Russian President Vladimir Putin turned 74 on October 7. The Kremlin said he would maintain his regular work schedule, with a series of international phone calls planned — many of them involving birthday greetings — along with other official engagements.
Over more than two decades in power, Putin has marked his birthday in different ways, ranging from family gatherings and trips abroad to hockey games and excursions through the Siberian taiga.
One of his most high-profile birthday celebrations came in 2015. On his 63rd birthday, Putin took to the ice in Sochi for a Night Hockey League game. According to the official tally, he scored seven goals as his team won 15–10.
In 2019, ahead of his 67th birthday, Putin traveled to the Siberian taiga with then-Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. The Kremlin released footage showing the two walking through the forest and picking mushrooms and berries. Putin reportedly spent his birthday itself with family and friends.
Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the public side of Putin’s birthday celebrations has become increasingly centered on official and political engagements.
Putin marked his 70th birthday in 2022 in St. Petersburg, where he held meetings and phone calls. In 2023, he said that after his official engagements, he spent part of the evening with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
His birthday in 2024 was also largely spent working, including meetings with foreign leaders. Putin marked his 73rd birthday in 2025 in St. Petersburg, visiting the Peter and Paul Cathedral before holding a meeting with Russia’s military leadership. Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov and commanders of Russian troop groupings briefed him on the situation on the front in Ukraine.
The Kremlin itself has described Putin’s birthday routine in recent years as a combination of personal and official activities. According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, the Russian president spends part of the day with people close to him but often uses his birthday for meetings and conversations with foreign leaders.
While the Kremlin once regularly released images of Putin hiking through the taiga, playing hockey or enjoying outdoor activities, October 7 has increasingly appeared in recent years like a regular working day for the Russian president — filled with phone calls, political meetings and military briefings.
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