on to do.

We're glad he took a break from shirtless horseback riding, shooting polar bears, practicing karate, hang-gliding, arm-wrestling, and playing ice hockey to revel in the ceremonies, mainly so we could take a look at his best reactions.

Wait! Does Putin secretly want to be a member of the Russian Olympic team? It all makes sense now...

by Adrienne Vogt

"I wonder if the mascots were a mistake."

Were “The Polar Bear,” “The Hare,” and “The Leopard” mascots the creepy toys of Putin’s childhood? Yeesh.

Maybe they’ll get some free Charmin for the Sochi hotel bathrooms, though.

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"Uh oh, I forgot to write my speech on my hand."

That’s OK, Vlad, the $51 billion Winter Olympics will speak for itself.

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"Did I leave the stove on?"

Putin might get mad when he realizes his borscht and piroshki got burned.

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"You are the funniest man alive!"

It looks like Putin and International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach got pretty chummy at Sochi’s opening ceremonies.

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"JK, no, you're right, I'm the funniest!"

Lol you guys, stop foolin’ around during the ballet representation of War and Peace !

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Heavy Breathing

Man, you can cut the tension between these two with a knife.

Putin may have had a different outlook after Bach’s speech alluded to Russia’s notorious anti-gay laws: “The Olympic Games are a sports festival embracing human diversity in great unity,” Bach said. “Therefore I say to the political leaders of the world… Please respect their Olympic message of goodwill, of tolerance, of excellence and of peace.”

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"There will be no more snowflakes in Russia. Ever."

Let’s hope the operator responsible for Sochi’s snowflake malfunction got a running start — to somewhere far, far away.

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"Where's the vodka, chumps?"

The champagne is NOT cutting it for Vlad.

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"Excellent."

Evil laugh.

And so it begins.

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